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This album, with a few exceptions, is a collection of various B-sides of singles and cuts collected from other places (like the soundtrack of the movie Americathon) that have never appeared on a Columbia LP. This album is in the tradition of Get Happy! in that it has 20 (that's right, twenty) songs on one disc, and it runs about 26 minutes each side. Giving the consumer more music for her money is an idea I wish more artists would imitate.
Considering the varied source of the material, it's not surprising the album sounds a little disjointed. The disorientation is increased by the fact that most of the songs clock in at about two minutes each.
But you have to give the man credit for versatility (as the liner notes say). "Stranger In The House" sounds like a lonesome country hit, while "Getting Mighty Crowded" rolls like a sixties Motown record. "Hoover Factory" is acoustic, while "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" is
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songs.
However, if you don't like Elvis Costello, you probably won't like this album. Elvis' nasal voice is an acquired taste, and the instrumentation tends to drone a bit. At any rate, this should satisfy people until the next full Costello studio album comes out.
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