Customer Reviews

For the Stars

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

After listening to this recording for the first time I went back to the record store to return it, but was unable to since the seal had already been broken. Stuck with the CD I gave it another try and have been listening to it continuously since.

This is one of those times I purchased something soley on the basis of the cover, which was so intriquing I had to give it a try. I had known about ASvO since her recording of Mozart's Idomeneo (one of the finest operatic recordings every made); and my only significant exposure to Elvis was his gorgeous recording of Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars with the Kronos Quartet, which I imagine he arranged.

Although my principal interest is opera, I have always been purturbed by how the beauty of a singer's voice is more often than not obfuscated by the material. Every once in a while the natural quality of the voice is discerned: these are priceless moments. I've often thought that I would be content with listening to a beautiful operatic voice reciting the Gettysburg address. In this recording you get the Gettysburg address and much more.

ASvO's effort here is a lesson for any singer of any genre. Sometimes, all it takes to make beautiful music is to simply sing, without all the baggage that comes of trying to cater to tradition. I recommend it unreservedly.

I watched the ITV South Bank documentary on the making of this collaboration and was capitivated by the utter charm and grace of von Otter and her hauntingly beautiful voice on the tracks that were shown being recorded.

I have wide musical tastes, including opera. Elvis is an old time favourite but somehow von Otter had escaped under the radar. So after watching the programe I did a search for the album and purchased it straight away (amazon.co.uk.)

Since then I have played it constantly and it never fails to lift and capitivate me. The pathos of love and life seems to be the theme. My favorites are the 2 Brian Wilson songs, but there is not one dud track.

The quality of the recording is stunning (done in the world famous Atlantis studios) every intonation, inflection and breath is discernable not to mention Sophie's charming pronunciation difficulties.

All involved in this recording are sympathetic to musical project and to achieving the best they can. The recording sounds simple and honest but one which much hard work and expertise has gone into.

Go buy and treasure.

Thank you Sophie, thank you Elvis.

Studio, that is... And WHAT music!!! I can understand one's disappointment upon hearing this and expecting another Elvis Costello collection. This isn't! This is a Declan MacManus disk all the way...

"Julliet Letters" was one of the most brilliant collections of music to escape the 90's, and that was just about as far from being an Elvis Costello album as you can get. What made that so special was the concept, the musicians and the songs. Same here.

Whoever picked these songs really knows good music. These are some of the best "pop" songs ever written. von Otter's stunning voice melts perfectly into the spare sprinkling of melodic and/or harmonic accents Costello occasionally adds.

It's been suggested that von Otter's voice lacks the "soul" required to perform anything other than opera. Words seldom come more ambiguous or open to interpretation than the word "soul". This disk reeks soul; the soul of a beautiful voice singing gorgeous songs with perfect acompaniment; the souls of some of the best songwriters that ever lived; the soul of one of the greatest recording studio's on earth. The soul of Elvis/Declan Costello/MacManus...

There are probably no past or future "hits" here, but there isn't a song included that isn't, in some way, truly fantastic.

The "medely" of Waits's "Broken Bicycles with McCartney's "Junk" is as surprising as it is pretty. Ron Sexsmith's "April after all" has it's best treatment ever here. Lennon/McCartney's "For no one" sounds eerie and fresh, in spite of it being covered often, and by some fairly important musicians in just the past few years. All the songs ofer skewered but lovely interpretations. All demand repeated listening.

It took some nerve for a lesser known (here) Swedish operatic diva to team up with a post punk post pop post rock post classical genius and come up with a beautiful collection of mighty pop. Mighty like a rose...

I am a trained musician. My only acquaintance with Elvis Costello was witnessing him on Saturday Night Live during the punk era. Until now, I'd never paid attention to Anne Sofie Von Otter.

Listening at almost the height of my ignorance of both these musicians' work affords me to focus on the music as music, not in the context of any culmination of this or that. I enjoy this compilation most when imagining it as my fantasy of hearing perfect live music. I visualize sitting with my wife at a stage front table in a comfortably lit, smoke free bar, sparsely populated with music lovers, and with the performers just a few feet away. The volume level is comfortable, the instruments are unmiked, and Anne Sofie stands in front of our table singing as if we were the only audience. I clearly hear every breath and sibilant.

That's just how clean are the production values of the eighteen songs that comprise For the Stars. Assuming Elvis Costello had ultimate say so in the final mix, it's apparent that he worships Anne Sofie's voice, mixing it one level or so louder than the backup instruments. On some songs, I strain to hear and enjoy arrangements and orchestration.

But listening to Anne Sofie, it becomes clear why she deserves to be the focal point. Her transition from mezzo soprano to pop vocalist is 95% complete. Gone is the heavy operatic throatiness. What's left contains magic. The remnants of a classically trained voice are refreshingly exposed through flawless diction, inspired phrasing, and buttery smooth breath control. She is so good I can enjoy the music even when not listening to it.

Costello's unique voice and vocal style is another story. I confess I've not gotten used to it. Although not unpleasant, its remnants seem to be from the punk era. The production of his tone includes some goofiness, and he employs a pulsing Bee Gee-like vibrato. These are much less distracting to me now than when I first heard him, and I'm able to focus on what his singing adds to the music. And it adds considerably. Elvis wisely chose to limit his singing to backup roles throughout most of the album. When he does come to the forefront, his voice has more the function of adding pepper and spice to the gourmet recipe of Anne Sofie's voice and tasteful orchestration.

Standout songs include two from Brian Wilson's landmark Pet Sounds album, "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on my Shoulder)" and "You Still Believe in Me." Over the years I've unsuccessfully searched for examples of other musicians performing these incredibly gorgeous songs; such covers must be rare, and maybe until now nonexistent. Elvis and Anne Sofie make the complex "Don't Talk" seem simple, stripping it of all but the most basic orchestration, exposing its raw beauty and masterful writing. In deference to the song's creator, neither line nor chord is changed. After thirty five years, although I've never grown tired of Brian Wilson's own performance, I cannot describe how satisfying it is to hear the piece with new ears. "Don't Talk" always deserved liberation from the Pet Sounds suite as a standalone standard. The Costello and Von Otter rendition may just give it that chance.

All the songs are good! My other standouts are as follows:

Burt Bacharach and Costello's "This House is Empty Now" has a catchy tune and well-paced harmonies. At first I did not peg this as a Bacharach piece, but it's all clear now. I've always felt Bacharach had a quirky knack for keeping angst out of music with sad themes.

Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus's (ABBA) "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room," is a crystal clear rendition of a pretty poem set to pretty music. Benny Andersson's sensitive piano technique is noteworthy.

Tom Waits' and Kathleen Brennan's "Take It With Me" is the second of Wait's songs on this album. It is so pretty, so touching, with lyrics as well written as popular standards. Now I've got to go learn about Tom Waits.

Costello's "For the Stars" is an uplifting romp with mediocre lyrics, but the music finishes the album in rousing celebration.

I reserve my five star ratings for timeless "desert island" CDs. This one is not quite there, but I know I'll listen it over and over, probably for years.

Truthfully, I had found Costello's previous collaborations to be too arty and bloodless, in the end. Juliet Letters was too dry, and he gave Painted From Memory over to Burt very early on. Not so here.

What he offers here for Ms. Von Otter is much more collaborative than previously. True, the arrangements are never truly inspired, with the exception of the duets between Elvis and Sofie. What DOES happen is that we get to hear old material in new ways (Broken Bicycles/Junk) and Elvis material being sung by someone who can hit the notes (I Want to Vanish, which surpasses the original on All This Useless Beauty).

Von Otter's beautiful voice soars, dips, ripples through the arrangements prepared by Costello. It's truly brilliant listening. Her operatic background serves her well, and Costello does a great job of choosing songs for her that can stretch her wonderful abilities as an interpreter.

But, such an egomaniac as Costello can't leave himself out, can he? He wrote lots of the album himself, and saves the title track for a stunning duet that pairs VonOtter's lovely, soaring trills with his own pungent, declarative voice. For the Stars (the song) is worth 10 stars out of 5 for this incredible juxtaposition, and the rest of the album ain't bad, either.

A bit dry at times, but wonderful overall, especially as an into to Ms. Von Otter. Transcendant, tasteful, muted jazz-pop.

First, let me say this: I *hate* opera singers' crossover pop albums, as a general rule. And never, ever, EVER, buy them. This goes for the whole current crop of classical superstars -- Renee Fleming, Kathleen Battle, Barbara Bonney, Dawn Upshaw, Thomas Hampson, Jerry Hadley. Pretentious, oversung, and condescending, to the last note.

I bought "For the Stars" on the strength of von Otter's name; everything I've ever heard her sing has been impeccable in timing, emotional value, and delivery, and she's got this buttery-Chardonnay voice that won't quit. It took me six or seven tracks to get into the album, but after that I was hooked. She's the exception to the rule -- the opera diva who actually appears to appreciate pop music on its own terms. (Her diction's a little Julie Andrews, it's true ... but after all, she *is* Swedish.) Her delivery evokes a lot of similarities to today's smart jazz/folk stylists; you could compare her to Dido, or Sarah McLachlan, or Diana Krall, with the essential difference that she's got twice the voice of any of those ladies, and she's using it more efficiently. For the first half of the album, she pares the high stuff down to a pencil point ... when she finally lets it all hang out, it's in a true Karen Carpenter pop belt, and it's FABULOUS.

My one quibble with this album -- and I'm fully aware that I'll be invoking the rage of all those Elvis Costello fans out there by saying this -- is that on the cuts where he contributes vocals, he and von Otter's voices lack true chemistry. To go a step further and really make some enemies ... his voice suffers by comparison to hers -- his vocals sound ragged and pushed, and he's not quite on pitch. This is especially evident on the few cuts where they sing together in harmony. The guy's a writing dynamo and an arranging genius, but he should have left the singing up to her on this particular album ... possibly he still sounds fine on his own terms, but next to von Otter he's just showcasing his fading stamina and his lack of vocal technique.

But hey. I'm still going to give this one a lot of spins. It's the perfect rainy-Saturday-in listen.

When Paul Simon combined with Phillip Glass to create "Songs from Liquid Days," it was a mild disaster. Glass's lucidity was grating next to Simon's growing lyrical knottiness. The problem is one of sensibilities conflicting and of the appearance of pretention on the part of rockers and cashing in on the part of classicists. This is the problem when classically trained musicians combine with those whose sensibilities are popish.

Elvis Costello has broken this curse with Sophie von Otter with "For the Stars." For one thing, Costello is one of the most musically adept performers of the last thirty years. Many of those who know him, know him only as a Punk or New Wave artifact, but the truth is that Elvis Costello has produced a long string of complex, intelligent, and diverse songs from the start.

I can't speak to Sophie von Otter's oevure, since I'm not all that familiar with her work, but I trusted Elvis Costello in his judgement of her vocal abilities, and I was not disappointed. What makes "For the Stars" work, where other combinations fail is that Elvis Costello's placement of von Otter's voice is in the middle ground between pop singing and classical leider. The song choices are the key.

Von Otter has a cool, even cold voice, and her reading of Costello's somewhat bitter and even sarcastic material is dead on. The pacing is glacial, but that too suits both von Otter's singing and the choice of material.

The choice of material is less ecletic that it appears: Tom Waits (a Costello influence, surely), Paul McCartney, and Brian Wilson among others combines well with Costello's material. One or two songs are by local Swedish musicians and are too close to Enya-land for my taste.

Would that Charlotte Church or Bryn Terfel would work with Elvis Costello instead of producing cash-in albums that people may buy, but only shame the artist's respective bodies of work. In this case, both Elvis Costello and Sophie von Otter grow as artists and performers.

I heard an interview with Elvis Costello on NPR discussing this CD and couldn't get the songs they played from it out of my head. This is definitely not standard Elvis Costello, or standard anything for that matter, but it is well worth a listen. After purchasing it my husband and I listened to it almost non-stop for the entire weekend. Anne Sofie von Otter has a clear, effortlessly beautiful voice that is impossible to tire of listening to. Mello, serene, etherial songs that transcend any genre or category. This is for anyone that is looking for something out of the ordinary.

My Elvis Costello CD collection probably includes over 25 remastered albums and CD singles. I dance with glee at word of each new release of his coming out. So, dutifully and blissfully ignorant, I snapped up a copy of "For the Stars" with Anne Sofie Von Otter. First of all, I've never heard of Anne Sofie Von Otter but, figured if Elvis thought she was OK, then that was fine with me. Plus, she looked like Meg Ryan on the back album cover making all well in my simple world. Then I pressed play. "Surely there must be a mistake. Is this the right disc? What's going on here, Butthead?" I looked at the disc again and found there was no mistake there. Noting that song number twelve was I Want To Vanish, one of my Elvis favorites, I tried that to make sure my disc wasn't mislabeled. "I want to vanish, this is my fondest wish..." Yeah, that's the right song but, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!? This is fancy-people girl music! What has Elvis done to me?!? I skipped through a few more songs finding myself cringing at each high note. I found myself suppressing an urge to grab a hammer, smash the disc to pieces, and flush the shiny remnants down the toilet before flinging my Elvis collection out the window into oncoming heavy truck traffic! As my fingers twitched for the nearest blunt object, reason successfully attempted to regain control in my body. I decided I would put this away for now for another day when I wasn't in the mood for new "Elvis" Elvis material. The ploy has yielded fruit. This is actually quite a good album WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR IT. By all means, give a listen to the clips of the songs offered by Amazon.com. If this kind of music appeals to you, you will not be disappointed with the whole album. It is quite hauntingly pretty with stunning instrumentation (Go figure! Elvis was involved!). Steve Nieve plays piano on several of the cuts, much to my liking. It would be fair to compare this to Elvis' work with The Brodsky Quartet in "The Juliet Letters".

One of Elvis' trademarks is his willingness to break new ground, hence my 25+ disc collection of his material (still safe, by the way, on my CD rack). My near berserk reaction after purchasing "For the Stars" without listening first or reading any reviews, however, was all my fault. If you are a strict, Old School Elvis fan then, be warned before buying this. If you enjoy Elvis' creative forays with other, very different musical styles, then you have a very good chance of liking "For the Stars" quite a bit. BUT LISTEN FIRST!!!

As an opera singer, I was so intrigued by what I heard on NPR when they interviewed von Otter and Costello that I ordered the cd that morning. I was not disappointed. Until now, I have never heard such a successful collaboration between two such disparate artists and the combination of von Otter's classical training (most of which is deliberately - and effectively - abandoned)and Costello's really remarkable orchestration is breathtaking in it's beauty. However, I can understand why so many Costello fans do not really like this album - it is certainly not what one thinks of when one thinks "Elvis Costello" (and, to be frank, had I not actually heard some of it, his name on it would have prevented me from buying it)- but it actually shows how very deep this guy's scope as an artist is to have pulled this off. My compliments to both and I hope that this is not the last time they collaborate.