ELVIS COSTELLO PUNCH THE CLOCK MFSL 1-389 180 gram Audiophile LP A Numbered, Limited-Edition, 180-gram LP, Sourced from Original Master Tapes. Costello & the Attractions return to mainstream pop on this slick-sounding 1983 album that includes "Everyday I Write the Book.” Punch the Clock is Elvis Costello & the Attractions' most British record, a return to mainstream pop craft loaded with clever barbs and insightful social commentary that nearly landed the headliner in serious trouble with government representatives.   Produced by the English hit-making team of Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, the jumpy and horn-accompanied 1983 effort includes Costello's first-ever American Top 40 hit (“Everyday I Write the Book”) and a smooth sheen that reinforces the material's commercial intent and catchy appeal. Mastered from the original master tapes, our numbered limited edition 180g LP presents the hyper-literate fidelity and refined melodies in astonishing sonics, navigating the multiple layers of information, brassy effects, and background vocals to present a unified whole replete with stellar front-to-back depth.   Akin to the reissue label's previous acclaimed Costello reissues, Punch the Clock is vastly improved, the opened-up perspective, pronounced instrumental separation, and textural clarity enhancing all the details within the grooves. Fresh from making a country tribute album and a large-scale set flush with complex arrangements, Costello and Co. return to straight-ahead pop given a decidedly British accent and soulful backing vocals.   Conscious of the Merseybeat sound and success of Dexy's Midnight Runners, Costello tints songs with new-wave characteristics, splashy horns, and spontaneous vocal-response support courtesy of female duo Afrodiziak, one member of which later attained fame with Soul II Soul.   Steve Nieve's bounding piano lines dance throughout the arrangements, adding witty pizzazz and delicate allure to already-tuneful fare like “The Element Within Her” and “Mouth Almighty.” SIDE 1. 1. Let Them All Talk 2. Everyday I Write the Book 3. The Greatest Thing 4. The Element Within Her 5. Love Went Mad 6. Shipbuilding SIDE 2. 1. The World and His Wife 2. TKO (Boxing Day) 3. Charm School 4. The Invisible Man 5. Mouth Almighty 6. King of Thieves 7. Pills and Soap Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading