#Elvis Costello vinyls

[scary-ivy]

I found my radio station's collection of old Elvis Costello and the Attractions records and I'm going to share pictures of them because there's so many cool details

First up, Goodbye Cruel World

The radio station uses these stickers to highlight recommend songs, but the DJs love to put in funny little comments as well. Usually these stickers are written on right when the album came out, so they provide a snapshot into what contemporary listeners though of the records. Apparently the DJs of the time liked Goodbye Cruel World, but what does (Don't Ya Wish He Really Meant It?) mean?

Having only seen this album cover at really low resolutions on streaming, I was surprised to discover who those indistinct figures were

Really cool art on the back of Goodbye Cruel World, once again we never get to see this stuff with streaming :/ love the blatant political message of "nuclear ban now"

Lots of weird little in-jokes in the credits to this one. Maurice Worm is one of Steve Nieve's aliases.

Really interesting radio promo copy of Spike featuring an hour-long interview, I have to check if it's been uploaded online before. It also promises "This Town (The Bastard Mix)", which might be the censored version of This Town where "bastard" was replaced with "sweetheart" that I was looking for online but couldn't find. Or maybe it's the other way around?

Recommend songs off Punch the Clock. I'm surprised because none of these are what I would consider the "big hits" of the album.

The back of Punch the Clock. I'm noticing the other Attractions often wind up on the back of these records.

Probably my favorite detail out of everything is the title of "The Invisible Man" being written to look like it's becoming invisible (It's not just faded like Boxing Day above it).

Very green Veronica single. I believe it's just the same version of Veronica on both sides. These weird radio promo vinyls are the ones I'm most excited about because they so rarely see the light of day after their release...I just realized since Paul McCartney was involved with this one I can play it on the Beatles show!

Get Happy!! without the iconic worn-out ring on the cover? I guess the vinyl can just get worn out on it's own...I believe the 7/25/83 might be the date the vinyl was acquired, or perhaps the date it was supposed to be deemed "old" and thrown out (can you imagine?)

The back features this nice art of the Attractions

The song order of side one and side two is reversed from how the album is presented in streaming. Is this an error, or have I been listening to it in the wrong order this whole time??? Also the song is apparently supposed to be called "5ive Gears in Reverse".

Really cute letter from Nick Lowe promising that the audio quality has not been compromised for the length of the album. It's so fascinating to learn about these types of technical limitations that no longer exist. Like if it released today it would just go to streaming and then probably get a double vinyl release to wring more money out of collectors.

The American "paint-splatter" Armed Forces album cover features the Elephant cover on the back. I already knew this but it was still cool to see.

This Years Model! This record features one of the alternate cover photos (probably my favorite one), and it is a genuine demo record complete with a label from Columbia.

They put the runtimes and little recommendation check boxes for the sake of the DJs, but it looks like every song got checked and stared multiple times (except for Little Triggers :/)

Glowing reviews...it's so exciting to imagine being a young DJ in 1978 hearing This Years Model for the first time and correctly calling it a masterpiece.

"Martial more consistent throughout than My Aim Is True" lol.

I can't really read the cursive, but I it's interesting how they called Pump It Up a mixture of old styles (immediately picking up on the Dylan ripoff), and I wonder what the scribbled over parts say?

The back cover, which I'm seeing now for the first time. Love that 70s bedroom.

The Only Flame In Town single has this really striking artwork of a illustrated woman in a real scene. It's dated 12/4/84.

Pump It Up version? I'll have to listen to it. Also glad someone else loves this version of Baby It's You.

Nothing interesting here I just think it's funny they decided The Only Flame In Town deserves to be on a greatest hits compilation.

A collection of Almost Blue era songs, including a note from Elvis.

That's all I was able to photograph this week, but there's still about 5 Elvis Costello /the Attractions records I haven't looked at yet, I will update this next week!

[thepastprotracted]

[myvinylplaylist]

Milwaukee Road Trip

Vintage Underground

Kenosha, WI

Cool Antique Store. I found a few 45’s for a $1 each.

[nolondoninbrazil]

elvis costello and the attractions - get happy!!

[mywifeleftme]

349: Joe Jackson // Look Sharp!

Look Sharp! Joe Jackson 1979, A&M

I have a general sense that Joe Jackson was, at least at one time, a little huffy about how retrospectives on his career focus so heavily on his early new wave records. (Is this true? I dunno, I didn’t get to 349 reviews in this series by sourcing all my claims.) Trouble is, the immature “Angry Young Man” music of his debut Look Sharp! is by some distance the best stuff Jackson ever did, despite the restless stylistic diversity of his later years. Being a man of a certain age myself (43), I can now understand how it would be disheartening to think I’d done my best work as a 22-year-old idiot, the rest of my life perceived as a failure to maintain that standard. On the other hand, I haven’t done any “best work” as yet, and the prospects of ever doing so are starting to seem remote…

You can never be sure how much artists are blowing smoke when they tell you to your face/screen that they think their new album is better than their most popular classic, but when that classic is as good as Look Sharp! is…ah, Jackson’s gotta know right? I often forget just how much punch the record packs before it makes its way back on to my table, but then I drop the needle and start to seriously wonder whether there was a better top-to-bottom record by any of the singer-songwritery new wavers—Lowe, Parker, and Costello very much included. It’s that undeniably heavy Costello influence that probably especially galls Jackson, as this is essentially a punked up, Vox organ-free refinement of Elvis’s first two records. But by ’79’s Armed Forces (released just weeks before Look Sharp!), Costello had already essentially abandoned that sound, and no one before or since scratched that My Aim is True itch like Jackson and his band do here.

The Joe Jackson Band gives the Attractions a run for slick, compact punch (especially superhero bassist Graham Maby), moving adeptly from sophisticated ska pop (“Fools in Love”) to jagged new wave (“Look Sharp!”; “Happy Loving Couples”) to thrashing pop punk (“Got the Time”; “Throw It Away”). Though it’s not my favourite song on the record, there is something slightly brain-busting about the existence of “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” on an LP from 1979, given that it could absolutely have come out unchanged in 1997 and been an alternative radio smash. In fact, one thing Joe may have on Elvis is that (in my opinion) Look Sharp! had more direct influence on a swath of ‘90s band than Costello’s comparatively sour original article: “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” alone contains like the complete DNA of Ben Folds, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Sugar Ray (who even had a hit covering it) and much of the guitar contingent from the Now That’s What I Call Music! comps.

349/365

[thosesharpnotes]

Joe Jackson’s “Look Sharp!” and Elvis’ “Armed Forces” were both released on Jan. 5 in 1979. What does it all mean?

[wardfamilyknox]

[buyandlove-studiopottery]

#vinyl records, #elvis costello

#7" promo single

#live at hollywood high

#1979

#45 7" singles

[mrbopst]

[stillunusual]

Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Radio Radio (1978)

[rhapsodynew]

#classic rock news

#new music

A book with memorable graphics of legendary bands. It is being prepared for publication.

Only 500 copies – such a limited edition will be released the book “Rock Visions: Rock 'N' Roll Graphics From The Print Age”, which is a collection of memorable artifacts of twelve famous rock bands and performers of our time. In this list: Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Elton John, BAD COMPANY, JOURNEY, KISS, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, QUEEN, THE ROLLING STONES, STEVE MILLER BAND and THE WHO.

The book presents their graphic legacy – from original tour programs, backstage passes and concert tickets to T-shirts, posters and record covers.

🌧 It's time for November Rain. November will delight us with a lot of good music. Courtesy of UCR News

November 1st

• The Cure – Songs of a Lost World ❤️

• Elvis Costello – King of America and Other Realms (6CD box)

• T. Rex – Bolan Boogie: The Best of T. Rex (2CDs or 2LPs)

• Todd Rundgren – Arena

Warren Haynes [Allman Brothers Band] – Million Voices Whisper

• Weezer – Weezer (The Blue Album): 30th Anniversary Edition (3CD set) ❤️

November 8

• Beach Boys – The Beach Boys' Christmas Album

• Hawkwind – Doremi Fasol Latido (multiple format reissue, including 3CD/2Blu-ray deluxe box)

• Neil Young – On the Beach

• Paul Carrack [Squeeze / Mike + the Mechanics] – How Long Has This Been Going On?

• Pete Townshend [The Who] and Rachel Fuller – The Seeker ❤️

• Rick Wakeman – Yessonata

• Steve Perry [Journey] – The Season 3 ❤️

• Talking Heads, Talking Heads: 77 ( 3CD/Blu-ray или 4LP

• Widespread Panic – Hailbound Queen

15th of November

• Black Keys – Ohio Players (flying double act)

• Bryan Adams – Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024 (3CD/1 bLue-ray box)

• Burton Cummings [Guess Who] – Some good moments

• Don Henley – Creating the Perfect Beast (original 40th Anniversary vinyl edition)

• George Harrison – Life in the Material World (original edition of the 50th anniversary vinyl record)

• Iron Maiden – The Mighty Slave (original edition of the vinyl record with zotrope for the 40th anniversary)

John Cale [Velvet Underground] – "The Academy is in Danger"; Paris, 1919: Luxury Remastered Edition (VP)

• Linkin Park – From Scratch ❤

November 22nd

• Allman Brothers Band – Final concert on 10/28/14 (3 CD sets) ❤️

• The Beatles – American albums of 1964 in mono format

• Kan–Kan lives in Kiel, 1977

Chicago, I live at 55

• Don Henley – I Can't Stand Still; Cass County (Multi-voice editions)

• The Doors – The Doors 1967-1971 (box of 6£) ❤️

• Judas Priest – Rock and Roll: the anniversary edition for the 50th anniversary (in English) ❤️

• Motley Crue – Dr. Feel Good: Deluxe edition for the 35th anniversary of the group (set of 3 CD) ❤️

• Neil Young – On the Beach (opposite)

• "Smashing Pumpkins" – Aghori Mhori Mei (VP)

• Marilyn Manson – "One Murder under God" ❤️

U2 – How to Disassemble an Atomic Bomb: 20th Anniversary reissue (CD; limited edition super deluxe 5CD or 8LP box; cassette); How to Disassemble an atomic Bomb: Re-assembly edition (extended digital edition)

• Van Zant [Lynyrd Skynyrd/.38 Special] – Always look up ❤

November 29th

• Eric Clapton – Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023 (4CD/2 bLue-ray set) ❤️

• John Wetton – Concentus: The John Wetton Live Collection, Volume 1 (10CD box)

• Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes – Concert at the Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey - December 30, 1978 (series of 3 albums, including yellow marbled edition; Sovenoman Zandt)

• Status Quo - The Path to Glory (reissue in summary, including a limited section of "Autographed Vinyl Records")

• War - CD Collection 1977-1994 (set of 4 CDs)

• Wilco – Hot Sun Cool Shroud ("Cold Sun")

🤘 New U2 track

The song "Happiness" was written during the session for the Irish rockers' 2004 album "How to Disassemble an atomic Bomb" and was included in the new album "How to assemble an atomic Bomb again" along with the Wound inspired songs "Rural Mile" and "Your Photo (X + W)"

The upcoming album will include new, previously unreleased songs found in the session archives of the original album. It will be released on November 22 in the room with the main version of "How to disassemble an atomic Bomb"

Tool Group announces the first ever all-inclusive "Live In The Sand" festival featuring Primus, Mastodon and others

Festification and Tool are pleased to announce the holding of the first ever "Tool Live In The Sand" festival at the luxurious five-star Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Royalton Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from March 7-9, 2025. "Tool Live In The Sand" will bring Tool fans from all over the world to the island

At this unique event, which will be headlined by Tool. There will be two nights featuring some of the most iconic and influential rock bands in the world, including Primus, Mastodon, Eagles Of Death Metal and Coheed And Cambria. The stars also include King's X, Fishbone, Wheel, Cky, Moonwalker, and longtime Tool collaborators Alex Gray and Allison Gray join as special guests.

Scorpions announce a concert in honor of the band's 60th anniversary in their hometown with Judas Priest

The legends of German hard rock Scorpions will celebrate their 60th anniversary on stage with a big concert in their hometown

The "60th Anniversary — Homecoming" event will take place on July 5, 2025 at the Heinz von Heiden Arena in Hanover and will include performances by special guests, including Judas Priest

Recall that as part of the celebration of their 60th anniversary, the legends of German rock will also visit Las Vegas

THE NEW CONCERT ALBUM TEARS FOR FEARS

Songs for a Nervous Planet is a live album that includes four new studio tracks, as well as live recordings by Tears For Fears during the tour and in their best moments. The album includes live versions of such hits as "Shout", "Head Over Heels", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", "Mad World" and others. Covering all periods of the band's existence from The Hurting to The Tipping Point and beyond, this album will take you on an incomparable sonic journey, which is the Tears For Fears concert and their career to date

[brokehorrorfan]

Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by The X-Files is available on vinyl for the first time for $40 via Enjoy the Ride Records. The 1996 compilation is executive produced by The X-Files creator Chris Carter.

In addition Mark Snow's iconic The X-Files theme, it features songs from Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper, Foo Fighters, Danzig, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, and more.

The 2xLP album is pressed on three color variants, each limited to 1,000: "Little Green Men" clear with neon green & black splatter; "Cigarette Smoke" clear with white smoke; and "Oil" black. It's housed in a gatefold jacket.

[myvinylplaylist]

Elvis Costello: Veronica 7” Single (1989)

Side A: Veronica

Side B: You’re No Good

Warner Bros. Records

[calciumdeficientt]

oh my god please make some headcanons on nerds.. Thad Carlson..

Ohohoho I’ve been waiting for this one. Sat in my hovel rubbing my greasy little hands together waiting for a nerds request. Uuuuuuugh neeerds i love you nerds.

THAD CARLSON HCS

Holds the little bit of height that he has over Dan up as much has humanly possible. It’s all he has since his brother abandoned him to go warm the benches for the actually decent football players. Yeah he may be stereotypically cool now but who’s above average in both IQ and height DAN? That’s right. Its Thad.

Started the yardstick craze amongst the nerds, it began when he would slap one on the desks after the people he was tutoring inevitably fell asleep out of pure boredom -his teaching style is very much just shut up and listen while I recount the entire lesson verbatim. Then eventually he found that the sticks were pretty sturdy and good to use when fending off bullies or playing Star Wars outside of the library after all their lightsabers were confiscated due to the events of … the Bucky incident.

Thad is the nerd that’s least bothered about G&G. It’s not that he doesn’t care for it at all, he’s just less interested in high fantasy than the others. If he had it his way, their campaign would be on a shuttle fighting interdimensional space lizards and not picking mushrooms and befriending gnomes in the woods. He’s a total sci-fi freak, he’ll take literally anything he can get. Star Trek, Star Wars, the twilight zone, the x-files… so on and so forth. If he was a bit tougher i could see him really vibing with Tom about the grittier, more horror centric sci -fi classics like Alien and the thing. But alas, Thad and Tom are just acquaintances, in the sense that Thad is acquaintances with Tom’s knuckles and his firm grip on the waistband of his underpants before he gets wedgied so hard he sees the dark souls death screen.

He’s always had the lisp, it just got worse when he got his braces. For the first two years of bullworth he had headgear, which made him more of a target than any other nerd, he was glad to get it off but it was all for nothing. He still gets called metalhead, even though the metal is just on the inside of his mouth now. Thad had many many sessions of speech therapy as a kid to try and curb the lisping habit but it just didn’t work. He’s doomed to always say “thizzle thizzle thizzle”

Thad is very nearsighted, the lenses in his glasses are like the bottoms of milk bottles, if he was in a pinch they could definitely be used as a pretty stellar weapon. They don’t crack very easy which is good considering the amount of abuse they’re subjected to every day. He is usually able to buff out the scratches and still be able to see pretty well, but he has a few spare pairs in case of swirlies and other more unsanitary uses for his frames. He soaks the affected pair in disinfectant and wears a spare pair for the duration of the day. Once he’s out of pairs he just sort of shuffles around the school all squinty like Jimmy. This makes him all the more susceptible to bullies, so if he can help it he’ll cower in the library until classes are over, he’s always three lessons ahead anyway.

Has the most bomb music taste ever ( he mentions Elvis Costello in a voice line and real recognises real.). Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Smashing Pumpkins, Oingo Boingo. He’s got them all on tape, CD and on vinyl too. (Just you wait little buddy they’re gonna be back in fashion soon) one halloween he dressed up as Adam Ant from the Prince Charming album cover. That was until he was chased back into the dorm by the Jocks. Don’t fret babygirl they just weren’t ready for you yet.

[mywifeleftme]

356: Elvis Costello & the Attractions // Get Happy!!

Get Happy!! Elvis Costello & the Attractions 1980, F-Beat

Get Happy!! was the first of Costello’s explicit genre exercises—the genius of the new wave does R&B. The emphasis is on his virtuosity as a pop songwriting machine, meaning neither his venom nor his wounded bitterness bite like they had on his three previous masterpieces. His lyrics are a multiply-compacted sediment of entendre, rhyme frequently leading sense, basically the point where power pop and backpacker rap improbably meet. It is, in every respect, the Evil Buddy Holly showing off for twenty songs. It might be the best record any Elvis ever cut.

Like a hummingbird, I need a lot of sugar to stay aloft sometimes, and the opening six songs of Get Happy!! give it to me uncut: “Love for Tender” with its hysterical army of extra Elvises on backing vocals; the sophisticated chirp of “Opportunity” (“The chairman of this boredom is a compliment collector / I'd like to be his funeral director”); breakneck Northern Soul raveup “The Imposter”; strolling sock hop blues "Secondary Modern”; the galloping piano heroism of “King Horse”; and “Possession,” a song that sounds like trying to win your girl back while she’s trying to get across the stage in her robes and tassel to accept her college degree. (I don’t exactly know what I mean about that last one either.) The fourteen tracks that follow hit those heights a little more sporadically, but most are good, some are confounding in an appealing way, and the best of them (“New Amsterdam”; “I Can’t Stand Up…”; “Temptation” etc.) are indispensable gems.

Much of the credit, as always, goes to the Attractions, one of the great rock combos ever assembled. Bruce Thomas is the John Entwistle of new wave, a one-of-one monster whose restless virtuosity frustrated the comparatively technically-limited guitarist who led his band—a virtuosity that nonetheless helped make even the occasional middling tune relentlessly groovy. Pete “No Relation” Thomas was a drummer who could play anything with power and a jazzy grace (check what he does given a little space to work on “Motel Matches”). Meanwhile, Steve Nieve, wielding his array of oddball organ tones, handles the lead melody on nearly every track—it’s the flexibility of his instrument that gives Costello’s lean four-piece its capacity to sound like a giddy R&B dance band, or a spangly, orchestrated chamber pop act, or any other costume Elvis might choose to wear on a given day.

356/365

[vindieselsfacebook-blog]

I've been very into Alvvays lately and wanted to share this gem aka THEE Lorelai Gilmore teen anthem!

Can't explain my ankle sprain I didn't really feel it New dress could turn your head But how long til we reel it in? Paradise and I find myself paralyzed Knowing all too well

The song describes a young woman making impulsive decisions with a man they've gotten carried away with. It paints a picture of a very Lorelai and Christopher kind of relationship where the girl enjoys the freedom, impulse, attention and sense of a private, escapist world with this person before reality comes crashing down around them. It's a relationship with a set timer, ticking along until its inevitable conclusion.

I love the line about not even feeling your ankle sprain - running around having fun, being silly, and causing little consequences for yourself, but they're ignorable or very low-stakes. At least at first. It feels so apt for teen Lorelai, who was rebelling from her controlling upbringing and beginning to mess around with alcohol and sex. Youthful cries for attention and unconditional love.

Blue Rev behind the rink, I didn't really need it Circumspect when you call collect To see if I would keep it Paradise and I find myself paralyzed Knowing all too well, terrified But I'll find my way

"Blue Rev" is a low brow vodka-based cola drink - think Zima. Reckless teens underage drinking behind a skating rink, confronting the reality of a pregnancy and the girl's decision to take control of the situation. The boy's reaction described as "circumspect" or wary, unwilling to take the risk while the girl takes it as an opportunity to find her own way, even though she's scared - sooo Christopher and Lorelai. He enjoys fucking around but ultimately prefers the gilded cage to the unknown on the other side.

Moving to the country Gonna have that baby Wait tables in town I know word gets around Moving to the country Gonna have this baby See how it goes See how it grows And I find myself paralyzed Knowing all too well, terrified But I'll find my way

One of my favorite themes in Gilmore Girls is how Lorelai took this classic ball-and-chain, life-ending symbol of an accidental teen pregnancy and saw it as a chance to strike out on her own, burn her life to the ground, and completely rebuild from scratch. Fans sometimes wonder why no one on this show ever seemed to seriously consider abortion (stubbornly ignoring that this was early 2000s WB and simply not an option unless it was for a total villain), especially for Lorelai who seemed so liberal, but she loved having this excuse to finally cut her own cord. It was an opportunity for her rather than a metaphorical death sentence.

"Moving to the country" with a blue-collar service job where you work with your hands... word getting around a gossipy small town... come on! Too good.

I'll egress to Inverness with nothing in my pocket Belinda says that heaven is a place on earth Well so is hell And we'll all get help, paradise And we'll start another life

The cherry on top is of course the titular reference to Belinda Carlisle - lead singer of the Go-Go's, one of Lorelai's idols, and the person who signed that vinyl Rory got for her graduation gift and left on the bus in S2. She of course has a famous solo song called "Heaven Is A Place On Earth".

Also a cute reference to Jess's personal Stars Hollow anthem "This Is Hell" by Elvis Costello. You know how much I love a Lorelai/Jess parallel. ;) What was escapist heaven to her was banished hell to him.

It doesn't hurt that Alvvay's dreamy, sentimental indie-pop sound feels right at home on any GG-inspired playlist. I like to think they'd make the cut on a Lane Kim mix CD.