Big Dog 92-7 Music Guide

Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How’s Your Fathers

RELEASE
1980
LABEL
Demon
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, College Rock, Rock & Roll, Punk/New Wave, New Wave, British Punk, Alternative/Indie Rock

Album Review

This album is the British equivalent of the U.S. B-side and non-album track release Taking Liberties, down to a similar song ordering. Three of these songs, "Clowntime Is Over," "Black and White World," and "Clean Money" (later revised and retitled "Love for Tender") appear in greatly altered versions on Get Happy!! Other numbers, such as the country tune "Stranger in the House," the Motown-sounding song "Getting Mighty Crowded," and the Tin Pan Alley-style number "Just a Memory," anticipate the style experiments of his subsequent albums. Given Elvis Costello's stunningly great songwriting talents, this rarities platter is better than the primary album releases by most bands. This is an excellent record, highly recommended if Taking Liberties is not available. Other review sources state that this album's arrangements are different from those of Taking Liberties, but this reviewer hears no difference here.
David Cleary, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Clean Money
  2. Girls Talk
  3. Talking in the Dark
  4. Radio Sweetheart
  5. Big Tears
  6. Crawling to the USA
  7. Just a Memory
  8. Watching the Detectives
  9. Stranger in the House
  10. Clowntime Is Over
  11. Getting Mighty Crowded
  12. Hoover Factory
  13. Tiny Steps
  14. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
  15. Dr. Luther's Assistant
  16. Radio, Radio
  17. Black & White World [#]
  18. Wednesday Week
  19. My Funny Valentine
  20. Ghost Train