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Hinting at ideas rather than exploring them fully, Costello crams 20 lively tunes onto this unusual album. Perhaps ten of them could be Top Ten hits for someone or other — by no means a bad batting average. Initially Get Happy is a blur of no-nonsense party sound; stories are told, melodies defined and influences acknowledged, then on to the next tune before you know it. But with repeated listenings the album achieves a strong coherence. Although some of the 20 tunes are a little weak, there are no real duds. Apart from covers of the obscure Sam & Dave classic "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" and The Merseybeats' "I Stand Accused," the songs are all high-energy originals; they span the whole gamut of rock influences, from the ska of "Human Touch" to the soulful "Secondary Modern" to the infectious pop of "King Horse" and "5ive Gears in Reverse." Despite the brevity of each tune, Costello's lyrics retain their sting, and because the music is so upbeat and danceable, the message becomes in an odd way more convincing than his past work. Get happy!
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