The River In Reverse [CD/DVD Combo]

Elvis Costello | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 6, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Verve Forecast
• ASIN: B000FBH476
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,345 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #67 in Music > Blues > Regional Blues > New Orleans Blues

Track Listings

1. On Your Way Down

2. Nearer To You

3. Tears, Tears And More Tears

4. The Sharpest Thorn

5. Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?

6. The River In Reverse

7. Freedom Of The Stallion

8. Broken Promise Land

9. Ascension Day

10. International Echo

11. All These Things

12. Wonder Woman

13. Six-Fingered Man

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Some inspired music has arrived in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (mainly on New Orleans-themed benefit albums), but nothing as audaciously ambitious as this cross-generational collaboration between Crescent City mainstay Allen Toussaint and former British upstart turned adventurously eclectic veteran Elvis Costello. As a songwriter, producer, and arranger, Toussaint has been responsible for hits from artists ranging from Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, and Lee Dorsey to the Pointer Sisters and Labelle. Costello, long a huge fan of Toussaint's music, sings relatively familiar fare such as "On Your Way Down" and "Freedom for the Stallion" from Toussaint's extensive songbook along with obscurities mainly recorded by Dorsey. Toussaint supplies his distinctive piano and horn arrangements--as well as lead vocals on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?"--with Costello's Imposters serving as the rhythm section. Yet the real revelation comes from the new material, including the title track (a searing Costello composition in the Toussaint soul-spiritual mode) and five new Costello/Toussaint compositions that spotlight Toussaint's signature sound without diminishing Costello's creative contributions. What could have been a curiosity is instead a hallmark in the catalog of each artist. --Don McLeese

Product Description

The River in Reverse is Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint's spirited and deeply soulful new album, including seven songs from Toussaint's remarkable catalog; five newly written by the two; and one new song, the title track, written by Costello. Sessions for the album took place over a whirlwind two weeks late last year in Hollywood, CA and at Piety Street Studios in Toussaint's hometown of New Orleans. Produced by Joe Henry, the album masterfully combines Costello's band the Imposters with Toussaint's horn section (Amadee Castenell, Joe Smith, Sam Williams, and Brian Cayolle) and guitarist (Anthony Brown).

Toussaint led the ensemble from the piano, with Imposters keyboard player Steve Nieve switching to Hammond B3. The majority of the tracks were cut with the entire group in the room and Costello singing live, occasionally adding his guitar to the mix. Costello selected songs from deep within the Toussaint catalogue such as "Nearer To You," "Freedom for the Stallion," and "Tears, Tears and More Tears." Toussaint kicks off the lead vocal on his composition, "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" and trades vocal lines with Costello and bassist Davey Faragher on several other tracks.

All of the horn arrangements are marked with Toussaint's distinctive style and, commented Costello, "add a second voice" to the title track, the one song that Costello wrote alone. Just before the recording began, the duo holed up in New York to write together throughout October, a quick-moving process that resulted in four songs on the album of various combinations of words and music.

The songwriting collaboration began with Costello writing lyrics for Toussaint's beautiful minor key variation of Professor Longhair's "Tipitina." The resulting piece is now entitled "Ascension Day." Other new titles include "The Sharpest Thorn," "Broken Promise Land," and "International Echo."

Toussaint previously produced a 1983 Costello cover of Yoko Ono's "Walking on Thin Ice" with the Attractions and the T.K.O. Horns, and also contributed piano to the New Orleans-recorded "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" from Costello's 1989 album Spike.

Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Toussaint relocated to New York City, where the two renewed their musical friendship at several benefit concerts and club gigs during a seven-day period from the 17th of September, leading to discussions of this new album. The powerful song "The River in Reverse" was written by Costello on September 24th, 2005, and performed by him for the first time at that night's "Parting the Waters" benefit event organized by the The New Yorker magazine.

More Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint

King of America Elvis Costello	Imperial Bedroom Elvis Costello & the Attractions	Painted from Memory Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach
The Wild Sound of New Orleans: The Complete 'Tousan' Sessions Allen Toussaint	Finger Poppin' and Stompin' Feet: 20 Classic Allen Toussaint Productions for Minit Records 1960-1962 Various Artists	Connected Allen Toussaint

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A monumental effort for a monumental city., June 7, 2006

By 

Soulboogiealex (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The River In Reverse [CD/DVD Combo] (Audio CD)

When the Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint collaboration was announced I was a bit skeptical at first. Costello's output has been very unpredictable in recent years. Toussaint's latest collaboration with John Henry was endearing but by no means very special. I felt this could become an amusing record at best. Both gentlemen prove me wrong on this outing.

The idea for record probably started after the flood of New Orleans. In the accompanying DVD Costello explains it was initially intended as a Toussaint songbook effort. While working on the project it evolved into more than that. Some five songs here are new collaborations between Costello and Toussaint. What immediately strikes you is how well these two gentlemen complement each other. Elvis' somewhat nasal and sandy voice is balanced out by the ever friendly and gentle backing vocals of Allen, the gruff instrumentations of the Attractions complemented by Toussaint's own Funky horn section and elegant piano playing.

Thematically the album approaches that of a protest album. Costello still proves to be the angry young man he was at the start of his career, albeit not so young anymore. Toussaint classics as "On Your Way Down" and "Who's Gonna Help A Brother Get Further" are complemented with the new "River in Reverse", a beautiful snarling track filled with horror about what occurred in the Crescent City. The album is filled out with some beautiful love songs from the Toussaint catalog that function as a counter to the political material and bring balance to the record. Elvis delivers al these songs with a passion and conviction you haven't heard from him in years. The album is an emotional rollercoaster, it makes you want to laugh, dance, sing, cry and scream, all in the course of an hour.

This album could very well be what Springsteen's Rising was to 911. It is as much a balm for the soul as it is an indictment to the Bush administration and those who left the poor of New Orleans to fend for them selves in the onslaught of the flood. Yet the record never gets bitter. It honors the city's spirit and music. The music is intended to lift you up, to be critical yet soothing, to give voice to anger yet to heal wounds. A monumental effort for a monumental city.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soulful masterpiece, July 13, 2006

By 

Terrence Aybar "cinemaparker@twitter" (New York City, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The River In Reverse [CD/DVD Combo] (Audio CD)

This is damn good stuff. It's the kind of album that you listen to while sitting on the edge of your bed, smoking one cigarette too many or maybe staring out your window while the sun sets. After all these years, Elvis Costello is still knocking them out of the park and with Allen Toussaint as a partner in crime on this recording, the result is an album that's so good that it almost hurts. The piano work is exquisite on this album as is Costello's singing.

"Nearer to You" is a great track, as well as "Tears, Tears and More Tears", which somehow reminds me of old Motown without trying too hard. "The River in Reverse" is probably the best song in the album but then again, all the songs are really good anyway so it's almost like saying that a beautiful woman in a room full of them is the prettiest.

This is a strongly recommended purchase, not to mention that there is a nice behind the scenes dvd that comes with select pressings of this album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Joyful Rage, June 23, 2007

By 

EddieLove "EddieLove" (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The River In Reverse [CD/DVD Combo] (Audio CD)

This tribute to New Orleans and the work of Allen Toussaint in the aftermath of Katrina is powerful and uplifting. A great collaboration - Elvis' agnger informed by Toussaint's humanity
The DVD is excellent as well. Typically, these are just a few videos and some scenes in the studio. The footage here of Toussaint returning to his hometown, as well as some hot live performances, could easily have made a compelling feature documentary. (And have we ever seen footage of Elvis recording an album?)