I got this album from a friend when I was in Germany and he was really enthusiastic about it and that is why I remember so well why I found it so disappointing (well that plus the fact he made me ride the German mountains on a mountain bike and I still can't decide if my life got shortened more by climbing (like a snail) or going down (I'd probably had seen my life passing by in a split second, if my bike wasn't going too fast for that) but that is another story.
The problem with Elvis Costello is that he keeps repeating himself and he made so many albums you can't really remember what album the songs are on. On the other hand... you can't exactly renew Rock and Roll. Plus the fact this is his 18th album since 1977 (and it doesn't end there!).
Anyways this is the album where Elvis Costello got reunited with the Attractions. And I expected more out of that. After all Costello in '78 was part of a scene with artists such as Nick Lowe (who does play bass on this album), Iggy Pop and Wreckless Eric. Yes, remember? The Stiff label.
It is said that Lowe better had produced the album than play on it, but I don't agree. The songs are still well written, but Costello just misses the anger, the rave and power from the early years. It feels like reuniting with the attractions and polishing the songs making it more pop orientated was just a try to see if it would work out. It did not.
Not a bad album, but by far not what Costello is capable of. Sure, there are some songs that might make it to your playlist, like 20% Amnesia, but I'd rather have the following song in a raw and more angry seventies version:
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