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Out of Our Idiot
Compilation album by
Elvis Costello
Released4 December 1987
Recorded1979–87
GenreNew wave, post-punk, alternative rock
Length70:34 (CD)
56:50 (LP)
LabelDemon
ProducerNick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Colin Fairley, the Mono-Kings, the Coward Brothers, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley, Allen Toussaint, J. Henry "T-Bone" Burnett, Larry Hirsch
Elvis Costello chronology
Blood and Chocolate
(1986) 		Out of Our Idiot
(1987) 		Spike
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
New Musical Express8/10[3]

Out of Our Idiot is a 1987 compilation album of rare and previously unreleased recordings dating back to 1979 by Elvis Costello, which was released in the UK on Demon Records (FIEND 67).[4][5] It was only available as an import in the USA and other markets. The album was credited to "Various Artists" rather than to Costello because the tracks were recorded and credited under a variety of names, including The Costello Show, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Elvis Costello and the Confederates, The Coward Brothers, Napoleon Dynamite, The Emotional Toothpaste and The MacManus Gang.[5] The songs featured a variety of collaborators, including Jimmy Cliff, Nick Lowe and T-Bone Burnett.[5]

Content

The album consisted of previously released tracks and alternate versions of released tracks.[5] The one song that had never been released in any form prior to Out of Our Idiot was Costello with the Attractions' cover of "So Young". "Little Goody Two Shoes" was an early version of "Inch by Inch".[6]

Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello except as indicated.

CD version

  1. "Seven Day Weekend" (Costello, Jimmy Cliff) – 2:37
  2. "Turning The Town Red" – 3:20
  3. "Heathen Town" – 3:06
  4. "The People's Limousine" (Costello, T-Bone Burnett) – 3:38
  5. "So Young" (Joe Camilleri, Tony Faehse, Jeff Burstin) – 3:27
  6. "Little Goody Two Shoes" – 2:27
  7. "American Without Tears No. 2" – (Declan MacManus) 3:34
  8. "Get Yourself Another Fool" (Frank Haywood, Ernest Tucker) – 4:02
  9. "Walking on Thin Ice" (Yoko Ono) – 3:42
  10. "Withered And Died" (Richard Thompson) – 3:13
  11. "Blue Chair" (single version) (Declan MacManus) – 3:39
  12. "Baby It's You" (Burt Bacharach, Mack David, Barney Williams) – 3:15
  13. "From Head To Toe" (Smokey Robinson) – 2:34
  14. "Shoes Without Heels" (Declan MacManus) – 4:15
  15. "Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo" (Declan MacManus) – 3:21
  16. "The Flirting Kind" – 2:58
  17. "Black Sails in the Sunset" – 3:09
  18. "A Town Called Big Nothing" – 5:44
  19. "Big Sister" – 2:16
  20. "Imperial Bedroom" (demo version)[citation needed] – 2:47
  21. "The Stamping Ground" (demo version)[citation needed] – 3:10

LP version

Side one

  1. "Seven Day Weekend"
  2. "Turning the Town Red"
  3. "Heathen Town"
  4. "The People's Limousine"
  5. "So Young"
  6. "American Without Tears No. 2"
  7. "Get Yourself Another Fool"
  8. "Walking on Thin Ice"

Side two

  1. "Blue Chair"
  2. "Baby It's You"
  3. "From Head to Toe"
  4. "Shoes Without Heels"
  5. "Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo"
  6. "The Flirting Kind"
  7. "Black Sails in the Sunset"
  8. "Imperial Bedroom"
  9. "The Stamping Ground"

Release

Two versions of Out of Our Idiot were released, a 17-track vinyl LP, and a 21-track CD. Tracks 6, 10, 18, and 19 on the CD were not included on the vinyl release. With the exception of "Little Goody Two Shoes", all of the tracks on Out of Our Idiot were later released as bonus tracks on individual albums when Costello's pre-1987 catalogue was re-released on CD on the Rykodisc and Rhino labels. An alternate version of "Little Goody Two Shoes" was included on the Imperial Bedroom bonus disc.

Personnel

Elvis Costello (solo)

The Coward Brothers

Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Elvis Costello and the Confederates

The Costello Show, featuring the Attractions

Napoleon Dynamite and the Royal Guard

The Emotional Toothpaste

References

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Out of Our Idiot – Elvis Costello". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Costello, Elvis". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. ^ Romney, Jonathan (5 December 1987). "Various Artists: Out Of Our Idiot". New Musical Express. p. 31.
  4. ^ Chris Willman (6 March 1988). "A Cache of Costello Collectibles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Snow, Mat (5 March 1991). "Q&A". Q Magazine. 55: 34.
  6. ^ "little goody two shoes "Inch by Inch" elvis costello - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
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