Goodbye Cruel World (Dlx) [Original recording remastered]

The Attractions, Elvis Costello | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 3, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0002IQFEA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,998 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Only Flame in Town

2. Home Truth

3. Room With No Number

4. Inch by Inch

5. Worthless Thing

6. Love Field

7. I Wanna Be Loved

8. The Comedians

9. Joe Porterhouse

10. Sour Milk-Cow Blues

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Only Flame in Town [Alternate Version][Alternate Take]

2. Young Boy Blues [Demo Version]

3. Turning the Town Red

4. I Hope You're Happy Now

5. Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)

6. Get Yourself Another Fool

7. Baby It's You

8. I Wanna Be Loved [Demo Version]

9. The Great Unknown [Demo Version]

10. She Loves the Jerk [Demo Version]

See all 26 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually, better than you probably remember it, August 31, 2004

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Goodbye Cruel World (Dlx) (Audio CD)

I'll admit it, I recall that the first time I heard "Goodbye Cruel World," I was less than impressed. In fact, I was of the mind that it was the album where I wondered if Elvis' reach had finally exceeded his grasp. Even Elvis himself conceded the point on the Ryko reissue, with the now infamous "You've purchased our worst album" comment.

But time has given "Goodbye Cruel World" a finer burnish. The tug of war going on between Elvis himself, his band and producers Langer and Winstanley took some pretty darn good songs and "date stamped" them pretty solidly. That doesn't mean the songs are any less stellar. In fact, two of his strongest songs ever are here, the anthem "Peace In Our Time" and "The Comedians." (Although there's no way to escape the fact that Roy Orbison's eventual version completely trumps Costello's.) Along with "Shipbuilding," "Peace In Our Time" joins the great political songs that EC has written, and is even timely now.

"There's a man going round taking names,
no matter who you claim to be.
As innocent as babies, a mad dog with rabies,
you're still part of some conspiracy."

So why is this such a put upon CD? The answer lies on the bonus disc which, once again, takes a three star album and pumps it up an additional star. Listen to the confusion, frustration and hurt in some of the demos, then compare them to the slickly produced final versions. Even the alternate take of "Only Flame In Town" takes on a totally different personality, sounding more like a demo for Ray Charles than the peppy brush with the Top 40 that featured Daryl Hall.

The bonus disc also sports a couple of faves, including a Madness b-side "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" (wherein Elvis suddenly rediscovered his English accent!), a live version of The Specials' "What I Like About You Most is Your Girlfriend," and a demo cover of the great "She Loves The Jerk" courtesy of John Hiatt. If you left this in the memory dustbin, maybe it's time you once again said hello to "Goodbye Cruel World." Because as time has shown, Elvis at his (alleged) worst can trounce many artists at their best.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not EC's best but has its moments, August 23, 2004

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Goodbye Cruel World (Dlx) (Audio CD)

The mistake was working with The Attractions on this one. That and a very unhappy Declan MacManus. Although "Goodbye Cruel World" has become notorious for having "Congradulations, You've bought our worst album" in the CD liner notes, nobody knew when it first came out that it would be one of EC's weaker albums. The poppy single track "You're Not the Only Flame in Town" promised so much more. There are a couple of gems here and buried somewhere under Langer & Winstanley's production is a good, solid album by EC & TA.

The reissue is much, much better than the original release. Why? Because the second disc has 11 of the tracks from the original album in demo form. Don't sell those old Ryko/Demon CDs yet. It also has the previously released bonus tracks from the original release with the curious exception of "Deportee" a re-recording of the track "The Deportee Club" with a new melody. I'm at a loss as to why it wasn't included here as it's a valid attempt to find new life in an old song.

The liner notes make this almost worth the price of admission. We get an extensive booklet with more info than in the previous one plus lyrics to all the songs including demo lyrics that might be different from the final release. Either way this (along with its companion albums "Almost Blue" and "Kojak Variety" also re-relased at the same time) form part of a trio of unloved, unwanted EC albums. Embrace them and decide for yourself.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poor Napoleon's Waterloo, August 3, 2006

By 

K. H. Orton (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Goodbye Cruel World (Dlx) (Audio CD)

Tear off the cellophane & the liner notes greet you with, "Congratulations! You just bought our worst album !"

Prospects do indeed look grim. And perhaps this is Poor Napolean's Waterloo. Holding his life in his hands with an artificial limp wrist. It could be worse. After all, we're not talking about Billy Joel here.

But after so many years of pumping out classics at such a frenetic pace, he was bound to fall off his pedestal sooner or later. One listen to PUNCH THE CLOCK & it doesn't take genius to figure out a career crisis was right around the bend.

Personally, "Only Flame In Town" is a guilty pleasure of mine. Well, not "guilty". It's damn fine song. Like, "Everyday I Write The Book", it's a Pop song that makes no apologies for being such. Something you have to admire. And the spare, acoustic version on the bonus disc beautifully makes up for any over-production.

Though a woefully barbiturate take on, "I Wanna Be Loved" seems to have been the the official hit, the only true essential on here is " Love Field". The opening chords will never fail to stop you in your tracks. And as demos would later prove, "Deportee" & "Comedians" are great songs that never had a chance. Same goes for alot of the material on here. But hand a song over to Roy Orbison & you might as well kiss it goodbye.

With the possible exception of "Peace In Our Time", the rest of the album could be characterized as the sound of a man choking on his own piss & vinegar. Slapping on slick production to disguise that fact is the perfect recipie for disaster.

Throughout it all, self-loathing is all too evident. In fact it's something that would go on to characterize his next two releases. But where KING OF AMERICA took a knife & stripped things bare, & BLOOD & CHOCOLATE made gloriously cathartic racket, everything here just turns brittle & shatters.

To be fair, this is far from the worst record ever recorded. There are a lot of things out there far more deserving of that honor. That said, in terms of the high quality of Costello's past work, this is a somewhat dismal listen. For the devoted but discerning fan, it might just prove too painful to witness. Not only does the hero take a fall, he's the fall guy. And no matter how much bonus material you tack on, it won't put this Humpty Dumpty back together again.