Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces

Original Release Date

1979

Release Information

UK LP+7" 1979 (Radar - RAD 14 / SAM 90)

A1 Accidents Will Happen 3:00
A2 Senior Service 2:17
A3 Oliver's Army 2:57
A4 Big Boys 2:55
A5 Green Shirt 2:42
A6 Party Girl 3:20
B1 Goon Squad 3:15
B2 Busy Bodies 3:33
B3 Sunday's Best 3:23
B4 Moods For Moderns 2:49
B5 Chemistry Class 2:55
B6 Two Little Hitlers 3:10
Live At Hollywood High (7")
C1 Accidents Will Happen
C2 Alison
D1 Watching The Detectives

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US LP+7" 1979 (Columbia - JC 35709 / AE7 1171). Single with initial copies only

A1 Accidents Will Happen 3:00
A2 Senior Service 2:17
A3 Oliver's Army 2:57
A4 Big Boys 2:54
A5 Green Shirt 2:41
A6 Party Girl 3:18
B1 Goon Squad 3:14
B2 Busy Bodies 3:33
B3 Moods For Moderns 2:48
B4 Chemistry Class 2:55
B5 Two Little Hitlers 3:11
B6 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding 3:30
Live At Hollywood High (7")
C1 Accidents Will Happen
C2 Alison
D1 Watching The Detectives

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UK 2xCD 2002 (Edsel - MANUS 103)

Disc One: Armed Forces
1 Accidents Will Happen 3:00
2 Senior Service 2:17
3 Oliver's Army 2:58
4 Big Boys 2:54
5 Green Shirt 2:42
6 Party Girl 3:20
7 Goon Squad 3:14
8 Busy Bodies 3:33
9 Sunday's Best 3:22
10 Moods For Moderns 2:48
11 Chemistry Class 2:55
12 Two Little Hitlers 3:10
13 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? 3:31
Disc Two: Bonus Disc
1 Tiny Steps 2:43
2 Busy Bodies (Alternate Version) 3:48
3 Talking In The Dark 1:58
4 Big Boys (Alternate Version) 2:56
5 Clean Money 1:59
6 Wednesday Week 2:06
7 Elvis Costello - My Funny Valentine 1:33
8 Accidents Will Happen (Live) 3:18
9 Mystery Dance (Live) 2:01
10 Goon Squad (Live) 3:42
11 Party Girl (Live) 2:19
12 Stranger In The House (Live) 3:52
13 Alison (Live) 3:08
14 Lipstick Vogue (Live) 4:26
15 Watching The Detectives (Live) 5:51
16 You Belong To Me (Live) 2:39
17 Chemistry Class (Live Solo) 2:34

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US CD 2007 (Hip-O – B0008630-02)

1 Accidents Will Happen 3:00
2 Senior Service 2:17
3 Oliver's Army 2:58
4 Big Boys 2:54
5 Green Shirt 2:42
6 Party Girl 3:20
7 Goon Squad 3:14
8 Busy Bodies 3:33
9 Sunday's Best 3:22
10 Moods For Moderns 2:48
11 Chemistry Class 2:55
12 Two Little Hitlers 3:10
13 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? 3:31

Chart Placings

UK Chart Hit: 2, 28 wks
US Chart Hit: 10

Credits

Our Place... Or Yours
Emotional Fascism

Produced by Nick Lowe

Additional Credits

Elvis Costello - guitar, vocals
Steve Nieve - keyboards
Pete Thomas - drums
Bruce Thomas - bass

Reviews & Opinions

RED STARR, SMASH HITS, FEBRUARY 8 - 21, 1979: More great songs of pain and anger from a true star. Pay particular attention as El turns his attention from himself to society at large. Not so many classics as Last Year's Model [sic!], his 1978 album, but still easily the pick of the current litter. Recommended, but my copy jumps (on 'Goon Squad' and 'Green Shirt') so check before you buy or insist on a receipt. Best trax: 'Oliver's Army' Green Shirt'. (8 out of 10).

PUNKY GIBBON: Costello is only intermittently exciting third time round. Excursions into reggae ('Senior Service'), funk ('Moods For Moderns') and psychedelia ('Green Shirt') attempt to break the mould, but otherwise Costello seems to be heading into a new wave cul-de-sac and a few of the songs have no impact at all, all memories of their very existence drifting off into the stratosphere the moment they end. Nonetheless, its best two cuts are exquisite: 'Oliver's Army' crams umpteen hooks, an Abba-esque piano signature and a crapload of anti-fascist venom into one of the best singles of 1979, while the infectious 'Accidents Will Happen' is top-notch modern pop with power. The US version replaced the waltzy 'Sundays Best' with '(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?)', which was written by the albums producer Nick Lowe. Issues from both countries came with a free live EP featuring an extended version of 'Watching The Detectives' and a version of 'Accidents Will Happen' featuring just Elvis and piano.

Additional Notes

None yet

Images

UK LP+7" 1979 (Radar - RAD 14 / SAM 90). Click here for more

UK LP 1979 (Radar - RAD 14). Click here for more

US LP+7" 1979 (Columbia - JC 35709 / AE7 1171). Click here for more

US LP 1979 (Columbia - JC 35709). Click here for more

UK 2xCD 2002 (Edsel - MANUS 103). Click here for more

US CD 2007 (Hip-O – B0008630-02). Better sounding and with no bonus tracks. Click here for more