Hello Ross, As someone who had been buying Costello albums on or very near day of release since "My Aim is True", he had kind of lost me with "Punch the Clock" and "Goodbye Cruel World" (I have never been keen on Trust or the C&W LP either). I did not buy "King of America" (and I still don't have it). I caught Costello and the boys unexpectedly playing tracks from "Blood & Chocolate" on the OGWT and was taken aback how good they were. So, next day I went out and bought it on swanky white vinyl no less, BtW it was released on Demon in the UK. I rate it as one of his great albums and I know this perhaps is controversial, but his last really good album from start to finish. In my opinion "I Want You" is a stone classic, but I do agree it is however, not a single a bit like the Kinks "Celluloid Heroes" a magnificent sweeping epic of a song, but was never going to trouble the chart compilers - I recall Annie Nightingale upon release giving it single on BBC's Roundtable and even that did not help it. If you have not already got it, a really summary of Costello's 1st decade, is the self compiled the "Girls + £ - Girls = £ @ Girls" lots of diff versions and the CD, 2LP, cassette and DAT all have different track list, tracks and running order, well worth dipping as it maps out his progression over those years. Keep up the good work. Brds Russell.
Of course I wasn’t around when these albums were originally released but my trajectory of discovering this album was similar, loved his first could of albums then lost interested around 83/84 and just recently discovered how great this album is. I’ll keep a look out for that comp!
Almost....His top 3 are : "My Aim Is True" ,"Imperial Bedroom " and this one....Of course, this is merely my opinion...Others may and should be different.
