Track Listing

1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Senior Service
3. Oliver's Army
4. Big Boys
5. Green Shirt
6. Party Girl
7. Goon Squad
8. Busy Bodies
9. Sunday's Best
10. Moods for Moderns
11. Chemistry Class
12. Two Little Hitlers
13. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
14. My Funny Valentine [*]
15. Tiny Steps [*]
16. Clean Money [*]
17. Talking in the Dark [*]
18. Wednesday Week [*]
19. Accidents Will Happen [Live][*]
20. Alison [Live][*]
21. Watching the Detectives [Live][*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32327 in Music
• Released on: 1993-10-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks

Amazon.com essential recording
Less hot under the collar than This Year's Model, Armed Forces was partly inspired by Elvis Costello and the Attractions' 1978 American tour. The songs are set to deceptively poppy arrangements that use plinky Abba keyboards ("Oliver's Army," a hit single about mercenaries), Beatles-ish devices (the fade on "Party Girl"), and whimsical waltz-time signatures ("Sunday's Best") to mask their core cynicism. "Goon Squad," "Busy Bodies," and "Accidents Will Happen" are among Costello's most melodically powerful songs to this point, leading the way to the masterful Get Happy!!. --Barney Hoskyns

From the Label
Legend has it that Costello's original title for this album was EMOTIONAL FASCISM. While that name may be a tad extreme, it does relate to Costello's lyrical concerns on album number three, which went further than before in exploring the dark undersides of love relationships and of England's class system. This was matched by a far lusher pop sound than the punkish THIS YEAR'S MODEL and the country/pub-rock inflections of MY AIM IS TRUE.

The deathless melody of "Accidents Will Happen" opens a varied, often challenging album filled with abrasive rockers ("Goon Squad") and pointed commentaries ("Two Little Hitlers" and "Sunday's Best," the latter left off the original US album). But while Costello's lyrics got more probing, his melodic gifts soared on tracks like "Party Girl" and the deceptively catchy "Oliver's Army." Producer Nick Lowe made creative use of the studio, layering the many nuances of Steve Nieve's keyboards.

Ironically, one of ARMED FORCES' best-known tracks wasn't officially part of the album. The cover of Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding" wrapped up the American album quite nicely, but in the UK it was originally released only as the B-side of Lowe's "American Squirm" single. In fact, ARMED FORCES was the last Costello album to have a major discrepancy between the US and UK editions; this has now been remedied by including all relevant tracks on the CD. Also here is the superb LIVE AT HOLLYWOOD HIGH EP (including the piano-ballad version of "Accidents Will Happen") which was shamefully omitted from earlier CD versions.

Customer Reviews

MELODIC MASTERPIECE
With Nick Lowe producing, Armed Forces turned out to be an album of very catchy tunes which masks the bitter satire of the lyrics. The arrangements are especially great on songs like Busy Bodies, Green Shirt and Big Boys. My favorite track is the lilting ballad Oliver's Army, but every single song has a unique pop appeal. Costello is amongst the most literate and versatile of rock musicians and especially on this album, the tight writing and clear melodies are prominent, whilst The Attractions must be the best band he ever recorded with. Of the new tracks, the inclusion of Alison and Tiny Steps was a smart move. Armed Forces is classic of late 70s poprock.

More greatness!
Elvis and the Attractions certainly have a knack for great sequencing, as is evidenced by the first three tracks on this record. It just doesn't get much sweeter than the new wave goodness of "Senior Service" followed by the grand, grand piano-filled opening bars of "Oliver's Army." Yikes! Other strong points are "Busy Bodies," the circus calliope feel of "Sunday's Best," and the tap-dance bassline of today's favorite track, "Two Little Hitlers." All of that, plus "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" AND bonus live tracks? Why don't you already own this disc?

High School Memories...
in 1979, I was a sophomore in High School (a total outcast) when I bought this album and played it to death! Wore out two copies of it. I couldn't understand most of the words until I purchased Elvis Costello's sheet music book (A Singing Dictionary) in 1980 or thereabouts. His lyrics are amazing, and this album (along with "This Year's Model" and "Get Happy") sounds as fresh and vibrant today as it did 20 years (gasp! has it been THAT LONG?) ago. The Attractions have got to be the greatest back up band ever. Fave tracks - Goon Squad, Moods for Moderns

I turned my hubby onto this album a few years back. At the time of original release, Jim was into Sabbath, Van Halen, etc and didn't really get into New Wave. He was blown away! As a bass player, he really loves to practice to this album. And they did a wonderful job with this CD release. May "Armed Forces" never go out of print!