Brutal Youth


Brutal Youth is an album by Elvis Costello, released in 1994. This album contains the first recordings Costello made with his band the Attractions since Blood and Chocolate. About half the album features a band consisting of Costello, Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas with Nick Lowe on bass. Costello himself plays bass on two tracks, and the complete Attractions line-up appears with Costello on tracks 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10.
Brutal Youth was the third, and most recent of Costello's albums, to peak at number two in the UK Albums Chart, following on from Armed Forces and Get Happy!!.
It was among the six Costello albums featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote: "Throughout, deft instrumental touches, superb singing and the easy confidence of a still-competitive athlete returning to the scene of his greatest triumph make this another effortless win."

Track listing

All songs by Declan MacManus unless otherwise indicated.
  1. "Pony St." – 3:25
  2. "Kinder Murder" – 3:25
  3. "13 Steps Lead Down" – 3:16
  4. "This Is Hell" – 4:27
  5. "Clown Strike" – 4:05
  6. "You Tripped at Every Step" – 4:12
  7. "Still Too Soon to Know" – 2:19
  8. "20% Amnesia" – 3:26
  9. "Sulky Girl" – 5:07
  10. "London's Brilliant Parade" – 4:23
  11. "My Science Fiction Twin" – 4:10
  12. "Rocking Horse Road" – 4:03
  13. "Just About Glad" – 3:14
  14. "All the Rage" – 3:52
  15. "Favourite Hour" – 3:31

    Bonus disc (2002 Rhino)

  16. "Life Shrinks" – 3:37
  17. "Favourite Hour" – 3:32
  18. "This Is Hell" – 4:10
  19. "Idiophone" – 1:58
  20. "Abandon Words" – 2:55
  21. "Poisoned Letter" – 3:48
  22. "A Drunken Man's Praise of Sobriety" – 1:08
  23. "Pony St." – 3:36
  24. "Just About Glad" – 3:41
  25. "Clown Strike" – 4:19
  26. "Rocking Horse Road" – 3:18
  27. "13 Steps Lead Down" – 2:07
  28. "All the Rage" – 3:38
  29. "Sulky Girl" – 4:31
  30. "You Tripped at Every Step" – 3:25

    B-sides (available on the ''13 Steps Lead Down'' EP)

  31. "We Despise You"
  32. "Basement Kiss"
  33. "Puppet Girl"

    "London's Brilliant Parade (EP)"

;The Attractions
with:
Album
YearChartPosition
1994Billboard 20034
1994UK Albums Chart2

Singles and EP

Cultural depictions

appeared on "People's Choice", a 1994 episode of The Larry Sanders Show, playing himself and promoting Brutal Youth; he and the Attractions play a live version of "13 Steps Lead Down."