Spinning Songbook Countdown: My Flame Burns Blue

I really meant to listen to this stunning live album all the way through but I couldn't managed to get past track two for much of the day.

"Favorite Hour" is in my opinion the best song off 1994's Brutal Youth but this version rivals the original with a new arrangement by Steve Nieve and the grand participation of the Netherlands' Metropole Orkest.

The song's lyrics, described by Costello in the liner notes as "about the anticipation of an execution," could also be applied to whenever you dread an upcoming unpleasant event. Today was one of those days.

Today was the last day for several of the journalists I work with. They each had more than 25 years of experience with the newspaper and they were offered a buyout. They are glad to retire but their service to the paper and the community is unmeasurable. It's a loss for an already thinned newsroom and we had to say goodbye today.

Along with the execution imagery, somewhat gruesome for such a lovely melody, there a lots of descriptions of time passing. The brutal youth being wasted, "bejeweled movement" measuring lost time, and then there's the desire to "arrest the time." I felt like that all day today. Some of the people I learned from the most are leaving and I have a feeling that it's only gonna get worse. There will always be times when you want things to stay the same and this song is perfect to hear when they won't.


That's my melodramatic rant for today, let's get back to the music.

2006's My Flame Burns Blue is actually Costello's first official full-length release and it showcases his prowess as a big band leader. The set, which combines two performances during the North Sea Jazz Festival, features some incredibly interesting versions of Costello classics as well as some of his artier projects.

Among the highlights is a version of "Watching The Detectives" that turns one of his best known songs into the soundtrack for a witty detective film. "Clubland" gets a somber start before it plays up the party atmosphere and turns into a dizzying operetta. "Episode of Blonde" benefits from the bolder horn arrangements and "God Give Me Strenght" gets even more dramatic.

Still, my favorites off this marvelously sounding live album are the quieter songs like "Favorite Hour." "Can You Be True," from North manages to be even more touching. "Almost Blue" from 1982's Imperial Bedroom is gorgeous.

Another song that stands out is "Almost Ideal Eyes," an out-take from the recording sessions from All This Useless Beauty that ended up as a killer B-side.

I wouldn't recommend this album to someone just diving into Costello's sprawling output, unless they were a Jazz fan, but it's definitely worth a listen - not only for the incredible live performance that it captures but how perfectly these songs work with a big band arrangement.

Also, you'll end up listening to "Favorite Hour" over and over.

Spinning Songbook Countdown: The Delivery Man

"I am the mighty and magnificent" Costello howls in the opening track to yet another fantastic album, 2004's The Delivery Man.

The Imposters are back in probably one of their finest album performance, jumping back and forth from dirty Southern rock to old school country. I cannot recommend this album enough.

"Button My Lip" kicks off this collection of songs, an intentional concept album as opposed to the gorgeous accidental melodrama of North, with an unrelenting jam session that combines elements of "America" from West Side Story and feedback heavy arrangement. Though it's the heaviest song on the album, it also let's you know that you are in for a surprise.

Next is the first of the album's alluring country ballads and the first song that specifically deals with the somewhat convoluted story behind the album. The concept revolves around three women whose lives are impacted by a man with a hidden past. The album's liner notes lists the names of the women - Geraldine, Vivian and Ivy - and the man, Abel, along their respective tracks but stops short of laying out the story for listeners.

It also doesn't help that one of the songs that sparked this Southern tale is not included in the album. Costello wrote "Hidden Shame" around 1989 after reading a newspaper story about man facing a charge who had done a much worse and undiscovered deed when he was a child. The song, recorded by Johnny Cash, would later officially appear in Costello's 2009 album Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane.


Abel seems to be the child, now an adult, who returns as a delivery man to an isolated town touched by a major conflict (Possibly a war, since the album was recorded as the Iraq War marked its first year) and becomes an important figure in the lives of the three women.

Geraldine, her daughter Ivy and Abel figure in the lovely "Country Darkness." Lucinda Williams' weathered voice brings Vivian's stormy character to life in "There's A Story In Your Voice." Emmylou Harris gives Geraldine a fragile tone in the heart rending "Hear Shaped Bruise." And the whole story comes together in the bluesy title-track. "In a certain light he looked like Elvis/In a certain way he feels like Jesus."

All those songs are great but the album adds a five more songs unrelated to the central story though they share the same themes.
Geraldine is a widow because her husband died in a war, a theme that appears in the blistering "Bedlam." Pete Thomas' drums go haywire as Costello mixes the story of Jesus' birth and with the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch from Iraq, both self-perpetuating myths.

One of the most beautiful songs in the album, the Oscar-nominated "Scarlet Tide," was written for a film about the Civil War but perfectly fits at the end of this album. Costello, accompanied by an ukulele and Emmylou Harris' fine vocals, sings about the price of war and the people who willingly gamble with it:

Man goes beyond his own decision
Gets caught up in the mechanism
Of swindlers who act like kings
And brokers who break everything
  

I think I like every song on this album and have fond memories of driving around blasting the "Needle Time" and "Monkey to Man" on my car when I got the album. The latter is a hilarious sequel to Dave Bartholomew's song "The Monkey," in which they can't believe that the cruelty of man evolved from a monkey.

Still, there is one song that I must always play twice, "Either Side Of The Same Town." A perfect torch song, this time between a man and his former lover and the unbearable sense that they might run into each other again when certain feelings remain in place. This is what Costello does best, he can take the sorrow we've all experienced at one time or another and makes it worth reliving again and again. 

Classics: Country Darkness, Either Side Of The Same Town, Bedlam, Monkey To Man, Heart Shaped Bruise, The Scarlet Tide. 

Songs I'd Like To Hear Live: Either Side Of The Same Town, Bedlam, Needle Time, The Judgement.

Spinning Songbook Countdown: North

It's very rare that you hear a concept album built with jazz ballads but that's exactly what I think of whenever I listen to North.

This 2003 album features eleven moody and intimate performances, beautifully sung by Elvis Costello and driven by Steve Nieve's eloquent piano. Each song seamlessly segues into one another as musical themes reappear throughout the album. All the songs are love songs, some without a happy ending.

The lyrics are so candid and vivid that I just can't help but imagine a story around them; they even seem to appear in a specific order, from the tragic beginning in "You Left Me In The Dark" to the hopeful conclusion in "I'm In The Mood Again."

The album starts at the end with "You Left Me In The Dark," a song about a dissolving relationship. "Someone Took The Words Away" continues with the subject being struck, "tongue-tied" with a new feeling. Still, he's conflicted.

"Fallen" tries to reconcile this new feeling in the face of that other relationship, lamenting "the moment when love went wrong."


The next few songs see that infatuation turn into full-fledged love. "When Did I Stop Dreaming," "Still" and "Can You Be True are some of the best love songs Costello's ever written. "Still" features the Brodsky Quartet and is possibly the loveliest tune in the album.

The tempestuous song-cycle closes with "I'm In The Mood Again," a Manhattan-set epilogue with the better man out subject has become. He's happier, carefree and hopeful. The journey was worth it.

The album coincides with the end of his relationship with Cait O'Riordan and the beginning of his relationship with jazz vocalist Diana Krall. I'm sure Costello would say that any similarities would be purely coincidental.
 
Classics: "Someone Took The Words Away," "Fallen," "Still," "Can You Be True," and "I'm In The Mood Again"
Songs I'd like to hear live: "Still," "When it Sings," "I'm In The Mood Again" and

Spinning Songbook Countdown: When I Was Cruel

When I bought this Elvis Costello album, It had a sticker on the cover that said it was his "first loud album since 199?" I immediately knew I would like it.

2002's When I Was Cruel could certainly be called a return to form and much like 1994's Brutal Youth (the answer to the question above,) it's another fantastic band effort, this time introducing of The Imposters.

Former Cracker bassist Davey Faragher joins Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas to back Elvis Costello, creating a solid band that parallels the Attraction's versatility. Whether he improved on bassist Bruce Thomas is up to debate, though I will say that the vocal harmonies he provides are a welcome addition.

Costello jams 15 tracks into When I Was Cruel, many of them living up to the sticker's claim. It kicks off with a slow burning song on growing old until the chorus is unleashed and blows you away. "45" has some great vinyl imagery as well a great play on the numbers in our lives.

"Spooky Girlfriend" and "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)" continue the wonderful assault on your ears with a very seductive tone on the former and a pop-punk burst in the latter.

"When I Was Cruel No. 2" showcases Costello's experimentation with sound samples in this album by featuring a reoccurring bit from an Italian song. The title song is also has one of my favorite exchanges in an Elvis Costello song:

Two newspaper editors like playground sneaks
Running the book on which of them is going to last the week
One of them calls to me and he says, "I know you"
"You gave me this tattoo back in '82"
"You were a spoilt child then with a record to plug"
"And I was a shaven-headed seaside thug"
"Things haven't really changed that much"
"One of us is still getting paid too much"
 

Along with the rocking numbers, there are a few great ballads. I love "Tart" and "Alibi" despite their length and repetitiveness. They're like a dessert that's too rich but you can't help but finish off. "My Little Blue Window" is a great sing-a-long tune and would make a perfect theme for a TV show. The closing track "Radio Silence" is the opposite, more like an apocalyptic requiem.

"Radio Silence" follows what I think is the highlight of the album. "Episode of Blonde" is a rumba-flavored burst of fun, sung in Costello's liveliest nightclub act persona. It always brings me joy when I hear it.

The albums is curiously dedicated to "Cait of the Antartic" a reference to Cait O'Riordan, the woman with whom he had shared more than 15 years when the album was released. It's also a hint that their relationship, from 1986's King of America until this album, had cooled.

The conflict, visible on songs like "15 Petals" and "Alibi" would take center stage in his next album, the startlingly frank North.

Classics: "45,"  "When I Was Cruel No. 2," "Alibi," "Episode Of Blonde"

Songs I'd like to hear live : "45," "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution,)" "15 Petals," "Alibi," "My Little Blue Window," "Episode Of Blonde"

The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook

I've just watched Elvis Costello and the Imposters blast through four killer tunes kicking off one of the first Revolver Tour concerts in Los Angeles and I'm can't wait to see them do the same thing live in about two weeks in Clearwater, Florida.

The opening performances and much of what went on during this May 12, 2011 show at the Wiltern Theater is expertly captured on "The Return of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook" CD/DVD released Tuesday. After opening with "I Hope You're Happy Now," Costello and the Imposters march right through to Nick Lowe's early punk classic "Heart Of The City" followed by "Mystery Dance" and one of my favorites "Radio, Radio."

After that non-stop barrage of musical adrenaline, Costello turns into Napoleon Dynamite - the stage persona he introduced during the original Spinning Songbook concerts in 1986 and not the dweeb in Jared Hess' 2004 movie. Napoleon Dynamite is the MC of sorts for each concert, who with the aid of a very pretty assistant bring audience members onto the stage to spinning a giant wheel featuring song titles and a few surprises.

Among the first to come up during this concert is Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner though Costello seems to not recognize him, ordering him "Grab it! Sir Grab it!" and give the wheel a good spin. The wheel lands on "Clubland" and the game show hijinks kick off.

The Bangles also make an appearance, just like they did in 1986 according to Costello's introductory chatter, and Suzanna Hoffs sings "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's a Doll Revolution)."  Several wheel spins follow, including one by a girl aptly named "Alison."

The DVD does a great job of showing how each show is like and unlike other concert films, it's been well-edited and never statically fixed on a single performance - and there are lots of things to see, from the Imposters to the go-go dancers and the audience dancing on the stage. 

I haven't seen the show live yet, the wheel was supposed to roll into Florida in September but was postponed to this April, but I've devoured enough set lists and bootlegs from the first leg of the tour to know that there are lots of goodies missing.

The DVD doesn't include all of the songs performed that night, including The Beatles' "Girl" and "And Your Bird Can Sing," "Next Time Around," Prince's "Purple Rain" and a surprising version of "Pump It Up." Many of the interesting performance Costello mentions in the liner notes will also probably never be officially released. Thankfully there's You Tube.

Don't get me wrong I am thankful for this collection, which captures the essence of the Spinning Songbook shows, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. During a tour where more than 100 different songs were performed, there were bound to be some that could not be featured on an official release.

And maybe that's for the better. Sometimes we are so focused on capturing things on devices and forget to make actual memories only to file the recordings somewhere where they will be seldom listened to.

I'll be going to three of Costello's Florida appearances and I'm know I will be thrilled at each of them. Will I get to spin the wheel? I hope. Will he play the songs I want to hear? maybe. Will those who see this singular concert experience have a great time? Definitely.

PS: I know this is kind of cheating. It's not the order I was aiming for on the Spinning Songbook Countdown but it's a good preview for the upcoming tour and saves me from writing about Il Sogno - Costello's sole symphony created for an Italian dance company. I'm under qualified to write about classical music and it's the only one of his works that I've not listened to all the way through.

Spinning Songbook Countdown: For The Stars

This album maybe a stretch or perhaps just a curio as one of its songs is called.

A collaboration between Elvis Costello and Swedish mezzo-soprano singer Annie Sofie von Otter, For The Stars was released in 2001 and features a collection of covers and Costello originals performed with a classical music ensemble.

Though von Otter is not a pop vocalist, she's known mainly for performing operas, she does a good job in most of the songs handpicked by Costello - who in turn only sings in a few songs. Despite the few times his voice appears in the album, his imprint is throughout the album as either a performer, arranger and producer.

Still, von Otter's voice can be too distracting as it switches back and forth between her classical roots to touches of jazz and pop. The music around her voice is the real attraction, creating intriguing versions of pop classics by the Beach Boy, the Beatles, Tom Waits and even ABBA.

I wouldn't recommend buying the whole album unless you truly enjoy von Otter's voice but the following songs would be great additions to your music library:

No Wonder: My favorite song on the album. A Costello original featuring one of his best melodies and a chorus that makes you want listen to this song again and again. Costello recently played it live during a solo European tour and it was even better than the version on this album.

Rope: Another Costello original exclusively for this album. The almost menacing melody seems perfect for the opening credits in a stalker thriller. Von Otter's voice works perfectly in this song, which could easily be turned into a killer remix.

Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)/You Still Believe in Me: The two Beach Boys songs are the only covers that I think benefit from the arrangement. The former turned into an incredibly romantic song while the latter has a more innocent tune.

Classics: No Wonder, Rope

Songs I'd like to hear live: No Wonder

Spinning Songbook Countdown: Painted From Memory

I have mixed feelings about this album.

There's no doubt that this 1998 collaboration between Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach is an great pop album, the issue really is whether you like that sort of thing.

Being a fan of his early, more rock-oriented work, enjoying Painted From Memory was a bit difficult. The album has grown on me over the years (really what Elvis Costello album hasn't) and looking back at his previous albums, it's not hard to see how something like this came to be.

The album goes for a more subtle approach to pop music than on Mighty Like A Rose and a more polished sound than on All This Useless Beauty. Costello sings on all of the songs, backed by a mix of players including Bacharach - who also conducts, Steve Nieve, Jim Keltner and group of female backing singers.Though the songs can be a bit saccharine at times, there are some dark sentiments throughout.

"In The Darkest Place" is one of my favorite songs on this album. It's starts out just as menacing as the title implies and proceeds as the laments of a man left by his beloved. The brooding atmosphere and lyrics created by Costello and Bacharach work so well together in this song, surpassing nearly all the songs that follow.

"Toledo" is a whole other thing, a bit more cheerful sounding though the lyrics seem to tell a more mischievous tale. The chorus is pretty amazing though and one of the most ear-wormy things you'll ever hear.

A theme of betrayal continues throughout the album in "I Still Have That Other Girl", "Painted From Memory," "God Give Me Strength," "What's Her Name Today?" and in the hilarious "Tears At The Birthday Party." That last song comes off as the cheesiest thing on the record. The backing girl singers are on overdrive for this as Costello sings about seeing a girl share a cake with someone else. I think this is the litmus test for this album. If you like it, you will love everything else.

"God Give Me Strength" is another standout and it's the song that kicked off this project. Composed by Costello and Bacharach for the film Grace of My Heart, about a songwriter in the Brill Building era, the song carries the same brooding mood as "In My Darkest Place" and "Painted From Memory." It's an unforgettable song featuring a great vocal performance by Costello and a grand musical arrangement. When he sings it live and belts out the lines "See I'm only human, I want him to hurt," it always brings down the house.

Classics: In My Darkest Place, Painted From Memory and God Give Me Strength

Songs I'd like to hear live: In My Darkest Place, God Give Me Strength