Brutal Youth

Brutal Youth is an album by Elvis Costello, released in 1994.[11][12] This album contains the first recordings Costello made with his band the Attractions since Blood and Chocolate (1986). About half the album features a band consisting of Costello (guitar), Steve Nieve (keyboards) and Pete Thomas (drums) with Nick Lowe (not a member of the Attractions) on bass. Costello himself plays bass on two tracks (2 and 8), and the complete Attractions line-up (Nieve, Pete Thomas and Bruce Thomas on bass) appears with Costello on tracks 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10.

For the 2014 novel, see Anthony Breznican.

Brutal Youth
Studio album by
Elvis Costello
Released8 March 1994
Recorded7 December 1992 – 7 February 1994, The Sound Factory, Hollywood, California, United States
GenreAlternative rock, punk rock, power pop
Length56:55
LabelWarner Bros.
Rhino (3 August 1994 Reissue)
ProducerMitchell Froom
Elvis Costello chronology
Live at the El Mocambo
(1993)		 Brutal Youth
(1994)		 The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977-86
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
NME9/10[6]
Q[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
Uncut[9]
Vox8/10[10]

Brutal Youth was the third, and most recent of Costello's albums, to peak at number two in the UK Albums Chart, following on from Armed Forces (1979) and Get Happy!! (1980).[13]

It was among the six Costello albums featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote: "Throughout, deft instrumental touches, superb singing and the easy confidence of a still-competitive athlete returning to the scene of his greatest triumph make this another effortless win."[14]

Track listing

All songs by Declan MacManus unless otherwise indicated.

  1. "Pony St." – 3:25
  2. "Kinder Murder" – 3:25
  3. "13 Steps Lead Down" – 3:16
  4. "This Is Hell" – 4:27
  5. "Clown Strike" – 4:05
  6. "You Tripped at Every Step" – 4:12
  7. "Still Too Soon to Know" – 2:19
  8. "20% Amnesia" – 3:26
  9. "Sulky Girl" – 5:07
  10. "London's Brilliant Parade" – 4:23
  11. "My Science Fiction Twin" – 4:10
  12. "Rocking Horse Road" – 4:03
  13. "Just About Glad" – 3:14
  14. "All the Rage" – 3:52
  15. "Favourite Hour" – 3:31

Bonus disc (2002 Rhino)
  1. "Life Shrinks" – 3:37
  2. "Favourite Hour" (Church Studios Version) – 3:32
  3. "This Is Hell" (Church Studios Version) – 4:10
  4. "Idiophone" – 1:58
  5. "Abandon Words" – 2:55
  6. "Poisoned Letter" – 3:48
  7. "A Drunken Man's Praise of Sobriety" (MacManus, William Butler Yeats) – 1:08
  8. "Pony St." (Bonaparte Rooms Version) – 3:36
  9. "Just About Glad" (Bonaparte Rooms Version) – 3:41
  10. "Clown Strike" (Bonaparte Rooms Version) – 4:19
  11. "Rocking Horse Road" (Demo) – 3:18
  12. "13 Steps Lead Down" (Demo) – 2:07
  13. "All the Rage" (Demo) – 3:38
  14. "Sulky Girl" (Demo) – 4:31
  15. "You Tripped at Every Step" (Church Studios Version) – 3:25

B-sides (available on the 13 Steps Lead Down EP)
  1. "We Despise You"
  2. "Basement Kiss"
  3. "Puppet Girl"

"London's Brilliant Parade (EP)"
  • "London's Brilliant Parade"
  • "Sweet Dreams"
  • "The Loved Ones"
  • "From Head to Toe"[13]

Personnel
The Attractions

with:

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1994 Billboard 200 34
1994 UK Albums Chart 2

Singles and EP

Year Song Chart Position
1994 "13 Steps Lead Down" Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 6
1994 "13 Steps Lead Down" UK Singles Chart[13] 59
1994 "Sulky Girl" UK Singles Chart[13] 22
1994 "London's Brilliant Parade (EP)" UK Singles Chart[13] 48

Cultural depictions

Elvis Costello appeared on "People's Choice", a 1994 episode of The Larry Sanders Show, playing himself and promoting Brutal Youth; he and the Attractions play a live version of "13 Steps Lead Down."[15][16]

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Brutal Youth – Elvis Costello". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  2. Wolk, Douglas (March 2005). "Elvis Costello: Brutal Youth". Blender. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  3. Kot, Greg (6 March 1994). "Three Discs Worth Waiting For". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  4. Browne, David (18 March 1994). "Brutal Youth". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  5. Willman, Chris (6 March 1994). "Elvis Costello 'Brutal Youth' Warner Bros". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  6. Quantick, David (5 March 1994). "Brutal Recall". NME.
  7. Maconie, Stuart (April 1994). "Reassuring". Q. No. 91. p. 104.
  8. O'Connor, Rob (24 March 1994). "Brutal Youth". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  9. Roberts, Chris (April 2002). "Sweet Nerd of Youth". Uncut. No. 59.
  10. Humphries, Patrick (March 1994). "Elvis Costello: Brutal Youth". Vox. No. 42.
  11. Tucker, Ken (13 March 1994). "RECORDINGS VIEW; Elvis Costello, a Shrewd Pop Pro Pushing 40" – via NYTimes.com.
  12. "DeLorean: Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth (1994)". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  13. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 122–3. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  14. "Elvis Costello".
  15. Ryan, Kyle. "The Larry Sanders Show: "People's Choice"/"Hank's Night In The Sun"". TV Club.
  16. Pollock, Bruce (18 March 2014). "Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era". Routledge – via Google Books.
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