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.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Let Them All TalkElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:06 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 2 | Everyday I Write the BookElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:54 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | The Greatest ThingElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 4 | The Element Within HerElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 02:52 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 5 | Love Went MadElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:12 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 6 | ShipbuildingElvis Costello, Clive Langer | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 04:54 | 11 MB | 26 MB |
| 7 | The World and His WifeElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:24 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 8 | TKO (Boxing Day)Elvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 9 | Charm SchoolElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:55 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 10 | The Invisible ManElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 11 | Mouth AlmightyElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:05 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 12 | King of ThievesElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 13 | Pills and SoapElvis Costello | Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Elvis Costello | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 45 mins | 104 MB | |||||
| 45 mins | 298 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chet Baker | Additional Personnel, Soloist, Trumpet |
| 2 | David Bedford | String Arrangements |
| 3 | Jeff Blythe | Additional Personnel, Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone) |
| 4 | Barney Bubbles | Booklet Design |
| 5 | Elvis Costello | Casio, Composer, Epiphone, Guitar, Main Personnel, Primary Artist, Synclavier, Vocals |
| 6 | Elvis Costello & the Attractions | Primary Artist |
| 7 | Colin Fairley | Assistant |
| 8 | Claudia Fontaine | Additional Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 9 | Gavin Greenaway | Assistant |
| 10 | Daniel Hersch | Mastering |
| 11 | Michele Horie | Producer, Reissue Producer |
| 12 | Nick Knight | Photography |
| 13 | Clive Langer | Audio Production, Composer, Producer |
| 14 | Bill Levenson | Artist Coordination |
| 15 | Steve Nieve | CMI, Emulator, Fairlight, Hammond B3, Member of Attributed Artist, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Synclavier, Vox Organ |
| 16 | Jimmy Paterson | Additional Personnel, Trombone |
| 17 | Morris Pert | Additional Personnel, Percussion |
| 18 | Dave Plews | Additional Personnel, Trumpet |
| 19 | Stuart Robson | Additional Personnel, Flugelhorn, Trumpet |
| 20 | Coco Shinomiya | Design |
| 21 | Phil Smee | Cover Design |
| 22 | Paul Speare | Additional Personnel, Flute, Sax (Tenor) |
| 23 | Bruce Thomas | Bass (Electric), Member of Attributed Artist |
| 24 | Pete Thomas | Cymbals, Member of Attributed Artist |
| 25 | Caron Wheeler | Additional Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 26 | Alan Winstanley | Audio Production, Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |