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Pity the Elvis Costello fan (me, for instance) who spent a small fortune collecting Costello's import singles and albums in order to own the B Sides and other rarities.
Most of these have been collected into one handy but predictably disjointed album of 20 songs. Of the 20, three are brand new and several are miscues (such as Costello's straight reading of Rodger's and Hart's "My Funny Valentine"), but many more confirm Old Acid Tongue as one of rock's most compelling writers of the last decade.
The LP is worth owning just for "Radio Sweetheart" (which reveals Costello's pub-rock influences), "Stranger in the House" (country), "Getting Mighty Crowded" (rhythm and blues) and "I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea" (simply one of his best songs).
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