When I Was Cruel

When I Was Cruel
Studio album by Elvis Costello
Released	23 April 2002
Recorded	2001–2002
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	62:53
Label	Island Mercury
Producer	Elvis Costello Ciaran Cahill Leo Pearson Kieran Lynch
Elvis Costello chronology
The Very Best of Elvis Costello (2001) When I Was Cruel (2002) Cruel Smile (2002)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	76/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Blender	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A[4]
The Guardian	[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
NME	6/10[7]
Pitchfork	8.0/10[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Spin	7/10[11]

When I Was Cruel is the 19th studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in the US by Island Records on 23 April 2002. Although formally credited as solo Costello album, this was the first album to feature his new band, the Imposters. Their only difference from his previous band, the Attractions (active 1977–87 and 1994–96), was the replacement of bassist Bruce Thomas, with whom Costello had feuded, with Davey Faragher (formerly of Cracker).

The album was released with multiple track listings worldwide.^[12] Costello wrote two songs for the film Prison Song - "Soul for Hire", which was included with all versions of the album, and "Oh Well", which was included only in the track listing in Europe and Japan.^[13] Japan also featured as a bonus track a cover of Charlie Chaplin's song "Smile", which was later released as a single.^[14] When the album was released, promotional materials billed it as Costello's "FIRST LOUD ALBUM SINCE 199?".

The song "45" is about being 45 years old, Costello's age when he wrote it. The song also features Costello's penchant for multiple meanings, referencing the year 1945, .45 caliber pistols, and 45 rpm records.^[4] The idea and title of "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)" came from a set of Engrish-laden dolls in Japan. It appears in the 2003 film The Shape of Things. The Bangles covered it as the title track on their 2003 album, Doll Revolution.

Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello.

1. "45" – 3:33
2. "Spooky Girlfriend" – 4:22
3. "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)" – 3:31
4. "When I Was Cruel No. 2" – 7:06 (featuring a sample from Mina's "Un bacio è troppo poco")
5. "Soul for Hire" – 3:55
6. "15 Petals" – 4:01
7. "Tart" – 4:03
8. "Dust 2..." – 3:21
9. "Dissolve" – 2:22
10. "Alibi" – 6:42
11. "...Dust" – 3:03
12. "Daddy Can I Turn This?" – 3:41
13. "My Little Blue Window" – 3:10
14. "Oh Well" – 2:51 (Europe and Japan only)
15. "Episode of Blonde" – 5:01
16. "Radio Silence" – 4:58
17. "Smile" – 3:05 (Japan only)

Personnel

• Elvis Costello – vocals, guitars, horn arrangements on 6, 11, 15, melodica, cymbal, bass, piano, harmonica
• Steve Nieve – organ, pianet, piano, vibraphone, melodica, filters
• Davey Faragher – bass, handclaps
• Pete Thomas – drums, handclaps, percussion, shaker, tambourine

Additional personnel

• Steven Kennedy – backing vocals on 1, 12, 13
• Leo Pearson – electric tabla on 3, rhythm processor on 5, 8, tambourine, mixing
• Bill Ware – vibraphone on 4
• Ku-umba Frank Lacy – trumpet on 6, flugelhorn on 11, 15
• Curtis Fowlkes – trombone on 6, 11, 15
• Jay Rodriguez – tenor saxophone on 6, 11, 15
• Roy Nathanson – alto saxophone on 6, 11, 15

Charts

Chart (2002)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[15]	20

Year-end charts

Chart (2002)	Position
Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[16]	152

References

1. "Reviews for When I Was Cruel by Elvis Costello". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "When I Was Cruel – Elvis Costello". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
3. Aizlewood, John. "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Blender. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
4. Browne, David (22 April 2002). "When I Was Cruel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
5. Petridis, Alexis (12 April 2002). "Still snarling after all these years". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
6. Nichols, Natalie (21 April 2002). "Elvis Costello 'When I Was Cruel' Island Def Jam". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
7. Mulvey, John (20 April 2002). "Elvis Costello : When I Was Cruel". NME. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
8. Bryant, Will (5 May 2002). "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
9. "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Q (189): 111. April 2002.
10. Walters, Barry (9 May 2002). "When I Was Cruel". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
11. Berrett, Jesse (May 2002). "Elvis Costello: When I Was Cruel". Spin. 18 (5): 118. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
12. "Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel". Discogs. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
13. Strong, Martin Charles; Griffin, Brendon (2008). Lights, Camera, Sound Tracks. Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84767-003-8.
14. Elvis Costello – Smile (2002, CD), retrieved 4 November 2021
15. "Elvis Costello Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
16. "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on 2 September 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2022.

External links

• When I Was Cruel at Discogs (list of releases)
• Review by Connor Ratliff (5/5)