This Year's Model

Infobox Album
Name = This Year's Model
Type = studio
Artist = Elvis Costello and The Attractions


Caption = Original album cover
Released = start date|1978|3|17
Recorded = Eden Studios, London, start date|1977–end date|1978
Genre = Rock, Punk rock, New Wave
Length = 35:44
Label = Radar
Producer = Nick Lowe
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:avfpxzu5ldae link]
* Pitchfork (10/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16326/Elvis_Costello_This_Years_Model_with_The_Attractions link]
* Robert Christgau (A) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Elvis+Costello link]
*"Rolling Stone" (not rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elviscostello/albums/album/198216/rid/5946612/ link]
*"Stylus Magazine" (very favorable) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/elvis-costello-this-years-model.htm link]
* Sputnikmusic rating|4.5|5 [http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=4387 link]
Last album = "My Aim Is True" (1977)
This album = "This Year's Model" (1978)
Next album = "Armed Forces" (1979)
Misc = Singles
Name = This Year's Model
Type = studio
Single 1 = Pump It Up
Single 1 date = start date|1978
Single 2 = Radio Radio
Single 2 date = start date|1978 Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = studio

---

Lower caption = Original American album cover Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = Current CD Cover

"This Year's Model" was Elvis Costello's second album and his first with The Attractions, released in 1978 (see 1978 in music). It was recorded mainly at Eden Studios in West London.

It was voted the best album of the year in "The Village Voice" Pazz & Jop critics poll [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres78.php] . In 2000, "Q" magazine placed "This Year's Model" at number 82 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 1987, "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked it number 11 on its list of the best albums of the period 1967-1987. RS500|98. In his 1995 book, "The Alternative Music Almanac", Alan Cross placed the album in the #7 spot on the list of '10 Classic Alternative Albums'.

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' color 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 A.

Original LP track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello.

ide one

# "No Action" – 1:58
# "This Year's Girl" – 3:17
# "The Beat" – 3:45
# "Pump It Up" – 3:14
# "Little Triggers" – 2:40
# "You Belong to Me" – 2:22

ide two

# "Hand in Hand" – 2:33
# "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" – 3:07
# "Lip Service" – 2:36
# "Living in Paradise" – 3:52
# "Lipstick Vogue" – 3:29
# "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" (reportedly as being "too English") and added "Radio Radio" to close side two.

Bonus Tracks (1993 Rykodisc CD)

# "Radio Radio" – 3:05
# "Big Tears" – 3:09
# "Crawling to the USA" – 2:53
# "Running Out of Angels" – 2:02
# "Green Shirt" – 2:20
# "Big Boys" – 3:00
*"Tracklisting notes: The Rykodisc reissue placed "Radio Radio" after a 10-second silence following "Night Rally."

Bonus Disc (2002 Rhino CD)

# "Big Tears" – 3:12
# "Crawling to the USA" – 2:55
# "Running Out of Angels" (Demo version) – 2:05
# "Greenshirt" (Demo version) – 2:22
# "Big Boys" (Demo version) – 3:00
# "You Belong to Me" (Capital Radio version) – 1:55
# "Radio Radio" (Capital Radio version) – 3:01
# "Neat Neat Neat" (Brian James) (Live) – 3:16
# "Roadette Song" (Ian Dury, Russell Hardy) (Live) – 5:40
# "This Year's Girl" (Alternate Eden Studios version) – 2:09
# "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (Basing Street Studios version) – 3:00
# "Stranger in the House" (BBC version) – 4:15

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.

Personnel

*Elvis Costello – guitar, vocals
*Steve Nieve – piano, organ
*Bruce Thomas – bass
*Pete Thomas – drums

Charts

Album

Release history (selected)

External links

* [http://www.astheygo.com/ecessay13.html "Sometimes I Almost Feel Just Like a Human Being" - essay by Connor Ratliff]