Blender, December 2002

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ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS

Cruel Smile

Clark Collis

Island

Cheeky rock savant issues a catchy compilation of remixes, live tracks and "airshots".

Given that he is one of rock’s more perverse SOBs, it’s hardly surprising that Elvis Costello's previous rarities collections (1980's Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers, 1987's Out of Our Idiot) frequently boasted songs better than those on his regular albums. But where those compilations trawled a substantial time span for their respective gems, Cruel Smile collects odds and ends from the last year. It leans heavily on electronicadusted mixes of tracks from his backon-form When I Was Cruel and some not-all-that-good live cuts, including a “Watching the Detectives"/"My Funny Valentine” medley. El’s charttopping (in Japan!) orchestral version of Nat King Cole's pop standard “Smile" on the other hand, is a definite peach

Tags: The Imposters • Cruel Smile • Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers • Out Of Our Idiot • When I Was Cruel • Watching The Detectives • My Funny Valentine • Nat King Cole • Smile