Elvis Costello and the Attractions-Armed Forces (1979)


Artist: Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Title: Armed Forces
 

Label: Columbia

Format: LP

Cat #: JC 35709

Year of Release: 1979

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1979 Pitman Pressing

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+

Sell Date: 2/8/21

Sell Price: $5.99

Discogs Last Sold: 1/24/21 VG+/F $5.00

Low: $3.00

Median: $4.50

High:  $18.69 NM/NM with 7"

Current low price: $2.00 G+/VG, $3.99 VG+/VG

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 104

Have/Want: 5760/253

Where Sold:  Minneapolis, MN

Time it took to sell: 6 years

Where and When Bought: Worcester Al Bums used $3.99

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B

Sad To See It Go: No

One of Costello's peaks of his peak period, Armed Forces was one of those records I bought used, played it once, filed it away for decades and didn't repurchase a reissue in the CD era.  This doesn't mean I didn't like it or appreciate it.  The 3 big hits-"Oliver's Army," the opener "Accidents Will Happen" and my favorite, the closer "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" were AOR staples of "new wave" crossover.  

The "alternative" rock world loved to claim their "angry young man" as their own, but this peaked at #10 on the Billboard album chart a couple months after it came out.  There were serious commercial legs here.

I find it incredible how the rest of this album hasn't seeped into my brain.  It was popular, I had it in the vinyl era, and yet....

Even as I go over this a second time after the headphone listen looking for other standout tracks it's a struggle.  The lesser Elvis always has a certain level of acerbic quality that I enjoy, but it always seems like I'm "rediscovering" his records when I pay attention to them.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something particular to my personal relationship to the discography of Elvis Costello where I listen to it, nod to myself that he is indeed a quality artist, and cast it aside for something else.

So what are the "other" songs on Armed Forces?  Probably "Green Shirts" is the one for me followed by "Secret Service."  "Two Little Hitlers" and "Moods For Moderns" have reached some level of consciousness in title.  I still can't hum them or any of the other tracks.

No Bacharach or McCartney he!

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