Elvis Costello - National Ransom
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CD Details
Artist: Elvis CostelloEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2010-11-02
Music Label: HEAR MUSIC
Soundtracks:
- National Ransom
- Jimmie Standing In The Rain
- Stations Of The Cross
- A Slow Drag With Josephine
- Five Small Words
- Church Underground
- You Hung The Moon
- Bullets For The New-Born King
- I Lost You
- Dr. Watson, I Presume
- One Bell Ringing
- The Spell That You Cast
- That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving
- My Lovely Jezebel
- All These Strangers
- A Voice In The Dark
Music reviews of National Ransom
Music Review: Nothing short of brilliant
Rating: 5 Stars
My opinion is not unbiased; Elvis can do nearly no wrong in my book, and he is by far my favorite artist. He's been my favorite since I began listening to his albums.
That said, I think it helps to explain that I came to familiarize myself with Costello's catalog in the early nineties, via the Columbia Records 1985 release of "The Best of Elvis Costello & the Attractions," which included the big songs recorded between 1977 and 1984. I found this album used on CD at the record store, and bought it because I'd heard his name and wanted to hear what he did. I loved the album immediately, and began buying his main albums one at a time soon after acquiring the hits collection. I can't remember which of his albums I bought earliest, although I believe 'Get Happy,' 'Rose,' and 'My Aim' were among them.
I'm describing my way of introduction to Costello to make a point: when I got into his music, I pretty much had his entire catalog from which to choose--everything from 'My Aim is True' up through 'Mighty Like a Rose.' I didn't grow up with his angry young man persona, though I came to know and love the music from this period as well. So I never felt disappointed by Costello's frequent, schizophrenic stylistic shifts, as many of his longtime fans have felt, especially fans who were teenagers or young adults in the late seventies, when everything Costello did was seasoned with liberal doses of piss and vinegar.
While some reviewers have called 'National Ransom' "experimental," I don't think that's a valid description anymore. Elvis has been making "experimental" music since the mid-eighties... more than 2 decades ago. I think National Ransom is the next logical step in a progression that started (most recently) with Delivery Man. The new album also draws a lot from King of America, as well it should: both of these albums are touched by T-Bone Burnett's brilliance.
The tracks I love from this album are Five Small Words, Church Underground, You Hung the Moon, Bullets for the Newborn King, Dr. Watson, and One Bell Ringing.
I think Costello excels when his voice is the centerpiece of a song. The emotive qualities of his voice--and his superior songwriting--were the things that drew me into his music in the first place.
I guess it goes without saying that my absolute favorite Elvis album is King of America--an album that I consider perfect from start to finish, an album that makes all of my "stranded on a desert island" lists. As far as I can tell, National Ransom is pretty near perfect too, although it hasn't made my Desert Island 10. Yet.
Description of National Ransom
On National Ransom Elvis Costello once again teams up with Grammy award winning producer T Bone Burnett and engineer Michael Pierante. Recorded in eleven days between Los Angeles and Nashville, Elvis is joined by all the members of the Imposters and Sugarcanes along with special guests Vince Gill, Marc Ribot, Buddy Miller and Leon Russell. All of these songs are newly composed by Costello with the exception of "I Lost You," co-written with Jim Lauderdale and "All These Strangers," for which Costello and T Bone Burnett collaborated on the lyrics. Costello and Burnett also provide the lyrics for "My Lovely Jezebel," a Leon Russell rock and roll tune.Pop CDs
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