Brutal Youth

Brutal Youth
Studio album by
Released8 March 1994
Recorded7 December 1992 – 7 February 1994
StudioOlympic Studios, London, England
Genre
Length56:55
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerMitchell Froom and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello chronology
Live at the El Mocambo
(1993)
Brutal Youth
(1994)
The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977–86
(1994)
Singles from Brutal Youth
  1. "Sulky Girl"
    Released: February 1994
  2. "13 Steps Lead Down"
    Released: April 1994
  3. "You Tripped at Every Step"
    Released: July 1994
  4. "London's Brilliant Parade"
    Released: November 1994
Professional ratings
Initial reviews (in 1994)
Review scores
SourceRating
Chicago Tribune
Entertainment WeeklyB−
Los Angeles Times
Music Week
NME9/10
Q
Rolling Stone
Select
Vox8/10
Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews (after 1994)
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Blender
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Uncut

Brutal Youth is the fourteenth studio album by English musician Elvis Costello, released in 1994. It contains the first recordings Costello made with his band the Attractions since Blood and Chocolate (1986). 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 (1979) and Get Happy!! (1980).

About half the album features a band consisting of Costello (guitar), Steve Nieve (keyboards) and Pete Thomas (drums) with Nick Lowe (not a member of the Attractions) on bass. Costello himself plays bass on two tracks (2 and 8), and the complete Attractions line-up (Nieve, Pete Thomas and Bruce Thomas on bass) appears with Costello on tracks 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10.