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Elvis Costello has to be the ultimate musical enigma.
To try to pin him down to any specific style, to neatly position him in a niche in the world of music is an impossible task.
Just how do you describe a man whose creations border on virtually every modern trend in the complex world of "rock" while still generating his own unique, personal touch in every song?
Derby Assembly Rooms were last night treated to a well planned "Best of Elvis Costello."
With the sneering disregard for his audience cast aside he gave everyone just what they wanted to hear. Costello and the Attractions on top form are an unforgettable combination.
Everything is crisp, exact and superbly atmospheric to the point when the front man himself seems barely able to contain his emotions.
To see Elvis contorting his face in an effort to squeeze every drop of feeling out of songs such as "Kid About It" dispels all memories of "punk," "New Wave" or any other convenient pigeon hole into which people have tried to slot him.
A born survivor, Costello has done his thing, despite criticism or disdain incurred in the process. What other modern rock musician would have the courage to embark on the country music venture which cost him so much of his popular support?
The dismal turnout for yesterday's concert was evidence enough of how so many people misinterpreted the Almost Blue LP.
What the cynics missed was a treat. Launching into the set with "Accidents Will Happen" and varying the tempo throughout with nearly 40 songs, Elvis was in top gear.
Timeless crowd-pleasers such as "Oliver's Army," "Pump It Up," and "Alison" were intermingled with new compositions and '60s covers.
The split version of "Watching the Detectives" was a masterful piece of arrangement.
Without the orchestra and clever studio work tracks from the new LP took on a new aura of tight arrangement and heartfelt lyrics epitomised in "And in Every Home" and "Beyond Belief."
The new single, Smokey Robinson's composition "Head to Toe" is a throwback to the Stax-influenced Get Happy album and may provide a pointer to Elvis's next diversion from the current staid and predictable world of popular music, but with Costello any prediction about the future has to be a wild guess.
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