12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Completists Alert, October 15, 2003
This review is from: Punch the Clock (Bonus CD) (Dlx) (Audio CD)
Heads-up to fellow Costello completists: don't get rid of your Rykodisc versions when you buy this one. Ryko includes two live songs that are not repeated here!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
EC's mid-Lennon crisis, October 18, 2003
This review is from: Punch the Clock (Bonus CD) (Dlx) (Audio CD)
For me, at least, this wasn't up to the quality of EC's first 5 albums. It's not a disaster. I can think of very few EC albums that deserve that moniker. The weakness is in the inconsistent songwriting. The best material here holds up well compared to his best but there's too much filler. What makes Punch The Clock so compelling and still a great listen is EC's willingness to embrace a wide variety of musical styles including the pop of its era. Punch The Clock is a search for a new direction after reaching a creative peak with the brilliant Trust and Imperial Bedroom. The albums it most recalls are John Lennon's trio of mid-70's albums Mind Games, Walls and Bridges and Rock 'n' Roll in its slick production style and attempt to merge the soul of the performer to the flesh of the marketplace.
There was something endearing and powerful about Nick Lowe's claustrophobic production. Lowe would have been a poor fit for Punch. Even when EC and Geoff Emerick opened the songs up to a new sonic world on Imperial Bedroom, they withstood the challenge. There are a few tracks, though, where EC and L&W meet head on. The collison produces a couple of strong masterpieces including the sublimely realized Shipbuilding with the aching horn solo by the late, great Chet Baker. Pills and Soap, Let Them All Talk (the catchy opening track) and the brilliant single Everyday I Write The Book demonstrate that the match isn't a miss so much as a hit and miss depending on the material.
The bonus tracks have, again, been relocated to the bonus disc. Punch The Clock benefits from the bonus tracks even more than Trust or the other reissues do. There is a flaw, however, because Punch isn't as complete as it should be with a few missing tracks that were on the original Rykodisc version. Perhaps they'll be relocated to the re-release of Goodbye Cruel World. Still, the bonus disc is very generous with numerous unreleased live/demo tracks.
EC has a blast here. Punch The Clock is EC's most "fun" record of the original albums with the attractions. The production can sound dated (that's not necessarily a bad thing either)but the performances are, on the whole, as vivid and invigorating as anything from EC's prime. From here it would be a long fall from a very short pier.
Oh, and thanks to the writer who mentioned that the two live tracks from Punch 95 were not included here. I kept mine and, despite the lower fidelity of the sound on those tracks, EC probably should have kept them on here (could have put them on as secret bonus tracks).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Plain Great, June 7, 2006
This review is from: Punch the Clock (Bonus CD) (Dlx) (Audio CD)
I've read so many bad reviews of this album and I just don't get it. This album is packed full of very clever songs and great lyrics with a great big noisy band behind Elvis. It's a real treat for the ears. And for the song writer/musicians out there, these songs are brilliantly written, using thick harmonies and great chord changes.
Don't pass this one by.
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