Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Elvis Costello; John McFee (guitar); James Burton, Nick Lowe (acoustic guitar); T-Bone Wolk (electric guitar, accordion); Sean Hopper (piano, organ, background vocals); Mitchell Froom (harpsichord); Mickey Curry (drums, percussion); Micky Shine, Pete Thomas , Steve Goulding (drums); John Ciambotti (background vocals); Steve Nieve (piano, organ, keyboards).
Photographers: Barry Plummer; Keith Morris; Adam Starr.
As an encapsulation of the most vital period in Elvis Costello's career, THE FIRST TEN YEARS portrays of a rule-breaker who nevertheless had a deep respect for his musical roots. Even as he was defining New Wave in the late 1970s with "Watching the Detectives," "Pump it Up," and "Radio, Radio," Elvis was paying homage to the Byrds on "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" and copping Spinners riffs on "Alison." The collection follows Costello into the '80s as he expands his songwriting and production palette ("New Lace Sleeves," "Beyond Belief") while tackling old-school country ("Good Year for the Roses") and Stax soul ("I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down").
In the years that followed this collection's scope, Costello would launch himself whole-heartedly into everything from big-band jazz to classical orchestration, but the seeds of all that eclecticism (not to mention the aesthetic template for most of his subsequent work) lie in the tracks presented here. As one of the most original artistic personalities of his era, Costello proved enormously influential for multiple generations, and THE FIRST 10 YEARS shows the achievements on which his legend is built.
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Reviews
5.0
out of 5 based on
1
reviews.
– Customer review on 07/01/2009
A great album for those seeking the best early Elvis Costello songs, an intro to his music or those wishing to replace vinyl recordings with remastered CD quality.
It showcases what arguably is the most creative period of his career, the first ten years and his first four albums: My Aim Is True, This Years Model, Armed Forces & Get Happy.
The 20 songs here are ones every Elvis Costello fan knows. They showcase both the lyrical ability and musical eclecticism of Elvis. They also showcase one of the top backing bands of all time, the Attractions.
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