|
Taking Liberties is 20 cuts from earlier Elvis Costello efforts, previously unreleased in the United States or only available on English singles or EPs. Where you'd expect everything here to smell a little musty, the surprise is that Costello has, even in his remainder pile, enough sparks to keep things bright and fresh.
Songs fall roughly into three groups: old continental hits ("Radio Sweetheart," "I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea"), earlier versions of tunes he redid on later LPs ("Clowntime is Over"), or things he felt sounded too similar to other recordings.
The mixed-bag quality of that arrangement is either satisfying to Costello fans, or else disturbing to those who expect to hear evidence why people regard this guy as one of rock's leading figures.
If you're somewhere in-between, Taking Liberties will serve as great litmus paper. If you get to the point of listening three or four times, you'll be won over. Despite the sometimes-monotonous vocal delivery, Taking Liberties is extremely catchy and impressive in displaying the multiple musical tricks old Elvis has up his pants legs. Definitely a good three.
| 
