|
The name of this album is certainly appropriate, because New Waver Elvis Costello takes considerable liberties with his audience's patience on this turkey
After issuing four promising albums, My Aim Is True (1977), This Year's Model (1978), Armed Forces (1979) and Get Happy!! (1980), Costello has foisted upon the public a collection of garbage accumulated over the years that wasn't good enough to put on those albums.
He may have written "Girls Talk," but he doesn't perform it as well as Dave Edmunds did two years ago; and the versions he's included here of "Black and White World" and "Clowntime is Over" don't compare to the ones he included on Get Happy!!
The rest of the self-penned material is sludge, with the only high points being an energetic Van McCoy rhythm-and-blues shouter, "Getting Mighty Crowded," and a Rodgers and Hart classic. "My Funny Valentine."
Incidentally, Costello has just released yet another album, called Trust. From the sound of the tracks which have been played on the radio, it appears Costello may be so devoid of ideas that he's destined to drop out of sight as suddenly as he emerged.
| 
