Elvis Costello - This Years Model (LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo)

Description

This Year's Model is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 17 March 1978 through Radar Records. After being backed by Clover for his debut album My Aim Is True (1977), Costello formed the Attractions – keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (no relation) – as his permanent backing band. Recording sessions took place at London's Eden Studios in eleven days between late 1977 and early 1978. Nick Lowe returned as producer, and Roger Béchirian acted as engineer. Most of the songs were written prior to the sessions, and debuted live during the latter half of 1977. Embracing new wave, power pop and punk rock, the songs draw from bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. The lyrics explore subjects such as technologies of mass control and failing relationships, but in a manner that some reviewers found misogynistic. Echoing the lyrics of some of the tracks, the cover artwork, designed by the English graphic artist Barney Bubbles, shows Costello behind a camera placed on a tripod, emphasising his role as an observer. The accompanying singles "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Pump It Up" were commercially successful and the album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart. The American LP was released in May 1978 through Columbia Records. Substituting "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Night Rally" for "Radio Radio", it reached number 30 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart. This Year's Model also received critical acclaim; reviewers highlighted strong songwriting and performances, while also admiring Costello and the band as artists. The album appeared on year-end lists in both the UK and the US. In later decades, This Year's Model has been acclaimed as one of Costello's best works, some critics commenting on its influence on punk and new wave. It has appeared on several lists of the greatest albums of all time and has been reissued multiple times with bonus tracks. In 2021, Costello spearheaded a new version of the album titled Spanish Model, which featured songs from This Year's Model sung in Spanish by Latin artists over the Attractions' original backing tracks. It received favourable reviews and charted on several Billboard charts.

Release Info

Artist: Elvis Costello
Label: UMe
Format: LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo
Country: Europe
Label: UMe
Released: 2021-09-10
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave

Tracklist

A1 No Action
A2 This Years Girl
A3 The Beat
A4 Pump It Up
A5 Little Triggers
A6 You Belong To Me
B1 Hand In Hand
B2 I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea
B3 Lip Service
B4 Living In Paradise
B5 Lipstick Vogue
B6 Night Rally
Bonus Tracks
B7 Big Tears
B8 Radio Radio