The fourth round in Rhino’s reissue of Elvis Costello’s back catalog includes three divergent albums made with the Attractions from 1980 to 1983: “Get Happy,” “Trust” and “Punch the Clock.” The first is the pick of the litter, with “Get Happy” including songs that Costello has yet to top in his ever-burgeoning oeuvre—namely, the highly charged “High Fidelity” and “Riot Act,” tracks in which Costello seems to be documenting his youthful self-combustion by verse, chorus, verse. The original sonic concept was to nick tricks from the R&B canon, although the Attractions’ sound was so sui generis that this is hardly apparent. As with the other Costello reissues, the two-for-one double-disc set includes a full bonus CD of demos, alternative versions and live cuts. Moreover, Costello himself penned the engrossing liner notes.—BB
