DownBeat, March 2005

From The Elvis Costello Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
... Bibliography ...
727677787980818283
848586878889909192
939495969798990001
020304050607080910
111213141516171819
202122232425 26 27 28


Down Beat

US music magazines

-

Almost Blue

Elvis Costello

DownBeat

4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews4½ stars (out of 5) reviews

Almost Blue opened the doors for several generations to dig deep into the heart and soul of American traditional music and understand that purism has the integrity that the next big thing generally lacks. Moreover, the weight of Costello's emotion is so intense that on songs such as Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)" his anger and frustration is palpable. But Costello presciently recognizes the importance of singers like Gram Parsons while paying close heed to the country classics of "Sweet Dreams" and "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down." The bonus CD contains a number of live tracks from three separate gigs at the influential Palomino Club in North Hollywood, Calif., The Mean Machine in Aberdeen and one from London's Royal Albert Hall.


Tags: Almost BlueKojak VarietyHank WilliamsWhy Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?Gram ParsonsSweet DreamsTonight The Bottle Let Me DownPalomino ClubAberdeenRoyal Albert HallJames BurtonMarc RibotDan PennChips MomanDark End Of The StreetMy Resistance Is LowJohn LennonPaul McCartneyYou've Got To Hide Your Love AwayStep Inside Love

-
<< >>

DownBeat, March 2005


DownBeat reviews the Rhino / Edsel reissues of Almost Blue and Kojak Variety.

Images

2005-03-00 DownBeat cover.jpg
Cover.


Kojak Variety

Elvis Costello

DownBeat

4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews4 stars (out of 5) reviews

Featuring a crack session team of guitarists James Burton and Marc Ribot, Kojak Variety was recorded in 1995 and much of the material revealed Costello's unresolved and under-exploited penchant for obscure r&b songs from the '50s. The bonus CD includes Dan Penn and Chips Moman's "Dark End Of The Street," that hardy perennial of the American songbook "My Resistance Is Low" and Lennon/ McCartney's "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away." There are some curious choices too: Lennon/ McCartney's mawkish "Step Inside Love" is a perfect example of the fine line between good taste and post-modern irony.


-



Back to top

External links