Get Happy!!

by Elvis Costello, Elvis Costello & the Attractions

Overview

Get Happy!! was born as much from sincere love for soul as it was for Elvis Costello's desire to distance himself from an unfortunate verbal faux pas where he insulted Ray Charles in an attempt to get Stephen Stills' goat. Either way, it resulted in a 20-song blue-eyed soul tour de force, where Costello doesn't just want to prove his love, he wants to prove his knowledge. So, he tries everything, starting with Motown and Northern soul, then touching on smooth uptown ballads and gritty Southern soul, even finding common ground between the two by recasting Sam & Dave's "I Can't Stand Up (For Falling Down)" as a careening stomper. What's remarkable is that this approach dovetails with the pop carnival essayed by Armed Forces, standing as a full-fledged Costello record instead of a genre exercise. As it furiously flits through 20 songs, Costello's cynicisms, rage, humor, and misanthropic sensibility gel remarkably well. Some songs may not quite hit their targets, but that's part of the album's charm -- it moves so fast that its lesser songs rush by on the way to such full-fledged masterpieces as "New Amsterdam," "High Fidelity," and "Riot Act." Get Happy!! bursts with energy and invention, standing as a testament to how Costello, the pop encyclopedia, can reinvent the past in his own image. [The Japanese edition includes bonus material.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/06/2015
Label:	Ume / Universal
UPC:	0602547331106
Rank:	51459

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Love for Tender
2. Opportunity
3. The Imposter
4. Secondary Modern
5. King Horse
6. Possession
7. Men Called Uncle
8. Clowntime Is Over
9. New Amsterdam
10. High Fidelity

Disc 2

11. I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
12. Black and White World
13. 5ive Gears in Reverse
14. B Movie
15. Motel Matches
16. Human Touch
17. Beaten to the Punch
18. Temptation
19. I Stand Accused
20. Riot Act

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Elvis Costello & the Attractions   Primary Artist
Elvis Costello   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Organ
Steve Nieve   Organ,Piano
Bruce Thomas   Bass,Harmonica
Pete Thomas   Drums

Technical Credits

Elvis Costello   Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Joe Camilleri   Composer
Homer Banks   Composer
Ronald White   Composer
Roger Bechirian   Engineer,Balance Engineer
Van McCoy   Composer
Michele Horie   Producer
A. Jones   Composer
Bill Levenson   A&R
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Nick Lowe   Producer
Adam Starr   Product Manager
Keith Morris   Photography
R. Smith   Composer
Tony Faehse   Composer
Coco Shinomiya   Design
Alan Jones   Composer
Barney Bubbles   Cover Design
Daniel Hersch   Mastering
Raymond Smith   Composer
Jeff Burstin   Composer
Tony Colton   Composer