Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Punch the Clock

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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Winstanley Producer Barney Bubbles Booklet Design Bill Levenson Artist Coordination Caron Wheeler Vocals (Background) Chet Baker Trumpet, Soloist Claudia Fontaine Vocals (Background) Clive Langer Producer Coco Shinomiya Design Colin Fairley Assistant Dan Hersch Mastering Dave Plews Trumpet David Bedford String Arrangements Elvis Costello Synclavier, Guitar, Casio, Epiphone, Vocals Gavin Greenaway Assistant Jeff Blythe Clarinet, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone) Jimmy Paterson Trombone Michele Horie Producer Morris Pert Percussion Nick Knight Photography Paul Speare Sax (Tenor), Flute Phil Smee Cover Design Steve Nieve Vox Organ, Piano, Emulator, Organ (Hammond), Fairlight, Synclavier, CMI Stuart Robson Flugelhorn, Trumpet