Released: January 5, 1979
Label: Radar (UK), Columbia (US), F-Beat (1981 UK Reissue), Demon/Rykodisc (19 October 1993 Reissue), Rhino (19 November 2002 Reissue), Hip-O (10 September 2007 Reissue)
Genre: New wave, punk rock
Producer: Nick Lowe
Aaaaaand so from a 4-disc opus to a 2-disc posthumous hip-hop epic, I get to a snappy-as-all-get-out 40 minute pop album that skips along like a kid on school holidays. I’d been wanting for a while to hear some Elvis Costello, another artist who was always on my periphery but who I’d never had the opportunity to really get acquainted with, and I think I’ll want to get more acquainted with Mr. Costello. I guess this is going to be the ongoing challenge with this project – getting through the core 500, but also wanting to be across artists’ other works, and there only being a finite amount of time in the day!
This is what I like to call smart-pop – 3 and a half minute minute pop songs that are expertly crafted and executed, that don’t ask you to reach into the depths of your soul on a journey of introspection, but are well written and produced and do mean enough so you don’t float off into the commercial abyss. Songs like this remind me of some of my favourite artists, like Lily Allen and Robyn, Hot Chip and Cut Copy, Ladyhawke and La Roux, and even Cyndi Lauper – a place where pop isn’t a dirty word – pop at it’s best.
Armed Forces was so refreshing, such a treat, and at 40 minutes short, I’d challenge anyone to take a listen and not find something that they like here. And what’s it about? Your guess is as good as mine.
Top track: “Accidents Will Happen” and “Busy Bodies”, and (on this version of the album) “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?”.