Elvis Costello news

The Complete Armed Forces, a new box set covering Elvis Costello's 1979 album is due out Nov. 6 via UMe. Personally curated by the artist, it features classic hits “Accidents Will Happen,” “Oliver’s Army” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.”

For the super deluxe edition vinyl box set, fans can get immersed in nine pieces of vinyl (3 12-inch LPs, 3 10-inch LPs and 3 7-inch singles), including a new 2020 remaster of the album, B-sides, alternate versions and outtakes, demos, and live recordings – 23 unreleased tracks were taken from three concerts.

Exclusively available via Elvis Costello's official online store and UMG’s online stores uDiscover and Sound of Vinyl, it will be offered in two vinyl versions – 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition 180-gram multi-color opaque vinyl. It will also be available digitally for streaming and download.

The collection is proceeded with the release of a three-track digital EP featuring unreleased live performances of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?,” “Goon Squad” and “Pump It Up,” taken from the new live LPs, Christmas In The Dominion - Live 24th December ’78, Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 and Europe ’79 – Live At Pinkpop.

Pre-order The Complete Armed Forces and stream the new live EP here: https://elviscostello.lnk.to/ArmedForces

This box set embraces designer Barney Bubbles’ pop-art packaging, including the paint-splattered cover artwork by Bubbles and Bazooka (used for the American release and included in the fold-out UK version) and features an origami cover that folds out to display the art and graphics and the six vinyl LPs, which are rounded out by three 7-inch reissues of the album’s singles “Oliver’s Army,” “Accidents Will Happen” and Nick Lowe’s “American Squirm” b/w “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?”

There are seven custom notebooks with newly updated liner notes from Costello, totaling nearly 10,000 words, facsimiles of first-draft, handwritten lyrics and examples of his lyrical working methods from his personal archive as well as rare photos, memorabilia and concert ephemera. The notebooks offer insight into Costello’s songwriting process, showing the evolution from idea to finished work, while the liners detail the making of and stories behind the songs.

“Most of this record was written in hotel rooms or on a tour bus, scribbled in a notebook which rarely left my side or failing this, from fragments and phrases scrawled on paper cocktail napkins or hotel notepaper,” Costello writes in the liners.

The box set also includes a print of the vintage grenade and gun poster and the four original postcards of each band member. Additionally, Costello commissioned artist Todd Alcott to create pulp novel book covers of songs from Armed Forces starring himself as the protagonist in a variety of precarious situations.

Armed Forces has been newly remastered by Costello and mastering engineer Bob Ludwig from the original analog tapes to match the initial 1979 UK pressing.

“It sounds as close to the way it sounded to us in the studio as we could make it,” Costello recently revealed to MOJO. “That’s a beautiful thing.”

The album’s evolution is documented on the 10-inch, Sketches For Emotional Fascism A.K.A. Armed Forces, which assembles together B-sides, demos and alternate versions, making many of these songs available on vinyl for the first time in decades.

Produced by Nick Lowe, Armed Forces was Elvis Costello’s third album and his second with The Attractions – Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass) and Pete Thomas (drums) – following on from the immense success of their first effort, This Year’s Model.

TRACKLISTING: 

Armed Forces 12” LP

SIDE A

1. Accidents Will Happen

2. Senior Service
3. Oliver’s Army
4. Big Boys
5. Green Shirt
6. Party Girl 

SIDE B

1. Goon Squad

2. Busy Bodies
3. Sunday’s Best
4. Moods For Moderns
5. Chemistry Class
6. Two Little Hitlers
7. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

Live at Hollywood High & Elsewhere 1978 12” LP

SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Mystery Dance
3. Goon Squad
4. Party Girl
5. Stranger In The House 

SIDE B
1. Alison
2. Lipstick Vogue
3. Watching The Detectives
4. You Belong To Me
5. Chemistry Class (Live at The Warner Theatre, Washington D.C.)

Europe ‘79 – Live At Pinkpop 12” LP

SIDE A
1. Goon Squad
2. B-Movie
3. Green Shirt
4. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
5. Opportunity
6. So Young
7. High Fidelity

SIDE B
1 Lipstick Vogue
2. Watching The Detectives
3. Big Boys
4. Pump It Up
5. You Belong To Me
6. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding? 

Sketches for Emotional Fascism 10″ LP

SIDE A
1. Clean Money
2. Talking In The Dark
3. Wednesday Week
4. Tiny Steps 

SIDE B
1. Crawling To The U.S.A.
2. Big Boys (Alternate Version)
3. Green Shirt (Demo Version)
4. My Funny Valentine 

Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 10” LP

SIDE A

1. Oliver’s Army
2. Waiting For The End Of The World
3. Big Boys 

SIDE B

1. This Year’s Girl
2. You Belong To Me
3. Pump It Up 

Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ‘78 10” LP

SIDE A

1. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
2. No Dancing

SIDE B
1. I Stand Accused
2. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

“Oliver’s Army” 7″
SIDE A
1. Oliver’s Army

Side B
1. Big Boys (Demo)

“Accidents Will Happen” 7”
SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen

Side B
1. Busy Bodies (Alternate)

Nick Lowe & His Sound - “American Squirm” 7″
Side A
1. American Squirm

Side B
2. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?

Photo: Ray DiPietro, courtesy Shore Fire Media