Out of Our Idiot

Out of Our Idiot is a compilation album by English musician Elvis Costello, released in 1987 through Demon Records in the United Kingdom.^[4][5] It is composed of rare and previously unreleased Costello recordings dating back to 1979. 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]

Out of Our Idiot
Compilation album by Elvis Costello
Released	4 December 1987
Recorded	1979–87
Genre	New wave, post-punk, alternative rock
Length	70:34 (CD) 56:50 (LP)
Label	Demon
Producer	Nick 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
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
New Musical Express	8/10[3]

Songs

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" (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" (MacManus) – 4:15
15. "Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo" (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" – 2:47
21. "The Stamping Ground" – 3:10

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

• Jimmy Cliff, Elvis Costello & the Attractions (1)
• Elvis Costello & the Attractions (2–3, 5–6, 8, 13, 16–17, 19)
• The Coward Brothers (4)
• Elvis Costello (7, 11)
• Elvis Costello & the Attractions with the TKO Horns (9)
• The Imposter (10)
• Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello (12)
• Elvis Costello & the Confederates (14)
• The Costello Show featuring the Attractions (15)
• The MacManus Gang (Featuring the Voice of Sy Richardson) (18)
• Napoleon Dynamite and the Royal Guard (20)
• The Emotional Toothpaste (21)

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. Willman, Chris (6 March 1988). "A Cache of Costello Collectibles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
5. Snow, Mat (5 March 1991). "Q&A". Q. 55: 34.
6. Thomson, Graeme (2004). Complicated Shadows. Edinburgh, Scotland: Canongate Books. Retrieved 4 November 2021.