Almost You: The Songs of Elvis Costello

by Almost You: Songs Of Elvis Cost

Overview

Amazingly, with the flood of tribute records that has washed over record stores in the past few years, this is the first newly recorded tribute to the songs of Elvis Costello. The 15 artists and bands are strictly indie rock, many of them from the American south. Most of the tracks they cover are from Costello's early salad days as an angry young man (three from My Aim Is True, one from This Year's Model, two from Armed Forces, one from Trust, three from Get Happy!!, and one from Imperial Bedroom) with a couple from later records (one from Blood & Chocolate, three from King of America, and one from Brutal Youth). As with any tribute collection, you are going to find the good, the bad, and the imitators. Most of the groups here don't take many liberties, but only a couple go for full-on imitations; Fastball's Tony Scalzo's vocals sound eerily like a young Costello on a reverent take of "Busy Bodies," and Grand Champeen attempts to rock out on "No Action," but despite the volume and good intentions, sounds about one-tenth as mean and messed up as Costello's original. There are plenty of good interpretations to be found here. Matt Pond PA kicks off the disc with the best track here, a lovely cello-driven take on "Green Shoes," with Matt Pond's vocals recalling the snarling spirit of Costello without aping him. Damnation's take on Brutal Youth's "Still Too Soon to Know" is spare and beautiful, featuring a wrenching lead vocal from Deborah Kelly. "Alison" is a song that could easily lend itself to mawkishness, but Vic Chesnutt and Jack Logan do a fairly straightforward, un-over-emotional version backed by guitar and piano. Lil' Cap'n Travis gives "Blue Chair" from Blood & Chocolate a sweeping orchestral country feel with plenty of swooping pedal steel and a healthy dose of glockenspiel. One of the delights of a good collection like this is discovering new bands. Lil' Cap'n Travis is one to keep an eye out for. Fellow obscure indie group the Deathray Davies turn in a spirited take on "Men Called Uncle" and the Mendoza Line end the record in fine style with a Shannon McArdle-sung version of "Sleep of the Just" from King of America that should send listeners straight out to buy all of the Mendoza Line's fine records. There are not really any bad tracks, only a few that don't work very well in context; Brenda Kahn over-sings on "Watch Your Step," Tywanna Jo Baskette monotonally under-sings on "Just a Memory," Okerrvil River's wavering, over-emotional vocals sink an otherwise interesting version of "Riot Act," and Kev Russell's Junker's yodeling version of "Indoor Fireworks" isn't bad really, it just sounds out of place here. Four less-than-great songs don't sink this ship, however. It is a highly listenable disc throughout and sometimes even quite good. Costello should be proud and anyone who is a fan should be sure to check this collection out. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	01/21/2003
Label:	GLURP RECORDS
UPC:	0656605509624

Tracks

1. Green Shirt  - Elvis Costello  - Jim Hostetter  - Jim Kehoe  - Mike Kennedy  -  Matt Pond PA  - Brian Mctear  - Eve Miller  - Matt Pond  - Matt Raisch  - Peter Rydberg
2. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes  - Mark Brotter  - Elvis Costello  - Steve Curtis  - Sally Ellyson  - Bob Haffnar  -  Hem  - Gary Maurer  - Dan Messe  - Catherine Popper  - Geoff Sanoff
3. Busy Bodies  - Elvis Costello  - Michael Crow  -  Fastball  - Tony Scalzo  - Joey Shuffield
4. No Action  - Elvis Costello  - Michael Crow  -  Grand Champeen  - Channing Lewis  - Alex Livingstone  - Philip McEachern  - Ned Stewart
5. Still Too Soon To Know  - Rob Bernard  - Amy Boone  - Michael Crow  -  Damnations  - Deborah Kelly
6. Alison  - Vic Chesnutt  - Elvis Costello  -  Keneipp Family  - Kelly Keneipp  - Nikki Keneipp  - Jack Logan  -  Mister Keneipp  -  Mrs. Keneipp
7. Blue Chair  - Christian Braafladt  - Michael Crow  - Jeff Johnston  - Matt Kinsey  -  Lil' Cap'n Travis  - Declan MacManus  - Mandon Maloney  - Gary Newcomb
8. Watch Your Step  - Brian Beattie  - Elvis Costello  - Rob Halverson  - Brenda Kahn  - Tonya Lorae  - Kim Powell
9. Beyond Belief  - Jon Auer  - Elvis Costello  - Mike Davidson
10. Men Called Uncle  - Elvis Costello  -  Deathray Davies  - John Dufilho  - Jason Garner  - Aaron Kelley  - Greg Price  - Bill Shupp
11. Indoor Fireworks  - Michael Crow  - Jeff Johnston  - Declan MacManus  - Kevin Russell  -  Russell
12. Just A Memory  - Tywanna Jo Baskette  - Elvis Costello  - Ted Gainfy  - Clay Jones
13. Riot Act  - Brian Beattie  - Elvis Costello  - Michael Crow  - Channing Lewis  - Jonathan Meiburg  -  Okkervil River  - Mark Pedini  - Will Robinson Sheff  - Zachary Thomas
14. Sleep Of The Just  -  Burnside Project  - Declan MacManus  - Shannon McArdle  -  Mendoza Line
15. [Untitled]  - Michael Crow  - Jeff Johnston  - Declan MacManus  - Kevin Russell

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mr. & Mrs. Keneipp   Primary Artist
Kevin Russell   Primary Artist,Banjo,Guitar,Vocals
Lil' Cap'n Travis   Primary Artist
The Mendoza Line   Primary Artist,Bass,Loops,Organ,Guitar,Sampling
Hem   Primary Artist
Grand Champeen   Primary Artist
matt pond PA   Primary Artist
The Damnations TX   Primary Artist
Fastball   Primary Artist
Vic Chesnutt   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jack Logan   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Damnations   Primary Artist
Kev Russell's Junker   Primary Artist
Mrs. Keneipp   Primary Artist
Mr. Keneipp   Primary Artist
Okkervil River   Primary Artist
Jon Auer   Primary Artist,Vocals
Brenda Kahn   Primary Artist,Vocals
Tywanna Jo Baskette   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Deathray Davies   Primary Artist
Matt Pond   Vocals
Shannon McArdle   Vocals
Michael Crow   Bass,Fiddle,Guitar,Vocals,Trumpet
Gary Maurer   Guitar,Mandolin
Steve Curtis   Guitar
Jeff Johnston   Piano,Vocals,Musical Saw,Glockenspiel,Guitar (Acoustic)
Alex Livingstone   Bass,Vocals
Ned Stewart   Drums
Zachary Thomas   Bass
Dan Messe   Piano
Mike Kennedy   Drums,Guitar,Keyboards
Nikki Keneipp   Piano
Jim Kehoe   Guitar (Electric)
Amy Boone   Piano,Vocals
Aaron Kelley   Guitar
Rob Bernard   Drums (Bass),Guitar (Baritone)
Rob Halverson   Cuatro,Guitar,Quatro
Deborah Kelly   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Jim Hostetter   Cello
Matt Raisch   Bass
Jason Garner   Bass,Vocals
Kelly Keneipp   Guitar
Catherine Popper   Bass (Upright)
Mark Brotter   Drums
Joey Shuffield   Drums
Tony Scalzo   Bass,Organ,Guitar,Vocals
Christian Braafladt   Guitar (Electric),Vocals
Mandon Maloney   Drums,Vocals,Glockenspiel
Matt Kinsey   Bass,Piano,Vocals,Guitar (Electric)
Bill Shupp   Drums
Greg Price   Keyboards
Channing Lewis   Guitar,Vocals,Trumpet
Philip McEachern   Organ
Kim Powell   Drums,Vocals (Background)
Mark Pedini   Drums
Tawnya Lorae   Bass
Bob Haffnar   Pedal Steel
Sally Ellyson   Vocals
Eve Miller   Cello
Tonya Lorae   Bass
Will Robinson Sheff   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Brian Beattie   Organ (Hammond)
Jonathan Meiburg   Wurlitzer
John Dufilho   Guitar,Vocals
Gary Newcomb   Vocals,Pedal Steel

Technical Credits

Jon Auer   Mixing,Assembly,Engineer,Instrumentation
Peter Rydberg   Mixing,Producer
The Mendoza Line   Producer
Michael Crow   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Production Assistant
Okkervil River   Producer
Grand Champeen   Mixing,Engineer
Gary Maurer   Producer
Mike Davidson   Assembly
Jeff Johnston   Mixing,Engineer,Production Assistant
Lil' Cap'n Travis   Producer
Dan Messe   Producer
Aaron Kelley   Engineer
Elvis Costello   Composer
Billy Stull   Mastering
Ted "Zaney" Gainey   Engineer
Clay Jones   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Instrumentation
Kevin Russell   Producer
The Damnations   Producer
Declan MacManus   Composer
Eric Zappa   Executive Producer
Tony Scalzo   Producer
Geoff Sanoff   Engineer
Ted Gainfy   Engineer
The Keneipp Family   Producer
Brenda Kahn   Producer
Brian Beattie   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Burnside Project   Producer
Brian McTear   Mixing,Engineer,Producer