Preview of album When I Was Cruel
Chart Attack, 2002-03-07

 

Elvis Costello Acts Cruel To Be Kind

Thursday March 07, 2002 @ 06:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Everyone here has been enjoying the advance copy of Elvis Costello’s new album, When I Was Cruel, that’s come into the Chart office. Unlike so many of his peers, even in his old age, Elvis has still got it. The new record is Elvis’ (real name: Declan MacManus) first album in six years (not counting "special" projects like the Burt Bacharach collaboration) and features 15 tracks of classic Costello. It’s dynamite, we tell you, dynamite.

But, despite the surefire quality of Costello’s new stuff, it’s the early albums that will probably keep fair Elvis in the history books. According to the fine folks at Pitchfork Media, there’s a new Costello covers album in the works that will exclusively features songs from his first four albums. The tribute is being planned by the people at Knitting Factory records (the very prestigious record label, which is affiliated with the very prestigious New York jazz/rock club). According to a Knitting Factory rep, the tribute album will feature covers performed by Kristin Hersh (of the now reformed Throwing Muses ) and Lee Ranaldo . Other Costello fans that may participate include Wilco , Liz Phair and Elliott Smith .

The tribute album is in the very very early planning stages and the Knitting Factory folk don’t expect to see it in production until early next year. Until then, here’s a full tracklisting of the new When I Was Cruel album. Until the album is released on April 22 you’ll just have to imagine what the songs sound like. Imagine a lot of snarly sex appeal and fairly aggressive songs. Really.

• "45"
• "Spooky Girlfriend"
• "Tear Off Your Own Head"
• "When I Was Cruel No. 2"
• "Soul For Hire"
• "15 Petals"
• "Tart"
• "Dust 2"
• "Dissolve"
• "Alibi"
• "…Dust"
• "Daddy Can I Turn This?"
• "My Little Blue Window"
• "Episode Of Blonde"
• "Radio Silence"

 

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