When I Was Cruel (UK 2 CD set / Tour Edition)

'When I Was Cruel' follows a number of collaborations with artists such as Burt Bacharach and Anne Sofie von Otter. This album is a return to Costello's upbeat rock-pop sound that he displayed on 1994's 'Brutal Youth'. The recording sessions took place at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin.

Rolling Stone (12/26/02, p.104)
- Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2002"

Mojo (1/03, p.77)
- Ranked #33 in Mojo's "Best Albums of 2002"

Entertainment Weekly (12/20-27/02, p.126)
- Ranked #2 on EW's list of 2002's "Albums of the Year" - "...Packed with bristling spews, noir soundscapes, and cutting autobiographical sketches that reveal a man grappling with the onset of middle age..."

CMJ (12/30/02, p.10)
- Ranked #4 on CMJ's "Top 10 of 2002"

Rolling Stone (5/9/02, p.74)
- 4 out of 5 stars - "...Costello still records...with care and creativity....WHEN I WAS CRUEL is a collection of tough tunes and textures that recalls-but doesn't recycle-the records that endeared him to his earliest admirers..."

Spin (May 2002, p.117)
- 7 out of 10 - "...The professor [has] his groove back....46-year-old Elvis sneers, snipes, and snaps like it's '77....the music-ranging from twangy jazzisms...to raucous blues rock...lets Costello honor his roots..."

Q (4/02, p.111)
- 3 out of 5 stars - "...Raw and lengthy....the veins at Costello's temples are throbbing again..."

Mojo (5/02, p.108)
- "...Costellar..."

NME (4/20/02, p.24)
- 6 out of 10 - "...There are reassuringly unhealthy signs of life..."

Alternative Press (June 2002, p.75)
- 6 out of 10 - "...CRUEL is ultimately a welcome return to the office..."

CMJ (4/29/02, p.11)
- "...Costello has blessed us with a motherlode of tunes, concetrating on crafting self-proclaimed "rowdy rhythm ballads" shaded with subtle textures and vibes..."