DAGBLADET, Norway, 1996-05-23 by Mode Steinkjær translated by Arne Skalleberg ELVIS COSTELLO : MISSIONARY OF USELESS BEAUTY 'ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY' is the slightly ironic title of Elvis Costello´s new album. So what do we really want with 'All This Useless Beauty' called music? A meeting with Costello is an answer in itself. Rock music's most punctual man is still one of its most creative artists. Through his almost 20 years as a recording artist, he's written more than 400 songs. Of these, a handful have been 'donated' to 'needing' fellow artists. On ATUB he's claiming four of them back. 'APART FROM FOUR SONGS WHICH WERE RECORDED BY OTHER ARTISTS, ALL THE OTHER MATERIAL ON THIS RECORD IS NEW. AT LEAST THEY'RE NEW TO YOU, TO ME THEY'RE OLD ACQUAINTANCES', Elvis laughs when we meet him in Stockholm. As always, Elvis is impeccably dressed in a suit making him look both elegant and relaxed. His eager and serious demeanour and his constant reminders of the clock ticking away is not just the whims of an eccentric pop-musician, but a reminder of the fact that this is an artist that uses all his time on expressing music through words, passion and soundscapes. 'THE QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO BE A CELEBRITY OR MUSICIAN. YOU CAN'T BE BOTH.' 'AND IF YOU DO CHOOSE MUSIC, YOU WON'T ALWAYS GET THROUGH TO THE AVERAGE RECORD-BUYER, WHO OFTEN SEEM TO HAVE A SUPERFICIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC. THAT'S WHY MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT I HAVE RETIRED AND WITHDRAWN COMPLETELY'. 'I'VE JUMPED OUT OF TAXIS IN LONDON WHEN SOMEONE HAS STOPPED ME AND ACTUALLY ASKED ME WHAT I AM DOING THESE DAYS'. ' OH, YOU KNOW, I'VE JUST SOLD OUT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, IS THE REPLY I GIVE THEM'. With ATUB Costello is back with his old group, The Attractions, and when you consider all his other collaboration projects, this record seems to be a pure labour of love. Two of the songs are previously recorded by June Tabor. 'The Other Side Of The Telescope' was written with Aimee Mann, and 'You Bowed Down' was written for Roger McGuinn. Besides, 'Shallow Grave' is co-written with Paul McCartney and another song written for Johnny Cash. 'I WANTED TO SET A PARTICULAR MOOD BY RECORDING THESE SONGS WHO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN OVER A PERIOD OF MANY YEARS AND FOR A VARIETY OF OCCASIONS.' 'THE SONGS UNIQUE QUALITIES ARE PRESERVED THROUGH THE ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH AGAIN SHOWS THE VERSATILITY IN THE ATTRACTIONS PLAYING. 'THE PRESENCE OF THE BRODSKY QUARTET THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM BUILDS A BRIDGE TO THE OTHER THINGS I DO, WHICH BY SOME ARE CONSIDERED TO BE WEIRD 'SIDE-PROJECTS'. 'THESE SO-CALLED WEIRD PROJECTS ARE IN FACT AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY ART, AND ATUB IS A DOCUMENTATION OF MY WORK AS A COMPOSER AND ARTIST.' 'WHEN I STARTED OUT, I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS GOING TO LAST FOR FIVE MINUTES. 'I HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR TWENTY YEARS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN VERY DARK MOMENTS OCCASIONALLY THROUGH THESE YEARS THAT ALMOST FORCED ME TO CALL IT QUITS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, MOMENTS LIKE THAT ACTUALLY OCCURRED LAST YEAR', Costello admits. But these days, he says, he's got sketches and ideas for at least six new records tumbling around in his head. AN INTIMATE CONCERT FOR ONE HUNDRED SOULS: During his brief stay in Stockholm, Elvis Costello gave an intimate concert for a hundred especially invited guests. DAGBLADET was present, and as a special treat we got the whole new album presented by a solo acoustic Costello. 'SEVERAL OF THE SONGS ON ATUB WERE GIVEN A BRUSH-UP DURING A SOLO TOUR I DID AS A WARM-UP ACT FOR BOB DYLAN'. 'I WASN'T EVEN ON THE BILL, AND PEOPLE'S JAWS DROPPED, WITH WHAT I HOPE WAS PLEASURE, WHEN I TOOK THE STAGE'. During his impromptu gig in Stockholm he showed beyond doubt how his musical and artistic power is coming from within and not through rehearsed routine. In between making small talk, with ruthless and funny comments to people carrying mobile-phones, and all us slaves of nicotine, he delivered his songs in so convincing a manner that the otherwise world-weary audience stood completely silent in awe of the man and his music. REVIEW OF ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY ( 5 OUT OF 6 POINTS) Elvis Costello decided to make it a family reunion, when he gathered The Attractions around him for the making of this record. It gives an extra taste of melancholy. Elvis Costello is indeed a strange figure in rock music. It seems like he's always been there, in one way or another, no matter what he's been up to. But it's quite clear that he has always been best when he's together with the guys in his old band. This collection of songs are things he's written and given to other artists. Now these adopted children are back where they belong and it sounds like they're thriving. Just listen!!!!! Elvis is back in the monarchy of 'King of America', with a dash of both Blood And Chocolate, so of course we are ready to forgive him all his side-steps with classical quartets, and jazzifications with Miss Debbie Harry. Elvis is king again, thanks to his unique talent of telling riveting stories and putting them to sophisticated music. 'THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST' (ON HIS COLLABORATION WITH ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER) This winter Elvis Costello and the world famous mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter were invited to a special project staged by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Swedish Radio occasionally send out invitations to performers in jazz or rock to do a joint concert with the orchestra. Costello and von Otter performed pieces by Stravinskij, Rosenburg, Kurt Weill and from Costello´s 'The Juliet Letters'. 'WE FINISHED WITH THREE SONGS ONLY ACCOMPANIED BY PIANO. VON OTTER´S VOICE IS AN INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT. 'SHE ALSO EFFECTIVELY TORPEDOED THE MYTH ABOUT CLASSICAL SINGERS BEING UNABLE TO IMPROVISE, AS SHE SANG BOTH JAZZ AND POP'. 'MIXED WITH MY VOICE IT WAS REALLY A CASE OF THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST'. 'WE RECENTLY MET IN LONDON TO DISCUSS SOME NEW SKETCHES FOR SONGS, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO BEFORE WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN WHETHER THE COLLABORATION WILL RESULT IN A CD'.