Pretty much every rock fan knows about the the early history of Elvis Costello...from&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/My-Aim-Is-True/dp/B000UAE86C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">My Aim Is True</a>&nbsp;to whatever he happens to have been doing in the last decade from collaberations with Burt Bacharach and Allen Toussaint to one (or two maybe) classical projects. Either way around it this one seems to have gotton away from me. I had no idea he recorded it,none of the songs seem at all familiar and it looks like I am definately not the only one who feels that way. So whatever:Costello was obviously pretty content at this point to hang on 180 here because this album doesn look or sound like any Elvis Costello & The Attractions album before it. If you want to make the obvious Beatles comparasin (it's one worth making though) you could look at his previous album&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Trust/dp/B000OHZJLE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Trust</a>&nbsp;and this as being like the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Revolver-UK/dp/B000002UAR/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Revolver [UK</a>] and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sgt-Pepper-s-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band/dp/B000002UAU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</a>&nbsp;of his career:both these albums found Costello following the same musical path with a very gradual transition from 3 minute pop to something more psychedlic. Had it all been done?No-this was very very different. With this album Elvis achieved something that was not only thought next to impossible,with some strong exceptions but that would help influence the world of Brit-pop for decades. He was able to integrate the concept of psychedelic effects into songs that were not only very strong but under 5 minutes. The last four songs on thealbum  (as well as the percussive opener "Beyond Belief"),"Pidgin English","You Little Fool" and especially "Town Cryer" give you lot's of strings,leslie amp echoes here and there-the works. But in the hand of new producer Geoff Emmerick it's not very clished;you never know what's coming next. On the other hand there are some moments where other styles tried on earlier albums really come into great focus."Shabby Doll" is a great song;very soulful and very funky,especially the bassline at the end. If the previous album had Elvis Costello's singing was going too in new directions this really takes the cake! Up and down,from song to song he is leaping into this...really very sexy high alto. I wouldn't call it falsetto as it seems very natural."Almost Blue" is....just beautiful. It's the title of his very last album but this torchy jazz ballad is definately one of his unsung classics. Same goes for the soulful "Human Hands"."The Long Honeymoon","Kid About It","Little Savage"....well many of things songs are able to be pretty straight ahead and still be innovative. So sure it's forgotton and I'd bet some people give this a good review simply for that purpose:that just because an album is obscure then it's gotta be good. Well that is never entirely true but this is a very strong exception to the rule,as well as being the best place to find the groun zero where post-punk pop met up with....well where the music's gone pretty much today in a lot of ways.