This Year's Model

Nothing interesting.

Pump it Up is good but everything else is meh

This guy has two songs: Pump it Up and all the other ones. I am SO tired of Elvis Costello. This is my fourth album from him (second in 3 weeks). Two to go. Every time I refresh the app to get the day's album, it's like Russian roulette for Elvis Costello albums. Sometimes I wonder if playing real Russian roulette is favorable to more Elvis Costello. I just absolutely do not get why people / critics ride this guy's dick at every turn. The best I can say is "this is average," but I don't feel like average is enough for this list

I disliked the Elvis Costello album the least. Pump it up is however easy to enjoy

4/10 Well this is my fifth dip into the back catalogue of Elvis Costello’s work. Up to this point, I’ve found his work to be fairly patchy and inconsistent, but I’d found his debut to be the strongest of his albums to this point and, as this is his second, I’m feeling hopeful. This is also considered by many to be his greatest work, so all good signs.As with much of Costello’s work, there is obvious quality within the record, he can write decent hooks, the band perform well enough and even his voice, which can be somewhat divisive, does perform will given the correct material. Unfortunately, across this record, I found that there was an awful lot of stuff that lacked a rhythmic fluidity, or actually stuck with and properly utilised the stronger moments of melodic songwriting. Costello seems to have a tendency to come up with a decent hook, play it a couple of times and then just wander off away from it in a kind of distracted, unfocused way that, to my ears, just derails the track and results in uneven and inconsistent song structure. On the flip side of that, there are also times when things become incredibly repetitive. I think he’s often trying to make a point with these choices, but ultimately, I found these moments to be more irritating than effective. It was kind of remarkable actually, how I quite often found myself either bored, or fed up of tracks that only twice broke the three and a half minute mark. Another thing worth noting is how misogynistic and incel coded a lot of the lyrical content is on this record. It appears that he is very dismissive of women and that any issues he has with them, in relationships or otherwise, are purely their issues and not his. Costello has responded to these accusations by saying that his lyrics stemmed from “disappointment rather than disgust”, but that seems like a fairly ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ response, rather than one willing to perhaps examine one’s own behaviour. Perhaps unsurprising for a guy who once called Ray Charles a “blind, ignorant n**ger”, and later blamed that statement on being drunk and trying to get out of a conversation he didn’t want to be in. Classy. So as we return to the nature of this record, there are actually moments of real quality in there, but all too often they are wrapped in slightly unfocused and messy compositions. As a result, I never felt able to mentally pin this album down, and, despite giving this three full spins, nothing really stuck with me, and I fail to see the genius that others do in the work. Sorry, Elvis, I don’t get it. You seem like an awful bloke, you sing with an overly forceful inflection in a American accent, despite being born and raised in London, and you write rambling songs that lack focus and don’t bother to utilise their hooks. Not for me, old chap. No Action - This has a solid chorus, but I’m not completely convinced by the flow of it. It feels a bit stilted in places and slightly rhythmically awkward. It’s almost not aggressive enough to be punk, but not melodic or hooky enough to be pop, so it kind of falls down the gap in the middle of the two. This Year's Girl - On to something a bit better now. Again, the intro rhythm is a bit lacking in fluidity, but it sorts itself into a nice groove by the time the song starts up. The bass line is decent and it shifts through sections nicely with a laid back swagger. It feels a well written song, but it’s still a bit in between two worlds in terms of production and I don’t feel utterly convinced by it at this point. The Beat - This is immediately better. The groove is great and it feels like everything is pulling in the same direction now. It’s got a cool, new-wave pop feel to it with a nice bit of rhythmical range between the verses and chorus. As with the last track, the bass line really pulls this along well. The organ work is a lot of fun too, actually. Elvis’ vocal cadence and timing is good here and he seems a little more natural with his delivery, which helps the song to gel. Pretty good stuff. Pump It Up - Again with the very staccato rhythms. The groove is decent here, to be fair, but it’s not got a lot of rhythmical range across the album. Great bass playing, again, but the songwriting is quite repetitive and fairly uninspiring. I mean, it’s not really bad, and it’s almost got decent hooks, but it’s just not clicking with me really. Little Triggers - There’s some decent melodic moments in this, and the swung groove is a nice change in pace, although he does try and inject too much of that staccato punch into various sections, which breaks the flow up in a weird way. There’s some really nice piano playing in here, but it’s another that is promising, but doesn’t completely connect. The overly loud “oooh” vocals at the end are awful too. You Belong To Me - New wave fairground music? Something like that anyway. This is actually better to begin with, with a touch more range to the composition in places, although the organ parts are very repetitive and shrill. Bruce Thomas definitely has all the best parts on the bass. And somehow, these songs actually manage to drag by the time they’re done, despite being two and a half minutes long. Hand In Hand - So much build up in this track, for quite a small about of payoff. The chorus is melodically pleasant, but a touch meandering and the whole track just feels a bit muddled, rambling and, in places, ridiculously repetitive. I don’t get it. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea - Again, this is so rambling, it’s like he can’t quite work out what the focus of the song is going to be. It starts off pretty well, and there is some decent stuff in here, then he just starts wandering all over the place in a musically unsatisfying way that just completely derails the momentum of the track. I’m finding this to be quite a confusing listen. Lip Service - This is a pretty good one, actually. It feels more focused, has tighter composition, a hooky chorus, and a nice fluid, flowing groove throughout. Top bass playing again. I’d say this is exactly what I was expecting from this album, but haven’t found much of up to this point. Well written pop rock music with hints of punk and new wave, and solid hooks. More like this please. Living In Paradise - Here comes Bruce Thomas again on the bass. It’s very stop-start, as with a lot of the early tracks. Isn’t Elvis Costello the most unbearable part of Elvis Costello and The Attractions? He sounds like an obnoxious incel who’s unjustifiably full of himself. This feels musically muddled in places where it’s lacking in flow and feels slightly confused. There really are moments when things sound good, but he doesn’t seem satisfied to just go with something that works and tries too hard to drag it out into something tortured. Lipstick Vogue - Cool drumming to get us going here, and this has got solid pace. The sound is a bit strange though, in that it feels punky in pace and intensity, but also sounds too clean and doesn’t have enough aggression to really work on that level. There’s at least some decent dynamic range in here, but it all feels very hurried and not vastly interesting. Night Rally - Melodically and lyrically rambling? Incredibly repetitive in places? Completely forgettable? Congratulations, you’ve just listened to another song from Elvis Costello’s most well regarded and critically lauded album. Meh.

I just don't like Elvis Costello, I think he has two tunes that are alright, the rest is a hard pass.

Ok so I hated this. Sorry. It's like ripoff Huey Lewis with a side of weird guy who won't stop talking about how nice he is. Even the album cover creeps me out. I didn't hate Radio Radio though

I still don't get Elvis Costello

Not for me. Had to listen to the 2021 remaster. Fine music but not my thing

I didn’t really like this album. While listening I mostly felt bored and impatient for it to end. It’s very raw and aggressive, which I know is the point, but it just didn’t grab me at all. The tracks all started blending together — they have a similar energy and attitude, so after a while it feels repetitive and not very interesting. Nothing on here stood out as special or made me want to replay it. The raw production and fast pace are there, but they didn’t translate into anything exciting for me. Compared to Armed Forces, this one feels much weaker. That later album is way more polished, melodic, and interesting overall. This Year’s Model is considered a classic by many, but it just didn’t work for me. One listen was enough.

There’s some albums that you know you’re going to have to listen to multiple times to really appreciate them. This was not one of them. It wasn’t terrible, but nothing really stood out to me. I will not be keeping this album in my rotation

The music isn't for me, but he dunks on nazi's so he's cool in my book.

No thanks. One less to endure though I guess.

I've heard them better.

No, thank you

Meh other than Pump It Up

Okay

All the songs sound the same???

Is Elvis Costello a friend of the editor of 1001 albums or something? Surely there's some albums that is NOT in the list right?

Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ This Year’s Model is a pretty bad album that suffers from a lot of forgettable tracks and "goofy" production choices. While it starts with a nice garage-band hook on "No Action" and some solid basslines on "The Beat," the momentum quickly dies with tracks like "This Year’s Girl," "Hand in Hand," and "Chelsea," all of which just didn't work for me. The instrumentation is a mixed bag; "Pump It Up" has a decent dance vibe, but "You Belong to Me" sounds distractingly like the Ghostbusters theme and the flute on "The Beat" feels out of place. The absolute peak of the record is "Lipstick Vogue"—it’s high energy with a great melody and the drumming is totally on point—but it’s the only truly good song in the bunch. Between the "dumb lyrics" of "Lip Service" and a closing track like "Radio Radio" that misses the mark, the album fails to leave a lasting impression.

This was one of the most obnoxious albums I have ever listened to. The main singer's vocal style was just not my thing. I hated the way he pronounced certain words and stretched certain syllables. To me, it ruined almost every single song. Which is a shame because all of the instrumentals are so freaking good. Another thing that really irked me was the constant repetition at the end of a lot of the songs. I wished they had come up with a more creative way to end them; let the instruments do the talking. That is why the only song I liked on the album was "Lipstick Vogue". I really like the breakdown in the middle of the song and the key changes and/or accidentals they use on the keyboard are so so good. Even though this song has annoying repetition at the end of it as well, this is the only track on the album that shines to me.

I’ve tried to get into this guy a few times over the years. It’s in my ballpark. There’s something about his voice and the 50s rock n roll throwbackness of it. Doesn’t click. Then XTC came on Spotify shuffle after and blew this out of the water. Only 25 more Elvis Costello albums to go. It might click eventually.

theres nothing really wrong with this, its just not for me.

Gefällt mir nicht

Not into it

In one ear and straight out the other. Quite samey, but probably deserves more

The worst Elvis Costello album, apart from all the others.... 174 albums in, 5th Elvis Costello so far extrapolates to 29 in total.

What am I missing? I've never heard a good Elvis Costello song. Someone please explain to me what I'm not getting with his music.

ok i guess

Interesting pop/punk style. Meh

I was not a fan of this album. Something about his voice just did not click for me.

This is probably the best album of his I’ve heard so far, and it’s still not very good. His vocal style comes off as a bit pretentious to me, which makes it harder to get through even when the music itself has some energy behind it.

no es mi estilo, no guardé ninguna canción y no lo sentí particularmente timeless

I've concluded that I don't like his voice and can't get past it

Pretty meh

No sé si es malo, pero Elvis Costello me aburre taaaanto.

ehh 2.4

On s'emmerde un peu non ?

ist eigentlich ganz okay. trotzdem klingt er schmierig und gut ist das album auch nicht. reicht langsam mal mit elvis costello

Reminds me of the beetles a little and I do think that the beats are fun and refreshing he good with his wordplay and writing 7/10

I noticed some RHCP lyrical style

Album 165. This Year's Model (https://open.spotify.com/album/3QyqhSxACBlGzsai7TqB1G?si=FyY3CnIvRRS8XC4jSf24jg) — Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1978) Not bad, but absolutely forgettable for me. Fuck, there're five albums of this dude in the list, it'll be harsh. 2/5 No liked songs

5/10

Nothing interesting here.

Has some great radio hits, but his voice and the album seems shrill. High end intensity makes it hard to listen to.

Not bad, but no for me

Way too many Elvis Costello albums in this list. It's not terrible it's just the same old stuff.

"oh hey I know "Pump It Up" maybe this album will actually be good" It was not

Nada

Is it bad that I couldn’t do a whole album of his in one setting? I find his voice too annoying to hear his lyrics which are supposed to be his best stuff. I finished it. A grand total of one song that I’d like to hear again. (Lipstick Vogue) I just can’t seem to get into Costello despite a lifetime of trying…. Sorry fans.

The really superb instrumentation gets sunk on almost every track by Costello’s repetitive vocal bullshit. Chelsea definitely the standout track.

Fattar vad Gessle gillar med dessa. Gillar inte hur han sjunger men musiken är ok.

Lo escuché mientras hacia la cama

Not gonna go track by track. All my life I figured I hated Elvis Costello. Not sure why. Maybe the Elvis name? So I really expected to hate this album, but I didn't. It was alright. Just new wave without as much of the synth element, which admittedly is the part I like most about new wave. Pump It Up and Living in Paradise are the standouts. Writing's alright, I think the lead singer's kinda limited vocal range contributes to the post punk feel. That one organ sound did start to overstay its welcome a bit by the end. I'd call it a 2.5 or so.

168/1001 First listen. This guy is hard on the ears and hard on the eyes. He still trudged on and made a name for himself though. There’s a lesson in there kids. 4/10

Urgh. Second Elvis Costello album in a week. The man can’t sing.

this years model well I listened 4 times today. no fucking clue what genre this album is, is it jazz is it punk what's with all these fucking organs? it's all just frenetic rambling, if the doors were an inspiration it's lacking mystique. the title comes full circle, as there's two versions. enjoyed the 78 recording more. took a while to hear the lyrics, cause I was just confused about instrument choices, and the weird backing vocals. unsure what Elvis deal is, is he incel, is he top g, is it satire, (Seems too personal for that) is he just cooked out. there's some decent musicianship here in isolation, but fuck me the vibes whack 2/5

#316/1001. I really respect artists, who have a unique sound, are instantly recognizable and write their songs in a personal style, all this fitting to a slot in the musical map we didn't know had an empty spot. And while Elvis Costello is surely one such artist (not the only one like that in this list), I still just don't like his music (not to mention his voice). Repeat listens might help it but I doubt it.

no

Pros: It's 20 minutes shorter than 'Brutal Youth', it has "Pump It Up" on it Cons: It's ANOTHER Elvis Costello album

Really struggled getting through this album. There were bright spots instrumentally, but I really couldn’t get over Costello’s voice and how most of the album felt like a parody of the worst of classic rock. Not looking forward to how many times this guy is gonna show up on the list after this first impression. Favorite Songs: “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea”, “Lip Service”, “Lipstick Vogue” Least Favorite Songs: “Little Triggers”, “You Belong To Me” Low 2.

Ok

Yeah, um that was........different? Interesting? Unusual? I hadn't noticed this before with Elvis, but there is a similarity in his voice to Tom Petty. Sadly, his songs aren't as good. This is a 2.5 all day. So, does it get a 2 or a 3? I mean it is somewhat better than a lot of the 2s, but it would be at the bottom end of the 3s I've given. Tough choice.

Saved? ✅ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔

Eh. Enjoyed the first 1/3-1/2 and then I fell off.

My dad's chicken (no flavor)

Some decent moments but overall not for me

Feel good 70s music! 2 stars.

i bet it smells soooo stinky in that recording studio

I enjoyed parts but overall this wasn't for me. 4/10

quite irrelevant to me

Punk Rock vibes

Your uncles band kinda music

3/2 I've heard the song Pump it Up many times before but never knew the title or artist of it. Rest of the album is alright

stuck between 2 and 3

I cant put my finger on it, but I just cannot get in to Costello. Couple of tracks saved this from being a 1

Liker fortsatt ikke elvis costello

Not my jam. Into the bucket. Chelsea was kinda decent though.

Rating: 4/10 Funny how I'll say that I usually really like any New Wave that pops up but in the case of this early influential release, I almost can't stand it. I just find this to be annoying grating pop rock, pretty good playing, I almost could have enjoyed it but I really just didn't. If I had to choose a best song it would just be Pump It Up, that one sounds pretty good

just ok

Meh. I recognised one or two songs

The music is decent once again but every time he talks about women it grosses me out and it's more difficult to ignore on this one

Jeff: Feels like an album made for a movie, nothing outstanding just background music with words. Simran: This guys a wannabe Jarvis Cocker and hes not that good.

ok

First. Fuck Elvis Costello. It's some poetic injustice that I go from Sex Pistols to Declan MacManus. It feels intentional. The two are as far apart as Randy Newman is to Death Metal, and the Sex Pistols notoriously hated Declan. Who could blame them? Anyway, I'm reading that this album is the segway from punk to new wave. I hear the new wave........I don't hear the punk. It is way too pop and nothing about Declan is punk. I will say that the album is better than that Bloody Chocolate or My Aim for the Toilet, but that's not saying much. It's a strong album for #2 but I really can't do it with this poser.

wasnt bothered to listwn to this, the first 30 seconds of the first song just egged me on to stop listening

Solidly a 5/10 for me but I’ll round down to a 2 as I found nothing particularly compelling here.

Not for me, annoyed by the voice

Not my favourite, reminds me of a worse version of Tom petty

This was ok. My second Costello album on this list and I think it was a little more palatable to me than the other one. Nothing overly impressive here for me though. Perfectly good for what it is, but I didn’t take away much from it at all. There’s certainly no need for two Elvis Costello albums on here, in my opinion.

It just didn’t hit like the last album from them

not my cup of tea

Hmmm, maybe I don't really like Costello, just some of his songs. Pump It Up is a jam, a few others caught my ears but meh. 2/5

Lorne Michaels was right

I can only listen to a man sing about his failed love life for so long.... I typically don't mind the whiny voice a lot of punk musicians had around this time but this album is really testing me.

Cute not my vibe. Wayyyy to happy.

Mostly vapid pop rock. Never been a fan of Elvis Costello.

idk i thought it would be swingy but it’s just giving whiney danny zuko

idk maybe i'm just not in the right mood today. it's very average. some of the songs are pretty groovy but not in a way that stands out from the 70's. i liked his voice in the beginning but i got tired of it after like 4 songs. all the songs sound vaguely the same. eh

Feels like a recent album and I can appreciate the influence. It’s not too my taste and generally found Costello’s vocals unenjoyable.

Despite having seen him live I wouldn’t be able to name an Elvis Costello song off the top of my head. I certainly recognise a number when they are played, but am not sure I’ve ever listened to an album of his. So this will be a first… A couple of ok tracks but largely unremarkable.

The first five seconds to most of these songs are usually quite interesting. Then Elvis Costello opens his mouth and it all goes to hell. The Attractions should mutiny and throw him overboard.

The nicest thing I can probably say about This Year’s Model is that it had a few songs I liked and a few songs I almost liked. I’m not particularly looking forward to checking out Elvis Costello’s other (lower rated) albums. Highlights: The Beat, Pump It Up, Lipstick Vogue

Pode ser do cansaço das obras, mas não gostei do álbum. É 2/5, não é horrível. Talvez, num dia diferente, com outra disposição daria 3*... Mas faz parte da experiência de ouvir 1 álbum por dia. Há dias que posso não gostar de algo que depois volto a visitar e gosto. Depende do dia, da disposição, da circunstância, tudo.

Not a huge fan but an OK album.

meh

Not a fan of this guys voice, the only good part of this album was when he stopped singing during Vogue Lipstick and the sick drum solo came in. Just another mid repetitive 70s rock album, the only good thing about this coming up is that its one more average rock album on this list out of the way. Feels like we are getting a lot of these as of late... So many albums that I have given 3s are so much better than this, so this gets a deserved 2 from me. Even gave it a 2nd listen just to be sure, and the 2nd listen was worse than the 1st.

Not a fan

Not a huge fan. Little Tigger will be stuck in my head all day. And not in a good way. Overall, not my thing

Totally not my type. Love the artwork though

Please no more elvis costello on here

It’s been a while since I’ve been less interested in an album

Almost a quarter of the way into this list and I finally got the first Elvis Costello album out of six. It's not great, hopefully he has better. A lot of my problem with this album is the guy's singing. His really overly nasally voice gets pretty grating after 45 minutes. Every track starts to blend into the same love song with the same awkward rhyme scheme about halfway through, and him repeating the same line over and over at the end of every song sure doesn't help fix that. Lipstick Vogue at least breaks up the sameyness with a pretty interesting groove, but past that I feel like London Calling did this sound much better about a year later.

Don’t mind me; I just don’t like him

mediocre album of indie rock

Better than the other 2 Elvis C albums on here so far, as it was at least listenable.

..

Talk about annoying vox

esse álbum me deu dor de cabeça. o elvis parece que cospe enquanto fala, parecia que eu tava escutando um adolescente virgem e frustrado cantando, odiei as letras. em contrapartida eu achei os instrumentais ótimos. espero nunca mais ter que escutar esse álbum na minha vida.

My scores over time do not necessarily tell the story of a man who is realizing how much he dislikes Elvis Costello, but over the course of the last couple of years that is what happened. Look: this is the best one, but it still wasn’t good, and I’m glad this is the last

I did not like it

Not very good in my eyes, pretty boring to me. Mainly skipped all the songs, felt like agony listening to the whole songs entirely.

Kinda Boring. I like the instrumentals but nothings really standing out to me.

😐

Number of Elvis Costello albums in this list: 6 Artists missing from the list: Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, The Supremes, Heart, Cher, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, Alison Krauss, Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Etta James, Shania Twain, Billie Eilish, The Chicks, Toto, Journey, Bob Seger, Bryan Adams, Ben Folds, Bruno Mars, Barenaked Ladies, Weezer, Hall & Oates, Neil Diamond, Styx, Evanescence, Blue Öyster Cult, KC and the Sunshine Band, Three Dog Night Enough is enough. I don't want this voice in my ears anymore. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

It was okay. Got some catchy toons and recognized a sampel from one of the songs which was fun. But nothing really fantastic.

not my type, okay...

I don’t really understand a lot of the infatuation with Elvis Costello and listening to this album just reaffirmed my position. Yeah the playing on this is good and there are a few decent songs like Pump It Up. But too often I think the songs have choruses that are really lacking. Worse, I am forced to listen to Costello’s voice which is just inferior to a lot of others in music. It all adds up to a subpar album for me. Nothing that is really that exciting or even interesting.

Dull and not worthy of this list

What is this, my 4th Elvis Costello album? I liked the first one but since then I’ve gotten over the sound and the lyrics.

Respectfully, I hate this, this isn't for me. I don't like his voice.

Maybe my least favorite Elvis Costello. Like him best when he’s hitting more emotional notes. Too fast and jangly, no payoff melodically or lyrically for me.

Ist mir zu British.

Costello is REALLY not my cup of tea. I didn't HATE it but by god i didn't like it.

Did not like this guy's voice. Pump it Up was the only one I really enjoyed.

Can’t complain. I haven’t had an Elvis Costello record in two days. Out of the four (five?) I’ve had, there are only two that I guess I agree with. Which ones are they? I don’t know, I can’t keep track. Anyway, this is not one of them.

- ihan hauskoja koukkuja biiseissä - mulla ei oo mitään "erikoisesti" laulavia laulajia vastaan mutta tää kaveri kuulostaa välillä vähän ärsyttävältä - jaksoin kuunnella puolet, ei tää ny ihampaska ollu mut ei silti jaksanu enempää

Noooo 2/5

Ne razumijem njega očito. Ako se ima šta razumjeti. Meni zvuči vrlo površno i nespektakularno, evo već drugi put. S prvog albuma se ništa nije promijenilo ni uznapredovalo. Unutar pjesme se nikad ništa ne promijeni ni uznapreduje.

eh

Maybe the most palatable EC album I’ve heard, mostly due to the bass, but I still don’t understand the cult of Costello. His voice feels restrained or something. It hurts my throat when I listen to it.

I just prefer My Aim is True

2,1/5

I find his voice very nasal

Not my jam.

I suppose I can appreciate the music, but it’s not really my speed.

apparently I'm gonna have to listen to 5 more of this guy's records, and I don't really care for it

Did not really click for me

little funky, but nothing else really to it. Can't fully appreciate his voice either to be honest. It's ok, but would never listen to this myself.

Fine. It was fine.

not my thing

Just not really my jam maybe like one play song on the whole thing

most tolerable album thus far (my third) but still, no tracks i'd choose to listen to again. this one just fades into the background for me...not bad OR good enough to catch my attention

I was bored listening to this one and skipped through a lot of songs. Favorite Song(s): Pump it Up

Fuck Elvis Costello

Raw and emotionally gut wrenching. Grunge classic for a reason. Would? Might be one of my favorite songs of all time. That, and the Alice In Chains Unplugged performance of some of these songs (notably Down in a Hole) are some of the most poignant moments in rock history with the lead singer visibly succumbing to addiction as he performed live for one last time.

Threatens to excite but never manages it

Sounds like a drunk guy singing karaoke

Pretty fun, upbeat album. It sounded fresh and kind of reminded of some of the easy-going 90s / early 2000s music, just with a little less noise. That said, probably not rushing back to go listen.

Meh

I don't know if i love his voice. but it was cool

I could not get onto the overall sounds and grove of this today. Turns out I maybe like the raw sound of the first album a lot more than I like the attractions. It feels tighter and more produced, but I think that works against the material a bit for me. I found that organ sound quite grating in parts. Still seems like some good songwriting at the heart of it though

Heavy on the pop/punk rock themes, good rockabilly sounds. Okay, just not my thing.

More 70s artsy fartsy pop rock by a nasally white guy. This was my first time listening to Elvis Costello, though, I understand he has many more albums on this list so I guess I’ll get more acquainted with him. My biggest complaint is his voice. Otherwise, it’s decent pop rock. Catchy and tight music with clear and visual lyrics mainly about relationships, women, growing up and angst in general. The album’s good enough but not exactly memorable and I probably won’t return to it much. But yes, I understand this is near the apex of songwriting for many listeners.

You can shine a turd all day long, but at the end of the day it’s still just a piece of sh*t. This album is more of the same from Elvis Costello; musically interesting yet vocally insulting. If they gave out an award for saying the title of your song as many times as possible within your lyrics, the podium would be Elvis Costello and then everyone else. I’m not sure if I’m being punk’d or if I lost a bet, but being served Elvis Costello twice in one week when there are 1001 albums in this project just seems cruel.

Rob: Hey man, let’s put this album in the book. Tony: Another Elvis Costello album? C’mon mate. That makes 5 now. Have you ever even listened to this one? Rob: No, but the publisher says we will never sell a book called 278 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die! So we need a thousand. Just put it in and quit bitchin’. Tony: Why a thousand? Why not 500? Rob: More albums means more pages and more pages means we can charge more money. Stop arguing or we’ll never finish this list. This will take forever if we think about every album we put on it. Just add that Elvis record. Tony: Ok, but what if someone actually listens to it? Won’t they know we just put it on the list to reach a thousand? Rob: You’re a full-on wanker, then, huh? Are you daft? Who the hell would ever listen to all these albums? We’re writing a book, Tony, a book. You read books, Tony, you don’t listen to them. Tony: Yeah, I guess you’re right. Rob: Plus, they don’t read the book before they buy it. By the time they read this, we’ll already have their money. Tony: Yeah, you’re right, mate. I’ll put all those Nico albums back on the list then. Rob: Plus, if anybody asks, we can say it had Pump it Up on it. That’s a great song. People will believe that. Tony: Yeah, I guess, and I sort of liked Radio, Radio, too … and maybe even I Don’t Want to Go Back to Chelsea. Rob: Whatever, brov, we just need to reach a thousand. So put this on the list and keep thinking… what comes after Costello? Tony: Um … Counting Crows. Rob: Nope, no one would believe that one! [They laugh as the lights fade]

Really don't get the appeal of this one. It's just totally not for me

Music is great, lyrics about women are super shitty

I didnt enjoy his voice, the album isn't for me.

This one was just OK for me. No real issues with the production or playing but the songs just didn’t grab me so I was a little bored by the end.

There’s way too many Elvis Costello albums on this list, and this one only has 1 good song.

It's... fine. Not my thing. It's not so terrible that I'd give it a 1/5, but it's just barely above that.

Elvis? I thought he was dead! Oh no, it’s the other one. I have heard this dude’s name for my entire life, and never once heard an Elvis Costello song. I mean one may have slipped through the cracks, but if you gave me a billion dollars, firstly I’d say “how did you get this and why are you offering it to me?” And then I would be unable to conjure one descriptor of this man’s musical output. Not a one. It’s time to break that streak. Hey, if you still want to offer me the billion after this, make it a cool 900 million as billionaires are unethical. No Action - Look at this cover and tell me you’re surprised by the words “No Action” being associated with this fella. This singing is comically obnoxious. This is how I would sing if I was trying to make fun of this song. This Year’s Girl - What a player. From no action, to a new girl every year. Elvis, you sly dog. You old scallywag. You rapacious rapscallion. The Beat - Alright. I relent. This is pretty infectious. I’ve acquired the taste. Goes hard, silly and fun. Pump It Up - LESS fun. Too repetitive here fellas. I don’t know which one of “The Attractions” suggested repeating that refrain so many times, but it can’t be my sweet Elvis. Little Triggers - On the tiniest little guns. They’re too small to do any damage, so when I try to end it all during this song I just get a little raised welt on my temple. Blast. You Belong to Me - Hoping this about an object and not a person. Either way, the song sucks. Hand in Hand - This reminds me of the intro to White Hen Decapitator by Macabre. What a song. Anyway. Now I’m just mad I’m not listening to Sinister Slaughter. Whatever. Song is fine here. And that’s a big uogradr from the last few. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea - Well then don’t go. Man. I should be a psychologist. Or some sort of crisis mediator. Sometimes I’d just start yelling. Separates the men from the boys. By that I mean I would break up families with my newfound power. Lip Service - This was a nice little power pop sort of thing. Liked it more than some of the other tracks. Living in Paradise - East Chezzetcook? Lipstick Vogue - As opposed to a regular vogue sesh. I routinely break out into some pretty fucking rad hand dancing. I wouldn’t call it voguing but it certainly has the same heart. Night Rally - Man I’m just finally coming around to making a Randy Newman reference. Is this Randy Newman? I never said it would be good. Radio, Radio - Decent closer. To paraphrase The Go-Go’s “At least we’ve got “The Beat.” Nah I mean this was a very interesting record. It sounds light years ahead of 1978 and with the borderline comical vocals, there is a punk-ish tinge to this that held my interest. This isn’t a classic for me by any means but Elvis Costello isn’t as bad as I expected when I saw the artistic camera model shot on the front cover here. Another week in the books. Only like 2 and a half years and 12 Nick Cave albums to go. 2-2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: The Beat

Aged like milk. Sexists and boring

I'm very much conflicted with this one. When the album settles into less assuming, contemplative pockets ("The Beat", "Hand in Hand", and a couple of other points within its second third), it ventures closer towards being within my wheelhouse, but I can only describe measurable portions of this album as "bad American sitcom theme tune music". It captures an angsty, rebellious mood of sorts, but channeled through a sticky-sweet sonic template with a nasty aftertaste. It's a kind of over-exerted new wave album which crosses the threshold in which I'm willing to tolerate in large parts. Vocally, Costello is not my cup of coffee at all here, whereas I can't remember this being a significant issue that I took with My Aim is True (though, it is an album that I already have barely any recollections of, so I'd have to revisit it to compare fairly). I guess I understand his energetic, kind of sarcastic appeal, and can hear the influence sought from later alt-rock vocalists, but I'm not keen on a great many of them either. Crop me out of your film, ta mate.

Not my vibe

Just an annoying album that I have no desire to revisit ever again.

bad as usual

Meh

would be really enjoyable album if anyone else but Costello sung on it.

Not really a fan of his vocals. Don't like the new wave vibes. 2.5/5

I just don’t care for Elvis Costello. I find his music annoying

Bah, I just don't like Elivs Costello.

not for me at all

The Beat est pas si pire J’aime pas sa voix

A more tolerable Costello record. "The Beat" is kind of a bop... no other keepers for me though.

Respect the man, but not my thing.

Meh

Nope

Elvis Costello sounds like this every song: Euhyeuyhheeyuyeuh

Get why people like them but he just seems ok to me. All songs sound similar...

This is a really weird album. It just... doesn't feel right. Like this thing came out in the late 70's, but it feels like a 90's album, but not in the best ways? I can still feel the 70's smoke lingering in most of the songs, and I'm not a huge fan of Costello's voice. 2.5/5? Its hard to rate this one, but its perfectly average, but leaning toward the 2/5 rating.

2.5

I don't think I'm a fan of Elvis Costello. I like this one better than the last album I got but it's not landing for me. I've been told by lots of folks I should love his stuff, yet it falls flat for me.

Not for me but decent album

Didn't realise that Voodoo Child used a sample. This is a decent album, not crazy about it.

horny jail.

Doesn't do much for me.

OK but not really for me. The only other album of his I've listened to is My Aim is True, which is much better.

I am tired of hearing this guy's voice. Are we going to have his entire catalog on this list? The music is ok on this one. 2

This album sounds exactly as I expected from the art cover : very British, quirky and a bit full of itself. I don’t doubt its influential nature ; it might have been a novelty back when it was released, but it’s hard to appreciate now that this kind of music has been endlessly rehashed. It actually sounds like an early blueprint of what a lot of pop, pop-punk and Britpop acts would later try to do in the 90s (probably because they grew up listening to this). It’s not unpleasant, I even liked a couple of songs (like The Beat), but overall I found it mostly bland and unexciting. The words "inoffensive" and "forgettable" come to mind.

Peut être que je comprend pas mais l’album est très blend. Submid de chez mid ; terre du sous-milieu

Ouais non j’suis pas dans le mood pour ce genre là. Bland et mal mixé

No action : whaaat c'est vraiment un son des années 70 ? en vrai ça ambiance ouf , je me vois grave me déhanché dessus. ça fait meme un peu teen beach movie. direct dans la playlist , je kiffe. c'est meme trop court !! This year's girl : j'aime bien mais c'est un peu ch paaaas... goofy ? The beat : waaaah le mood. carrément je vis la chanson c'est du lourd !! pump it up : ouai pour moi c'est trop fou. mais ça ambiance ça reste pas mal ( pourtant c'est la chanson qui a le plus d'écoute ) , il me faut surement une seconde écoute pour accrocher little triggers : pas ma tasse thé... je skip... You belong to me : sympa , mais trop répétitive. je suis un peu fatiguée maybe faire une pause dans l'écoute serais une bonne chose hand in hand : c'est quoi ce bruit de moustique mdrrr en vrai je pense que je bloque avec sa voix... genre tete à claque ? "apologiseeee" " daaaooooaaooown" , ch pas c'est trop exagéré. oskour le hand in hand en répétition , je skip... i don't want to go to Chelsea : frr c'est bon il me saoule , j'arrete l'écoute...

He sounds like discount Tom Petty or Randy Newman lite. Too much organ/electric keys too. I don't hate it enough to give it a 1, but it was really pushing the lower limits of a 2.

Not bad sort of chill rock music. Good beats and vocals it just that nothing really stood out for me. I don't regret listening to it but I won't be in any hurry to listen to it again.

Elvis Costello is so popular and yet this was boring. lyrics were boring or insulting, music was boring or annoying, and I just didn't feel anything about these songs. there were maybe 2 songs that I wouldn't change if they came on

Sounds more modern than 1978. His voice is a bit annoying to me though, and I couldn't really get past that. Some fun guitar licks throughout. Not bad overall. Favorites: - Pump It Up - Living In Paradise

This is another artist I’ve heard of, but envisioned a completely different sound before listening (not necessarily in a bad way). The album is upbeat and easy to listen to, though it didn’t leave a super lasting impression after a few playthroughs. Overall, solid and inoffensive. Favorite tracks: - Pump It Up - Living in Paradise

I was going to give this a 3 halfway through but I was so bored by the end I couldn’t justify it

I don't get what the fuss is about.

Not my cup of tea

Fun but eh

goofy, but not in a fun way picks: the beat, pump it up

I like two of his songs and the rest kind of blends.

Love the vibe but I cannot listen to more than 10 seconds of his voice

Old pop, not bad but not the best voice

Not my fave - didn’t really get into any particular song and didn’t feel moved or connected to anything.

I liked Elvis Costello’s debut, ‘My Aim is True’ but this one is definitely more background music to me and a lot less interesting.

I don’t see what this one does that’s any different from the others we’ve had.

Seems innocuous/meh

Did not enjoy

Safe rock and roll. Not for me

I found most of the tracks 'annoying'. Didn't enjoy the singers voice and the music was very repetitive.

Rock, 1978 -> 2

Harmless, happy and mostly meaningless. Just because it gave me some happy vibes I take this to two stars.

His voice drives me nuts, I don't really get the hype and didn't enjoy.

Un álbum olvidable. no entiendo realmente cual es la relevancia de este álbum. Supongo que suena moderno para su época, pero en realidad creo que artistas más actuales se inspiraron en estilos como este, y por eso suena moderno para oídos jóvenes. Tal vez es una cuestión de gustos. En lo personal solo conecté con el tercer track, "The Beat".

Ehh. Quite annoying.

I like everything about this but the keyboards... Which ruin it for me. The keyboards in every song are grating and render this album unlistenable. This is a shame because everything else is really solid.

1. action - 1 2. girl - 1.5 3. beat - 1.5 4. pump - 1.5 5. little - 1 6. me - 1.5 7. hand - 2 8. chelzea - 1.5 9. lip - 1.5 10. paradize - 1.5 11. vogue - 2 12. night - 1.5 13. radio - 2

tiene alguna canción aceptable pero realmente no lo escucharía

Not a big fan of Elvis Costello’s voice. It’s a little too whiny for me. The music of this album was very jumpy. Heavy on the drums. Just not my jam.

Some decent sounds,but mostly whiny rock

Zittoooo

Some voices are so distinctive that after a few words , Elvis Costello is one of those. All a bit samey. Very mid

Found this one a lot duller than the last EC&TA offering we had on here. A couple of good tracks but overall this one didn’t really do anything for me and I couldn’t really get into it.

Dear non-UK 1001 listers. Just to set the record straight, Elvis Costello really isn’t a big deal at all in the UK. His vocal sound is also annoying to us. We are as mystified as you as to why he deserves multiple albums on here. Amen.

I tried to care, but couldn't :/

This album got old fast, and I mean really fast. The songs are fine, yes, and I initially enjoyed the upbeat tracks. However, it never strayed away from that formula with the exception of Little Triggers. Everything else was upbeat fanfare with, what are frankly, not great vocals. They're very punk adjacent, which is not the part I disliked. It was the constant gasping noises that deterred me. Singing doesn't always have to sound effortless, but this was 14 songs of it.

Not for me, no attraction to this.

Another odd pull. I don’t have too much to say about this one, other than it was an upbeat pop/rock album. The lead voice was okay. Nothing standing out to me.

It's ok. But new wave is kinda meh.

I dislike the vocals

this was the longest 40 minutes of my life, last couple of songs weren't that bad though

Was a bit bored by this one except for Pump it Up, that has a great riff on it.

Lukewarm

I don’t like Elvis Costello

Found it a little boring. Other than the hits the other tracks all sounded the same

Probably his least annoying work. Still hate this guy's music Will I listen to again: 0%

I like some of the sounds, particularly the electronic sounds. I can barely hear the lyrics though. Living in Paradise is my favourite track from this album.

Ok

ANOTHER GODDAMN ELVIS COSTELLO ALBUM. To be fair, even though I don't really like this album I would consider it an album to "hear before you die". Definitely Costello's most essential work. But still I really don't like this guy's music and I won't pretend that I do. Favorite track: Hand in Hand

3/10 Costello's voice annoys me from the opening line of the album. There are moments in here that allow me an insight into why this album is beloved by music critics but they always end up being spoiled - for example I quite like the instrumental on 'The Beat' but the chorus ruins the song. 'Pump It Up' should be a highlights as the most played single and seems like it should be catchy, but instead it feels like such an obvious and repetitive riff which doesn't capture my musical imagination in the slightest. 'Little Triggers' was okay, kind of an interesting song and therefore my favourite from listening through this album, but again I can't really get past my dislike for Costello's voice. Supposedly the best Costello album which makes me hope there aren't any others on this list… Listens: 1

Find it difficult to get past the voice. I’m sure the song writing is good. There’s an early rock n roll tinge to some of the songs, and there are some strong tracks on the album - pump it up, I don’t want to go to chelsea, radio radio; but I doubt I’ll give it a second listen. The tracks don’t stray too far from a basic template, nothing grabs.

I don't want to be one of those people that complain about Elvis Costello purely for how many albums he has on the list but I didn't really like this No Action was giving me pop punk vibes which was a bit of a red flag for me, partly because of the vocals. He doesn't really do that style again but I'm not keen on his voice either way. He has this weird, breathy and overenunciated style I found annoying, which was most noticeable on Little Triggers The only thing I really liked was the little flourishes the keyboards added here and there (like on Living In Paradise even though I didn't really like the song otherwise), they're occasionally Doors-esque as well. And the bass tone was cool 2.5 Highlights: Lipstick Vogue

Yk, three albums in I think it's not that Elvis Costello makes bad music, but I'm certainly not the audience for his brand of pop rock stuff. I feel I could be listening to anything else but his music if I had the choice

how is this a 1978 album? honestly damn. something about it sounds like it could have just been released actually. i hear so much of weezer/some of vampire weekend on here. his delivery gets annoying after a while but yeah. fav tracks: the beat pump it up little triggers hand in hand

What can I say? 50% I like this; nice, no-nonsense rock ‘n roll with a bit of punk energy. And the songs are pretty well written too. But I don’t like the sound of it at all. Not Costello’s voice/persona and not the rinky-dink keyboard that pervades the whole record. Not for me.

If “meh”was a person it would be Elvis Costello.

Not a fan. Unmemorable.

i'm a 29 year old woman i shouldn't have to listen to this! long as hell too!

i don't like how this man looks at me

I like this possibly better than Costello's '94 "Brutal Youth" I had before, but just slightly. I don't know. Or even care. One of those albums that makes me look at the 700 more to go and wonder whether I shouldn't be doing something better with my time. And thus: irritating: 2.

Совсем не увлёк меня и не впечатлил. Много поёт и песенки бодрые.

56% weighted. Meh

Very mid, nothing really stands out 2/5

Don’t like it. Very nasally. I know he’s super famous but never really knew why - I still don’t. I didn’t realize his stuff was so old, I thought he was an 80s guy

Not a fan. I can understand how one album got on this list, but another five?

Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 📸🕴️👓 Production: 😐🙂👌 Music: 🎤👀🥱 Rating: 👓👓/5

It’s all right. Little skim of the tracks but I really don’t see the value in investing my time listening in its entirety if I’m honest.

Perhaps this is something one has to be “in the mood for” to listen properly. It felt very one-note across the board to me.

Meh

New wave, shoegaze, indie, ... j'en ai kiffé des groupes d'outre manche, mais là, ça me parle pas vraiment

C’est sympa, ça donne bien British mais c’est très et trop répétitif… et lecoute en devient presque ennuyante

Not my taste. Every song is the same to me

I took a vague interest in Elvis Costello after seeing him perform in the series “Treme”—a show centered on the New Orleans music scene, where he plays himself with great enthusiasm. At the time, I downloaded a good portion of his work, but not a single track has stayed with me from that experience. My feelings have not changed since then: no song stands out, it is too polished. While not unpleasant, his music just washes over me without leaving any impact.

I want to like but…..

Got real nervous on what he was gonna rhyme with triggers, I was on the edge of my seat the entirety of that song. Some real quirky songs on here, hand in hand, hand in hand, hand in hand, hand in hand, hand in hand Man, singing a whole album in this voice sounds so straining, it gets a bit tiring after 3 songs. With each passing ending that just repeats the song name over and over, my anxiety goes up, it feels like I'm stuck in a time loop every time it happens.

Not for me

The way he emphasizes words just annoys the hell out of me. I’ve tried so many times Elvis. I’m still holding out hope that it’ll eventually click but every single one of his albums has been the same experience for me sadly. Rating: 2.5

Not a fan. There were okay songs though.

Meh, bored

those keys have a nice touch.... pump it up is cool?

do not like his voice. At all.

Hot and Cold for me. Pump It Up is great and Radio, Radio is iconic. But like most of his stuff, I either love it or don't.

I wanted to like it desperately but nothing stood out.

It's not bad, I'm even a bit impressed how modern it sounds given its age. But I feel like it hasn't hooked me in, I don't really want to revisit it either, and it was soooo incredibly hard to listen to it for the first time.

IT’S THE FUCKING CATALINA WINE MIXER

This sounds like phineas and ferb (2). It’s fine, I’d get why someone would like it, but I think it’s not good

Seine Stimme muss man schon mögen, die Musik trullert höhepunktlos vor sich hin. Ich glaube da ziehe ich Buddy Holly vor.

Det känns lite självgott nästan. Svängigt stundvis, men på det stora hela en ganska platt pop-platta imo.

Unremarkable and dull Pop Rock.

Bland enough to have on while marking Macbeth essays. 1.5 cause better than the first one. Still meh.

four elvis costellos jeremy? that's insane

Every time I hear someone mention this guy, they give him so many accolades period I have never met a person in real life that has said to me, man, you've got to listen to this guy. Elvis Costello, he's amazing period he sounds average to me. It's a song Every song I hear from him is a song that if it came on the radio, you would turn it down. The volume about 5 notches and just let it play in the background. I can definitely appreciate that. He may have influenced a bunch of ska bands. Later he seems like one molecule in a few tempo.Speeds away from sounding exactly like the mighty mighty boss tones or vice versa

The first song was suprisingly fresh, so much so that I had to do a double take on the release date of the album. Reminded me something to come out in the 2000s, not the 70s. Beyond that though, it was fairly bland pop-ish rock-ish music from that era, which could easily blend into any other genre. Doesn't really interest me.

Nice

Very mixed bag. In some areas this album is really unique and off-the-wall, but in others it plays things way too safely. I generally enjoyed the instrumentals, but Costello's vocal performances are too far on the tepid side for me. Same goes for the lyrics.

point9.