When
Elvis Costello's back catalog from 1977-1986 shifted from Rhino to Hip-O in 2007, the third major
EC reissue campaign was inaugurated by the just-the-basics hits set
The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years and its companion,
Rock and Roll Music, the first of a projected series of thematic trawls through
Costello's back pages. Since it arrives hand in hand with a compilation that deliberately serves up nothing but the usual suspects,
Rock and Roll Music is a welcome fresh take on
Costello's catalog. Compiled by
Elvis himself, the set has a few hits and standards found on most
Costello comps -- "Pump It Up," "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea," "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding," "Tokyo Storm Warning" -- but the intent isn't to serve up familiar tunes, it's to showcase a particular musical side of his many-faceted musical personality, which this does very well. As the title makes plain,
Rock and Roll Music focuses on his rock & roll recordings, which sometimes have been overshadowed by the musical explorations taken by
Costello ever since he signed to Warner in 1989. This tremendously entertaining 22-track compilation proves that at his peak
Elvis was a thrilling, hard-edged rocker, particularly when he was backed by the Attractions -- which he is on all but two cuts here, both taken from his Attraction-less debut,
My Aim Is True (that is, if the collector bait of the previously unreleased solo demo version of "Welcome to the Working Week" counts).
Costello does rely heavily on the two hardest Attractions records here -- there are five cuts from 1978's
This Year's Model and four from 1986's
Blood & Chocolate, if the alternate of "Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?" is counted -- but he also sprinkles in B-sides (all also appearing on the 1980 U.S. compilation
Taking Liberties) and digs deep into albums for largely unheralded gems as "King Horse" and "Lovers Walk." These are a couple of minor revelations for big fans, but this isn't quite aimed at the hardcore, who, after all, will be very familiar with these 22 songs. This is for the casual (or former) fan who wants to explore further, and for them, this will be an excellent supplement to a hits disc. But this is really for the skeptical neophyte who never believed that
Elvis Costello was a punk rocker -- for them, this compilation provides ample proof that, yes, he really was. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine