The Very Best of Elvis Costello

Disc 1
1	(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding
2	Oliver's Army
3	Watching the Detectives
4	Alison
5	(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea
6	Accidents Will Happen
7	Pump It Up
8	I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
9	Radio Radio
10	Clubland
11	Good Year for the Roses
12	Man Out of Time
13	I Wanna Be Loved
14	Everyday I Write the Book
15	Brilliant Mistake
16	The Other Side of Summer
17	Tokyo Storm Warning
18	Sulky Girl
19	So Like Candy
20	Veronica
21	She
Disc 2
1	Big Tears
2	Beyond Belief
3	Lipstick Vogue
4	Green Shirt
5	Pills and Soap
6	Tramp the Dirt Down
7	Shipbuilding
8	High Fidelity
9	New Lace Sleeves
10	(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
11	Talking in the Dark
12	New Amsterdam
13	I Hope You're Happy Now
14	Riot Act
15	My Funny Valentine
16	Indoor Fireworks
17	Almost Blue
18	I Want You
19	God Give Me Strength
20	That Day Is Done
21	I Want to Vanish

Barnes & Noble

It's hard to believe that a quarter century has elapsed since skinny, twitchy, bespectacled Declan McManus assumed the name of the King, changing the face of rock forever in the process. This 42-song collection distills Costello's career with remarkable sharpness, offering not just snapshots from along the way but a genuine aural documentary that follows various threads -- the fluency in country's lexicon, the crafty arrangements, the soulful spelunking -- from era to era. Folks who are most fond of the Attractions' golden age will be pleased, since a good bit of the material dates to Costello's first decade of recording, including underappreciated classics like the seething "Green Shirt" and the sweeping "Big Tears." Abundant evidence of Costello's angry-young-man phase is aired here -- notably "Radio Radio" and the sinuous "Watching the Detectives" -- but that's nicely balanced by the warmth of classic covers such as "Good Year for the Roses." Both his songwriting and his delivery have grown more nuanced over the years, a progression that can be traced through middle-period favorites like "The Other Side of Summer" and "Everyday I Write the Book," both of which glide along on the go-for-baroque backing that he perfected in the late '80s and early '90s. Towards the end of the nicely annotated set's second disc, Costello dons his current guise -- that of the crooner, the pre-rock traditionalist. And while it may be a bit discombobulating to reconcile the orchestra-backed belter of "God Give Me Strength" with the snotty punk of "Pump It Up," The Very Best of Elvis Costello connects the dots cleverly enough so that it all makes sense in the end. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Elvis Costello seems to have an aversion to presenting his work in a logical, comprehensive fashion, if the double-disc The Very Best of Elvis Costello is any indication. Like its predecessor, Girls Girls Girls, it sprawls over two discs, with very little regard to chronology or style, baffling and enticing listeners in equal measure. Although there are certainly some terrific songs missing, it's hard to argue with much of what's here (with the notable exception of the cuts here to lure in collectors -- the Charles Aznavour cover of "She," first heard in Notting Hill, and a version of "That Day Is Done," recorded with the Fairfield Four, featured on their 1997 album). So, as a reasonably thorough, albeit scattershot, overview, this works pretty well, since the music itself is good, even if it doesn't make sense when presented in this fashion (if it was intended to illustrate Costello's stylistic sweep, it winds up as counterproductive, since it's confusing in this fashion, not enticing). Still, the curious will prefer the single-disc sampler, The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions, since it's not only more concise, it illustrates Costello's depth and range equally well. And if you want to dig deeper after hearing that, the original albums are worth any fan's time. Stephen Thomas Erlewine