Punch the Clock


Punch the Clock is an album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions, released in 1983. It was Costello's eighth album, his seventh with the Attractions since 1978. The album featured Costello's first US Top 40 hit, "Everyday I Write the Book." It was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who also produced Costello's following album, Goodbye Cruel World.
It was ranked as the number 1 "Album of the Year" for 1983 by NME; thirty years later, the magazine ranked it at number 345 in its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Critical reception

Trouser Press called the album "another tour de force."

Track listing

All songs written by Elvis Costello unless otherwise indicated.

Bonus tracks (1995 Rykodisc)

  1. "Heathen Town" – 3:10
  2. "The Flirting Kind" – 3:00
  3. "Walking on Thin Ice" – 3:52
  4. "The Town Where Time Stood Still" – 3:32
  5. "Shatterproof" – 2:19
  6. "The World and his Wife" – 3:13
  7. "Everyday I Write the Book" – 2:21

    Bonus disc (2003 Rhino)

  8. "Everyday I Write the Book" – 2:22
  9. "Baby Pictures" – 1:30
  10. "Heathen Town" – 3:10
  11. "The Flirting Kind" – 3:00
  12. "Walking on Thin Ice" – 3:52
  13. "Big Sister's Clothes/Stand Down, Margaret" – 5:17
  14. "Danger Zone" – 2:18
  15. "Seconds of Pleasure" – 3:44
  16. "The Town Where Time Stood Still" – 3:33
  17. "The World and his Wife" – 2:44
  18. "Shatterproof" – 2:15
  19. "Heathen Town" – 2:17
  20. "The Flirting Kind" – 2:52
  21. "Let Them All Talk" – 2:14
  22. "King of Thieves" – 3:20
  23. "The Invisible Man" – 2:124
  24. "The Element Within Her" – 2:13
  25. "Love Went Mad" – 3:01
  26. "The Greatest Thing" – 2:25
  27. "Mouth Almighty" – 3:03
  28. "Charm School" – 2:17
  29. "Possession" – 2:29
  30. "Secondary Modern" – 3:02
  31. "The Bells" – 4:14
  32. "Watch Your Step" – 3:22
  33. "Backstabbers/King Horse" – 4:47
Note: The Rykodisc version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on one CD. The Rhino version has two CDs with the original tracks on the first CD.

Personnel

;The Attractions
;The TKO Horns
;Additional personnel
;Technical
Album
YearChartPosition
1983Billboard Pop Albums24

Single
YearSingleChartPosition
1983"Everyday I Write the Book"Mainstream Rock33
1983"Everyday I Write the Book"Pop Singles36
1983"Pills and Soap"UK singles16