THE GUEST SERIES FROM JONNY THE FRIENDLY LAWYER
Today’s charged particles come from the same act, from the same album. It’s everyone’s favorite wordy old uncle, Elvis Costello, serving up a pair of tracks from his 1980 ‘Motown’ LP with the inimitable Attractions, Get Happy!!
Temptation: From EC’s liner notes to the 1989 Rykodisc reissue:“Another drunken composition (or is it decomposition). On the run from a cleverly isolated Dutch studio, we sought excitement in a small cafe. Sure enough I started to fall ‘in love’ with the waitress, but was hustled back to work before the trouble began. I began my protestations of desire in the taxi, and although other grim thoughts came to mind, the song was ‘complete’ by the time we reached the studio. Naturally we recorded it right away and in a childishly literal gesture I insisted on playing organ (very badly).”
Possession: More liner notes: “This started out as a holier-than-thou snipe at a VERY FAMOUS ROCK STAR, who I imagined to be breathing his own artificial atmosphere. However by the time we came to record it I’d had a good lungful of the same poison, but had also located that slippery addictive feeling that you get just before giving in to something wicked. It proved to be the saving of the song, together with a few pints of beer and a riff borrowed from Booker T and the The MGs.”
JTFL
JC adds…
Given this is going to be a regular series, I asked Jonny for some thoughts and ideas for an image or photo to illustrate his posts (they’re not all going to be single artists like today’s effort).
We settled on the above for now; it is the handiwork of Sam, the Friendly Artist. Some of his other creations may feature in due course.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Thirty studio albums… this still remains my favorite.
After a career releasing the equivalent of 6 artists worth of albums, I have settled on the fact that Get Happy! is my favorite Elvis Costello album. Sure I have a great affection for Armed Forces and it is likely the critic’s favorite, but Get Happy! is an album that you can hear the joy and enjoyment of being a member of Elvis Costello and the Attractions from first track to last. From the farfisa opening of Love For Tender to the fading band jam of Riot Act, it is a perfect album – and at 2o songs one of the best values in music ever released.