"Elvis asked me if I had 'Hotel California' by The Eagles, and could I play it? I was puzzled by his choice – until he told me that he loathed the record, but wanted to look really pissed off and angry in the shots" - Chris Gabrin - photographer
After Elvis Costello burst on the "New Wave" scene as part of the now legendary stiffs tour in 1977, he followed his debut album My Aim Is True with this even better offering.
Now with his own band in place, The Attractions (the first album was played by session musicians, part of a band called Clover), Costello really developed his and his band's unique sound. Where Clover had been all jangly country-sounding melodies, The Attractions were like an amphetamine-fuelled, aggressive punky rock'n'roll outfit. Costello stated later that The Rolling Stones' Aftermath was a big influence on this album. To an extent I can see why - The Stones had moved from a poppiness to a more energetic punky sound on that album too.
Based around keyboardist Steve Nieve's piano and trebly, parping organ, Pete Thomas's pounding drums, Bruce Thomas's bass and Costello's choppy lead guitar and contemptuously spat-out invective lyrics, The Attractions certainly had a unique sound. A great example of this is the breakneck, punky hit single Pump It Up and also the frenetic, just over a minute long opener No Action, a track I have always found totally irresistible. Here there were none of the previous album's unthreatening country rockers, this was a proper punk meets new wave offering - maybe one of the first of its kind. One felt that My Aim Is True had "played with being punk", to an extent, due to its stripped down, edgy sound, but that this was the real thing.
Also in the list of great songs are the mysterious, paranoid intensity of Hand In Hand, the staccato, slightly reggae-influenced I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea, the torch song-style ballad Little Triggers, the reggae-ish The Beat, the typically new-wave-ish Lip Service and the vibrant drum-dominated Lipstick Vogue.
The anti-fascist Night Rally ends what is a short-ish but highly enjoyable album. Costello had a somewhat morbid fascination with fascism that had begun on My Aim Is True's Less than Zero and would be continued on Armed Forces's Goon Squad and Two Little Hitlers.
Oops, I've forgotten a few tracks - Living In Paradise is a slow building number with a strong chorus. You Belong To Me is a frantic bluesy, jangly guitar-driven workout which is the most obvious leftover from the previous album and This Year's Girl is a shuffling, solid and catchy song.
Actually, let's be honest, there's not a duff track on it. This is definitely one of my favourite Attractions albums and one of the best new wave offerings too. The songs literally speed by before you know it, all played with such an energy that even the slower numbers bristle with an edge and an attitude. A song like Little Triggers, for example, is laced with a mean sneer that makes it a dark offering in a ballad's clothing.
There is a viscerality to Costello's lyrics and his delivery, matched by the relentless abandon of the music that makes this an enigmatic and subtly menacing album. It still sounds good today, and stands steadfastly as an excellent example of what was breaking new ground in 1978-79. In many ways punk was pushed into the background by material like this. Clever songwriting, great hooks and melodies but still enough sneering anger to be part of the zeitgeist ensured that punk's development into new wave was a rapid one.
My own personal reminiscences involve listening to it one morning in the cold, snowy December of 1978 in my girlfriend's parents' council house before going out and walking over the nearby fields through the snow to catch a bit of al fresco snogging. However many times I have played this album, and there have been hundreds, it always makes me recall that day.
There were so many tracks that didn't make it on to Costello's albums. Some of them this era are listed below -
Radio Radio. This frantic, organ-powered number was a single in the early Autumn of 1978. It is a breakneck rant about "the radio" - a pet subject for many artists to moan about in 1978. Apparently we were forced to listen to whatever the radio wanted us to listen to. There was a simple cure for that - just put a record on!
Big Tears. This was the 'b' side of Pump It Up in April 1978 and a mighty good song it was too. It is sort of Graham Parker-esque and is notable for featuring Mick Jones of The Clash providing some trademark high-pitched guitar sounds in the middle. It was a track that deserved more exposure and should really have been included on the album. It has a great guitar intro, some evocative organ and a big, singalong chorus. It could have been released as a successful single, I think. Just listen to that wonderful bass line too.
Tiny Steps. The 'b' side of Radio Radio was typical of The Attractions' sound at the time - lots of swirling keyboards and a mysterious lyric which made it quite an attractive, if slightly inconsequential track. It has a big, solid beat that make it always listenable. It wouldn't have been out of place either on This Year's Model or Armed Forces.
Stranger In The House. A Country & Western-style record originally as a duet with country singer George Jones. Costello also recorded his own version in October 1978. It is an attractive song that provided a look into the future and the Almost Blue material. How this went down with the punks is not known as it didn't get much publicity at the time. It had been recorded earlier too on the My Aim Is True sessions but rejected due to its C & W sound.
Crawling To The USA. This fast-paced, "Costello punky" number was recorded in October 1979 quite a long time after the release of This Year's Model but it would have suited that album easily, in my opinion, with its thumping drums and deep bass. It uses the Radio Radio organ swishing sound in its backing, making it sound rather similar to that song.
