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On this, Costello's fifth American album, the lure is 20 songs previously recorded by the English new-wave practitioner but not included on his earlier Columbia albums. Considering that these songs fell, more or less, in the reject category, the quality is exceptionally high. Included are some of Costello's best-produced recordings and many of his best-written songs — songs that vary pleasingly in mood and intensity. The material includes a few songs that were "covered" during the past year, including "Girls Talk," "Stranger in the House" and "Talking in the Dark." The album supports the theory that Costello is among the superior writers around today, even if one is not especially enthused over him as a performer.
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