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Following his second covers album, Kojak Variety, Elvis Costello set out to assemble a collection of songs he had written for other artists but never recorded himself -- sort of a reverse covers album. As it turned out, that idea was only used as a launching pad -- the resulting album, All This Useless Beauty, is a mixture of nine old and three new songs. Given its origins, it's surprising that the record holds together as well as it does. The main strength of All This Useless Beauty is the quality of the individual songs -- each song can stand on its own as an individual entity, as the music is as sharp as the lyrics. Although the music is certainly eclectic, it's accessible, which wasn't the case with Mighty Like a Rose. Furthermore, the production is more textured and punchier than Mitchell Froom's botched job on Brutal Youth. All This Useless Beauty doesn't quite add up to a major statement, but the simple pleasures it offers makes it one of the more rewarding records of the latter part of Costello's career.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Mann, Writer - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer - Steve Nieve, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Pete Whyman, Bass Clarinet - Roy Babbington, Bass
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Paul Mccartney, Writer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals, Bass - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - MAC MANUS, Composer, Lyricist - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Bob Ludwig, Masterer - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer - Matt MacManus, Researcher
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Ian Belton, Violin - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Michael Thomas, Violin - Paul Cassidy, Viola - KEVIN KILLEN, Post-production & Remix by - Sam Gibson, AssistantEngineer - Pete Thomas, Drums, Percussion - Geoff Emerick, Producer, Mixer, Engineer - Steve Nieve, Electric (sensonics) Drums, Keyboards, Piano, Orchestration - ELVIS COSTELLO, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals, Orchestration - THE BRODSKY QUARTET, Strings - Anthony Lycenko, AssistantEngineer - Ciaran Cahill, AssistantEngineer - Elvis Costello And The Attractions, MainArtist - Bruce Thomas, Bass - Jon Jacobs, Mixer, Engineer - Pete Whyman, Bass Clarinet - Jacqueline Thomas, Cello - Ruth Causey, Clarinet - Roy Babbington, Bass
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc.
Album review
Following his second covers album, Kojak Variety, Elvis Costello set out to assemble a collection of songs he had written for other artists but never recorded himself -- sort of a reverse covers album. As it turned out, that idea was only used as a launching pad -- the resulting album, All This Useless Beauty, is a mixture of nine old and three new songs. Given its origins, it's surprising that the record holds together as well as it does. The main strength of All This Useless Beauty is the quality of the individual songs -- each song can stand on its own as an individual entity, as the music is as sharp as the lyrics. Although the music is certainly eclectic, it's accessible, which wasn't the case with Mighty Like a Rose. Furthermore, the production is more textured and punchier than Mitchell Froom's botched job on Brutal Youth. All This Useless Beauty doesn't quite add up to a major statement, but the simple pleasures it offers makes it one of the more rewarding records of the latter part of Costello's career.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:47:55
- Main artists: Elvis Costello The Attractions
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Rhino - Warner Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
2005 © 1996 Warner Records Inc. 2005 ℗ 1996 Warner Records Inc. Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company.
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