Customer Reviews

Songs Of Elvis Costello: Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is like a secret garden, where old themes and new ideas jump out from behind each other to surprise you. Some songs I understand better now, some less so. Few songs stir me as much as the EC versions, but some are simply fascinating. If you have not yet discovered the great man you will find this collection tempts you further, for the enlightened it is simply gripping. I bought it thinking it was a cynical financial release, and played it to death. I have followed EC through from Pump It Up! in my teens through countless recordings and live performances (most recently a memorable set in Liverpool at the Royal Court -where he sounds best)and this album still surprised me - I should not be so quick to jump to conclusions! Buy it.

If you're a fan of Elvis Costello, this is a must have collection of a variety of artists interpreting his songs. He's a master songwriter, and the diverse quality of the performers included here is a testament to his talent. There's not a bad track on this collection!

This is a fabulous collection of Costello covers. The name performers do a fine job, but the show is stolen by the Irish pub singers and lesser-known artists (at least to American audiences). The culmination is Chet Baker's rendering of Almost Blue, recorded, I believe, on his last tour of Japan. Overall, this is one of the best CDs ever recorded. Even those not enamored of Costello's own versions should find something to love here!

Easily on my 1998 top-5 CD list. The stylistic range covered here is awesome, and I don't (personally) care for a couple of the torchier selections, but there is a aolid groundwork of tremendous songs, many of which I hadn't heard before. Unwanted Number and Indoor Fireworks stand out as classics.

I didn't even know that this album existed, but I'm so glad that I saw it in the record store that day. No one can sing Elvis Costello without singing it beautifully--they don't dare!! It's full of magic and surprises. Enjoy it.

Unless you are a deadly serious E.C. fan, it is difficult to keep track of all of his collaborations, the songs he writes for others, or the covers of his own songs. After Dylan, he is arguably the most imaginative and prolific songwriter of the rock era. This CD is a wide-ranging collection of talented artists who have channeled Elvis in the studio and on stage. Their voices may be different, but the words are unmistakably E.C. The lyrics are in fact the center of this collection--musical styles swirl around (pop, country/rockabilly, ballads, folk, and jazz) in tribute to the versatility of his songwriting and the malleability of his songs, but Elvis' words are coming out of these other mouths because they all appreciate what E.C. has done crafting these lines. This is not a tribute album, but a study of how talented performers can't resist good songs. In that sense, this is a "greatest hits" album of sorts. It evades the uneveness that some complain about in Elvis' albums. It is an album of many voices: An Elvis fan can listen and enjoy the essence that is truly E.C., and a person who hates Costello can listen and enjoy 21 solid and multifarious performances.

I pulled this cd out of a bargain bin at Barnes & Noble back in 2000. I have had to replace that original cd once already, worn it out I believe. This is one of those cds that I would want to have with me if I were stranded somewhere. You might not even necessarily like Elvis Costello but you will love what other people have done with his songs. And if you are an Elvis fan this will make you appreciate him even more. And the people on the cd are incredible, Dave Edmunds, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Roy Orbison and people we don't hear in the States, Christy Moore and June Tabor. The Chet Baker version of Almost Blue is out of this world. Really for a Rhino compilation album this thing is priceless.

If you are a fan of Costello's talented and quirky songwriting and lyrics, you will certainly enjoy this fresh collection of Costello covers. You will not be dissatisfied.

A few standouts include For Real's rendition of "Unwanted Number", Tasmin Archer's rendition of "All Grown Up" and Til Tuesday's version of "The Other End (of the Telescope)".

Included are a good collection of ballads as well as pop, country, and folk songs. I don't believe that any of these songs are marred by a cover artist's narcissism either, which is nice. A fitting tribute.

Fascinating mix of artists- Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Roy Orbison. While we all know about EC's lyrical gifts, this collection underscores EC's versatility and mastery of melody. The latter is often lost in the harshness of his own delivery (something he admits to- almost regrettably- here in the liner notes). Thru other artists, we are treated to gentle, almost reverent handlings of his work. A beautiful, and ultimately - believe it or not - a cohesive collection. Hail EC!

A great collection, but did you know the song "The Commedians" is somewhat of a copy of the Charles Aznavor song Le Commedians??