Blood and Chocolate
1986, Demon Records, Air Studios (?)


Given that Elvis Costello and the Attractions were barely on speaking terms by 1986, a reunion must have been pretty bloody awkward. However, reunite is what they did indeed do and, not only that, but they saved the producer's chair for Costello's old pal Nick Lowe for the first time since 1981's Trust sessions. The Confederates, who'd done so much good on King Of America, were not called back into the studio. In fact, the only guest musician present was Costello's wife Cait O'Riordan (who had a brief cameo as a backing vocalist).

The result of such heated emotions in the studio was a much grittier, dirty, razor-backed and vicious effort than King Of America, as Costello attempted to do his lyrics (virtually all of which involve being pissed off with your partner) musical justice. Recorded in a whirlwind 11-day session, Costello opted for the unusual move of putting his songs to tape in one, large room of a studio, which allowed the band to play their instruments at an almost gig-level volume. For a record produced in such a short amount of time, and amidst such a tense atmosphere as there was, the results are remarkably good ones.

1. Uncomplicated
Here lies Costello's attempt to write a simple (uncomplicated if you will) two-chord rocker. It just sort of rolls out of the speakers you, getting by on Steve Nieve's distant organ flourishes and a tightly reined-in performance from the Attractions as a unit. 7/10


2. I Hope You're Happy Now
And here's the final resting place of a song Costello had attempted to record twice before, and you can tell he's finally nailed it after a good two years of trying. A frenetic and punky song which ups the tempo by a few notches and is host to a gloriously bitter and venemous set of lyrics (just what we like to see then );

'He's acting innocent and proud still you know what he's after
Like a matador with his pork sword, while we all die of laughter
In his turquoise pyjamas and motorcycle hat
I hope you're happy now because you'll soon put pay to that'

Brilliant song. Even this live, slightly slower version really hits the spot. 9/10


3. Tokyo Storm Warning
A menacing and surreal picture is nicely painted by another reasonably fast rocker, this time one of the kind of the trip around the world Costello and the Attractions had long since gotten used to. Such a pretty picture is painted by this Costello/O'Riordan co-write with its opening verse of...

'The sky fell over cheap Korean monster-movie scenery
And spilled into the mezzanine of the crushed capsule hotel
Between the Disney abattoir and the chemical refinery
And I knew I was in trouble but I thought I was in hell'

It could be a little overlong (and a properly bizarre choice for a single too) but anyway... 7/10

4. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
From there the pace of the album slows right down with this gloomy, pretty miserable number (the title alone points it in that direction). With lines such as 'home isn't where it used to be, home is anywhere you hang your head' this is a much more melancholy moment than the sneering cynicism which populates most of this album lyrically. 7/10

5. I Want You
Thanks to this item, it doesn't exactly sit out of place either. Opening with Costello's gentle, acoustic notes and proceeding via another tight and well-honed band performance, this rather hushed (one-take) performance suits the almost pornographic nature of lyrics quite nicely. On top of that it's one of the man's masterpieces (not exactly a wise move to release it as a single though which, of course, happened, barely making a dent on the singles charts). 10/10

6. Honey, Are You Straight Or Are You Blind?
Much more in touch with songs like I Hope You're Happy Now this frenzied, guitar-driven tune just jumps out at you after a somewhat more muted opening as an unusually thrashy spot in Costello's repertoire opens the can of worms that is side B. 8/10

7. Blue Chair
Certainly one of the most catchy songs on the album, for some strange reason it never saw release as a single. Given it's more upbeat nature than a lot of its bedfellows and the fact that the production method is slightly more heavy-handed here than on the rest of this red-raw record, it probably would have had a decent impact on the charts of the day. All the same, it's still one of the high points of a great album. 9/10

8. Battered Old Bird
As the only track present to feature Nieve on the piano (instead of electric organ) Battered Old Bird is something of a red herring on Blood and Chocolate. It's a beautiful, semi-autobiographic piece of writing from Costello (about a house his parents rented a flat from when he was kid), and the meaty lyrical subject matter is complimented by a slow and raw studio workout. It certainly caught my attention as a highlight on the first listen. 10/10

9. Crimes Of Paris
Like Blue Chair before it, Crimes Of Paris here is another uptempo and, dare I say it, chart-friendly slice of pop-rock (which, as I said, is unusual for such an abrasive and spiky album). The lyrics, again, are wonderfully evocative and really fit in with the overall mood of the album.

'She's so convenient, he's always stiff as hair-lacquer
It's hard to discover now he's in love with her
It was her way of getting her own back
You never did anything she couldn't do on her own
You're as good as your word and that's no good to her
You'd better leave that kitten alone'

Another one of my favourites off the album. 10/10

10. Poor Napoleon
Easily the most outright depressing moment on the record, propelled by Nieve's finely-tuned organ chords, Costello sings some his most deeply dissatisfied and angsty lyrics over a slow, sad and new wave-inspired song. It's many delights include...

'I bet she isn't all that's advertised
I bet that isn't all she fakes
Just like that place where they take your spine
And turn it into soapflakes'

But what really gets to me whenever I hear this song is the following couplet;

'Bare wires from the socket to the bed where you embraced that girl
Did you ever think there's far too many people in the world?'

Lyrics aside, it's yet another very well-written and performed song on a remarkably consistent album. 8/10

11. Next Time Round
It all draws to a close on a slightly more upbeat and uplifting note, with this mid-tempo, bass-led rocker calling time on a fairly short album (in comparison to the rest of Costello's back-catalogue anyway). 7/10

The Outtakes

Leave My Kitten Alone: This frenzied, first-take cover song (I forget who performed it originally) probably should have made the album.

New Rhythm Method: Another fast and relatively uncomplicated number, it's actually a pretty good song and could easily have fitted on the album in question.

Forgive Her Anything: Again, here we have a very fine song indeed being left off an album, although in this case, the haunting piano chords which propel the song probably would have made it stand out a bit.

American Without Tears Part 2: A sequel to the King Of America track, it's an interesting little curio but doesn't really amount to so much musically.

All These Things, Pouring Water On a Drowning Man, Running Out Of Fools, Tell Me Right Now and Lonely Blue Boy: For what I can imagine was a vocal warm-up session, Costello recorded this series of covers by himself. They all stand up well enough by themselves.

So, summing up then...
To follow up the upbeat and friendly King Of America, Costello chose to reunite with the Attractions and record a much more miserable and gritty album. As a result we have one of Costello's best and most consistent albums, and definitely one of is essentials. Unfortunately this was the last record he'd make with the Attractions for some 8 years.

9/10