This Year's Model

This Year's Model is Elvis Costello's second album and his first with the Attractions, released in 1978. It was mainly recorded at Eden Studios in West London.

This Year's Model
Original UK/current album cover. The original US cover uses a slightly different shot.
Studio album by
Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Released17 March 1978 (1978-03-17)
Recorded1977–1978
StudioEden Studios, London
Genre
Length35:44
LabelRadar, Columbia (US)
ProducerNick Lowe
Elvis Costello chronology
My Aim Is True
(1977)		 This Year's Model
(1978)		 Armed Forces
(1979)
Singles from This Year's Model
  1. "Pump It Up"
    Released: 1978
  2. "Radio Radio"
    Released: 1978
  3. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea"
    Released: 3 March 1978

Background

This Year's Model was Elvis Costello's first album with The Attractions. Most of the songs had been performed live with them prior to the recording of the album. The recording at Eden Studios began at the end of 1977 and was completed in early 1978. The sessions took about eleven days.[4] In liner notes for a 2002 reissue of the album, Costello cites the Rolling Stones Aftermath as a significant influence.[5]

Packaging

Early issues of the album have an apparently misprinted sleeve, which cuts off the left side of the front cover (including the letters 'E' from 'Elvis' and 'T' from 'This') and shows a printers' colour bar along the right side (see cover right). This was a deliberate mistake (a favourite technique of cover designer Barney Bubbles), as was pressing "Special pressing No. 003. Ring 434 32 32. Ask for Moira for your prize" between the holding spirals on Side 1. Indeed, people calling the aforementioned number ("Moira" being a press agent at Radar Records) would be rewarded with a badge.

Early issues of the LP came with a free 7" single, housed in a Radar house sleeve, with "Stranger in the House" (an outtake from Costellos debut album, as it was thought to be commercial suicide to release a country song in 1977)[6] on side A and a live cover of The Damned's "Neat Neat Neat" on side B. The promotion also included a black and white sticker stuck on the LP's shrinkwrap that said 'Free Album With This Single'.

The USA version was a different photo from the same session and didn't feature the deliberate mis-cropping. The original American pressing on Columbia also says "Costello" instead of "Columbia" on the inner label.

The title This Year's Model indirectly references two songs on the original UK album: most obviously "This Year's Girl",[7] but also "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea",[8] which contains a lyric about "last year's model".

Artwork

This Years Model features an album cover of Costello glaring from behind a camera. Chris Gabrin, the photographer from the sessions, recalled the shoot:

"The concept of him behind a camera for the sleeve of This Year's Model had already been chosen, so I decided to equip Elvis with exactly the same tripod and camera as I was using to create a 'mirror' for him. Alongside a powerful stereo I kept a large record collection at my Camden Studio, and artists would choose music they enjoyed or were interested in for their sessions. Just as we were about to start shooting, Elvis asked me if I had "Hotel California" by The Eagles, and could I play it? I was puzzled by his choice – until he told me that he loathed the record, but wanted to look really pissed off and angry in the shots! We played the record several times during the session and whilst I directed him, I was also aware of his copying some of my own actions as I took the photographs".[9]

On a 2015 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Costello disputed the anecdote, saying: "I think that's just been made up by people... Should I tell you why I know that's not true? 'Cause I don't think that record was out. That's just been added on later."[10] This, despite the fact that Hotel California was released in December 1976, over a year before the photo session.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Blender[12]
Chicago Tribune[13]
Christgau's Record GuideA[14]
Entertainment WeeklyA[15]
Pitchfork10/10[16]
Q[17]
Rolling Stone[18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[19]
Uncut[20]

This Year's Model was voted the best album of 1978 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[21]

In 2000, This Year's Model was voted number 152 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[22] The same year, Q placed This Year's Model at number 82 on its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever".[23] In 1987, Rolling Stone ranked it number 11 on its list of the best albums of the period 1967–1987. In 2003, the album was ranked number 98 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[24] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.[25]

In 1985, Robert Smith of the Cure cited it as one of his five favourite albums.[26]

Original LP track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."No Action"1:58
2."This Year's Girl"3:17
3."The Beat"3:45
4."Pump It Up"3:14
5."Little Triggers"2:40
6."You Belong to Me"2:22
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Hand in Hand"2:33
2."(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea"3:07
3."Lip Service"2:36
4."Living in Paradise"3:52
5."Lipstick Vogue"3:42
6."Night Rally"2:41
  • The US release on Columbia, two months after the original UK release, dropped "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" and "Night Rally" and added "Radio Radio" to close side two.

Bonus tracks (1993 Rykodisc CD)
  1. "Radio Radio" – 3:05
  2. "Big Tears" – 3:09
  3. "Crawling to the USA" – 2:53
  4. "Running Out of Angels" (demo) – 2:02
  5. "Green Shirt" (demo) – 2:20
  6. "Big Boys" (demo) – 3:00
  • Note: the Rykodisc reissue placed "Radio Radio" after a 10-second silence following "Night Rally."

Bonus disc (2002 Rhino CD)
  1. "Big Tears" – 3:12
  2. "Crawling to the USA" – 2:55
  3. "Running Out of Angels" (Demo version) – 2:05
  4. "Green Shirt" (Demo version) – 2:22
  5. "Big Boys" (Demo version) – 3:00
  6. "You Belong to Me" (Capital Radio version) – 1:55
  7. "Radio Radio" (Capital Radio version) – 3:01
  8. "Neat Neat Neat" (Brian James) (Live) – 3:16
  9. "Roadette Song" (Ian Dury, Russell Hardy) (Live) – 5:40
  10. "This Year's Girl" (Alternate Eden Studios version) – 2:09
  11. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (Basing Street Studios version) – 3:00
  12. "Stranger in the House" (BBC version) – 4:15
  • While the Rykodisc version contains the original album and bonus tracks on one CD, the Rhino version has two CDs. Disc one contains the original UK album plus "Radio, Radio" and disc two contains bonus tracks.

Disc one
  1. "No Action" – 2:01
  2. "This Year's Girl" – 3:22
  3. "The Beat" – 3:48
  4. "Pump It Up" – 3:17
  5. "Little Triggers" – 2:43
  6. "You Belong to Me" – 2:25
  7. "Hand In Hand" – 2:38
  8. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" – 3:10
  9. "Lip Service" – 2:39
  10. "Living In Paradise" – 3:47
  11. "Lipstick Vogue" – 3:33
  12. "Night Rally" – 2:46
  13. "Radio, Radio" – 3:12
  14. "Big Tears" – 3:12
  15. "Crawling To The USA" – 2:54
  16. "Tiny Steps" – 2:44
  17. "Running Out of Angels" (Demo) – 2:04
  18. "Green Shirt" (Demo) – 2:22
  19. "Big Boys" (Demo) – 3:00
  20. "Neat Neat Neat" (Live) – 3:16
  21. "Roadette Song" (Live) – 5:40
  22. "This Year's Girl" (Alternate Eden Studios version) – 2:09
  23. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (Alternate Basing Street Studios version) – 2:57

Disc two (Live at the Warner Theatre, Washington, DC, 28 February 1978)
  1. "Pump It Up" – 3:31
  2. "Waiting for the End of the World" – 3:59
  3. "No Action" – 2:28
  4. "Less Than Zero" – 4:29
  5. "The Beat" – 3:43
  6. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" – 2:35
  7. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" – 3:58
  8. "Hand in Hand" – 2:53
  9. "Little Triggers" – 3:08
  10. "Radio, Radio" – 2:37
  11. "You Belong to Me" – 2:54
  12. "Lipstick Vogue" – 5:02
  13. "Watching the Detectives" – 6:02
  14. "Mystery Dance" – 3:58
  15. "Miracle Man" – 4:25
  16. "Blame It on Cain" – 4:05
  17. "Chemistry Class" (solo electric) – 2:44
  • "Chemistry Class" is a solo acoustic recording which was previously released on the 2002 Rhino re-issue of Armed Forces

Personnel

The Attractions:

with:

Use in other media

"This Year's Girl" is the theme song for HBO's The Deuce (second season), with added vocals by Natalie Bergman.[27]

Charts and certifications

Release history (selected)
Region Date Label Format Catalog
UK 17 March 1978 (1978-03-17) Radar Records LP RAD 3
US May 1978 (1978-05) Columbia Records LP JC 35331
UK 1981 (1981) F-Beat Records LP XXLP 4
UK January 1986 (1986-01) IMP Records CD IMP FIEND CD 18
US January 1986 (1986-01) Columbia Records CD CK 35331
UK 18 October 1993 (1993-10-18) Demon Records CD DPAM2
US 19 October 1993 (1993-10-19) Rykodisc CD RCD 10272
Worldwide 19 February 2002 (2002-02-19) Rhino 2 CD R2 78354
Worldwide 10 September 2007 (2007-09-10) Hip-O CD B0008638-02
Worldwide 4 March 2008 (2008-03-04) Hip-O 2 CD 'Deluxe Edition' B0010681-02

References
  1. Jackson, Josh; Martin, Garrett (8 September 2016). "The 50 Best New Wave Albums". Paste. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. John M. Borack (2007). Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide. Not Lame Recording Company. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-9797714-0-8.
  3. Joe Bonomo; Greil Marcus; Peggy Whitman Prenshaw (1 October 2012). Conversations with Greil Marcus. Literary Conversations Series. University Press of Mississippi. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-61703-622-4. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  4. This Year's Model, Demon Records 1993. Booklet sleeve notes
  5. "This Year's Model (2002) liner notes". Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  6. My Aim is True, Demon Records 1993 CD liner notes
  7. "This Year's Girl - The Elvis Costello Wiki". Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  8. "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea - The Elvis Costello Wiki". Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  9. Gabrin, Chris. "Chris Gabrin: Elvis Costello, This Year's Model session". Snap Galleries. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  10. "Elvis Costello Discusses 'Hotel California' On The Howard Stern Show". Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  11. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "This Year's Model – Elvis Costello". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  12. Wolk, Douglas (March 2005). "Elvis Costello: This Year's Model". Blender. No. 34. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  13. Kot, Greg (2 June 1991). "The Sounds Of Elvis, From San Francisco And Beyond". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  14. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Elvis Costello: This Year's Model". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN 0-89919-026-X. Archived from the original on 6 November 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2004.
  15. White, Armond (10 May 1991). "Elvis Costello's albums". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  16. LeMay, Matt (9 May 2002). "Elvis Costello & The Attractions: This Year's Model". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  17. Eccleston, Danny (March 2002). "Elvis Costello & The Attractions: This Year's Model / Blood & Chocolate / Brutal Youth". Q. No. 188.
  18. Sheffield, Rob (6 March 2008). "Elvis Costello: This Year's Model (Deluxe Edition 2008)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 August 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  19. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Elvis Costello". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. pp. 193–95. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
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  23. "The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever! – Elvis Costello: This Year's Model". Q. No. 165. June 2000. p. 62.
  24. Levy, Joe, ed. (2006) [2005]. "98 | This Year's Model – Elvis Costello". Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (3rd ed.). London: Turnaround. ISBN 1-932958-61-4. OCLC 70672814. Archived from the original on 16 March 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2006.
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