#482 Elvis Costello and the Attractions- Armed Forces (1979)

Such conflicting feelings--I'm excited to finally review an album that I know song by song in order, verbatim so-to-speak.  I'm also a little upset that it came so soon, or rather that it's not rated higher than 482.  Regardless of the placement, Elvis Costello's third album was his first to hit the top 10 in the US.

I didn't appreciate Elvis Costello until long after the punk/new-wave era was over.  I do clearly remember watching, taping, and studying the Rolling Stone Magazine's 20 Years of Rock television special that aired in 1987. It was an all inclusive musical encyclopedia full of amazing footage, interviews and insight into all of my music heroes at that time, from the Beatles to Van Halen.  I still have that videotape complete with the commercials that aired which alone are worth the watch;  but the part that I can't help but recall, in shame, is how appalled I was at the inclusion of this Buddy Holly imitator Elvis Costello.  My best friend and I would watch this and cringe, how did this geeky sad-sack bribe his way onto the show?  It would take 4 years of college, or rather the maturation that those years provided, to turn this "Geeky Buddy Holly" into one of my musical icons, almost on par with the Beatles, and far exceeding the Van Halens of that era for me.

When I "got it", when I finally was ready for the genius of Mr. MacManus, it didn't take me long to arm myself with the ammunition of his forces.  I had probably purchased every one of his then 11 or 12 Cd's by the end of 1992--I was out of college and had a job, and Cd's were my vice.  I can't recall what album I bought first, or what song first caught my ear, but it was nothing short of an obsession.  I will attempt in this blog, to recreate 1992 and give Armed Forces a virgin listen... but it will be the equivalent of a hooker feigning shyness.

Accidents Will Happen-  It's a wonderful short story full of so many devices, and all skillfully placed in a three minute box.  Clever use of word-play, layering, hooks, bridges.  The end of it sounds like a clock ticking away, much like the life wasted by the character of this song, who realizes not only is he trapped in the wrong relationship, but in turn has trapped the other person too: "you used to be a victim now you're not the only one"

Senior Service-  It's fast, like a snide comment that goes over everyone's head.  Elvis Costello makes quick commentary about how corporations put workers at odds with each other; your loss is my promotion.  "They took me in the office and they told me very carefully, the way that I could benefit from death and disability"

Oliver's Army-  I've read mention to Oliver Cromwell, the English leader who defeated Scotland and the country of Elvis' heritage, Ireland.  "Have you got yourself an occupation"  It's a song against England's (or any superpower's) occupation and dominion of the poorer countries of the world.  Could Oliver also refer to Oliver Twist?  Both sides recruited poor young boys to do the dirty work in their army.

Big Boys-  How did keyboardist Steve Naive create a canvas of sound (using that era's palette) that doesn't sound dated?  It's 1979, they should sound silly, but they don't.. they are perfect.  To me the song is about faking maturity until you have it, but then realizing you've painted yourself into a corner.

Green Shirt-  Again, I love the keyboard sounds. I haven't listened to this in forever with headphones--so much is missed on speakers.  Farfisa and Vox keyboards were actually popular in the late 60's, but early on  with the Attractions, it was all Naive could afford, lucky for us.

Party Girl-  a song about meeting a kindred spirit, someone that you know is rare, special; tragically you know it can't work.  In a parallel universe, Elvis and the young female art student he met on tour in Minnesota, could have been. "We're so hard to find, I could give you anything but time"  A slow song, Party Girl ends side one to the album

Goon Squad-  the original title to Armed Forces was "Emotional Fascism"  You feel that anger and resentment in the driving beat that begins side two to the album.

Busy Bodies-  is Elvis exploring the trivialization of sex?  "Busy bodies getting nowhere"  The main character is ironically accomplishing nothing getting busy but then something more ironic happens--love?

Sunday's Best-  a circus like waltz.  Some of Elvis' strongest harshest lyrical content is often softened or snuck under the radar with whimsical music.  I love how he often uses the apostrophe to purposely confuse a noun from an adjective.  In this case Sunday's refers to both "Sunday is best" and the possessive "Sunday's best".  To me the song is about aristocracy's manipulation of the poor--recruit them to fight unnecessary foreign wars (motivated by religion).  The rich line the pockets of their "Sunday's best" while they "put them all in boots and khaki, blame it all upon the darkies"  This song was not included on the US version of the album.

Moods For Moderns-  very playful in it's structure, starting and stopping and different time signatures.  I love the twist of a phrase "I get hit looking for a miss"

Chemistry Class-  "people pleasing people pleasing people like you"  A song about being physically attracted to someone you really hate.

Two Little Hitlers-  The last song on the album, Godwin's law is not applicable.  To me this song has always been about couples that are mutually using one another.  But after listening to it again, all that goes out the window, and I wonder if I've been hearing it wrong all along.  Is it about hiding behind the will of someone else instead of taking ownership of your decisions?

There's so much I love about Elvis Costello--His razor sharp wit, his acerbic outlook on the world, the way he twists a phrase.  I can't remember the last time I listened to this album with earphones, but the music, the Attractions have never sounded better to me.  How did I shun EC in 1987? How did Rolling Stone only place this album at #482?  I guess accidents do happen.

Next up-  #481  The Smiths- The Smiths (1984)

#490 Gang of Four- Entertainment! (1979)

This is (hopefully) where this blog gets entertaining.  I've never heard of Gang of Four, I don't know anything about them, not sure what type of music they play, or even if there's literally a gang of four in the band.  The year 1979 gives me some clue--disco, funk, or punk--but then again plenty of hard rock bands were born of that era as well.  Is this another band that I just missed on my radar, or did Rolling Stone strategically place a few less-known on the list?

1979 was the year I bought my first two records: My Sharona by the Knack and Tragedy by the Bee Gees.  I won't try to defend, or even recall what was going through my mind as a 10 year old.  But suffice to say, I had entered the realm of making musical decisions.  Would I have decided on Gang of Four?  Should I have?

Ether-  OK, so it's punk. At first listen it reminds me of a cross between the Clash and Violent Femmes.  It has an uncluttered "bass up front" sound but it's also dissonant, both musically and lyrically.  A quick wiki search on the band reveals they were part of the "post-punk" movement and were politically charged.

Natural's Not in It-  Ten year old me would have jumped around to the beat.  Forty-something me is desperately searching for the lyrics online to fully understand the song's message of the  Karl Marxian theory of alienation.  Yeah, I'm serious.  "Dream of the bourgeois life, This heaven gives me migraine"

Not Great Men- Even if I turn off the lyrics in my ears (which I'm often guilty of) these songs are still highly engaging, raw, and naked of the effects processing that many bands hid behind.  You add the lyrics into the mix, and it's high level sociopolitical commentary (that you can mosh to).

Damaged Goods- "your kiss so sweet, your sweat so sour"  Four songs into this album, and I realize that unlike Mott the Hoople's album, this time Rolling Stone's list got it right.  I find myself madly looking for the words to each song, which I'm now realizing was GOF's forte.

Return the Gift- "please send me evenings and weekends" repeated over and over and over.  Normally I'd jump all over the ad-nauseam use of a line, saying "I get it already."  But in this song about conforming to the work schedule of the world; each time the line is repeated, it takes me a little further down the road of enlightenment.

Guns Before Butter-  "just keep quiet no room for doubt."  Is the point of view that of a young German circa 1939 who's moral compass is struggling with the path of the swelling nationalism?  Does it sound like the story of Vietnam draft dodger?  I think this song that questions blind-patriotism is applicable today, as it was countless times in history.  Whether the point of view is that of a hero or a villain, is dependant on where you stand.

I Found That Essence Rare-  Side two of the album opens with a song about media, TV, or maybe it's about sex?  "Look at the world through your Polaroid glasses, things'll look a whole lot better for the working classes"

Glass- I've been attempting to boil down each of these songs into a singular meaning, or a "read".  There are messages, swirling messages that are interpretable, and I don't want to do them the disservice of telling you what they are about.  It's going to take a whole lot of listens before I can do that, and even then, I'll only be able to tell you what they are about, to me.

Contract-  "our bodies make us worry".  Another song full of dissonance, mental and musical, seemingly about sex, relationships, and differing role perceptions.

At Home He's a Tourist-  was the highest charting song for GOF (#58 on UK).  "Two steps forward, six steps back six steps back"  I haven't mentioned it mainly because I've been hyper-focused on lyrics, but each of the songs so far have really interesting bridges, and sub bridges, and departures... in a word, substance.

5:45-  A melodica opens the song, and acts as the haunting background melody.  "Guerrilla war struggle is a new entertainment"  Are we getting desensitized to violence on the news, or are we so predictably fascinated with blood and death that the media knows how to cash in?

Anthrax- The buzz and screech intro to the last song on the album lasts over a minute,  but it's not random, it's planned, it's poetry.  As is the brilliant device of the two distinct streams of singing and speaking in each headphone channel. They seem to be skew in this "anti-love" song, unrelated and then you realize they meet.  

Wow, what a trip that was.  A journey I'll need to make quite a few more times before I can even claim proper appreciation for what Gang of Four did here on their debut album.  They wrote music, interesting stripped down songs that musically I'd put on par with the Clash, and infused it with hard political and social inspection. Topics so far beyond the normal love-lost, or teenage angst of rock, that the album will warrant multiple listens (and I plan on doing just that).

I've been introduced to a new band--a band that I don't think I'd have stumbled upon if it wasn't for this project.  I wasn't ready for this when I was ten, but why couldn't I have done this blog last year?  Gang of Four performed live here in Chicago last February.  I'm convinced that after listening to this album, I would have instantly bought tickets to the show.  If, like me, you hadn't heard of GOF, or if you aren't familiar with their music, I'd encourage giving them a listen, and just as importantly, giving them a read.


Next up #489  Steve Earle- Guitar Town (1986)

#495 Husker Du- New Day Rising (1985)

Husker Du was a board game in the 70's.  I know this because I was a child of that era & raised by the TV.  It's Danish for "Do You Remember?" Ironic, because I remember the game; the band, I don't.

New Day Rising was released when I was 16. So how could I have missed it? In the movie Armageddon, NASA's Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) explains to the president their predicament: "Our object collision budget's a million dollars. That allows us to track about 3% of the sky, and beg'n your pardon sir, but it's a big-ass sky" In 1985 there was no Pandora, iTunes, Bittorrent, Napster, Internet, or even burning of CD's. Kids bought albums in record and cassette form (or recorded random songs from the radio). My music budget only allowed me to track a small percentage of the big-ass sky, and Husker Du never appeared in my radio air.

New Day Rising, the title track from the album opens up sonically challenging. It's sharp, razor sharp to my ears. At this point I'm not sure if this grilled cheese tone is an artistic device, a social statement, an expression of angst, or if the band fronted by Bob Mould just has really shitty EQ.
Girl who lives on Heaven Hill: Well, the EQ is as bad, but I think I can hear past that now. The playing isn't complex, but it is fast and furious, full of angst, as is the throat scorching singing/screaming. It's simple, but it's not easy--overall it's good.
I Apologize: I hear the influence the Ramones had on Husker Du, as well as the influence Husker Du had on pop/punk's Green Day.
Folk Lore: I'm digging the alternating driving beat with half time beat. Don't blink, or you'll miss this song complete with verses, bridge and a guitar solo, that wraps in only 1m30s.
If I Told You: These songs aren't simple "1-4-5" or basic three chord songs. They have interesting sometimes unpredictable chord changes, and I imagine trying to learn them in '85. Cassette tape & jambox--rewind, play, rewind, play, rewind, play. The vocal mix is weak, it's hard to hear it above the noise (and I use that as a term of endearment.)
Celebrated Summer: Again, the chain saw guitar tone completely buries the singing. Wait, hold on, a slow break? Someone must have bought the band a tray of shots(or worse). Ah... ok, they are back in full sprint again. I read that this was one of the big hits of the album, but it doesn't stand out for me.

Perfect Example: A perfect example of how almost every album has a shitty track or two. Vocals are still way too buried, and to boot they are just half-sung/half-spoken instead of screamed. Frankly, it sucks. As does the repetitive music that sounds like a record skipping.

Terms of Psychic Warfare: Early punk to me, didn't have much thought put into it. It was energy and three chords. Songs like TOPW seem like the bridge between garage punk, hard core punk, and mainstream. It's melodic and planned without losing any edge along the way.
59 Times the Pain: I'm not sure if liner notes were included in the album back then. Without them, I have no clue what he's mumbling about. I don't doubt the 59X pain, I just can't empathize.
Powerline: NDR's 15 songs average under 3 minutes in length, A godsend when laboring through these throwaway songs. As an opening act, short songs allowed Husker Du to get their full catalog out there quickly.
Books about UFO's: A poppy shuffle that includes an oddly placed tinkly piano.
I Don't Know What You Are Talking About: filler song
How to Skin a Cat: followed by an obligatory avant-garde track
Whatchya Drinkin': How do you possibly have a song with two halves, when it's only 1m33s?

Plans I Make: Ends the album just as fast and furious as they came in--Hard Core, and making no concessions. Bob Mould says faintly at the end "that's the last song on the album, it doesn't matter what it sounds like anyways." If this was a concert, this is the end-of-night kinda song where you trash your guitar, kick over your amplifier, drop the mic, fall over your drums and slice open a finger. Maybe that's why the tonal quality of this album sounds so bad; you don't do that with expensive gear when you're three punks from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Husker Du's angst would have been more useful to the 16yr old me. Then again, $7.99 would have been too. Side note: I listen to Bob Mould almost every night--he wrote the theme song to John Stewart's Daily Show.

Next Up #494 Cyndi Lauper- She's So Unusual (1983)