Armed Forces [LP/7"]

Expanding their sound from the tightly wound new wave rock of THIS YEAR'S MODEL, Elvis Costello & the Attractions returned with the lyrically bilious but musically expansive ARMED FORCES. A key album in Costello's development for the way it branched off into the ABBA-influenced pure pop of "Accidents Will Happen" and "Oliver's Army," the sunny Beatlesque melodies of "Busy Bodies," and the soulful ballad "Party Girl," ARMED FORCES is consistently rated among the finest works in the singer-songwriter's canon.
The two-disc ARMED FORCES: DELUXE EDITION contains all the songs from the expanded Rykodisc CD from the early 1990s, which featured key b-sides such as the sprightly "Talking in the Dark" and the previously vinyl-only LIVE AT HOLLYWOOD HIGH EP. This set then adds five more live songs recorded during the same concert, and alternate takes of the album tracks "Chemistry Class," "Big Boys" and "Busy Bodies." Similarly, Costello's wry, self-deprecating liner notes are longer and more detailed for this release.