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Elvis Costello  

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Real Life Becomes A Rumour
A complete visual guide to the recordings, collectables, bands, photos, appearances, and professional life of Elvis Costello.
http://www.elvis-costello.com/RLBAR.html
Elvis Costello Mystery Cover
Extensive listing of songs written or co-written by Elvis Costello that have recorded or performed by others. Includes links to free EC cover downloads.
http://home.cfl.rr.com/jdha/stuff/ecmcotw/
Elvis Costello Online
News, tour dates, live chat, lyrics, sounds, photos and trivia. Includes CDs, videos and books for purchase.
http://www.ecostello.com/
The Trainspotters' Guide to Elvis Costello
Master list of Elvis Costello links. Site also hosts "Real Life Becomes a Rumor."
http://www.elvis-costello.com/
Elvis Costello Is King
One fan's song by song analysis of the greatest recordings and compositions of Elvis Costello.
http://www.morethings.com/music/costello/
Bright Blue Times
A fan page with special emphasis on previously unreleased material.
http://www.astheygo.com/elviscostello.htm
VH1 Artist Page: Elvis Costello
News, biography, musical influences, audio clips, photos, music videos, bulletin boards and links.
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/costello_elvis/artist.jhtml
Elvis Costello Home Page
Very detailed discography as well as news, biography, bibliography, concert reviews, gigography, etc.
http://www.elviscostello.info
Elvis Costello - The Trainspotters' News
Weblog of Elvis Costello appearances and notes.
http://www.costellonews.com
The Stamping Ground
Elvis Costello fansite featuring pictures, desktops, skins, free email, interviews, fancorner, and audio.
http://www.elvis-costello.net/
Amazon offers My Flame Burns Blue [Includes Bonus CD] (Audio CD),28 February, 2006
Pop music artists |  Elvis Costello  | pop stars List price $18.98
Jazzy Eclectic Set from Rock's Most Energetic Renaissance Man Plus a Replay of His Classical Piece / 4
With its Saul Bass-inspired graphic on the cover, this superb 2006 disc by musical experimentalist extraordinaire Elvis Costello has a pervasive throwback feeling that embraces much of his non-rock work of the past two decades. It's a live recording of the artist's concert performance with Metropole Orkest at the 2004 North Sea Jazz Festival held in The Hague. Unlike others of this ilk, this one has a surprisingly lush sound with the ideal blend between Costello's familiar raspy vocals and the versatile jazz-classical fusion orchestra. In spite of a few moments of audacious failure, the recording provides many aural pleasures for those who appreciate Costello's more experiemental side.

The eclectic program includes new material to Costello as well as jazzy reinterpretations of his classics like "Almost Blue" and "Watching the Detectives". In the former category is the lively opening track, "Hora Decubitus", a swinging Charles Mingus composition for which Costello wrote life-affirming lyrics at the request of the jazzman's widow, while we were in the throes of 9/11. Another high-voltage track is "That's How you Got Killed Before", a bubbling number that comically warns against the dangers of adultery. From Costello's "Trust" album and reflecting the most drastic transformation, "Clubland" is a nostalgic blend of Latin mambo beats and bluesy swing that suddenly turns into a circus-type atmosphere. It's more odd than fun. Percolating beats dominate his almost unrecognizable retake of "Almost Ideal Eyes" complete with the singer scatting away in the opening and a free-for-all jam at the end.

Costello brings back a couple of the more melancholy songs from the Brodsky Quartet sessions, "Put Away Forbidden Playthings" and "Upon a Veil of Midnight Blue", the latter especially well tinged with an elegant supper club feel. I particularly like the angry clash of sounds and words on "Episode of Blonde", which originally came from his "When I Was Cruel" CD. Slower, mood-setting numbers are sprinkled throughout - "Favourite Hour" with its majestic opening of horns; the more classical-sounding dirge, "Speak Darkly, My Angel", written for mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter (but not included in their 2001 collaboration disc); and the swooning title track which seems to cry out for Sinatra's vocals. The one song he leaves alone is his pop masterpiece composed with Burt Bacharach, "God Give Me Strength", from the wondrous 1998 "Painted from Memory" disc, which appropriately ends this recording. The seemingly polite audience can only be heard in between the tracks an editing trick that certainly benefits the rest of us. The recording as a whole reflects a masterful performance from the most eclectic, surprising and enduring of performers.

There is a bonus CD to give further proof of Costello's versatility as a composer, a streamlined version of his "Il Sogno" suite, a "story ballet" set to Shakespeare's fantasy comedy, "A Midsummer's Night Dream", for a full symphony orchestra. For those like me who already own the 2004 recording, it is obviously not a necessary addition, but it does make a solid thematic companion to the primary CD. Somewhat flawed by an overreach toward conflicting musical styles, the net effect is more cinematic than symphonic, but the playing is exquisite with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The centerpiece, "Oberon and Titania", reflects what I mean by clashing styles starting with a gently medieval-sounding oboe, which leads to the complementary sounds of clarinet and strings, but then switches abruptly to a lengthy jazz passage complete with Ellington-like riffs that sounds unfortunately like George Benson's version of "On Broadway" cross-pollinated with Bernstein's "West Side Story". Other tracks are more seamless, but the hodgepodge effect lingers throughout.

Song "Hoover Factory"
Five miles out of London on the Western Avenue
Must have been a wonder when it was brand new
Talkin' 'bout the splendour of the Hoover factory
I know that you'd agree if you had seen it too
It's not a matter of life or death
But what is, what is ?
It doesn't matter if I take another breath
Who cares ? Who cares ?
Green for go, green for action
From Park Royal to North Acton
Past scrolls and inscriptions like those of the Egyptian age
And one of these days the Hoover factory
Is gonna be all the rage in those fashionable pages

Five miles out of London on the Western Avenue
Must have been a wonder when it was brand new
Talkin' 'bout the splendour of the Hoover factory
I know that you'd agree if you had seen it too
It's not a matter of life or death
But what is, what is ?
It doesn't matter if I take another breath
Who cares ? Who cares ?


2 Walls Webzine - music review - Elvis Costello
recent reviews | all reviews. Elvis Costello and the Attractions Armed Forces (1979) review by: Gregory Joseph Date: 1/10/01 ...
http://www.2walls.com/REVIEWS/MUSIC/costello_elvis.asp
Amazon.com: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello And The Attractions: Music
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars Based on 23 reviews. ... Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. ...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000009VO?v=glance
Yahoo! News Search Results for band "Elvis Costello"

We can knock 'em, but the Police are good (Denver Post)
Before you get your underwear all knotted over the Police reunion tour, consider this: The band is overrated.
INTERVIEW- Chieftains: Iconic band offers all Irish all the time (The Hook)
Published February 22, 2007 in issue 0608 of the HooK.
Sound Bites (The Daily Texan)
Sondre Lerche Phantom Punch Astralwerks 4 stars Sondre Lerche doesn't know what genre he wants to write for. In fact, his music defies classification, jumping from albums full of sweet and mellow pop to smooth jazz-club fodder to upbeat rock that would make Elvis Costello proud.
critic's pick (Lexington Herald-Leader)
Charlie Louvin Charlie Louvin Like any great and lasting music, the legacy of the Louvin Brothers continues to inspire succeeding generations.
June Carter Cash Tribute Album And Book (CMJ)
Late country-music legend June Carter Cash will receive the tribute- album treatment with the June 19 release of Anchored In Love: A Tribute To June Carter Cash (Dualtone).
courtesy of Nate Pruitt (San Jose Mercury News)
While there aren't many young men making a name for themselves on the Bay Area jazz scene as singers, the region boasts a wealth of talented veterans, some of whom are gaining national attention, while others are still well-kept secrets.
Modern Makeovers (Metro Weekly)
Erin McKeown's latest album launches a bit ominously, with her shouting, ''Hallelujah, all you sinners gather round...just follow me.'' It becomes easy enough to do, as what starts off sounding like a séance melts into a lilting, lightly bouncing cover of a Judy Garland classic.
Surrogate City (Washington City Paper)
This is a kind-of-monthly online column that's sort of about music. Its similarities to any previous writings are purely coincidental.
ARTS: Our Critics Picks (Nashville Scene)
In the U.K. of 1977, Squeeze masterminds Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook adhered to songwriting craft when the fashion called for artless bruising and an overall disdain for proficiency.
New CDs due for release on Feb. 21 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
? The Ataris, "Welcome the Night" (Isola/Sanctuary) ? AZ Presents Begetz, "Ghetto Pass" (X-Ray). Guests include 50 Cent. ? Toni Braxton, "The Essential Toni Braxton" (LaFace). Two-CD set. ? ...

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