On the other hand, The Very Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions at least provides the neophyte with a reasonable cross section of Declan's career. The first seven tracks, from "Watching the Detectives" and "(I don't want to go to) Chelsea" to "Pump it Up," and "Oliver's Army," fairly represent Elvis Costello's early hits.
Later selections like "Brilliant Mistake" and "Everyday I Write the Book" demonstrate a strict dedication to Elvis' popular material, which is nice for people who don't want to shell out the fifty odd dollars for Girls, Girls, Girls, the comprehensive 3 CD collection released in 1986.
The major fault with this collection, aside from the fact that this is now the third Elvis Costello greatest hits collection, is that the track selection inexplicably stops at 1986. Nice packaging though.
|