Friday, December 12, 2014

How They Did It (An Occasional Series): Special Saving the Best For Last Edition

From 1978, prepare to have your mind blown by the original instrumental track to Elvis Costello and the Attractions' indelible rock masterpiece "Pump It Up."




Words fail me, except to add that if Nick Lowe, as producer, had never done anything else in his career besides slathering this track in the most wonderfully cheesy compression ever heard by sentient mammalian ears, than he would still deserve to be considered one of the immortals.

8 comments:

Billy B said...

"This Year's Model" is my favorite Elvis C. album. "Pump It Up" was my favorite tune from the album.

The Attractions tore it up. Just tore it up.

Anonymous said...

This would probably never happen for several legitimate reasons (legal, commercial, etc.) but it's an interesting concept: you could probably get a good double-CD, maybe even a box-set, out of "The History Of Compression", what with the 60s Motown stuff, early 60s Phil Spector, Joe Meek, "Pump It Up", plus a bunch of other singles from the mid-50s through the late 60s. Or it might be the basis for a future "Listomania" or a week of themed-posts.

J. Lag

steve simels said...

Early Byrds, also. Melchier compressed the hell,out of McGuinns Rickenbacker.

Anonymous said...

Another one you might like, Steve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09G_KiPQkAM

Shriner said...

Where's the organ, man?

steve simels said...

Good question.

Hannes A. Jónsson said...

Compressed or not, an over rated track. As far as THis Year's Model goes, "(I don't want to go to) Chelsea" is vastly superior.

Anonymous said...

The entire album is vastly superior!

Capt. Al