In what must be something of an all-time record for a single album, Costello and producer Nick Lowe crammed no less than 20 songs on this disc, with no apparent loss in sound quality or volume level. The entire album runs slightly more than 45 minutes and contains a decidedly generous helping of Costello's distinctive songwriting.
Needless to say, the 20 songs do not represent a uniform standard of excellence, but most are good enough to be included among Costello's best. The single, dramatic signature song still eludes Costello on his fourth album, but there is still plenty of evidence of his artistic vitality.
The production by Lowe is the real star of the set. He packaged each song in a custom-made sound and arrangement, creating a sense of being both precise and off-hand.
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