ELVIS COSTELLO
All This Useless Beauty

• Worked on the compilation of Songs In The Key Of X, inspired by the X files
• Collaborated with Burt Bacharach on a song for the movie, Grace Of My Heart
• Artistic Director of South Banks Meltdown Festival
• Performed with Brodsky Quartet, and Bill Frisell
• Created a short orchestral work for the London Philharmonic
• Went to Nashville to record vocals on a song co-written by Paul McCartney
• Performed with Anne Sofie Von Otter and the Swedish Radio Symphony in Stockholm

The first three songs form a thematic trio exploring different ballad styles about relationships. They all show Elvis's unique vocal style that he has developed over the years. You can hear his penchant for Johnny Cash, his Chrissye Hynde like vibrato, the Roy Orbison deep drama sound and of course the patented James Brown scream. The third song, The title track, All This Useless Beauty [316k .wav|316k .au] is a sparse piano and drum arrangement until finally, quietly, the rest of the band slips in unnoticed to support the singer. The title line is the melodic highlight and it sticks in your head like an icepick. (huh?)

The first song that really struck me lyrically was Why Can't A Man Stand Alone? [329k .wav|329k .au] It is more straightforward than most E.C. songs no witty turns of phrase or word play, just a simple question. The best line in the song is:

	Why can't a woman be just what she seems?  
	Must she be tarnished by men who can only be men in 
	their dreams?

The most enigmatic song on the record is Distorted Angel. [323k .wav|323k .au] A song that is humorous and creepy at the same time. I kept listening to the song trying to figure out how the singer feels about his baby-sitter who molested him as a boy:

	Strange things seem to occur, somewhere behind the nursery door
	though I was just a bit of a kid, it was the bit she was looking for.
	Now I don't no where to begin confessing
	The way she's making me feel can't be a sin. 
	
	(more...)

I also really enjoyed the wordplay on the straight ahead rocker Shallow Grave [363k .wav|363k .au] co-written with Paul McCartney; "Throw another clown to the lions. Throw another Joan on the blaze." Also check out Elvis's tribute to the Byrds on You Bowed Down [332k .wav|332k .au]

As with all Elvis Costello records each listening reveals different layers and the melodic hooks do not always reveal themselves at first. It's not, Just Like Candy, it's more subtle, like a chocolate soufflé. Yet in the long run the soufflé is what you will remember.

Inevitably, great artists suffer critically by comparison to themselves. When you have achieved greatness anything less is failure. I've always felt Mr. McManus (his real name) has suffered this fate. Being prolific also contributes to being easily written off. But anything Elvis has done, even his lesser works is still head and shoulders above most songwriters today. I don't know if this is Elvis's greatest record, probably not, but there is plenty here to satisfy. I highly recommend it.