From Billboard:
Rhino's upgrade of Elvis Costello's back catalog will continue with a staggering expansion of three early 1980s albums. Due Sept. 9 are two-disc versions of 1980's "Get Happy," 1981's "Trust" and 1983's "Punch the Clock."
A total of 73 additional tracks have been added across the three titles, which only comprised 47 songs in their original incarnation.
This constitutes quite a few more bonus tracks apiece than the generous Rykodisc re-issues of these albums a few years ago.
Even better, they put all the bonus stuff onto a separate disc. I'm happy to see the original order and content of the albums intact. I'm happy to get the bonus material, but it's good to have it separated.
Plus, we're expecting extensive new Elvis penned liner notes.
Note that all this bonus material and extensive liner notes and packaging might be just the kind of things to cause people to go out and buy factory copies even of albums they've already bought. Indeed, it'd probably make me sick to think how many copies just of Trust I've bought over time.
I swear this will be the last time I buy this album.
NOTE: Amazon does not yet have these Rhino re-issues, so I'm listing the Rykodisc versions. It's all good.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
the elvis reissue machine got its grip on me a while back. all of the demo material was just fantastic.
after all this time i still can't get enough of the honky tonk demo of "Mystery Dance"
2 - Tom Johnson
I'm really hoping looking forward to Punch The Clock. While I realize it's one of Elvis' low points (it can't possibly be lower than Goodbye Cruel World), I'm still looking forward to it for the fact that it remains the one and only EC album I haven't heard yet.
And when it comes to Goodbye Cruel World, I'm really hoping the bonus disc is full of alternate takes or demos untouched by the producers' hands - because that is an album full of typical Costello compositions destroyed by ugly, way-cheesy 80s-soundin' production.
3 - Bill Sherman
Rhino's done this before to me: with Ramones and Robyn Hitchcock discs. Think of it all as a test of your Full Commitment to Elvis-ness. . .
4 - Al Barger
Yeah, but it's getting near the point where proving my Full Commitment to Elvis-ness might have to involve robbing a bank to pay for this groovy stuff.
5 - ClubhouseCancer
RE: 1982-3 Elvis
I think PTC is even more ruined by production screw-ups (silly horn parts, not-from-nature keyboard sounds) . Goodbye Cruel World just doesn't have as many good tunes as any of the albums up to that point. PTC at least has "Shipbuilding" and "Pills and Soap," and "Evberyday I Write the Book," which fits your example of a good EC tune ruined by smelly '80s production.
I too have bought some EC albums two and three times, but I'm more dubious about it. They knew these things existed when the RYko ones came out, so why didn;t they just include these tracks then? They're asking for more $$$$ for stuff I already have.
As an example of a rare charitable, intelligent, respectful move, Atlantic put out a box of the 1958 Charles Mingus recordings for their label. That year saw Mingus release three unforgettable Atlantic CDs, and the set has all three plus outtakes and alternate versions from the albums.
BUT: They put out a single disc version, for regular price, of just the extra stuff, because they knew most half-serious Mingus fans certainly already had Ah Um, Oh Yeah, and Dynasty, and didn;t need them again. Nice, huh? And rare.
How about a two disc set, for instance, of everything they've got left from the first three Elvis albums? Or the next three? Or whatever.
I just don't need any more copies of the studio version of "Motel Matches," which I've bought three times already and apparently will have to buy again.
Of course, if only these cuts were crap, we wouldn't have to bother.
6 - Al Barger
Punch the Clock is only marginally hampered, at most, by faddish production. The production is not that heavy-handed.
I perfectly well like the arrangement of "Everyday I Write the Book." It's a bit glib, but so is the song. It's a good match for a light (but very well conceived) pop song.
Goodbye Cruel World has a somewhat more questionable production, but the main problem is inconsistent songwriting. This was one of his couple of least batches of songs. A George Martin production would not make "Sour Milk Cow Blues" a classic.
On the other hand, even this relatively weak album had "Inch by Inch."
One main song here that was pretty good, but suffered from the production was "The Only Flame in Town." That would be a particularly good candidate for demos or a live version.
7 - ClubhouseCancer
I also like "Inch by Inch" and can sorta hear it in a Nievy-Armed Forces minimalist style.