Elvis Costello 17: Brutal Youth

1994 was a very busy year for Elvis. Along with the new and rare tracks added to reissues of his older albums and contributions to just about every “tribute” album released that year, there was a new album to tour behind. This was an especially big deal, because while Brutal Youth didn’t have them on every track, the tour featured the long-awaited reunion of the Attractions. Even the album’s red and black-and-white color scheme—plus the occasional appearance of old pal Nick Lowe—suggested we were picking up where Blood & Chocolate left off.

That would have been nice, but as could be expected from an eight-year absence, the results were slightly more tentative. It was originally intended as a noisy album, but as the sessions developed and progressed, the songs were given more space. However, that space is framed by the murky, noisy production by occasional collaborator Mitchell Froom, who tends to treat bass as an underwater effect and percussion as the sound of drums being thrown down a flight of stairs. If you can get past that, the songs hold up, for the most part.

“Pony St.” begins with a raindrop piano line for a strong openeropener, relating something of a conversation between a once-wild child and her equally adventurous offspring. It doesn’t prepare one for the stark attack, lyrically and musically, of “Kinder Murder”. The Attractions sound rises again for “13 Steps Lead Down”, a tuneful indictment of sobriety fads redeemed mostly by the extended outro. “This Is Hell” extends the sci-fi/absurdist commentary that started with “God’s Comic” and continues through to “Damnation’s Cellar”, though some of the one-liners have become stale. The almost jaunty but still intense “Clown Strike” piles on the metaphors amid coughing guitars, and the lack of keyboards is made up in “You Tripped At Every Step”. However, “Still Too Soon To Know” is a little too close a rewrite of an old doo-wop song.

“20% Amnesia” is another angry attack on British politics; a more affectionate view of home appears in “London’s Brilliant Parade”. With motifs borrowed from Cream and the Kinks, its joyful chorus always thrills. In between, the brooding “Sulky Girl” was an odd choice for a first single, even cut down from five minutes. If you want loud, “My Science Fiction Twin” doesn’t let up, so that the more dynamic “Rocking Horse Road” provides a fresh take on the usual chord changes, and an intriguing view of a life not led. Many have lauded “Just About Glad” as another lyrical classic, but these ears feel he’s trying too hard to be clever, with a delivery bordering on smug. Luckily, “All The Rage” pays it back with an incredibly satisfying riposte to critics, and the stately piano-and-vocal “Favourite Hour” reflects his recent baroque education.

The fans liked Brutal Youth, but it didn’t break any sales records, despite all the press, a world tour, and several TV appearances. Critics were more excited about seeing the Attractions onstage again, but a growing rift between the Singer and The Bass Player probably had a lot to with the selection of bonus tracks on the reissue, which consisted of a few demos and B-sides that illustrate the development of the project from cacophonous experiments like “Abandon Words” and “Poisoned Letter” to their final drafts. Some of these tracks—particularly a full band take on “Favourite Hour” and a breathtaking early version of “You Tripped At Every Step”—help you appreciate the songs underneath the clutter. Unfortunately, none of the demos for 1993’s Wendy James album that were released as B-sides were included, while the tracks that were deserved to stay that way.

Elvis Costello Brutal Youth (1994)—3
2002 Rhino: same as 1994, plus 15 extra tracks