Consumer Guide Album

Elvis Costello and the Attractions: The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions [Columbia, 1985]
From "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives" to "Everyday I Write the Book" and "The Only Flame in Town," this would seem the solution to anybody's Elvis C. problem--it consists entirely of songs you like so much you think you understand them. But from there to there is a long way. As Columbia knows, writing catchy doesn't make him a singles artist--for better or worse his LPs have gestalt. Including this one, I guess--it's programmed to flow, sowing confusion around your recollection of how past gestalts flowed. But never expect a perfect compilation from somebody who essays a perfect album every time out. A−