Elvis Costello - Rock And Roll Music [5/1] *

Artist:

Costello, Elvis

UPC:

602517260924

See Also:

Simon, Paul Beach Boys (The) Bowie, David Elvis Costello - Piano Jazz: McPartland/Costello Elvis Costello/Metropole Orkest - My Flame Burns Blue

Description:

Elvis Costello: Bruce Thomas (bass guitar); Michael Shine, Pete Thomas (drum); John Ciambotti, John McFee, Steve Nieve.
Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Elvis Costello; Mick Jones , John McFee (guitar); Steve Nieve (keyboards); Michael Shine, Pete Thomas (drums); John Ciambotti, Dave Edmunds (background vocals).
Additional personnel: Mick Jones (guitar); Dave Edmunds.
Recording information: Hollywood High School, Hollywood, CA (06/04/1978).
Photographers: David Gahr; Richard Aaron; Barry Plummer; Pennie Smith.
When Elvis Costello`s back catalog from 1977-1986 shifted from Rhino to Hip-O in 2007, the third major EC reissue campaign was inaugurated by the just-the-basics hits set The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years and its companion, Rock and Roll Music, the first of a projected series of thematic trawls through Costello`s back pages. Since it arrives hand in hand with a compilation that deliberately serves up nothing but the usual suspects, Rock and Roll Music is a welcome fresh take on Costello`s catalog. Compiled by Elvis himself, the set has a few hits and standards found on most Costello comps -- "Pump It Up," "(I Don`t Want to Go To) Chelsea," "(What`s So Funny `Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding," "Tokyo Storm Warning" -- but the intent isn`t to serve up familiar tunes, it`s to showcase a particular musical side of his many-faceted musical personality, which this does very well. As the title makes plain, Rock and Roll Music focuses on his rock & roll recordings, which sometimes have been overshadowed by the musical explorations taken by Costello ever since he signed to Warner in 1989. This tremendously entertaining 22-track compilation proves that at his peak Elvis was a thrilling, hard-edged rocker, particularly when he was backed by the Attractions -- which he is on all but two cuts here, both taken from his Attraction-less debut, My Aim Is True (that is, if the collector bait of the previously unreleased solo demo version of "Welcome to the Working Week" counts). Costello does rely heavily on the two hardest Attractions records here -- there are five cuts from 1978`s This Year`s Model and four from 1986`s Blood & Chocolate, if the alternate of "Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?" is counted -- but he also sprinkles in B-sides (all also appearing on the 1980 U.S. compilation Taking Liberties) and digs deep into albums for largely unheralded gems as "King Horse" and "Lovers Walk." These are a couple of minor revelations for big fans, but this isn`t quite aimed at the hardcore, who, after all, will be very familiar with these 22 songs. This is for the casual (or former) fan who wants to explore further, and for them, this will be an excellent supplement to a hits disc. But this is really for the skeptical neophyte who never believed that Elvis Costello was a punk rocker -- for them, this compilation provides ample proof that, yes, he really was. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Lipstick Vogue
2. No Action
3. Big Tears
4. (I Don`t Want to Go To) Chelsea
5. This Year`s Girl
6. Miracle Man
7. Pump It Up
8. Clean Money
9. Tiny Steps
10. Wednesday Week
11. Mystery Dance - (live, Live At Hollywood High)
12. You Belong to Me - (live, Live At Hollywood High)
13. (What`s So Funny `Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding - (live)
14. Girls Talk
15. King Horse
16. Lover`s Walk
17. Umcomplicated
18. Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind? - (alternate take)
19. Baby`s Got a Brand New Hairdo
20. I Hope You`re Happy Now
21. Tokyo Storm Warning
22. Welcome to the Working Week - (previously unreleased)

Album Information

Release Date:

05/01/2007

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Rock & Pop

Subgenre:

New Wave

Label:

Hip-O

Producer:

Michele Horie; Nick Lowe; T-Bone Burnett; Colin Fairley; Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus; Nick Lowe; T-Bone Burnett; Declan Patrick Aloysius; Colin Fairley; Michele Horie (Reissue)

Catalog Number:

1726092

Original Release Year:

2007

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

Runtime:

64 : 29

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