Review of Kojak Variety
Encore, 1995-07-01
- Patrick Humphries

 

encore.950701_small.gif (10208 bytes)ENCORE REISSUES
Six of the best from the recent releases

ELVIS COSTELLO
Punch The Clock
1984 (Demon)

Number eight in Elvis's exemplary restoration of his own back catalogue, Punch The Clock marked the first cracks in the Costello facade. But now, bolstered with out-takes, demos and live alternatives, the album is beefed up into a substantial 20-track collection. The funk-punch of the TKO Horns still tends to overwhelm the songs, but 'Shipbuilding' and 'The Invisible Man' sound mighty good. Of the seven 'extended play' tracks, the live versions of 'The World And His Wife' and 'Everyday I Write The Book' are as Costello originally envisaged them, while the composer's pithy sleeve notes—for example, "Pills and Soap took a cue from parts of Joni Mitchell's Hissing Of Summer Lawns, although my vocal delivery disguises this quite well"—are a further bonus. This is definitely another model reissue.

---------------------------
SONGWRITING ****
PERFORMANCE ***
AGAINST LAST LP ***
---------------------------
OVERALL 10/15