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Kojak Variety
Elvis Costello
Erick Haight
 
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In what seems to be the year of the cover disc, full of "important" artists reinterpreting material they shouldn't have tackled in the first place, leave it to a nearly four-year-old recording by Elvis Costello to renew faith in the concept of the cover record as a viable career move. Surrounded by stellar players, Costello delivers impassioned and memorable performances of older songs that he holds dear, as elaborated upon in the witty and insightful liner notes.
He wisely chooses songs that lend themselves well to his tortured voice; the tales of love gone wrong in "I Threw It All Away" and "Must You Throw Dirt in My Face" sound so perfect that it almost seems like Costello wrote them himself. He also knows his limitations, playing the Little Richard hit "Bama Lama Bama Loo" straight up and avoiding the vocal acrobatics of Richard's original in favor of a rockin' rave-up.
Costello chooses ace material from such classic songwriters as Ray Davies ("Days") and Holland/ Dozier/ Holland ("Remove This Doubt"), but he never forgets to give the songs the Costello touch, infusing them with energy and power.
With the help of such players as Marc Ribot, Jim Keltner, James Burton and fellow Attraction Pete Thomas, Costello rips through the songs with the enthusiasm of a genuine music fan, happy to be playing the songs he grew up with and loved.
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