Punch The Clock Reviews
All-Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)
Perhaps frustrated by the lack of commercial success Imperial Bedroom
encountered, Elvis Costello enlisted British hitmakers Clive Langer and Alan
Winstanley to produce its followup, Punch The Clock. The difference
between the two records is immediately noticeable. Punch The Clock has
a slick, glossy surface, complete with layered synthesizers, horns, studio
effects and the backup vocals of Afrodisiac. The approach isn't necessarily a
misguided one, since Costello is as much a pop musician as he is a
singer/songwriter and many of the best moments on the record -- Everyday I
Write The Book, Let Them All Talk -- work well as shiny pop
singles. However, the problem with Punch The Clock is that Costello is
entering a fallow songwriting period; it is his least consistent of original
songs to date. The best moments, the anti-war ballad Shipbuilding and
the eerie pseudo-rap Pills And Soap, are as articulate and effective as
any of his past work, but frequently Costello falls short of meeting his
standards, particularly when he's trying to write a song in the style of his
older songs. Nevertheless, the sheen of the Langer & Winstanley production
makes Punch The Clock a pleasurable listen. Costello's uneven writing
means that only portions of the album are memorable.