Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
Costello picks and chooses among his 1977-1986 work for a selection of cuts that, rather than tell a story, make implications and set moods. It's hardly vague, though, not with the likes of "Lipstick Vogue," "Watching the Detectives," and "Clubland" on board. The artist's liner notes are a must-read for die-hard fans. --Rickey Wright

Album Description:
Elvis compiled this 2 CD set himself and calls it 'An unapologetic cavalcade of hits, misses and personal favorites'. He also writes explanations, excuses and alibis for each track.

Rating: - a great compilation but ...
This is great especially since it represents his early stuff with "the Attractions" (which I like the best). I would have preferred a chronological order personally.

You cant single out the songs b/c they are all classics

---

Rating: - Got Me By For Over A Decade
This anthology is a great start for newbies to Elvis Costello. I had his early albums on vinyl and have been a fan since 1979, this was my "budget" collection for about 10 years (along with the very best of EC) till I decided to splurge on the individual cd's. A word of warning though, this only covers his early stuff that goes back 20 years plus. Elvis is a prolific musician and has put out a lot of great material since, so my advice is to buy the original cd's that were released used on Amazon ... Read More

---

Rating: - Amazing early work
This grand collection of Elvis Costello's early work includes some real dynamite. Reportedly selected by the man himself, it includes most of his early gems drawn from albums like My Aim Is True, This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Trust, his country excursion Almost Blue, and others.

There are plenty of classics like Watching The Detectives, Pump It Up, I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea, Accidents Will Happen, Black And White World and Green Shirt. Listening to this album, it is obvious that ... Read More

---

Rating: - One of the Best Costello Anthologies
These are the pearls of the Columbia era for Elvis, and it's a bargain. 47 songs on two discs and a collection of comments from the artist himself, this covers the albums from "My Aim Is True" to "Blood and Chocolate" with only a couple major omissions. (Where's "Radio Radio?") But they are more than made up for by Elvis' notes, which attempt to make a point of spotlighting particular moments and passages, as well as inspirations and mind-states. It may be getting a little harder to find, but it's ... Read More

---

Rating: - For The Fan Or Even The Uninitiated
Normally I would give this CD for stars, but seeing that Elvis compiled it himself with liner notes to justify his reasoning, I've got to go with five. My biggest complaint about this CD is the exclusion of two songs, "Radio Radio" and "Everyday I Write The Book", which should be included. But as Elvis explains, this is not a "Greatest Hits" or "Best Of" collection, and he makes his choices accordingly. By the way, the tighter Rykodisc collection covers the same period (1976-86) on one CD with these ... Read More