Elvis Costello / Elvis Costello & The Attractions - This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition CD

This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition CD music In an era of wishy-washy singer-songwriters, Zevon immediately stood out as a wild card, a singer unafraid of the heat in kitchen. His first albums revealed a gifted songwriter equally comfortable with heroin-based love songs and manic rockers rife with gunplay. With STAND IN THE FIRE however, he leaps into the flames with headlong abandon. Backed by a band of unknowns, Zevon embraces the spontaneous frenzy of what live performances aspire to but rarely achieve. The band pushes Zevon towards the edge of losing control and he answers every lick with crazed purpose. He throws in marvelously extemporaneous lyrics during "Werewolves of London," screaming bloodlust while calling for the head of James Taylor. Mayhem reaches an apex during a pounding "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me," in which he actually threatens to kill the audience if they don't dance. There is no real threat of bodily harm while listening in the comfort of your own home, though the urge to light fires and empty revolvers into the sofa may become overpowering. Why this searing live document, which captures the singer at the peak of his powers, has not been released on CD in anybody's guess. The 1981 live album masterpiece "Stand In The Fire", until now woefully out of print, prompted allmusic.com to write, “No one argues that Warren Zevon is a gifted singer and songwriter, but "Stand In The Fire" proves that, when he wants to, he can also rock with the best of ‘em.” Recorded at L.A.’s Roxy theatre in 1981, the disc features the two unforgettable original songs Zevon debuted on that year’s tour, “The Sin” and “Stand In The Fire.” Also includes searing versions of “Lawyers, Guns And Money,” “Werewolves Of London,” “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me,” “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” “Mohammed’s Radio,” and “Jeannie Needs A Shooter,” a co-write with Bruce Springsteen, among other stellar performances. Boasts liner notes by David Fricke ...

This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition buy CD music Former rock critic Chrissie Hynde launched the Pretenders with an engaging, yet passive, version of the Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing." She unveiled her own persona fully on The Pretenders, which contains a series of excellent compositions marked by her sensual vocals and brilliant sense of dynamics. An understanding of pop's structures allowed Hynde to exploit them to her own ends while sympathetic support, particularly that of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, used the excitement of rock without reference to its cliches. Tough and opinionated, Chrissie Hynde's first declaration of independence established the formula she proceeded to follow. Recorded at Wessex Studios, London, England. Pretenders: James Honeyman-Scott (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Pete Farndon (bass guitar); Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers. Personnel: Chrissie Hynde (vocals, guitar); Martin Chambers (vocals, drums); Pete Frandon, Pete Farndon (vocals); Chris E. Thomas (keyboards). Audio Mixers: Bill Price ; Mike Stavrou. Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot. Liner Note Author: James McNair. Recording information: AIR Studios; London, England; Marquee Club, London, England; Olympic Studios, London, England; Paradise Theatre, Boston, MA; Regents Park; Wessex Studios. Photographers: Des Letts; Pauline Worral; Tom Sheehan . The Pretenders: James Honeyman Scott (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Chrissie Hynde (vocals, guitar); Pete Farndon (vocals, bass); Martin Chambers (vocals, drums). Additional personnel: Chris Thomas (keyboards, sound effects); Gerry Mackleduff (drums).

This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition songs Nick Lowe's first album threw down the gauntlet in grand form--a baker's dozen of "pure pop for now people" (which is, in fact, what a nervous Columbia Records retitled the album for its stateside release). Lowe was charting regularly in his English homeland, and though he didn't reach the same heights of chart success in America, several songs have become familiar late '70s/early '80s reference points, particularly "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" and "So It Goes." At the time of this album's release Lowe was also the house producer for Stiff Records (Britain's first independent record company) and Elvis Costello, producing his first handful of albums, as well as touring regularly with Rockpile. This is an auspicious debut, made good upon thereafter by a continuingly engaging career. Contains 2 CD bonus tracks and a 16 page booklet. Personnel: Nick Lowe (guitar, piano, background vocals); Dave Edmunds (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Billy Bremner (guitar, background vocals); Ian Gomm, Brinsley Schwarz , John McFee, Larry Wallis, Martin Belmont, John Turnbull (guitar); Steve Nieve (piano); Roger Bechirian (organ, tambourine, background vocals); Stan Shaw (organ); Sean Hopper (keyboards); Pete Thomas , Steve Goulding , Billy Rankin, Bobby Irwin (drums). Audio Mixers: Dave Edmunds; Nick Lowe; Roger Bechirian; Vic Keary; Vic Maile; Barry Farmer. Liner Note Author: Will Birch. Recording information: Chalk Farm Studios, London, England; Eden Studios; Jackson Studios, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England; Pathway Studios, Stoke Newington; The Roundhouse, London, England.

This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition album for sale Recorded in the charmed period between the initial success of ELTON JOHN and superstar extravaganzas like GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD, TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION, a loose concept album about the American West, was a strange, sideways move for Elton John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. A album in the traditional sense, it is best heard as a piece, with songs that pick up and expand on each other's moods and settings. Notice, for example, the progression of characters from the young fighter waving "My Father's Gun," to the retired and forgotten "Talking Old Soldiers," to the protagonist of "Where To Now St. Peter?," shot down by "a sweet young foreign gun" and ready to be judged by his maker. The mood holds from the sepia-toned LP cover art to John's songwriting, influenced by folk and country music and by The Band's MUSIC FROM BIG PINK. Among the songs it introduced were "Country Comfort," which Rod Stewart covered on GASOLINE ALLEY, and "Come Down In Time," later done by both Judy Collins and Sting. Though the rollicking piano epic "Burn Down The Mission" and "Amoreena" became FM-radio and concert staples, TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION remains the only John studio album without a hit single, a fact that doesn't affect the impact of this excellent country-rock outing. Deluxe Edition Liner Note Authors: John Tobler; Gus Dudgeon. Recording information: Trident Studios, London, England. Photographers: Barrie Wentzell; David Larkham. Unknown Contributor Role: Robin Geoffrey Cable . Arranger: Paul Buckmaster. Personnel: Elton John (vocals, piano, organ, keyboards, background vocals); Caleb Quaye (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Mick Ronson (guitar); Les Thatcher (acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, 6-string guitar, 12-string guitar); Lesley Duncan (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Mike Egan (acoustic guitar); Gordon Huntley (steel guitar); Skaila Kanga (harp); Johnny Van Derek (violin); Ian Duck (harmonica); Karl Jenkins (oboe); Brian Dee (organ); Chris Laurence (acoustic bass, acoustic bass guitar); Dee Murray (bass guitar, background vocals); Dave Glover , Herbie Flowers (bass guitar); Roger Pope (drums, percussion); Nigel Olsson (drums, background vocals); Barry Morgan (drums); Robin Jones (congas, tambourine); Dusty Springfield, Madeline Bell, Sunny Leslie, Tony Burrows, Tony Hazzard, Kay Garner, Sue Glover, Tammy Hunt (background vocals). Audio Remasterers: Giovanni Scatola; Tony Cousins.

This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition CD music Originally released as a four-song bonus EP with the U.K. edition of Armed Forces, then excerpted with an additional six songs on Rhino's double-disc expansion of said album in 2002, Live at Hollywood High received a full-blown reissue in 2010, almost 32 years after the June 4, 1978 concert from Elvis Costello & the Attractions. As the second installment of the Costello Show archival series, Live at Hollywood High isn't as legendary as Live at the El Mocambo, which had the benefit of once being one of Elvis Costello's rarest records, but it's a better show, or at least a better indication of the Attractions at their absolute peak. Apart from the dramatic opening reading of "Accidents Will Happen," featuring only Elvis and pianist Steve Nieve, every performance here is significantly revved up from the album versions, a change evident on all the My Aim Is True material -- including a reworked arrangement of "Stranger in the House" stripped of its country influence -- and the entire set has the momentum of a locomotive, twitchily pausing at "Alison" before crashing to a conclusion with a tremendous sequence of "You Belong to Me," "Radio, Radio," "Pump It Up," "Waiting for the End of the World," and "Miracle Man." Moreso than This Year's Model, this is the purest rock & roll record in Costello's catalog: there's passion and abandon in the Attractions' noisy revelry, not to mention some seriously heated fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar); Steve Nieve (keyboards); Pete Thomas (drums). Recording information: Hollywood High, Hollywood, CA (06/04/1978).

This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition buy CD music The 2001 edition of MY AIM IS TRUE comes with a bonus disc of rare material including demos and alternative versions of songs. When MY AIM IS TRUE was released in 1977, no one knew that the character on the cover, with coke-bottle glasses, ill-fitting clothes, and Jerry Lewis posture would become a pop-culture icon. Elvis Costello arrived as the uber-geek, hell-bent on blowing away years of macho rock posturing with his revenge-of-the-nerds image and sharp, snappy sound, instantly defining New Wave. In retrospect, the songs--with echoes of everything from the Band ("Blame It on Cain") to the Byrds ("[The Angels Wanna Wear My] Red Shoes")--owed more to rootsy pub-rock than it did to punk, but it was still miles beyond the hairy-chested blues-rock theatrics bogging down the airwaves in the mid-'70s. While Elvis hadn't hooked up with the Attractions yet, he's ably backed on most of the album by Californian pub-rockers Clover (who would eventually become--shhh--Huey Lewis & the News), and crucially, on the white-reggae "Watching the Detectives," by Steve Goulding and Andrew Bodnar, on loan from key Costello influence Graham Parker. None of this would have mattered had Costello's melodic knack not been so crafty and his lyrics so trenchant, immediately establishing him as the premier singer/songwriter of the post-hippie era. Additional Tracks; Deluxe Edition Recorded at Pathway Studios, Islington, United Kingdom from 1976 to 1977. Originally released on Stiff (UK SEEZ 3)/Columbia (US 35037). Includes liner notes by Elvis Costello. Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, piano); John McFee (guitar, pedal steel); Alex Call (guitar); Sean Hopper (piano, organ, background vocals); Steve Nieve (piano, organ); Nick Lowe (piano, bass, background vocals); Stan Shaw (organ); John Ciambotti (bass, background vocals); Bruce Thomas, Andrew Bodnar (bass); Michael Shine, Steve Goulding, Malcolm Dennis, Ian Powling (drums); Dickie Faulkner (percussion). Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, piano, background vocals); Elvis Costello; Andrew Bodnar, Bruce Thomas (bass guitar); Pete Thomas (drums); John McFee (guitar); Sean Hopper (piano, organ, background vocals); Nick Lowe (piano, background vocals); Steve Nieve (organ, keyboards); Stan Show (organ); Micky Shine, Steve Goulding (drums); John Ciambotti (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Suha Gur. Recording information: Pathway Studios, Islington, England (1976-1977); The Nashville Room, London, England (1976-1977). Photographers: Chris Gabrin; Paul Slattery.