Elvis Costello - All This Useless Beauty

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, All Music Guide

Name Credits Anthony Lycenko Assistant Engineer Bob Ludwig Mastering Brodsky Quartet ?, Ensemble Bruce Thomas Bass Ciaran Cahill Assistant Engineer Elvis Costello Keyboards, Vocals, Celeste, Orchestra, Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar, Producer, Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Orchestration Elvis Costello & the Attractions Performer Geoff Emerick Engineer, Producer Ian Belton Violin Jacqueline Thomas Cello Jon Jacobs Engineer, Mixing Kevin Killen Post Production Editor Matt MacManus ? Michael Thomas Violin Paul Cassidy Viola Paul Motian Mixing, Engineer Pete Thomas Drums, Guitar (Acoustic), Percussion, Clarinet (Bass) Pete Whyman Clarinet (Bass) Roy Babbington Double Bass Ruth Causey Clarinet Sleeper Performer, Arranger, Producer Steve Nieve Drum Programming, Orchestra, Piano, Sequencing, Orchestration, Keyboards The Attractions Performer