Elvis Costello - Kojak Variety [Expanded]

Title: Kojak Variety [Expanded] Artist: Elvis Costello Release Date: 8/3/2004 Label: Rhino Album Type(s): Greatest Hits UPC: 081227648725 Genre: Rock Styles: Singer/Songwriter, Pop/Rock Moods: Angry, Literate, Sophisticated, Witty, Bittersweet, Brittle, Cynical/Sarcastic, Freewheeling, Intense, Intimate, Sardonic, Acerbic, Brash, Energetic, Quirky, Raucous, Refined/Mannered, Reflective, Snide, Tense/Anxious, Aggressive, Angst-Ridden, Bitter, Cathartic, Cerebral, Complex, Confident, Elegant, Exuberant, Fun, Hostile, Ironic, Manic, Melancholy, Passionate, Plaintive, Playful, Poignant, Rambunctious, Rebellious, Reckless, Rollicking, Romantic, Rousing, Rowdy, Stylish, Swaggering, Urgent, Visceral, Volatile, Wistful, Wry, Ambitious, Confrontational, Detached, Earnest, Elaborate, Fiery, Gloomy, Humorous, Messy, Paranoid, Sad, Searching, Autumnal, Exciting, Lively, Sprawling, Weary, Yearning Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 2 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 2

1. Strange
2. Hidden Charms
3. Remove This Doubt
4. I Threw It All Away
5. Leave My Kitten Alone
6. Everybody's Crying Mercy
7. I've Been Wrong Before
8. Bama Lama Bama Loo
9. Must You Throw Dirt in My Face
10. Pouring Water on a Drowning Man
11. The Very Thought of You
12. Payday
13. Please Stay
14. Running Out of Fools
15. Days

1. Ship of Fools
2. My Resistance Is Low
3. Innocent When You Dream
4. I'm Coming Home
5. The Dark End of the Street
6. Congratulations
7. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
8. Pouring Water on a Drowning Man [Alternate Version]
9. Still Feeling Blue
10. Brilliant Disguise
11. How Long Has This Been Going On
12. Sleepless Nights
13. Step Inside Love
14. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
15. Sally Sue Brown
16. Sticks and Stones
17. That's How You Got Killed Before
18. The Night Before Larry Was Stretched
19. But Not for Me
20. Full Force Gale

Year Type Label Catalog # 2004 CD Rhino 76487

No other editions were found for this album.

Elvis Costello recorded the 15 songs that comprised his covers album Kojak Variety in 1990, but the album sat in the vaults for five years, with some songs trickling out on soundtracks, with the entire album eventually leaking out as a bootleg prior to its release in 1995. Given this slow, steady crawl to release and the nature of bootlegs and B-sides, it's reasonable to assume from its slow unveiling that the album was a collection of covers that he recorded with different bands over different years, when quite the opposite was true -- all 15 songs were the cut with the same band, all sequestered away in Barbados. However, the bonus disc that accompanies Rhino's 2004 expanded, double-CD reissue of Kojak Variety is indeed a crazy quilt of covers, taken from different sessions recorded during the '90s. Many of these have been previously released, either as B-sides or more often as contributions to various-artists tribute albums (or, in the case of Dave Bartholomew's "That's How You Got Killed Before," Costello sang it for an album by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band). While these aren't exactly rare, it is nice to have them all collected in one place, but it's even nicer to have all of the "George Jones Tape" finally see the light of day. These ten songs -- running from track two ("My Resistance Is Low") through track 11 ("How Long Has This Been Going On") on the bonus disc -- were a collection of covers Costello cut in one day in 1992 with Pete Thomas and Paul "Bassman" Riley, all recorded with the intention of sending them to Jones for possible inclusion on a forthcoming album by the country legend. Costello first hit upon this idea during an interview with Jones for Interview magazine, and in the published piece, he said he was going to send a mixtape to the singer, but that soon morphed into these 11 covers. They're a mixed bag, sometimes bracing -- Costello's interpretation of Bruce Springsteen's "Brilliant Disguise" is tremendous and would have made a great single for George -- and sometimes bewildering (it's hard to imagine the Possum winding his way through Tom Waits' "Innocent When You Dream"), yet it's always a fascinating listen, even if it's just for hearing Elvis bungle a line on his excellent version of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go." This tape alone makes this reissue of Kojak Variety worthwhile, and while having it surrounded by the B-sides and tribute tunes gives the bonus disc an appearance of being a patchwork collection, it's just as musically satisfying as the finished album. In fact, it could even be argued that the ramshackle vibe and freewheeling spirit on this bonus disc makes it more fun than the actual record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andrew Neumeyer Project Assistant Andrew Sandoval Producer B.J. Cole Pedal Steel Barney McKenna Banjo Bill Inglot Producer Bob Carlton Project Assistant Brian Kehew Project Assistant Charles Joseph Trombone Dan Hersch Remastering Danny Barker Guitar Dónal Lunny Bouzouki, Producer, Harmonium Efrem Towns Trumpet Elvis Costello Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic), Vibraphone, Harmonica, Guitar Feedback, Celeste, Producer, Guitar, Liner Notes, Piano Eoghan O'Neill Guitar (Bass) Fran McPhail Vocals Gary Stewart Reissue Producer George Martin Producer Gerry Cullen Vocals Ginger Dettman Research Assistant Giuliano Valenti Photography Glyn Johns Mixing, Producer Greg Allen Reissue Art Director, Reissue Design Gregory Michael Davis II Trumpet James Burton Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Guitar Jason White Project Assistant Jenell Marshall Drums, Percussion Jerry Scheff Bass, Ampeg Baby Bass, Bass (Electric) Jim Keltner Drums Julee Stover Editorial Supervision Kathryn Whitaker Project Assistant Kenny Nemes Product Manager Kevin Harris Sax (Tenor) Kevin Killen Engineer, Producer Kirk Joseph Sousaphone Larry Adler Harmonica Larry Knechtel Wurlitzer, Organ (Hammond), Plucked Piano, Piano Marc Ribot E Flat Horn, Guitar (Electric), Spanish Guitar, Banjo, Guitar (Rhythm) Mark Leviton Project Assistant Martin O'Connor Button Accordion Noel Eccles Percussion Patrick Milligan Project Assistant Patrick Rochon Photography Paul Riley Bass Pete Thomas Drums Phil Callery Vocals Phil Coulter Producer Randy Perry Project Assistant Ray Fean Drums Roger Lewis Sax (Baritone) Roy Babbington Bass Scott Billington Producer Steve Donnelly Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) Steve Holroyd Engineer Steve Nieve Keyboards Steve Woolard Project Assistant Tim Hall Photography Trevor Barry Bass Val Jennings Reissue Producer Van Morrison Producer