Kojak Variety

by

Elvis Costello

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When "Kojak Variety" was first released it was ignored by most EC fans and mentioned by critics as an example of a lack of inspiration on EC's part. Nothing could be further from the truth. While "Spike" and "Mighty As A Rose" demonstrated EC's diversity over the course of a single album, "Kojak" demonstrates where that inspiration originally came from. What's best about this reissue is the second disc included here. With thirty (!) remakes of classic contemporary and older rock 'n' roll gems, the second disc makes this the gem of the recent EC trio of reissues.

Covering Springsteen's "Brilliant Disguise" and a number of other songs to convince George Jones to tackle better material makes for great listening. It tells you 1) Who EC listens to and 2)How great he can be covering other people's definitive versions of their own songs. The gem here aside from "Brilliant Disguise" (which I had as a CD single)is the remake of Paul McCartney's little known gem "Step Inside Love". The song was written for Petula Clark but it sports one of McCartney's lush and innovative melodies. We're also treated to an alternate version of "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man", Arthur Alexander's "Sally Sue Brown", Van Morrison's "Full Force Gale", The Grateful Dead's marvelous "Ship of Fools" and a gem I had never heard before called "My Resistance is Low".

The liner notes are extensive and cover the sessions for the album as well as why EC decided to cover the material he did. Oh, and we finally find out where the enigmatic title comes from as well (there's even photographic evidence to back it up). A delightful covers album. While I've always liked "Almost Blue" (and the reissue has some delightful additional material as well), I've always been more of a rocker at heart. Here we get a glimpse into EC's heart full of rock 'n' roll and soul.

Great moments exist on this CD and a few failures. This CD is typical of Costello. Also, it is typical of his fans to disagree where the music is great and where the music is weak. Costello's "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man" is, in this fan's opinion, one of his greatest moments of recorded music. On the other hand, his version of the Kink's "Days" is amazingly misguided. I have a friend who says the exact opposite. You judge for yourself. "Hidden Charms," "Strange," "Remove This Doubt," and "Leave My Kitten Alone" are, as with most Elvis Costello's songs, wonderfully sung with feeling and charm. "The Very Thought of You," is a standout moment in which Declan MacManus's voice is so perfectly matched with the music, that it is a wonder how he did it. The rest, with the excepection of "Pouring Water" is dispensible. Still, an uplifting and unique record where Elvis Costello actually sounds as if he is enjoying himself. The liner notes are insightful and full of well chosen words. Not your typical Attractions record, but typical of Costello as he goes through his mid-life transitions and tries to redirect and rediscover himself. Such a task is not always easy and often times, failures may exist. In the redirection, when Costello hits the mark, he is right on target.