"Armed Forces" Revisited

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 8:49 am

'Oh I just don't know where to begin...'

'Accidents Will Happen' and 'Oliver's Army' are as good as a pop song can be; it just can´t get much better than this.

'Senior Service' and 'Goon Squad' may be a little bit weird and quite cynic, put when you least expect you´ll find yourself singin things like 'I wanna chop off your head and watch it roll into the basket' with the same facility as any early Beatles composition.
(And this might be the greatest thing about "Armed Forces": to mask polemic topics with pop melody - in the best meaning of that word).
The little waltz named 'Sunday's Best' stands tall with 'Green Shirt' as the highlights on a record that only has standout tracks.

The weakest song is 'Moods For Moderns' (a David Bowie kind of sound that i really can´t appreciate much).

Yet another five stars Costello record.

(And let´s not count the 'bonus' '(What´s so funny about) Peace, Love and Understanding?')

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:45 am

I used to look at Sunday's Best and Moods For Moderns as the weakest songs.

Naturally , they've both been favorite since then.

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:49 am

'Sunday's Best' kinds of reminds me of Blur and Kinks. which i really like it.

Watching_Detectives · Post by **Watching_Detectives** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 9:00 pm

I adore Su
ndays Best.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 12:09 am

Since I have acquired the EC catalog is order of release (through KOA), then had to backfill later) I thought that Armed Forces would be the album that would catapult EC and the Attractions into the mainstream.

Thankfully, it did not.

As much as I loved it, it never lived up to the stunning achievement of its immediate predecessor, TYM, and while I did not know it at the time, it would eventually pale in comparison to Get Happy.

A great record sandwich between stranded-on-a-desert-island-must-have albums.

I hardly seems fair that the great majority of rock/pop artist will never achieve the balance, fun, and sheer artistry of Armed Forces, and it is not considered by most to be in the top 5 of the greatest lp efforts of his highness.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 12:39 am

AF has always struck as being EC's most aged album, very much of it's time. This is due to its exteme pop production albums, nevermind it's containing, in these parts, his biggest hit singles. Great songs all the same, the live versions from around the time have aged better.

absolutnut · Post by **absolutnut** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 6:53 pm

martinfoyle wrote:AF has always struck as being EC's most aged album, very much of it's time. This is due to its exteme pop production albums, nevermind it's containing, in these parts, his biggest hit singles. Great songs all the same, the live versions from around the time have aged better.

wow, even before punch the clock or goodbye cruel world?

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:17 pm

I disagree with everything I've read.

"Armed Forces" is a masterpiece. It does have a dated feel maybe in comparison to This Year's Model... but I wouldn't say "Get Happy!!" is better. Ehhhh, I can't choose between the two.

"Armed Forces" is priceless.

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:29 am

Get Happy is a nice record. But imho, Armed Forces is ten times better and i really don´t think that it sounds dated...

Post by **BlueChair** » Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:54 am

I liked Armed Forces alright, but if this is a debate between it and Get Happy!! I'd have to go with Get Happy!!

clairequilty · Post by **clairequilty** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 12:36 am

Armed Forces is a great album, no doubt. But I think it's quite clear from listening to it that Elvis was getting a bit bored with the angry young man persona he had cultivated.

It's a little tired, and a little contrived.

Kind of like tipping back your pint of beer and finding it warm, flat and almost empty....

Time to switch to Scotch.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 9:35 am

Blasphemy!

Maybe now it has that sort of 'mood', because I've listened the utter asshole out of it. As songs, I feel they are much better than those on Get Happy!!. The Get Happy!! songs are so understructured, in an underachieving sort of way(which I guess is what makes it so great to some people- the whole "potential" of the album).

I just think the 'Armed Forces' tracks have more layers to them, and that's what makes me love the album.

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 9:45 am

wehitandrun: youre totally right!

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Sat May 01, 2004 4:41 pm

Well, I think that AF is a good record and it was the first EC record that I bought and so it has a special place for me.

However, I was 13 when I bought it and i think that it is the most commercial of his records and that is why it appealed so much to me then. This is probably why WHAR likes it so much.

After all these years, there is no doubt in my mind that Get Happy is hugely superior as a record. I say this as someone who also thinks that (the earlier) TYM is also a better album and i bought that in 1981.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sat May 01, 2004 11:06 pm

Sorry douche, that's not why I like it so much.

Spike was by far a more commercial record than Armed Forces.

Go suck on a lemon.

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Sat May 01, 2004 11:26 pm

....did you seriously just call Jackson a <i>douche</i>?!

That really doesn't help your argument much.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sat May 01, 2004 11:51 pm

Well, I wasn't looking to help my argument at all. I was hoping to call him a douche. I think calling him a douche helped that very much.

I've noticed that you've been right along with him, laughing at his jokes about me. So please, just don't talk to me. The rolling your eyes thing is cute though.

What is it that I'm arguing, anyway? That I don't like Armed Forces because it's commercial? Eh, I don't have to argue that.

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Sat May 01, 2004 11:59 pm

wehitandrun wrote:Well, I wasn't looking to help my argument at all. I was hoping to call him a douche. I think calling him a douche helped that very much.

I've noticed that you've been right along with him, laughing at his jokes about me. So please, just don't talk to me. The rolling your eyes thing is cute though.

What is it that I'm arguing, anyway? That I don't like Armed Forces because it's commercial? Eh, I don't have to argue that.

If you don't think arguing it would do any good, why resort to name calling? When someone accuses you of being childish (as I think Jackson was doing when he said he liked it when he was 13 for reasons he believes you like it now), and you proceed to call someone a douche.....well, good job, you've proved his point rather well.

And yeah, I laughed at his jokes. I'm apologize if that insulted or upset you, but this is a public forum....so deal with it

And as for the eye rolling - this is my personal favourite:

Post by **BlueChair** » Sun May 02, 2004 12:06 am

wehitandrun wrote:Sorry douche, that's not why I like it so much.

Spike was by far a more commercial record than Armed Forces.

Go suck on a lemon.

We don't talk to people like that on this board, wehitandrun.

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sun May 02, 2004 12:25 am

Sorry Blue, I won't do it again. I just don't like "clever, hidden cheap shots" - those shouldn't be allowed either.

RedShoes, I'm not trying to win anything. I wanted to let him know he was a douche... lets not read into the psycological depth of the situation.

John · Post by **John** » Sun May 02, 2004 5:39 am

Armed Forces is now and has always been one of my least favourite albums. Not sure why. Quite happy to listen to individual tracks on compilations etc but from MAIT through to PTC probably the one I'm least likely to put on the CD player.