Elvis Costello – Live March 1979
Introduction
My first Elvis Costello album was Armed Forces, which I bought sometime in 1979. I absolutely loved it. A look back on an album that’s still relevant to this day.
Elvis Costello
Declan Patrick MacManus was born on August 25, 1954, in London. At 14 he learned himself to play the guitar and started writing songs. Early 1972 Costello was asked to join the folk-rock band Rusty. Several members left and soon Rusty was down to two members. MacManus started using the name Declan Costello as his stage name and formed the band Flip City in 1973, a band that would frequently perform in and around London until late 1975. Costello wrote many songs, including ones he didn’t want to use for Flip City, but for his own solo career.
In 1976 Costello was introduced to punk, which changed his way of writing. In August 1976 Costello sent a demo to Stiff Records, a new independent label, which had signed Nick Lowe as their first artist. Lowe would soon become the label’s producer. Costello was signed and was allowed to record an album. The label proved the musicians: Clover, an American country-rock band. In four 6-hour sessions Costello’s debut album was recorded, for a total cost of £1,000. Nick Lowe produced the album which was completed by the end of January 1977.
Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True & This Year’s Model
In February 1977 Costello’s managers named him Elvis. The link to the other Elvis was designed to attract attention (which would turn out very well indeed, as the other Elvis would die later in the year). The look was changed as well; from now on Costello would wear big black-framed glasses. In March 1977 the first Elvis Costello single was released: Less Than Zero, quickly followed by Alison and (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes. The singles didn’t do much, but they did garner the attention of the (English) writing press. The debut album My Aim Is True was released on July 12, 1977, which led to even more attention from the press who unanimously lauded the album. The album sold reasonably well, especially following the release of the single Watching The Detectives in October of 1977. This single was recorded with three musicians who would soon make up Elvis Costello’s official backing band: The Attractions.
A tour made Costello a household name in the UK. Late 1977 Costello changed labels and signed with the newly founded Radar Records, which released his album This Year’s Model on March 17, 1978. The album was a huge success. Once again, the album was praised by the English (and this time also American) press. The rest of the year Elvis Costello And The Attractions toured the UK, Europe and the US. While on tour several songs that would end up on the upcoming album, were premiered.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces
Armed Forces
On January 5, 1979, Elvis Costello released his third album, Armed Forces, the first album that explicitly named The Attractions. Recording sessions for the album were held in August and September of 1978.
After the success of his second album Costello decided to trade in the punk esthetics for more pop oriented songs, perfectly in tune with the upcoming new-wave genre, for which Costello turned into a signboard. The sound was widened and more varied without losing the ‘punch’. Costello later stated that he and the band listened to the David Bowie Berlin trilogy, Kraftwerk, late (19)60s Beatles and ABBA a lot around the time of recording the new album.
The subjects of the songs changed as well. Content wise, it is telling that the album was originally scheduled to be called Emotional Fascism. Costello was increasingly worried about the rise of the far-right in the UK, something Europe should concern itself with in this day and age as well. Prior to the album’s recording dates, Elvis Costello And The Attractions played to their largest audience yet, as part of the second Rock Against Racism festival in London.
Elvis Costello – Live At Hollywood High
Live EP
The first 100,000 copies in the UK and the US contained a bonus EP Live At Hollywood High, which was recorded live in June 1978 and contained a slower version of Accidents Will Happen.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces Billboard
Cover
Barney Bubbles was responsible for the first two album covers and the marketing campaigns. His services were used for the third album as well, resulting in a 6 meter high billboard on the facade of the Dominion theater in London at Christmas of 1978. Faith in the upcoming album was big, as expenses and efforts weren’t spared. Barney Bubbles had free reign.
It came wrapped in a folding envelope of Barney Bubbles’ pop art design: a kitsch painting of stampeding elephants, Jackson Pollock and David Hockney quotations, a cartoon of Red Army soldiers with laser-beam eyes, animal prints, and a photograph of us standing under a monkey puzzle tree in the driveway of a palatial house on the Wirral.
Elvis Costello – Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink (2015)
The album cover pictured a painting of a herd of elephants made by Tom Pogson. The image didn’t give anything away on the content of the album itself. The back cover was made up of drawings of soldiers and animal prints (like zebra). The first copies of the cover were foldable. I’m lucky enough to own such a copy, which was costly, but most of all innovative and original.
The inner sleeve (showing the Emotional Fascism title) showed a picture of Costello lying on a springboard and one of Costello with The Attractions. The package also contained 4 postcards.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces – US pressing
The cover of the US release was simpler. It contained paint drips and the name of the artist and album title as paint stains. The back cover contained the ‘elephant’ image and the song titles.
The album title was changed from Emotional Fascism to Armed Forces at the last minute. In his 2015 biography Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink Costello stated that he arrived on the definitive title, because he was told that an album with the title Emotional Fascism would not stand a chance on US radio.
Reception
The album was lauded and ended up in many critics’ end of year lists in the UK, Europe and the US.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces – Ad Melody Maker 01/06/1979
Review
The frustration and anger of the first two albums were replaced by urgency and a message. The production is clear which ensures that the music’s elegance is clearly audible. All songs possess an almost inhumanely high level, all sounding welcoming and open.
It’s quite remarkable that subjects like fascism, Nazis and the holocaust can still sound like a warm call for harmony. The pungent song and the eclectic character of the music radiate some kind of optimism, which also characterized the early Bruce Springsteen. Melancholy and minor chords, but still that hope and cheerfulness.
I am not going to name highlights, as the entire album is just perfect. Recommended, very, very highly indeed!
Elvis Costello – Armed Forces – Singles
Singles
The album produced two singles.
- Oliver’s Army
(released on February 2, 1979) - Accidents Will Happen
(released on May 4, 1979)
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces – Inner sleeve
Songs
All songs written by Elvis Costello.
- Accidents Will Happen
- Senior Service
- Oliver’s Army
- Big Boys
- Green Shirt
- Party Girl
- Goon Squad
- Busy Bodies
- Sunday’s Best
- Moods For Moderns
- Chemistry Class
- Two Little Hitlers
N.B.:
The American version contained the Nick Lowe cover (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding as the final song, at the expense of Sunday’s Best.
On November 6, 2020, Armed Forces was re-released as a vinyl-only super deluxe box set. The Complete Armed Forces held no less than 9 LPs, which included the original remastered album, B-sides, demos, outtakes and live recordings.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces – Inner sleeve
Musicians
- Elvis Costello – guitar, vocals
- Steve Nieve – keyboards
- Bruce Thomas – bass
- Pete Thomas – drums
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces foldout
After Armed Forces
Costello and his band were already exhausted by the time the Armed Forces album was recorded and immediately set out on a lengthy tour yet again. The Armed Funk tour, which started in the US, was plagued by problems, such as drugs and alcohol issues and aggressive behavior towards the press, which translated into less favorable reviews. Many considered the shows to be extremely short which, at times, turned audiences hostile.
On March 15, 1979, Costello got into an argument with Stephen Stills’ entourage in Columbus, Ohio. Costello called James Brown a “jive-ass nigger” and Ray Charles a “blind, ignorant nigger”. Costello’s words found their way to the American press. Costello ‘defended’ himself by emphasizing that he was drunk and “it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster”. Even though the words are incompatible with the person Costello and can be marked as completely ‘out of character’, they are downright unforgivable. In 2013 Costello said to Questlove “It’s upsetting because I can’t explain how I even got to think you could be funny about something like that. I’m sorry. You know?”.
The immediate result was that US radio stations refused to play his music and his reputation was badly damaged. So much so, that Costello never gained the success in the US that was predicted for him.
Following the disastrous tour Costello and the band took some time off during the summer of 1979 (even though Costello would produce the debut album by The Specials in the meantime) and released the soul album Get Happy!! on February 15, 1980. It marked the official end of the direct, confrontational sound of his first three albums.
Elvis Costello And The Attractions – Armed Forces – Post cards
In closing
What’s your opinion on Elvis Costello in general and Armed Forces in particular? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Elvis Costello worries about fascism: Armed Forces. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
