Goodbye Cruel World (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Goodbye Cruel World
Type = Studio album
Artist = Elvis Costello and the Attractions


Released = June 18 1984
Recorded = December 1983–1984
Genre = Rock
Length = 44:08
Label = F-Beat Records (UK)
Columbia (US)
Rykodisc (February 28 1995 Reissue)
Rhino (August 3 2004 Reissue)
Producer = Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:w1u36j5h71t0 link]
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1851&name=Elvis+Costello+and+the+Attractions link]
*"Stylus Magazine" (not rated) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=377 link]
Last album = "Punch the Clock" (1983)
This album = "Goodbye Cruel World" (1984)
Next album = "The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions" (1985)

Goodbye Cruel World, released in 1984, was Elvis Costello's ninth album overall and eighth with The Attractions. It was released by F-Beat in the UK and Columbia in the US.

The album's production (by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who also produced the previous Punch the Clock), was not in line with Costello's other works, relying heavily on electronics and an overall slick, trendy feel. Thus, the record is not regarded among his better works; the liner notes to the 1995 reissue on Rykodisc begin with Costello's now-famous line "Congratulations! You just bought the worst album of my career."

There were two major singles from the album: "I Wanna Be Loved," a cover of an obscure Hi Records single by Teacher's Edition, and "The Only Flame in Town," which featured vocals by Daryl Hall. "I Wanna Be Loved" also had backing vocals by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, credited only as "Green" on the original album.

It is also worth noting that on the back cover, Costello is shown without glasses. Additionally, keyboardist Steve Nieve is credited as "Maurice Worm."

Track listing

Note: The Rykodisc version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on one CD. The Rhino version has two CDs with the original tracks on the first CD.

All songs written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.
# "The Only Flame in Town" – 4:01
# "Home Truth" – 3:12
# "Room with No Number" – 4:13
# "Inch By Inch" – 2:29
# "Worthless Thing" – 3:04
# "Love Field" – 3:26
# "I Wanna Be Loved" (Farnell Jenkins) – 4:47
# "The Comedians" – 2:36
# "Joe Porterhouse" – 3:29
# "Sour Milk-Cow Blues" – 2:50
# "The Great Unknown" (Costello, Clive Langer) – 3:00
# "The Deportees Club" – 2:54
# "Peace in Our Time" – 4:06

Bonus tracks (1995 Rykodisc)

# "Turning the Town Red" – 3:14
# "Baby It's You" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 3:11
# "Get Yourself Another Fool" (Ernest Forrest, Frank Heywood) – 4:01
# "I Hope You're Happy Now" – 2:51
# "The Only Flame in Town" (Live) – 4:16
# "Worthless Thing" (Live) – 3:11
# "Motel Matches" (Live) – 2:39
# "Sleepless Nights" (Live) (Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant) – 2:39
# "Deportee" – 3:22
# "Withered and Died" (Richard Thompson) – 3:14

Bonus disc (2004 Rhino)

# "The Only Flame in Town" (Alternateversion) – 4:05
# "Young Boy Blues" (Doc Pomus, Phil Spector) – 3:27
# "Turning the Town Red" – 3:14
# "I Hope You're Happy Now" – 2:51
# "Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)" (Mike Barson, Carl Smyth) – 2:54
# "Get Yourself Another Fool" (Forrest, Heywood) – 4:03
# "Baby It's You (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:11
# "I Wanna Be Loved" (Demo version) (Jenkins) – 3:22
# "The Great Unknown" (Demo version) (Costello, Langer) – 2:35
# "She Loves the Jerk" (Demo version) (John Hiatt) – 3:10
# "Turning the Town Red" (Demo version) – 3:37
# "Peace in Our Time" (Demo version) – 3:30
# "Withered and Died" (Thompson) – 3:14
# "The Comedians" (Demo version) – 2:25
# "Inch By Inch" (Demo Version) - 2.11
# "Mystery Voice" (Demo version) – 2:23
# "Joe Porterhouse" (Demo version) – 3:19
# "The Town Where Time Stood Still" (Demo version) – 2:15
# "Blue Murder on Union Avenue" (Demo version) – 2:30
# "Home Truth" (Demo version) – 3:05
# "The Only Flame in Town" (Live) – 4:12
# "Worthless Thing" (Live) – 3:10
# "Sleepless Nights" (Live) (F. Bryant, B. Bryant) – 2:39
# "What I Like Most About You Is Your Girlfriend" (Live) (Jerry Dammers) – 2:10
# "Motel Matches" (Live) – 2:39
# "Love Field" (Live) – 3:21

Personnel

*Elvis Costello – vocals, guitars
*Steve Nieve – keyboards
*Bruce Thomas – bass guitar
*Pete Thomas – drums

Additional personnel

*Gary Barnacle – saxophones
*Jimmy Paterson – trombone
*Luis Jardim – percussion
*Daryl Hall – vocals on 1
*Green Gartside – backing vocals on 7

Charts

AlbumSingle

Miscellanea

"The Deportees Club" was covered by the Irish musician Christy Moore on his 1989 album, "Voyage".

External links

* [http://www.elviscostello.info/disc/official/gcw/gcw.htm Information page at elviscostello.info]