![Jake's Progress [Original TV Soundtrack]](https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_75/MI0000/121/MI0000121548.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Perhaps frustrated by the lack of commercial success Imperial Bedroom encountered, Elvis Costello enlisted British hitmakers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley to produce its follow-up, Punch the Clock. The difference between the two records is immediately noticeable. Punch the Clock has a slick, glossy surface, complete with layered synthesizers, horns, studio effects, and the backup vocals of Afrodiziak. The approach isn't necessarily a misguided one, since Costello is as much a pop musician as he is a singer/songwriter and many of the best moments on the record -- "Everyday I Write the Book," "Let Them All Talk" -- work well as shiny pop singles. However, the problem with Punch the Clock is that Costello is entering a fallow songwriting period; it is his least consistent set of original songs to date. The best moments, the antiwar ballad "Shipbuilding" and the eerie pseudo-rap "Pills and Soap," are as articulate and effective as any of his past work, but frequently Costello falls short of meeting his standards, particularly when he's trying to write a song in the style of his older songs. Nevertheless, the sheen of the Langer and Winstanley production makes Punch the Clock a pleasurable listen. Costello's uneven writing means that only portions of the album are memorable.
Elvis Costello / Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Punch the Clock
Share on
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Track Listing
| Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3:06 | |||||
| 2 | 3:54 | |||||
| 3 | 3:04 | |||||
| 4 | 2:53 | |||||
| 5 | 3:13 | |||||
| 6 | 4:53 | |||||
| 7 | 3:28 | |||||
| 8 | 3:55 | |||||
| 9 | 3:04 | |||||
| 10 | 3:05 | |||||
| 11 | 3:45 | |||||
| 12 | 3:43 | |||||
| 13 | 3:25 |
