Elvis Costello
Kojak Variety (Warner Bros.)
by Marc Hirsh

originally published in the Public News, July 5, 1995

High on the list of Cheap Ways Out, right next to stopgap E.P.s and live albums, is the Covers Album. A popular one, this. But ask yourself: if they were really influences, shouldn't we be able to hear it in the artist's music? And so we get stuck with Duran Duran showing us how hip they are to like Grandmaster Flash.

Kojak Variety is the sound of Elvis Costello throwing his Jazzmaster into the ring. It's comprised mostly of soul covers, which is no surprise to fans who remember Get Happy!

Elvis has purposefully chosen fairly obscure songs for this album and, to be honest, I haven't heard most of the originals. This makes it difficult to judge the quality of the songs, since I can't tell how faithful Elvis is being here. I don't know if the original recordings were better, although experience tells me that they were. The songs are good, though; you see why Elvis wanted to record them.

In the end, the only way to look at this album is to pick apart the performances, which I will refrain from doing (you're welcome). Elvis sings about the way he's always done. The band isn't the Attractions (why not?) but does cast a warm, though too cleanly professional, shadow. And it's always a pleasure to hear rockabilly legend James Burton playing guitar.

This isn't a bad album by any means. It can't be, with one of the most interesting singers in popular music taking on good songs. But it also doesn't feel like he's trying hard enough. And frankly, if Elvis Costello didn't write songs, would anybody really be interested in hearing him sing? Here's hoping he writes the next one.

Back to reviews