Trust (album)

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Trust
Trust cover
Studio album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Released January 1981
Recorded October-November 1980
Genre Rock
Length 41:09
Label F-Beat Records (UK)
Columbia (US)
Demon/Rykodisc (April 29, 1994 Reissue)
Rhino (September 9, 2003 Reissue)
Producer(s) Nick Lowe, Roger Bechirian
Professional reviews
Elvis Costello and the Attractions chronology
Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers
(1980)
Trust
(1981)
Almost Blue
(1981)


Trust (1981) is an album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It is his fifth album, his fourth with the Attractions.

Contents

[edit] Background

Costello's original intent with Trust was to cross the melody of Armed Forces with the rhythm of Get Happy!! The songs on the album dealt with a general sense of disenchantment he felt during the time, with the recent election of the Conservative government as well as tensions within his first marriage, which gave them an overall cynical tone. As a result, the general lyrical contents of the songs describe a world that is essentially the opposite of what the album title implies.

The initial recording sessions were held at DJM, but they were displeased with the results. It did not help that the bandmates were almost constantly under the influence of mood-altering drugs. As Costello wrote in the liner notes of the Rhino reissue:

   
“
This was easily the most drug-influenced record of my career... It was completed close to a self-induced nervous collapse on a diet of rough 'scrumpy' cider, gin and tonic, various powders... and, in the final hours, Seconal and Johnnie Walker Black Label.
   
”

Recording resumed at Eden Studios, where the previous three albums had been done. Although the band was no more sober, the resulting tracks were more to Costello's pleasing. Despite having previously expressed a desire to distance himself from the pop music mainstream, Costello revealed that a number of songs on the album were influenced by other contemporary artists. Specifically, "Clubland" incorporated the guitar style of The Police, "You'll Never Be Man" borrowed from The Pretenders, "White Knuckles" was modelled on XTC records, and "Fish 'n' Chip Paper" was an homage to Squeeze. Lastly, "Big Sister's Clothes" had a bass line based on work by The Clash.

Commercially, Trust had no singles which charted, which was the first time that happened since My Aim Is True, his debut album.

[edit] Track listing

Note: The Rykodisc version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on one CD. The Rhino version has two CDs with the original tracks on the first CD.

All songs written by Elvis Costello except as indicated.

  1. "Clubland" – 3:42
  2. "Lover's Walk" – 2:17
  3. "You'll Never Be a Man" – 2:56
  4. "Pretty Words" – 3:11
  5. "Strict Time" – 2:40
  6. "Luxembourg" – 2:26
  7. "Watch Your Step" – 2:57
  8. "New Lace Sleeves" – 3:45
  9. "From a Whisper to a Scream" – 2:54
  10. "Different Finger" – 1:58
  11. "White Knuckles" – 3:47
  12. "Shot with His Own Gun" – 3:30
  13. "Fish 'n' Chip Paper" – 2:55
  14. "Big Sister's Clothes" – 2:11

[edit] Bonus tracks (1994 Rykodisc)

  1. "Black Sails in the Sunset" – 2:56
  2. "Big Sister" – 2:11
  3. "Sad About Girls" (Steve Nieve, Fay Hart) – 2:48
  4. "Twenty-Five to Twelve" – 3:52
  5. "Love for Sale" (Cole Porter) – 3:02
  6. "Weeper's Dream" – 1:05
  7. "Gloomy Sunday" (Sam M. Lewis, Rezső Seress) – 3:13
  8. "Boy with a Problem" (Single version) (Costello, Chris Difford) – 2:31
  9. "Seconds of Pleasure" (Version 1 of 'Invisible Man') – 3:18

[edit] Bonus disc (2003 Rhino)

  1. "Black Sails in the Sunset" – 2:56
  2. "Big Sister" – 2:11
  3. "Twenty-Five to Twelve" – 3:52
  4. "Sad About Girls" (Brain/Hart) – 2:48
  5. "From a Whisper to a Scream" (Alternate version) – 3:27
  6. "Watch Your Step" (Alternate version) – 2:47
  7. "Clubland" (Alternate take) – 4:03
  8. "You'll Never be a Man" (Alternate take) – 3:10
  9. "Slow Down" (Larry Williams) – 2:24
  10. "Big Sister" (Alternate version) – 5:07
  11. "Black Sails in the Sunset" (Alternate version) – 3:08
  12. "Hoover Factory" (Alternate version) – 1:47
  13. "Love for Sale" (Porter) – 3:02
  14. "Boy with a Problem" (Single version) (Costello, Difford) – 2:31
  15. "Weeper's Dream" – 1:05
  16. "Gloomy Sunday" (Lewis, Seress) – 3:13
  17. "The Long Honeymoon" (Instrumental piano demo) – 1:41

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Additional personnel

[edit] Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1981 Billboard Pop Albums 28
Year Song Chart Position
1981 "From a Whisper to a Scream" Billboard Mainstream Rock 46

[edit] References




Elvis Costello
Albums
My Aim Is True | Spike | King of America | Brutal Youth | Mighty Like a Rose | Kojak Variety | North | Il Sogno
Elvis Costello and The Attractions
This Year's Model | Armed Forces | Get Happy!! | Trust | Almost Blue | Imperial Bedroom | Punch the Clock | Goodbye Cruel World | Blood and Chocolate | All This Useless Beauty
Elvis Costello and The Imposters
When I Was Cruel | Cruel Smile | The Delivery Man
Collaborations
The Juliet Letters with The Brodsky Quartet | Terror & Magnificence with John Harle | Painted from Memory with Burt Bacharach | The Sweetest Punch with Bill Frisell | For the Stars with Anne-Sofie von Otter | My Flame Burns Blue with The Metropole Orkest | Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland | The River in Reverse with Allen Toussaint
Live albums
Live at the El Mocambo | Deep Dead Blue | Costello & Nieve
Soundtracks
G.B.H. | Jake's Progress
Collections
Taking Liberties | Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers | The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions | Out of Our Idiot | Girls+£÷Girls=$&Girls | 2 ½ Years | The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977-86 | Extreme Honey | The Very Best of Elvis Costello | Singles, Vol. 1 |Singles, Vol. 2 |Singles, Vol. 3
Categories
Elvis Costello albums | Elvis Costello songs