The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977-86

It took me hours to get home on Thursday night and the only company was Cornershop, I chose to sit in gridlock on the M6 in silence, the only voice was my own cursing myself for going the Motorway home and not sticking to the A roads.
Friday it was not Cornershop though, its Elvis Costello and The Attractions and their 1994 compilation, The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977-86. Its quite specific that, pre beard?
I have a lot of Elvis Costello singles, possibly more than any other artist, all 7 inches and none bought by me, I don’t know how I got them but I have them, I only own one Elvis Costello album though and this is it. I think someone gave it to me, I don’t recall buying it. Maybe they took pity on me not having any Costello on CD.
Its of course excellent, in parts. Its classic in parts, its extremely well known, in parts. The parts that aren’t in parts are pretty good as well, you can hear him contemplating growing a beard though. “What would it take for McCartney to work with me? A BEARD!!!!!!!” “Hi is Pavarotti there? Yes, yes I have a beard” Costellos beard period isn’t really represented here. We have his clean shaven period and that takes in Radio Radio, Allison, I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down, Olivers Army, one of my all time favourite songs in his version of Shipbuilding (Favourite being the Wyatt version), you get the idea, as the name suggests, its his very best from 77 to 86.
I like it a lot to be honest and think its possibly worth at the very least a 7, maybe an 8. Yes it is not as great when he gets to his stubble phase around 85 or 86, and even now you feel like saying yes Elvis, but what have you done lately? The reply would almost certainly be “Been on The One Show mate, what have you done?” Listened to Cornershop mate. 8 out of 10.



Alison by Elvis Costello

A Year in Music - 1979

For reasons known only to myself (and other closet list makers) I have been putting together compilations based on particular years. This started in a round about way when, after a string of random songs on the ipod of more or less the same age, and with no hobbies or interests or friends to speak of, I decided to group some music by year, just for the sheer edge-of-seat, surf the internet / burn a cd crazy wildness of the thing.

As a starting point I chose 1979. Don't ask me why. The lists, of course, only consist of things I would listen to. There are ridiculous omissions, whole genres ignored, but they are true to the year they purport to be. Some years seem ridiculous in the amount of decent music released, while others are dusty barren tumbleweed strewn wastelands (1986 springs to mind).

My starting year, or year zero, is 1979, and there are far too many decent songs to choose from. It was year zero for Britain also, as Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister on May 4th, and nothing was ever the same again.

So, my 1979 top picks, interspersed with a couple of vids are

London Calling - The Clash
ELO - Don't Bring Me Down
AC/DC - If You Want Blood
Amii Stewart - Knock on Wood
The Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Elvis Costello - Accidents will Happen
Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him
Joy Division - She's Lost Control
Eddie Grant - Livin' on the Front Line

Madness - The Prince
Motorhead - Overkill
Rainbow - All Night Long
The Beat - Rankin Full Stop
Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster
Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight
The Cure - Killing an Arab
The Jam - Eton Rifles
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
XTC - Making plans for Nigel