Costello & Nieve Reviews
All-Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)
Elvis Costello embarked on a small, intimate tour with his longtime pianist
Steve Nieve in the spring of 1996 to promote All This Useless Beauty.
All of the shows from the five-date tour were recorded, and highlights from
each show were issued on a series of promotional EPs that were later released
commercially as the box set Costello & Nieve. Stripped down to their
basics, the songs from All This Useless Beauty sit elegantly next to
Costello classics, as well as several lesser-known gems from his rich back
catalog. The performances are all understatedly passionate, and rank among the
best that Costello has given, making Costello & Nieve five
discs that any hardcore fan will treasure.