| The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | 1 May 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 1977–1986 | |||
| Genre | New wave, Rock | |||
| Length | 1:18:36 | |||
| Label | Hip-O Records (US) UM3(International) | |||
| Elvis Costello chronology | ||||
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The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years is a compilation album by Elvis Costello released in 2007, [1] consisting of songs taken from the early years of his discography, compiled by Costello himself. [2] [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic says that this collection "is quite similar to the last previous single-disc collection, the 1994 Ryko/Demon set The Very Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions ", with 19 of the 22 tracks the same. The three omitted tracks are "New Amsterdam", "Watch Your Step", and "Love Field." Those songs are replaced by different choices in this set with "New Lace Sleeves", "Almost Blue", and "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes", resulting in the Goodbye Cruel World album being unrepresented on the new compilation. "With these three songs rubbing shoulders with...all the other usual suspects, The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years winds up being the best single-disc summary and introduction to Costello's prime years." [4]
All tracks are written by Elvis Costello, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" | My Aim Is True , 1977 | 2:49 |
| 2. | "Alison" | My Aim Is True | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Watching The Detectives (Single Version)" | My Aim Is True | 3:47 |
| 4. | "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" | This Year's Model , 1978 | 3:11 |
| 5. | "Pump It Up" | This Year's Model | 3:18 |
| 6. | "Radio, Radio" | This Year's Model | 3:07 |
| 7. | "Accidents Will Happen" | Armed Forces , 1979 | 3:01 |
| 8. | "Oliver's Army" | Armed Forces | 3:00 |
| 9. | "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding (Nick Lowe)" | Armed Forces | 3:33 |
| 10. | "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down (Homer Banks/Allen Jones)" | Get Happy!! , 1980 | 2:08 |
| 11. | "High Fidelity" | Get Happy!! | 2:29 |
| 12. | "Clubland" | Trust , 1981 | 3:45 |
| 13. | "New Lace Sleeves" | Trust | 3:48 |
| 14. | "A Good Year for the Roses (Jerry Chesnut)" | Almost Blue , 1981 | 3:09 |
| 15. | "Beyond Belief" | Imperial Bedroom , 1982 | 2:35 |
| 16. | "Man Out of Time" | Imperial Bedroom | 5:29 |
| 17. | "Almost Blue" | Imperial Bedroom | 2:49 |
| 18. | "Everyday I Write the Book" | Punch the Clock , 1983 | 3:55 |
| 19. | "Shipbuilding (Elvis Costello/Clive Langer)" | Punch the Clock | 4:53 |
| 20. | "Brilliant Mistake" | King of America , 1986 | 3:45 |
| 21. | "Indoor Fireworks" | King of America | 4:10 |
| 22. | "I Want You" | Blood & Chocolate , 1986 | 6:42 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [5] | 110 |
This Year's Model is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 17 March 1978 through Radar Records. After being backed by Clover for his debut album My Aim Is True (1977), Costello formed the Attractions — keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas — as his permanent backing band. Recording sessions took place at London's Eden Studios in eleven days between late 1977 and early 1978. Nick Lowe returned as producer, and Roger Béchirian acted as engineer. Most of the songs were written prior to the sessions, and debuted live during the latter half of 1977.
Spike is the 12th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, and his first since My Aim Is True without the Attractions, released on vinyl and compact disc as Warner Brothers 25848. It was his first album for the label and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It also reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the single and his most notable American hit, "Veronica", which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart. In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, Spike finished at No. 7.
Punch the Clock is the eighth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his seventh with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. It was released on 5 August 1983 through F-Beat Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, the album was Costello's attempt at making a commercial record following years of dwindling commercial success. It was recorded at London's AIR Studios in early 1983 and features contributions from the TKO Horns and Afrodiziak.
Blood & Chocolate is the eleventh studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, released in the United Kingdom as Demon Records XFIEND 80, and in the United States as Columbia 40518. It is his ninth album with his long-standing backing band known as 'The Attractions'. After his previous album King of America with producer T-Bone Burnett and different musicians, this album reunited him with producer Nick Lowe and his usual backing group the Attractions. It peaked at No. 16 on the UK Albums Chart, and No. 84 on the Billboard 200. In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, Blood & Chocolate finished at number 9. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2000 it was voted number 475 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.
King of America is the tenth studio album by British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, credited to "The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates" in the UK and Europe and to "The Costello Show featuring Elvis Costello" in North America. Released on 21 February 1986, it peaked at No. 11 on the UK album chart and No. 39 on the Billboard 200. In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, King of America finished at No. 2, and it was also selected as one of Rolling Stone magazine's top twenty albums of the year. In 2000, it was voted No. 540 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.
Flowers in the Dirt is the eighth studio solo album by Paul McCartney. The album was released on 5 June 1989 on Parlophone, as he was embarking on his first world tour since the Wings Over the World tour in 1975–76. It earned McCartney some of his best reviews for an album of original songs since Tug of War (1982). The album made number one in the United Kingdom and Norway and produced several hit singles. The album artwork was a collaboration between artist Brian Clarke, who painted the canvas and arranged the flowers, and Linda McCartney, who produced the cover photography.
"D.J." is a song by English musician David Bowie, released on 29 June 1979 as the second single from his 1979 album Lodger. It was written by Bowie, Brian Eno and Carlos Alomar and recorded in Montreux and New York City in September 1978 and March 1979. A cynical comment on the cult of the DJ, the track includes a guitar solo by Adrian Belew, which was recorded in multiple takes, and then mixed back together for the album track. Bowie mimics David Byrne of Talking Heads in his vocal performance. Its accompanying music video, directed by David Mallet, features Bowie casually walking down London's Earl's Court Road as passersby recognise him and follow him, interjected with Bowie as the tortured DJ destroying his studio. The single charted at number 29 in the UK and has received positive reviews.
Goodbye Cruel World is the ninth studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, and his eighth with the Attractions—keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. It was released on 18 June 1984 through F-Beat Records in the United Kingdom and Columbia Records in the United States. It was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who returned from 1983's Punch the Clock. Recorded at London's Sarm West Studios in March 1984 during a period of turmoil for the artist, the problematic sessions included disagreements between Costello and the producers over the album's direction and high tensions amongst the Attractions.
The Delivery Man is the 21st studio album by Elvis Costello, released on Lost Highway Records, B0002593-02. It was recorded with the Imposters at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. It peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200.
All This Useless Beauty is the seventeenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1996 by Warner Bros. Records. It is his tenth and final album with his long-standing backing band the Attractions, and the last album he delivered under his contract to the Warner Bros. label, his contract expiring with a further compilation album, Extreme Honey. It peaked at number 28 on the UK album chart, and at number 53 on the Billboard 200.
Extreme Honey: The Very Best of Warner Brothers Years is a 1997 compilation album by Elvis Costello, spanning the years 1989–1997.
"Pump It Up" is a 1978 song by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It originally appeared on Costello's second album This Year's Model, which was the first he recorded with the backing group the Attractions. Written as a sarcastic response to his time during the Stiffs Live Tour and inspired by "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan, "Pump It Up" features a stomping rhythm and sarcastic lyrics.
"Everyday I Write the Book" is a song written by Elvis Costello, from Punch the Clock, an album released in 1983 by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It peaked at 28 on the UK Singles Chart and was their first top 40 hit single in the US, peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"From a Whisper to a Scream" is a song written by new wave musician Elvis Costello and performed by Costello and the Attractions on their 1981 album, Trust. With lyrics referencing drinking, the song notably features a guest vocal from Squeeze frontman and songwriter Glenn Tilbrook as well as a guitar part from ex-Rumour guitarist Martin Belmont.
"The Only Flame in Town" is a song written by new wave musician Elvis Costello and recorded by Costello with his backing band the Attractions. The song appeared on Costello's 1984 album, Goodbye Cruel World. Originally written in the style of a classic torch song, "The Only Flame in Town" was reworked by producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley in a more pop-friendly style. This final version features Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates on backing vocals.
"I Want You" is a song written by Elvis Costello and recorded with his backing band the Attractions. It was released on his 1986 album Blood & Chocolate.
"Brilliant Mistake" is a song written and performed by new wave musician Elvis Costello that was first released on his 1986 album King of America. Written about Costello's experiences in America, the song features introspective lyrics and a performance from the Confederates, who performed on the track after his usual backing band the Attractions could not perform to Costello's liking.
"Welcome to the Working Week" is a song written by and first recorded by Elvis Costello in 1977 for his debut album My Aim Is True. A sardonic comment on the working life aimed at a more privileged woman, the song features a brief runtime and unpolished production. Released as the B-side to "Alison", the song has since attracted critical acclaim from music writers.
"New Lace Sleeves" is a song written by new wave musician Elvis Costello and performed by Costello and the Attractions for his 1981 album Trust. The first version of the song was written by Costello in 1974 and featured post-war themed lyrics that were largely scrapped in the final recording. In the final version of the song, Costello included lyrics about seduction and power. Musically, the song was performed at a slower tempo and features a band performance praised by Costello. Pete Thomas notably performed a drum beat inspired by songs from Devo and Stevie Wonder.
"Riot Act" is a song written by new wave musician Elvis Costello and performed by Costello and the Attractions for his 1980 album Get Happy!!. Costello wrote the song as a response to the controversy that had surrounded him in his professional and personal life, particularly relating to his incident in Columbus, Ohio. Recorded originally as a stripped-down acoustic demo, the song was fleshed out in the studio with the Attractions.
