Punch The Clock (US) (Remaster)

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:45:26
Elvis Costello & the Attractions/Elvis Costello: Steve Nieve (Hammond b-3 organ); Bruce Thomas (electric bass); Pete Thomas (cymbals). Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, Synclavier); Paul Speare (flute, tenor saxophone); Jeff Blythe (clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Stuart Robson (trumpet, flugelhorn); Chet Baker, Dave Plews (trumpet); Jimmy Paterson (trombone); Steve Nieve (piano, Synclavier); Morris Pert (percussion); Claudia Fontaine, Caron Wheeler (background vocals). Recording information: Air Studios, London, England (1983). Photographer: Nick Knight. Perhaps frustrated by the lack of commercial success Imperial Bedroom encountered, Elvis Costello enlisted British hitmakers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley to produce its follow-up, Punch the Clock. The difference between the two records is immediately noticeable. Punch the Clock has a slick, glossy surface, complete with layered synthesizers, horns, studio effects, and the backup vocals of Afrodiziak. The approach isn't necessarily a misguided one, since Costello is as much a pop musician as he is a singer/songwriter and many of the best moments on the record -- "Everyday I Write the Book," "Let Them All Talk" -- work well as shiny pop singles. However, the problem with Punch the Clock is that Costello is entering a fallow songwriting period; it is his least consistent set of original songs to date. The best moments, the antiwar ballad "Shipbuilding" and the eerie pseudo-rap "Pills and Soap," are as articulate and effective as any of his past work, but frequently Costello falls short of meeting his standards, particularly when he's trying to write a song in the style of his older songs. Nevertheless, the sheen of the Langer and Winstanley production makes Punch the Clock a pleasurable listen. Costello's uneven writing means that only portions of the album are memorable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
エディション : Remaster
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)