Here's an unexpected holiday feast — a five-EP set recorded by Elvis Costello and his longtime Attraction keyboardist Steve Nieve during a brief U.S. jaunt last spring.
The discs, which range between 20 and 30 minutes, were intended as promotional items for radio stations. Perhaps the mere fact that the shows were never intended for commercial release played a part in how sparkling and relaxed Costello sounds. Or maybe he simply relished the chance to go one-on-one with Nieve in these performances.
Whatever the reason, Costello & Nieve is simply a wonder.
As an anthology, it covers material from his 1977 My Aim Is True debut ("The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes" and a playful six-minute remake of "Watching the Detectives") through the recent All This Useless Beauty ("Little Atoms" and a gorgeous, bittersweet reading of the title tune).
As a live album, it's simply brilliant. Nieve has always been the most colorful instrumentalist in the Attractions and a consistently industrious pianist (check out his solo albums for proof). Here he adds a discreet but keen dramatic edge. With his help, All This Useless Beauty's "I Want to Vanish" sounds even more eerie than its studio version and 1982's "Man Out of Time" matures into an almost pastoral meditation.
Costello himself has never sounded better, whether he is resurrecting a pair of cover tunes ("My Funny Valentine," the Grateful Dead's "Ship of Fools") or wailing with an almost operatic fury that has typified his recent work ("It's Time").
Costello & Nieve is a limited-edition release, has a total running time of a little more than two hours and sells for about $30. And you thought you were finished with your holiday shopping.
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