''Armed Forces'' is the third studio album by the English singer-songwriter

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

, released on 5January 1979 in the United Kingdom through

Radar Records Radar Records was a UK-based record label formed in late 1977 by Martin Davis (managing director) who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Recor ...

. It was his second album with

the Attractions The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums ...

—keyboardist

Steve Nieve Steve Nieve ( "naïve"; born Stephen John Nason, 21 February 1958) is an English musician and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Nieve has been a member of Elvis Costello's backing bands the Attractions and the Imposters, as w ...

, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas (no relation)—and the first to officially credit them on the cover. The album was recorded in six weeks from August to September 1978 in London under the working title ''Emotional Fascism''. Produced by

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,Roger Béchirian, the sessions saw Costello exert more control over production compared to ''

This Year's Model ''This Year's Model'' is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 17March 1978 through Radar Records. After being backed by Clover (band), Clover for his debut album ''My Aim Is True'' (1977), Coste ...

'', while Nieve contributed more to song arrangements. For ''Armed Forces'', Costello sought a more commercial sound than the

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

style employed on his two previous records, resulting in a more

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

-oriented production reflecting the new wave era. The overtly political lyrics concern the effect of politics on human relationships. The UK release featured an elaborate fold-out LP packaging, with a cover depicting a herd of

elephant Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus ...

s; it was simplified for the US release through

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, featuring an alternate drip-cover. Supported by the successful UK singles " Oliver's Army" and " Accidents Will Happen", ''Armed Forces'' reached number two in the UK, becoming Costello's biggest commercial success up to that point. The American version, released in February 1979, omitted "Sunday's Best" and replaced it with Costello's version of Lowe's "

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a 1974 song written by English singer/songwriter Nick Lowe. Initially released by Lowe with his band Brinsley Schwarz on their 1974 album ''The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz'', ...

". The album received positive reviews from music critics and appeared on several lists of the year's best albums. Costello and the Attractions supported the album on the Armed Funk tour in America. In later decades, ''Armed Forces'' has continued to receive positive reviews, with many highlighting the production. Others noted that it contained musical styles Costello would utilise for later records. It is considered one of Costello's best works and has appeared on various best-of lists. The album has been reissued multiple times, including in 2020 as a super deluxe edition, which was positively received.

Background and recording

's second studio album ''

'' (1978) was his first with the backing band

–bassist Bruce Thomas, drummer Pete Thomas (no relation) and keyboardist

, after using the American band

Clover Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversit ...

for his debut album ''

My Aim Is True ''My Aim Is True'' is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in the United Kingdom on 22July 1977 through Stiff Records. Produced by Stiff artist and musician Nick Lowe, the album was recorde ...

'' (1977). From mid-July to mid-December 1977, Costello and the Attractions underwent a rigorous touring schedule before taking a break to record ''This Year's Model''. Another gruesome touring schedule followed throughout 1978, which contributed to growing exhaustion for the artist and band. Nevertheless, Costello continued writing new material; songs that would appear on ''Armed Forces'' began appearing in the setlists starting in May. In July, Costello recorded his song " Stranger in the House" with

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

artist

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...

, which appeared on the latter's '' My Very Special Guests'' album in 1979, after which the former began recording ''Armed Forces''. Under the working titles ''Cornered On Plastic'' and ''Emotional Fascism'', ''Armed Forces'' was recorded at London's Eden Studios starting in August 1978 and lasted six weeks. Returning from ''This Year's Model'' were musician

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

. Costello's work ethic during the sessions was strong. His on-again/off-again romantic partner at the time

Bebe Buell Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell ( ; born July 14, 1953) is an American singer and former model. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. Buell moved to New York in 1972 after signing a modeling contract with Eileen Ford, ...

recalled: "Elvis wasn't the kind of guy who slept all day. He got up and went to the studio to record and rehearse. He was a working boy, not a loller." Unlike the previous album sessions, he asserted himself as the final decision maker on all takes, production and mixes. He later admitted: "By the third lbumI thought I was God's gift. I was totally convinced. I had no doubts." Despite tensions present, Lowe remained instrumental in keeping high morale and orchestration. He was also responsible for incorporating the new sounds Costello wanted for the record. Béchirian later explained: "The whole way those things were directed and put together was very much down to Nick. Nick had a real pop sensibility about him." For his process, Lowe had the band record backing tracks first before commencing on

overdubs Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more a ...

. Regarding band dynamics, Costello contended that he and the Attractions reached a level of musical agreement that would never be matched again. Nieve, in particular, was more involved in the song arrangements, particularly on " Oliver's Army". Also recorded was a cover of Lowe's "

", originally released by his band

Brinsley Schwarz Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lo ...

on '' The New Favourites of... Brinsley Schwarz'' (1974). The new version was prepared for release as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

for Lowe's upcoming single "American Squirm", released in November 1978; the band were credited as "Nick Lowe and His Sound". Recording wrapped in September, after which Costello and the Attractions continued live performances.

Music and lyrics

After having achieved relative commercial success with ''My Aim Is True'' and ''This Year's Model'', Costello decided to take ''Armed Forces'' in his most commercial direction yet, stating in a 1982 interview that he was selling out modestly-sized venues but received little success with singles compared to artists such as the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

and

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

. As such, ''Armed Forces'' marked a departure from the

of its two predecessors to become, according to the biographer David Gouldstone, Costello's most

-oriented album up to that point. Joe Marchese of ''The Second Disc'' retrospectively noted that Costello embraced the new wave sound of the era, working with Lowe and Béchirian to create a "more intricate" sound compared to its predecessors, while still "immediate and direct in its power and aggression". ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' and ''

Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...

'' later identified the album's sound as new wave and

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

, respectively. Writer

Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (né Gerstley; born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biogra ...

noted that compared to its two predecessors, the sound of ''Armed Forces'' is "suppressed, claustrophobic, ndtwitching". Lowe's production, which some compared to the

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

-style of

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

, utilised the studio to greater effect, creating a grander production overall, particularly on tracks such as " Accidents Will Happen", "Chemistry Class" and "Party Girl". Costello also used a variety of influences when crafting the sound he wanted for ''Armed Forces''. He stated in an interview that while on the road during tours, he and the Attractions listened to the 1976–77 works of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

(''

Station to Station ''Station to Station'' is the tenth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 23 January 1976 through RCA Records. Regarded as one of his most significant works, the album was the vehicle for Bowie's performance perso ...

'', ''

Low Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low Places * Low, Quebec, Canada * Low, Utah, United States * Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station * Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: LO ...

'' and '' "Heroes"'') and

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

(''

The Idiot ''The Idiot'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–1869. The titl ...

'', '' Lust for Life''),

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...

(''

Autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...

''), the 1969 works of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

(''

Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969, by Apple Records. It is the last album the group recorded, although '' Let It Be'' (1970) was the last album completed before th ...

'' and '' Yellow Submarine''), as well as

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

(''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

''). Reviewing in 2002, ''

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''s Mat Snow found a cross between ''Abbey Road'' and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

's ''

Highway 61 Revisited ''Highway 61 Revisited'' is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on August 30, 1965, by Columbia Records. Dylan continued the musical approach of his previous album ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (1965), usi ...

'' (1965). ABBA influenced Nieve's keyboard part for "Oliver's Army" and due to his greater contributions to the arrangements, his keyboards are more prominent throughout the entire album, predominantly on " Green Shirt" and "Party Girl". Béchirian later downplayed the numerous influences, stating that "a lot of that was just in the air". While its two predecessors dealt with issues of immediate concern to the narrators, ''Armed Forces'' focuses on bigger issues on a broader scale. Marcus described it as a political album, or "a set of songs about how we live out the politics of our age whether we want to, mean to, or not". He specifically writes that on the album, "every moment of personal failure or unsatisfied passion is invaded by the cruelty and shamelessness of the political world." Indeed, Gouldstone identifies tracks that reflect political themes include "Senior Service", "Oliver's Army", "Goon Squad" and "Sunday's Best". Writing for ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'', Zeth Lundy described the album as "a collection of musings on human nature and relationships, bolstered by the pervasive military metaphors". The interplay is reflected by the album's working title ''Emotional Fascism''. Although he had previously displayed

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

themes in tracks such as " Less Than Zero", "Night Rally" and "

Radio Radio "Radio Radio" is a song written by Elvis Costello and performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. The song originated as a Bruce Springsteen-inspired song called "Radio Soul" that Costello had written in 1974. In 1977, Costello reworked t ...

", Costello references fascist ideals frequently on ''Armed Forces'', from

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. Like its two predecessors, Graeme Thomson finds that Costello uses his signature wordplay on the album to great effect, composing various puns, double entendres, double-bluffs and non-sequiturs.

Side one

The opening track, " Accidents Will Happen", is a non-political pop song that reflects the complexities of human relationships. Labelled by Hinton as a cross between

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

and the Beatles, it is addressed to Buell-type figure, but the actual subject is Costello himself, referring to his newfound sexual possibilities after achieving fame. ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

''s

Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English Music journalism, music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the ''NME, New Musical Express'' (''NME'') and many other magazines and newspapers, and has ...

described it as "an ornate, melodic and exquisitely danceable pop song designed to lull American record executives into a state of false security". The second track, the upbeat " Senior Service", concerns office politics and class warfare. More specifically, the song is about the brutality of big business in striking those down who are too weak to obtain power for themselves. It contains the first reference to the 'armed forces'. Writer Franklin Bruno states that while "Accidents Will Happen" was a showcase for Costello's voice, "Senior Service" "reintroduces" the Attractions and contains a widely different production style from the previous track. Continuing the political theme is "Oliver's Army", which boasts a pop-friendly production and melody over sinister lyrics on military imperialism. According to Gouldstone, the song's narrator is "presumably" a British soldier serving in Northern Ireland. Costello refers to the Irish as "

white nigger White nigger is a slur referring to a lower-class White person. The term ''nigger'' is a racial slur that refers to a Black American, typically one of low socio-economic status. United States Dating from the nineteenth-century United States ...

s" and references the conquest of Ireland in 1649 by the English Parliamentarian leader

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

. Musically, Bruno makes comparisons to ABBA's "

Dancing Queen "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Arrival'' (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus also produced the ...

" (1976) and

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

' "

Don't Worry Baby "Don't Worry Baby" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their March 1964 album '' Shut Down Volume 2''. Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, Wilson's lead vocal is considered one of his defining performances, and he late ...

" (1964). Described by Murray as "sexual fascism", "Big Boys" follows a narrator who is split between sympathy and contempt in his infatuation with a woman; he wants to be a 'big boy' and is seen as immature. Gouldstone compares it to "The Beat" from ''This Year's Model''. Bruno states that it is the album's first track on which the mixture of personal and political themes appear as "volatile". " Green Shirt" concerns paranoia and predicts the rise of sex hotlines. It uses three different themes: assault on the media, a woman tidying herself, and images of betrayals to establish a connection between personal behaviour and relationships on a larger scale. Musically, it is primarily led by a loop created on a

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

. Regarding the colour green, Bruno interprets it as a possible reference to the members of the Romanian fascist movement

Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...

. "Party Girl" is a ballad in the vein of " Alison" and "Little Triggers"; away from the new wave of the rest of the album. Reportedly about Buell, Costello denied this in the 2002 ''Armed Forces'' reissue liner notes, stating he wrote it for an art student he barely knew. In the song, the narrator pleads for the 'party girl' not to dismiss him even though he knows she has control over him and does not care how long it will take. After multiple political-related tracks, "Party Girl" represented a return to a more personal side.

Side two

"Goon Squad" builds on the theme of "Oliver's Army" of "underhand recruitment". In the song, a soldier relays messages on his experiences back to his family but by the end, he has lost his hand and fully joined the 'good squad'. Gouldstone notes that the vague lyrics do not specifically mention the 'good squad' as being the army–they could be police or big businesses–but the song nevertheless paints them in a poor light. Musically, Costello traced the song back to

Don Covay Donald James Randolph (March 24, 1936 – January 31, 2015), better known by the stage name Don Covay, was an American R&B, rock and roll, and soul singer-songwriter most active from the 1950s to the 1970s. His most successful recordings incl ...

's " It's Better to Have (and Don't Need)", but admitted that "we were too wound up to play it in that fashion". Described by Lundy as "intentionally cavernous and bleak", Gouldstone finds it "near heavy metal", while Hinton compares the intro to

Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...

and the outro to the Beatles' "

Tomorrow Never Knows "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in August 1966 as the final track on their album ''Revolver'', although it was the firs ...

" (1966). "Busy Bodies" is, in Gouldstone's words, a "snappy pop tune" that evokes

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

's "

Pretty Woman ''Pretty Woman'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and written by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), ...

", "

A Whiter Shade of Pale "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is a song by the English rock band Procol Harum that was issued as their debut record on 12 May 1967. The single reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June and stayed there for six weeks. Without much promotion, ...

" and the Beach Boys' "

Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile (The Beach Boys album), Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned ...

" (1967). Like " Pump It Up", it concerns the insignificance of modern life; people spend their lives purchasing superfluous items, sleeping with each other and ultimately amounting to nothing, becoming busy bodies. Originally written for

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...

, "Sunday's Best" is a

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that targets the worst aspects of British life. Gouldstone writes that it shows how ordinary people are "trivial and monotonous". On the song, Costello said that it is "not so much a song as an attack on the small-ads page of ''The News of the World'' with a big pair of scissors". It has been musically compared to

John Cooper Clarke John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet and comedian who styled himself as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums and performed on stage with punk and post-punk ...

's " You Never See a Nipple in the Daily Express". Murray considered "Moods for Moderns" a "charming pastiche of

Booker T & the MGs Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental, R&B, and funk band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1962. The band is considered influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were ...

overlaid with an oddly disturbing ghost of a song". Gouldstone finds it "borderline

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

", while Bruno compares it to Bowie's "

plastic soul Plastic soul is described as soul music that is believed to lack authenticity. Usages Paul McCartney referenced the phrase as the name of the Beatles 1965 album ''Rubber Soul'', which was inspired by the term "plastic soul". In a studio convers ...

" era. Lyrically, the song is about the pain one feels at the end of a relationship, with sinister undertones that reflect moods of disillusionment, alienation and fear. "Chemistry Class" combines the personal and political themes to tell a tale about the natural attraction of two people. One of the last lines references

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

Final Solution The Final Solution or the Final Solution to the Jewish Question was a plan orchestrated by Nazi Germany during World War II for the genocide of individuals they defined as Jews. The "Final Solution to the Jewish question" was the official ...

as a metaphor for two lovers parting ways. Costello described it as a reaction to the gratification of American college campuses he experienced while on tour in America. Like the previous track, "Two Little Hitlers" captures the album's dual themes of love and politics, fully comparing the disagreements in personal relationships to opposing factions of fascism. According to Hinton, it paints a picture of two long-time lovers, "like beasts engaged in a fight to the death". Musically, it uses Bowie's "

Rebel Rebel "Rebel Rebel" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released in the UK on 15 February 1974 by RCA Records as the lead single from the album ''Diamond Dogs''. Written and produced by Bowie, the song is based around a dis ...

" (1974) riff and elements of "

TVC 15 "TVC 15" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1976 album ''Station to Station''. RCA Records later released it as the second single from the album on 30 April 1976. The song was recorded in late 1975 at Cherokee Studi ...

" (1976).

Packaging

Title

The new album was to be titled ''Emotional Fascism'' until the last minute. The author Tony Clayton-Lea contends that ''Armed Forces'', coined by Pete Thomas, continued Costello's theme of "control and domination over both governing and individual bodies". In his memoir, Costello acknowledged changing the title to ''Armed Forces'' after knowing radio stations would refuse to play an album titled ''Emotional Fascism''. Although Hinton opined that the titles were "much fthe same", Murray argued that ''Emotional Fascism'' was the superior title, stating: "''Armed Forces'' tells you what institution Mr. Costello has in his gunsights this time around... but ''Emotional Fascism'' tells you what attitude is about to be subjected to both long-and-short-range fire." In the 2002 liner notes for the album, Costello explained: "Two or three half-formed notions collided uneasily in that title, although I never would have admitted to having anything as self-conscious as a 'theme' running through the songs. Any patterns that have emerged did so as the record was completed or with the benefit of hindsight." Bruno contends that the album "embodies a critique" under either title, but also deduces that it "does not present an ''argument''".

Artwork

The packaging for ''Armed Forces'' was designed by

Barney Bubbles Barney Bubbles (born Colin Fulcher; 30 July 1942 – 14 November 1983) was an English graphic artist whose work encompassed graphic design and music video direction. Bubbles, who also sketched and painted privately, is best known for his distin ...

and featured different cover artworks for the UK and US releases. In the UK, the cover was a painting depicting a herd of

s in front of mountains, with birds flying overhead and

mist Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in the cold air, usually by condensation. Physically, it is an example of a Dispersion (chemistry), dispersion. It is most commonly seen where water vapor in warm, moist air meets ...

overlaying the ground. The lead elephant stares directly at the onlooker, which Gouldstone notes mirrors Costello on the cover of ''This Year's Model''. For the first time, the Attractions received co-artist credit on the sleeve. The artist credit is on top while the album title is on bottom. Initial UK editions boasted an elaborate fold-out sleeve containing four colour postcards of the band. The back cover illustrated

art pop Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theory, art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, film, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre dra ...

geometric patterns, of which emerged various army soldiers and animal prints. The inner sleeve contained two photographs: one showed Costello and the Attractions on a suburban road, while the other featured Costello laying across a swimming pool diving board with a body lying submerged at the bottom, overall surrounded by numerous yellow boxes; the words "my place... or yours" and "emotional fascism" appeared on the sides. When it was reissued on CD, the album failed to replicate the elaborate fold-out sleeves, instead having the booklet appear in the shape of a cross. Bruno argues that the cover "conveys an unmistakable sense of attack" and is more significant for its statement on Costello's position at that point in his career rather than its actual design. The US release opted for a more standardised LP packaging. The elephant cover was replaced with the drip-image that was unveiled in the inner sleeve of the UK release. The UK image had various black scribble lines extending into the outer panels that utilised various animal prints. Additionally, the US sleeve moved the elephant cover to the back and reduced it to make room for a track listing and larger rendering of the album title and artist name. Bruno argues that the "modest" cover reflected Costello's lesser status in America. He furthermore associates Bubbles' decision to use the splatter design as a "mocking appropriation" of

Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein ( ; October27, 1923September29, 1997) was an American pop artist. He rose to prominence in the 1960s through pieces which were inspired by popular advertising and the comic book style. Much of his work explores the relations ...

's mid-1960s "brushstroke" paintings. A promotional photo taken for the album depicted Costello holding a machine gun barrel down his throat with the words "Don't Join" over him. The first 100,000 pressings of the LP in both the UK and the US included a bonus EP titled '' Live at Hollywood High'', recorded in June 1978, which contained live recordings of "Alison", an extended " Watching the Detectives" and a slower version of "Accidents Will Happen".

Release and promotion

"Radio Radio" was issued as a standalone single in October 1978 as a stopgap release between ''This Year's Model'' and the still-titled ''Emotional Fascism'', which was scheduled for release in early 1979. The single reached the UK top 30, earning Costello and the Attractions an appearance on

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

''. From November to December, the band toured Canada, Japan and Australia and filmed promotional videos for "Oliver's Army" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding". By the start of another British tour at the end of December, the band's growing exhaustion began to affect their performances. Bruce Thomas later admitted: "We were all fried.... we just didn't get a break. I know what Jake ivierawas doing, but I think he pushed it too hard, I think he really did." Now titled ''Armed Forces'' due to a complaint from Columbia/

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

issued the new album in the UK on 5January 1979, with the catalogue number RAD 14. The album was Costello's biggest commercial success to date, peaking at number two on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, held off the top spot by the

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

compilation '' Don't Walk – Boogie''; it remained on the chart for 28 weeks, twice as long as ''This Year's Model''. For its February 1979 release in the US, Columbia replaced "Sunday's Best" with "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding". This release went gold by the end of the year. After garnering significant radio exposure in the UK, "Oliver's Army" was released as a single on 2February 1979, backed by Costello's solo rendition of the 1937 show-tune "

My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart coming of age musical ''Babes in Arms'' in which it was introduced by teenaged star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed ...

". It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in March. "Accidents Will Happen" was issued as a single on 4May, backed by "Talking in the Dark" and "Wednesday Week", and peaked at number 29 in the UK.

Critical reception

''Armed Forces'' received positive reviews from music critics on release. Murray hailed the record as containing "some of the best rock music we'll hear this year" in ''NME'', while a writer in ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' cited it as "an album you just can't ignore". ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''s

Robin Denselow Robin Denselow is an English writer, journalist, and broadcaster. Education Denselow was educated at Leighton Park School, a boys' Quaker boarding independent school (now co-educational) in Reading, Berkshire, followed by New College, Oxford, wh ...

named ''Armed Forces'' the "first important album" of the year, and referred to it as musically "Costello's most relaxed, mellow and gentle album yet". In the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'',

Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As music critic and editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays, and profiles have appeared in publications worldwide ...

named ''Armed Forces'' the best album at mid-year in July 1979. Citing it as Costello's "most compelling" album yet, Hilburn described it as "a feverish, unflinching approach" that is a cross between the "social fury of John Lennon's first two solo albums" and the "haunting dissection of

's choicest works". ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''s Geoffrey Himes also compared Costello's lyrical strategy of placing harsh ideals into more seductive settings with Dylan's break from the

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

movement in the mid-1960s. In his review of ''Armed Forces'', Himes singled out "Accidents Will Happen" as "the kind of high point that marks a great era of music". The same publication's Eve Zibart described ''Armed Forces'' as Costello's "third and most polished album

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

stakes out New Wave's first major fiefdom in the United States". Writing for ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'',

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...

felt the album was a "killer in several senses of the word", remarking on the brief, energetic songs with dense and sometimes overly clever but snappy lyrics. Maslin felt that Costello "wants to be daring, but he also wants to dance". ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

felt Costello was using words to "add color and detail to his music" rather than as "a thinking, feeling person", though he approved of the "intricate pop constructions" and found the album overall to be "good" but not "great". Both reviewers felt that the album was more densely or richly produced than its two predecessors. Other reviewers compared ''Armed Forces'' to its two predecessors, including Ira Robbins of ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'', who considered it inferior to the "supercharged bite" of ''This Year's Model'', but nevertheless deemed it a good record in its own right. On the lyrics, Robbins found that they "suffer from an excessive penchant towards cheap puns and pseudo-Spoonerisms". Additionally, in a review titled "Swell El", ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

''s Sheila Prophet found the "bitter bite" of its predecessors exchanged for "depth and subtlety and new textures".

Tony Rayns Antony Rayns (born 1948) is a British writer, commentator, film festival programmer and screenwriter. He wrote for the underground publication ''Cinema Rising'' (its name inspired by Kenneth Anger's '' Scorpio Rising'') before contributing to ...

of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' took issue with the use of the terms "nigger" and "darkies" in "Oliver's Army" and "Sunday's Best", respectively, but was overall positive to Costello's improved vocals and songwriting, and the performance of Nieve on keyboards. '' Sounds'' magazine's Giovanni Dadomo highlighted "Accidents Will Happen", "Big Boys" and "Green Shirt", while also naming "Goon Squad" "easily the best 'political' song of the last five years". In ''The Village Voice''s annual

Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...

critics poll for the year's best albums, ''Armed Forces'' finished at number five. It also featured on year-end lists by ''Melody Maker'' and ''NME'' at numbers fourteen and six, respectively.

Tour and aftermath

To support the album, Costello and the Attractions embarked on the Armed Funk tour in America, which lasted from February to April. The tour was plagued with issues, including drug and alcohol problems, aggressive behaviour from Riviera and Costello to the press, and poor performances that led to critical and audience backlash. In March, a racism-filled exchange between Costello,

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...

, and Stills' then-backing singer

Bonnie Bramlett Bonnie Bramlett (born Bonnie Lynn O'Farrell, November 8, 1944) is an American singer and occasional actress known for performing with her husband, Delaney Bramlett, as Delaney & Bonnie. She continues to sing as a solo artist. Life and career ...

, where the former insulted various American musical artists, was leaked to the public and received additional backlash. Even though ''Armed Forces'' had reached the top ten on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s Top LPs & Tape chart during the tour, by April it fell off quickly after boycotts were enacted by American radio stations and listeners. By the tour's end, Costello's reputation in America was nearly destroyed. Bruce Thomas later admitted, "We never really recovered from that tour. Every time Elvis is doing something well, he kind of sabotages it." His reputation in the UK remained largely unaffected, mostly due to newspapers failing to pick up the story. The author Mick St. Michael compared it to the worldwide response from

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

's 1966

more popular than Jesus "More popular than Jesus" is part of a remark made by John Lennon of the Beatles in a March 1966 interview, in which he claimed that the public were more infatuated with the band than with Jesus Christ, and that Christian faith was declining ...

comment. Following the disastrous tour, Costello decided to reevaluate himself and his career. He ended his relationship with Buell and reconciled with his wife Mary and son Matthew. Apart from the occasional demo, he and the Attractions took some time off over the summer of 1979. Upon reconvening in the studio later in the year, Costello took a more

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

-influenced direction for his next album, '' Get Happy!!'' (1980). Costello acknowledged the incident in an interview with ''Rolling Stone'' in 1982, feeling that it "outweighs my entire career", but later reflected in his 2015 memoir ''Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink'': "So what if my career was rolled back off the launching pad? Life eventually became a lot more interesting due to this failure to get into some undeserved and potentially fatal orbit." Although he was not dropped by Columbia, he did not tour America again until 1981 in support of ''

Trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust (law), a legal relationship in which one person holds property for another's benefit * Trust (bu ...

''.

Legacy

Hinton argues that ''Armed Forces'' marked the end of the angry persona of Costello's early works, although Thomson cites ''Get Happy!!'' as the first step away from the persona. Bruno saw the songs on ''Get Happy!!'' as a response to the events of the Armed Funk tour. Despite the tour's initial impact on him, his career recovered from the incident. He later reflected: "Some of the highly charged language may now seem a little naive; it is full of gimmicks and almost overpowers some songs with paradoxes and subverted clichés piling up into private and secret meanings. I was not quite 24 and thought I knew it all." Although he continued to reference aggressive and fascist themes in his lyrics, including on his 2020 album '' Hey Clockface'', David A. Graham of ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

'' argued that "he has never written another record so searing in its combination of romantic and political fury as ''Armed Forces''." Graham further contended that the fascist elements described on ''Armed Forces'' were still alive in America during the

first presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

, writing: "More than four decades after its release, ''Armed Forces'' feels more frighteningly vital and relevant than ever."

Retrospective appraisal

In later decades, ''Armed Forces'' has received acclaim as one of Costello's best works. In 1991, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

''s

Armond White Armond Allen White (born 1953) is an American film and music critic who writes for ''National Review'' and ''Out''. He was previously the editor of '' CityArts'' (2011–2014), the lead film critic for the alternative weekly '' New York Press ...

called the album a "landmark", while

Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...

of the ''Chicago Tribune'' called it "Costello's 'political' record, and also one of his most irresistibly melodic." Reviewing for ''Rolling Stone'' in 2002, Gavin Edwards found a record "filled with great rock songs that explore the boundaries between the political and the personal". He further highlighted Costello's wordplay, Nieve's keyboard playing and the inclusion of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" as the final track. ''Ultimate Classic Rock''s Jeff Giles stated that with the album, Costello achieved a balance between critical and commercial success, creating an album that proves "a smart, sardonic set of pop songs can also be a hit". In ''PopMatters'', Lundy described ''Armed Forces'' as "a bold, highly ambitious effort" that represented a "giant leap" from its two "flawless" predecessors. He noted that neither of the earlier records could match ''Armed Forces'' "acidic intellectualism". Several reviewers commented on the production. In AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine found a more "detailed and textured pop production" on ''Armed Forces'' compared to Costello's first two albums, making the music more accessible, though the lyrics were "more insular and paranoid". Although he felt some of the lyrics were forced, he hailed the music as "demonstrat[ing] the depth of Costello's compositional talents", and named ''Armed Forces'' the artist's "third masterpiece in a row". ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork''s Matt LeMay described the production as "extravagantly layered with dense instrumentation and rich, effusive textures" that "often serve[s] to conceal, rather than reveal the nuances of Costello's songwriting". He concluded that "the greatest strength of ''Armed Forces'' may be the same thing that makes it less viscerally powerful than Costello's two prior records – its songs absolutely demand to be appreciated for their craftsmanship." He further argued that the album marks the point at which Costello found his voice as a songwriter. Paul Sexton of uDiscoverMusic wrote that the production's "crisp and disciplined" delivery kept the material "live and vital" on a record "that enhanced Costello's reputation as an artist with depth behind the vitriol". Some reviewers noted that the album contained styles that hinted at the artist's later works. AllMusic's Mark Deming highlighted "Accidents Will Happen" as previewing the "stylistic diversity" Costello would incorporate into future works, while Stewart Mason felt that "Party Girl" presaged the soul music he would explore on ''Get Happy!!'', and Bruno cited the keyboards on "Green Shirt" as foreshadowing ''Imperial Bedroom'' (1982). Sexton stated that the songs hinted at the artist's future rock and soul directions but nevertheless "sounded entirely cutting-edge at the same time". Lundy also noted that ''Armed Forces'' enacted "an eclectic blueprint of restless genre hustling" that Costello continued to utilise throughout his long career.

Rankings

''Armed Forces'' has appeared on several best-of lists. In 1993, the album placed at number 61 on ''The Times ''100 Best Albums of All Time'' list. In 2000, it was voted number 264 in the third edition of English writer Colin Larkin's book ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' (2000). The same year, ''Q (magazine), Q'' placed ''Armed Forces'' at number 45 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". In 2003, the album was ranked number 482 on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and then was moved to number 475 on an updated list in 2012. ''NME'' and ''Sounds'' ranked ''Armed Forces'' at numbers 89 and 67 in 1985 and 1986, respectively, on lists compiling the 100 greatest albums of all time. The album was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''.

Reissues

''Armed Forces'' was first released on CD through Columbia and Demon Records in January 1986. Its first extended reissue through Demon in the UK and Rykodisc in the US on CD came in October 1993. The single disc featured the original album as well as bonus tracks, including the addition of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" as the album's closing track. Rhino Records reissued the album in 2002 as a two-disc set; disc one contained the original UK album plus "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", and disc two contained bonus tracks. On 6 November 2020, ''Armed Forces'' was reissued as a vinyl-only super deluxe box set. Titled ''The Complete Armed Forces'' and issued by Universal Music Enterprises, UM^e, the nine-LP set consists of a 2020 remaster of the original album plus various B-sides, demos, outtakes, unreleased live recordings from the era, and a new set of liner notes written by Costello himself totalling over 10,000 words. The collection was praised by critics for giving an in-depth view of the artist's work during the period.

Track listing

All songs are written by

. Side one # " Accidents Will Happen" – 3:00 # " Senior Service" – 2:17 # " Oliver's Army" – 2:58 # "Big Boys" – 2:54 # " Green Shirt" – 2:42 # "Party Girl" – 3:20 Side two # "Goon Squad" – 3:14 # "Busy Bodies" – 3:33 # "Sunday's Best" – 3:22 # "Moods for Moderns" – 2:48 # "Chemistry Class" – 2:55 # "Two Little Hitlers" – 3:18

Notes

The American release omitted "Sunday's Best" and added Costello's cover of Lowe's "

" as the side two closer. Following the 1993 reissue, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" was added as the album's final track.

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic: *

– guitar, vocals *

– keyboards * Bruce Thomas – bass * Pete Thomas – drums Technical *

– cover artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * *

External links

* {{Authority control 1979 albums Albums produced by Nick Lowe Columbia Records albums Elvis Costello albums Radar Records albums Rhino Entertainment albums Rykodisc albums Universal Music Enterprises albums