All This Useless Beauty (Rhino re-release)
- Elvis Costello & The Attractions [48:21/67:37]
Release date Media Catalogue number (comments)
2001-08-21 2xCD Rhino R2 74284
Disc 1:
  1. The Other End (Of The Telescope) [Costello/Aimee Mann] [4:05]
  2. Little Atoms [3:56]
  3. All This Useless Beauty [4:36]
  4. Complicated Shadows [4:43]
  5. Why Can't A Man Stand Alone [3:14]
  6. Distorted Angel [4:31]
  7. Shallow Grave [McCartney/MacManus] [2:01]
  8. Poor Fractured Atlas [3:58]
  9. Starting To Come To Me [2:43]
  10. You Bowed Down [4:53]
  11. It's Time [5:57]
  12. I Want To Vanish [3:15]
Disc 2:
  1. Almost Ideal Eyes [4:22]
  2. My Dark Life - with Brian Eno [6:20]
  3. That Day Is Done - with The Fairfield Four [5:10]
  4. What Do I Do Now? [4:27]
  5. The Bridge I Burned [5:20]
  6. It's Time (Demo) [3:58]
  7. Complicated Shadows (Demo) [2:27]
  8. You Bowed Down (Demo) [4:21]
  9. Mistress And Maid (Demo) [2:19]
  10. Distorted Angel (Demo) [2:33]
  11. World's Great Optimist (Demo) [2:34]
  12. The Only Flame In Town (Demo) [4:20]
  13. The Comedians (Demo) [3:08]
  14. The Days Take Care Of Everything (Demo) [3:58]
  15. Hidden Shame (Demo) [4:01]
  16. Why Can't A Man Stand Alone (Demo) [3:01]
  17. Distorted Angel (Tricky Remix) [5:34]
Producer:
Geoff Emmerick & Elvis Costello.
Personnel:
Elvis Costello - vocals, electric/acoustic/slide guitars, backing vocals, + celesta on "All This Useless Beauty", second bass on "Shallow Grave", bridge keyboards on "You Bowed Down"
The Attractions:
Pete Whyman - bass clarinet on "All This Useless Beauty" & "I Want To Vanish"
Roy Babbington - double bass on "All This Useless Beauty" & "I Want To Vanish"
Matt McManus - rhythm research on "It's Time"
The Brodsky Quartet on "I Want To Vanish"
Ruth Causey - Bb clarinet on "I Want To Vanish"
Disc 2:
"Almost Ideal Eyes"
First issued as the B-side to "You Bowed Down" [U.S.] & as the B-side of "Little Atoms" ('One Of Four') [U.K.]
Produced by GEOFF EMERICK & ELVIS COSTELLO
With/E.C. & THE ATTRACTIONS
"My Dark Life"
First issued on the album Songs In The Key Of X (Various Artists)
Produced by BRIAN ENO & ELVIS COSTELLO
With/E.C.: vocals, guitar, bass, piano o BRIAN ENO: gadgets
"That Day Is Done"
First issued on THE FAIRFIELD FOUR album I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
Produced by MARK PRENTICE & LEE OLSEN
With/E.C.: lead vocals o THE FAIRFIELD FOUR: vocals o LARRY KNECHTEL: piano
"What Do I Do Now?"
First issued on the album 17 Volume (Fifth Birthday Bumper Bonanza!) (Various Artists)
Recorded at ELVIS' house
With/E.C.: vocals, all instruments
"The Bridge I Burned"
First issued on Extreme Honey: The Very Best Of The Warner Bros. Years
Produced by MAC MANUS PÈRE ET FILS o Recorded by BEN FENNER o Engineered & Mixed by JOHN HUDSON
With/E.C.: Hofner bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals o MATT MacMANUS: Fender bass, drum loop o DANNY GOFFEY: drums o NED DOUGLAS: sample control
"It's Time," "Complicated Shadows," "Mistress And Maid," "Distorted Angel," "World's Great Optimist," "The Only Flame In Town," "The Comedians," "The Days Take Care Of Everything," "Hidden Shame" & "Why Can't A Man Stand Alone"
With/E.C.: vocals, all instruments
"You Bowed Down"
With/E.C. & THE ATTRACTIONS
"Distorted Angel (Tricky Remix)"
First issued as the B-side of "You Bowed Down" [U.S.] & as the B-side of All This Useless Beauty" ('Four Of Four') [U.K.]
All Songs Written by ELVIS COSTELLO, except: "Other End Of The Telescope" & "World's Great Optimist" by ELVIS COSTELLO & AIMEE MANN "Shallow Grave," "That Day Is Done" & "Mistress And Maid" by DECLAN MacMANUS & PAUL McCARTNEY "What Do I Do Now?" by LOUISE WENER .
Charts:
#28 (UK), #53 (US).
The Los Angeles Times reported in July '98 that this album had only sold 103,000 copies.
Notes: