[.ca] The Very Best Of Elvis Costello (2CD)

From Amazon.com:
The debate over whether he is punk or new wave is long over; today Elvis Costello is less likely to be found on a list with Strummer and Scabies than he is with Bacharach and David and Jimmy Webb. Lauded initially for his energetic and literate attacks on the social ills of Thatcher's England, he has become a peerless master of the popular song. The evolution of Costello's craft as a songwriter and performer, from the early high-octane polemics, through his stylistic experiments with country and soul, and on to standards written for others, is splendidly documented on this elegant two-disc set. Chronology is ignored in favor of a thoughtful program that catalogs the jewels from his prolific output and a sprinkling of covers that demonstrate the maturing of his singing voice. The 42 tracks here lean generously to the first 10 years with the Attractions, but also collects the best of his subsequent collaborations with the cream of America's session musicians and on through to "She," his contribution to the soundtrack of 1999's Notting Hill. --Rob Stewart

Great if you're new to E.C.:
If you are a new fan of Elvis Costello (we all were at some point...) then this is a good CD to start out with because it spans a good deal of his career and can point you in the right direction of if you like his earlier music or latest music. If you are a long-time E.C. fan and have most of his albums, then there is really nothing new here for you. As a greatest hits collection, it was an excellent selection of songs considering they had to keep it down to only two CDs--and its a better deal then a box-set would be. Give it a try.

could've used a chrono-scrambler:
but it's amazing anyway! if you haven't given elvis costello a chance yet, you owe it to yourself. so many pop masterpieces. this guy may be one of the most widely acclaimed, yet underappreciated artists in history. what a shame...these songs--all 42 of them!--are simply fantastic. i'd heard maybe four of them before taking the plunge and dishing out the 20+ bucks for this double cd set. favorites: "oliver's army," "accidents will happen," "veronica," "lipstick vogue," "alison". one has to admit, however, that the more ballad-centric second disc is far, far weaker than the more energetic first disc. if i'd done the compilation, i think i would have scrambled the chronology a bit to even things out.

If you need an overview....:
Nothing can substitute for buying Elvis's studio albums directly, but the Rhino package does an excellent job of gathering the most essential tracks, up to the Bacharach collaborations. Rhino's extensive reissues of Costello's catalogue shouldn't be ignored, but for those who want a quick overview of why EC got into the R & R Hall of Fame on his first ballot appearance, you'll get a pretty good idea here. Contains enough of his pointed early lyricism, and enough of his later refined sentimentality, to give a great overview of a full-spectrum musician and artist. But don't forget to dig deeper -- Costello is one of the most consistent album artists of all time, and his lesser-known songs are almost always as revelatory as his "best." In fact, it's hard to say what his "best" really was -- but this compilation does a good job of making a reasonable estimate of his greatest NON-hit tracks, and a spotless job of collecting his radio staples. If you don't have the money for the majority of his '70s and '80s albums, this is a great place to begin. Just don't stop with it, 'cause he's the most significant British rock musician who wasn't a Beatle.

I'm Loving It!:
Well i am 21 and I guess like many people around my age, I start notice Mr.Costello by his beautiful song "She" for the movie "Notting Hill". Later on after listen to the song "Still" on the david letter man show, i give it a shot and bought the album "North". The album "North" is a slow moving, emotional as if the song "She" does; By that time I thought Elvis Costello is this style. And then later on I was ready to discover more songs from Elvis, I choose this album because I find many people recommend this album. I bought it and then ----- I was blown away! WA! As I said I was really expect Elvis singing song in this style - which is incredible GREAT. "Watching the Detectives", "Alison", "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" (And partly because of the movie Lost In Translation), "Pump it up", "Radio Radio"... so much great song. And in this 42 songs, 2.5 hrs album (which I think really worth the price, consider there are so many songs for this amound of money), you will go through many different style of Elvis songs, which is a really good CD for people like me, knew nothing about Elvis to understand and appreciate his talent. I absolutely recommmend this CD to anyone who are interested in Elvis Costello, but don't know which CD should they buy. :)

A great representation of a great career:
What DECADE was for Neil Young, THE VERY BEST OF ELVIS COSTELLO is for E.C. While it is representative of a longer span of time, T.V.B.O.E.C. leaves very few gaps in Costello's long and varied career. It covers the huge range of musical styles that influenced Elvis and that he incorporated so engagingly: reggae, punk, country/western, pop, Mersey, ska, classical, and Frank Sinatra-type music (whatever that is called). Listening to some of the older tunes, like "Watching the Detectives" (one of my favorites) and "Pump It Up" reminded me of how impressed I had been by this guy's singular sound and individuality during an era of copy-cat punk/new wave bands. And the newer tunes just seem like a logical procession of this man's songwriting ability. This cd is well-worth having in your collection.

• (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
• Oliver's Army
• Watching the Detectives
• Alison
• (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
• Accidents Will Happen
• Pump It Up
• I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
• Radio, Radio
• Clubland
• Good Year for the Roses
• Man Out of Time
• I Wanna Be Loved
• Everyday I Write the Book
• Brilliant Mistake
• Other Side of Summer
• Tokyo Storm Warning
• Sulky Girl
• So Like Candy
• Veronica
• She
• Big Tears
• Beyond Belief
• Lipstick Vogue
• Green Shirt
• Pills and Soap
• Tramp the Dirt Down
• Shipbuilding
• High Fidelity
• New Lace Sleeves
• (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
• Talking in the Dark
• New Amsterdam
• I Hope You're Happy Now
• Riot Act
• My Funny Valentine
• Indoor Fireworks
• Almost Blue
• I Want You
• God Give Me Strength
• That Day Is Done
• I Want to Vanish