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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fall in to submission, hit and run transmission., December 31, 2003
If "My Aim Is True" landed on the music scene like a stick of dynamite with the fuse lit, "This Year's Model" was the explosion that came after. Elvis' first album with the Attractions more than lived up to its predecessor, in that having a working band behind him matched the music to the blunt force of the songs. Once again, it is the stark voice of EC that opened the album as he ominously intones "I don't wannna kiss you, I don't wanna touch." When the players kick in, it's a whole 'nother world from "My Aim Is True," and for the first time, "new wave" had a front man. Before this album had been released, one of the central songs had made headlines. Elvis' broadside at narrow-format broadcasting, "Radio Radio," was performed in such a bizarre fashion on Saturday Night Live that he was effectively banned from the show for almost a decade and made this (then) seventeen year-old a fan for life. That performance sealed a decision for me to get into radio and make artists like Elvis accessible to listeners. When I was fortunate enough to tell him this many years later, Elvis kindly autographed a ragged poster of "Armed Forces" "Don't blame me." Personal nostalgia aside, this double disc version "This Year's Model" contains all the songs that comprised the original US and UK versions and the original UK artwork. These are some of the songs by which EC is measured, like "Radio Radio," "Pump it Up" and "The Beat." The Attractions' playing was melody driven in addition to frenetic, a perfect compliment to Elvis' brilliant lyrics. And it was already becoming apparent that keyboardist Steve Nieve was becoming an architect of what American ears would identify as "punk rock." The bonus disc contains two finished cuts with "Big Tears" and "Crawling To The USA." "Big Tears" is noteworthy in that Elvis has often said he wanted Dusty Springfield to record it and it was written in the style of Bacharach...and we all know where that ambition eventually led. The liner notes, as Elvis describes the whirlwind of forming The Attractions and heading for the US, are fun as well as the pictures. (I do wish the US album cover shot of Elvis with his face partially obscured by the camera had been included somewhere.) The remainder of the bonus CD provides some hot live recordings that proved what this band of raving 20 somethings were capable in their rock and roll youth.
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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Yet another re-release with extras, March 18, 2008
The Rhino two disc reissue has everything contained on the first disc and then some. The re-mastering is fine on the Rhino release and this does not improve on it. The packaging and liner notes are much better in the Rhino release. The live concert on the second disc would be the only reason to purchase this release if you already have the Rhino release. The concert was originally a radio broadcast from the Warner Theater in Washington DC a week or so before the officially released El Mocambo concert. It contains an early solo version of "Chemistry Class" that was previously released on a different Rhino re-release (Armed Forces?). The rest of the concert is presented here for the first time in its entirety. So what are the differences between the Warner Theater concert and the El Mocambo concert? The set lists are close though I've always thought that "Live at the El Mocambo" was edited to fit on one vinyl disc. Here are a few differences: Lip Service is only on El Mocambo and No Action, Red Shoes, Hand in Hand, Blame it on Cain and Chemistry Class are only on the Warner Concert. Both have the Dallas version of Less than Zero and the Wipeout drum roll version of mystery dance. The Warner concert appears to be the whole show and I suspect that "Live at the El Mocambo" has the song order altered in addition to having a few songs cut. Both concerts are about equal in the quality of the performance. The band sounds deranged and hungry for success on both. It is "pull out the stops" rock and roll in its purest form. Both have mistakes in playing and sound quality-wise the Warner concert has more stage buzzes. There's no doubt that Elvis Costello and the Attractions are at their aggressive cocky best on both shows (The Warner show features Elvis stating, "Are some of you unimpressed?... cause I don't believe you!"). I would rate the Warner concert better as it sounds more "in the moment" than "Live at the El Mocambo" does. It's a tough call for the dedicated fan as they could have released the concert as a single disc instead of attaching it to something we already have and charging a premium price. I give it three stars cause it's all good stuff.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest Albums of That Era, February 21, 2005
The first three albums by Elvis Costello are not only his three best albums ever---they are three of the finest albums released by any artist of that era. While "My Aim Is True" stands as one of the greatest debut albums ever, I feel that his next two releases, "Armed Forces" and "This Year's Model," were even better than his first excellent work.
"This Year's Model" is the peak of Elvis Costello's angry and cynical lyrical database, with fast, raucous music that ups the intensity like only Elvis could. When I think of the numerous punk groups of that era that I enjoyed like Black Flag, Sex Pistols and The Dead Kennedys, I take the odd step of lumping "This Year's Model" in with the same sarcastic emotion backing the music. While the abovementioned Punk groups may have marketed themselves to the kids who fancied themselves raw, gritty, and streetwise, Elvis seemed geared toward the everyday middle-class Joe who, despite no torn jeans or Mohawks, still possessed that bitterness toward commercialism and the rat race.
This album has classic Costello rants that range from relationships gone sour to the greedy corporate world, with some songs like "Living in Paradise" seemingly combining both. The tunes grow increasingly intense with each track, with "Hand in Hand" and "Lipstick Vogue" grabbing most of the glory in the second half of the album. No resting, no misleading Guajardian twists, just sharp music and seething lyrics.
"Radio, Radio" is the appropriate finale of "This Year's Model," which is a loud, fast, break-free tune that totally bashes the formula based model of commercial radio. I remember when this song was released, and how much I loved it every time I heard it played on one of the same commercial radio stations he was thumbing his nose at; it was like hearing an employee cursing out his boss and receiving a promotion for it.
Elvis Costello has since released quite a diverse array of music since "This Year's Model." Some of it I love, some I don't get... but there is nothing quite like his first three albums. If you want to buy a "Best Of" Elvis Costello compilation, then STAY AWAY from his "Best Of" compilations. Buy his first three releases instead, because they truly are the very best of Elvis Costello.
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