The theme of ‘Not With That Clown’ is in the subtitle ‘great songs of sexual jealousy’. We know the theme is sexual jealousy and then, being a various artists release, there will be different takes in each individual song. Whether it’s Billy Bragg in an odd signature or Paul Kelly declaring he’d rather go blind than “see you with another guy”, the theme remains throughout. It’s perfectly executed because the material has been selected to fit the theme rather than because there are contractual obligations or favours owed. This also has the effect of allowing the collection to wander in style and genre while remaining in the mood.

It doesn’t hurt that sexual jealousy is a powerful thing to write about, resonates with the listener (viewer/audience of some description), and features in chart busting songs aplenty

Nonetheless, even a calculated pitch can resonate if the delivery is superb. And if it sounds real that also counts.