Taking Liberties

Taking Liberties is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, consisting of tracks not previously released on his albums as released in the United States. It is largely made up of B-sides, but features three previously unreleased recordings. It was released only in the US and Canada; its track listing is very similar to that of the UK release Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers. The differences are that on the latter, the tracks "Night Rally", "Sunday's Best" and "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" are replaced by "Watching the Detectives", "Radio, Radio" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding".[1]

For other uses, see Taking liberties (disambiguation).

Taking Liberties
Compilation album by
Elvis Costello
ReleasedNovember 1980 (US)
Recorded1977–80
GenrePunk rock, new wave
Length50:45
LabelColumbia
ProducerElvis Costello, Nick Lowe
Elvis Costello chronology
Get Happy!!
(1980)		 Taking Liberties
(1980)		 Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers
(1980)

The sleeve note by Gregg Geller is very nearly a direct lift from the 1958 album A Gene Vincent Record Date, with Costello's name substituted for Vincent's, and song titles being substituted as appropriate.

The LP version features nostalgic Columbia labels. The legend on the Side One label reads "COSTELLO" instead of "COLUMBIA", in a similar fashion to This Year's Model.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Billboard(unrated)[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Robert Christgau(B) link

Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello except as indicated.

Side one
  1. "Clean Money" (previously unreleased) – 1:57
  2. "Girls Talk" (B-side of "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down", 1980) – 1:56
  3. "Talking in the Dark" (A-side, 1978) – 1:56
  4. "Radio Sweetheart" (B-side of "Less Than Zero", 1977) – 2:24
  5. "Black and White World" (Demo version) (previously unreleased) – 1:51
  6. "Big Tears" (B-side of "Pump It Up", 1978) – 3:10
  7. "Just a Memory" (B-side of "New Amsterdam", 1980) – 2:14
  8. "Night Rally" (from UK version of This Year's Model, 1978) – 2:41
  9. "Stranger in the House" (A-side, 1978) – 3:01
  10. "Clowntime Is Over" (Version 2) (B-side of "High Fidelity", 1980) – 3:44

Side two
  1. "Getting Mighty Crowded" (Van McCoy) (B-side of "High Fidelity", 1980) – 2:05
  2. "Hoover Factory" (previously unreleased) – 1:43
  3. "Tiny Steps" (B-side of "Radio, Radio", 1978) – 2:42
  4. "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" (from UK version of This Year's Model, 1978) – 3:07
  5. "Dr Luther's Assistant" (B-side of "New Amsterdam", 1980) – 3:28
  6. "Sunday's Best" (from UK version of Armed Forces, 1979) – 3:22
  7. "Crawling to the U.S.A." (from soundtrack to Americathon, 1979) – 2:52
  8. "Wednesday Week" (B-side of "Talking in the Dark", 1978) – 2:02
  9. "My Funny Valentine" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) (B-side of "Oliver's Army", 1979) – 1:25
  10. "Ghost Train" (B-side of "New Amsterdam", 1980) – 3:05

Personnel
  • Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar, keyboards; all instruments on "Black and White World", "Hoover Factory", "My Funny Valentine" and "Ghost Train"
The Attractions
  • Steve Nieve – keyboards on all tracks except "Radio Sweetheart", "Black and White World", "Hoover Factory", "Dr. Luther's Assistant", "My Funny Valentine", "Ghost Train" and "Stranger in the House"
  • Bruce Thomas – bass on all tracks except "Radio Sweetheart", "Black and White World", "Just A Memory", "Hoover Factory", "Dr. Luther's Assistant", "My Funny Valentine", "Ghost Train" and "Stranger in the House"
  • Pete Thomas – drums on all tracks except "Radio Sweetheart", "Black and White World", "Just A Memory", "Hoover Factory", "My Funny Valentine", "Ghost Train" and "Stranger in the House"
Additional personnel
  • Dave Edmunds – backing vocal on "Clean Money"
  • John McFee (Clover) - guitar on "Radio Sweetheart" and "Stranger in the House"
  • Nick Lowe - bass on "Radio Sweetheart"
  • Mickey Shine (Clover) - drums on "Radio Sweetheart" and "Stranger in the House"
  • Mick Jones - lead guitar on "Big Tears"
  • Sean Hopper (Clover) – keyboards on "Stranger in the House"
  • Johnny Ciambotti (Clover) – bass on "Stranger in the House"

Charts
Year Chart Position
1980 US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[5] 28

References
  1. Cohen, Debra Rae (11 December 1980). "Taking Liberties". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  2. Deming, Mark. "Taking Liberties – Elvis Costello". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  3. "Review: Elvis Costello – Taking Liberties" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 40. 4 October 1980. p. 108. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 30 May 2020 – via American Radio History.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Costello, Elvis". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. "Elvis Costello Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
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