Kojak Variety

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Songs he wishes he wrote. A mixed bag, both in genre and quality of performance, but Kojak Variety is often convincing. Unsurprisingly, its best moments come on ballads. Costello's take on the Supremes nugget "Remove This Doubt" is as apocalyptic as anything he's laid down since "Riot Act" on 1980's Get Happy!!, and Dylan's "I Threw It All Away" and the Randy Newman obscurity "I've Been Wrong Before" are stunners in the Big El's hands, too. --Rickey Wright --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Album Description
With 'Kojak Variety', from 1995, Costello is a crooner, picking forgotten tunes by both minor & major artists (anyone from Screamin' Jay Hawkins to Bob Dylan). Guest musicians include Marc Ribot & Jim Keltner. Warner Brothers. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Strange
Hidden Charms
Remove This Doubt
I Threw It All Away
Leave My Kitten Alone
Everybody's Crying Mercy
I've Been Wrong Before
Bama Lama Bama Loo
Must You Throw Dirt In My Face
Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
The Very Thought Of You
Payday
Please Stay
Running Out Of Fools
Days

Tracks:

Ship Of Fools
My Resistance Is Low
Innocent When You Dream
I'm Coming Home
The Dark End Of The Street
Congratulations
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Pouring Water On A Drowning Man (Alternate Version)
Still Feeling Blue
Brilliant Disguise
How Long Has This Been Going On
Sleepless Nights
Step Inside Love
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Sally Sue Brown
Sticks And Stones
That's How You Got Killed Before
The Night Before Larry Was Stretched
But Not For Me
Full Force Gale

Album Description

Throughout his phenomenal, almost 30-year career, Elvis Costello has proved himself one of the most versatile and inventive stars in the pop music firmament. He first rose to fame as one of punk rock's breakthrough talents then went on to release innovative albums interpreting a truly diverse range of genres. Costello-originally Liverpool's own Declan McManus-has made an indelible mark on the pop music songbook, bringing unfettered passion and profound lyrical weight to his richly creative stylistic adventures. These three titles continue Rhino's Deluxe Edition restoration of his extraordinary catalogue.

Customer Reviews:

One of My Favorite Bonus Discs!.......2005-08-29

The bonus disc on this album is really wonderful, quite possibly my favorite bonus disc of all of the Rhino reissues for Elvis Costello. It's an interesting collection of Elvis taste in music and his influences.

A treat.......2004-09-23

One of the best things about the prolific, complex Elvis Costello is that he is steeped in popular music. Some of his best records, from the Stax/Motown inspired Get Happy! to the Burt Bacharach collaboration Painted From Memory, wear their influences on their sleeves, but it's okay, because he's so creative and he loves the music so much. Sometimes, I think his encyclopedic knowledge causes his reach to exceed his grasp; he can be as great as his heroes, but not as great as ALL his heroes.

But no matter for this CD. "Kojak Variety," both the original album and the surprising, generous bonus CD, are relaxed cover versions of music by writers who've inspired him all his life, or whose talents he admires today. Paul McCartney. George Gershwin. Mose Allison. Gram Parsons. Holland-Dozier-Holland. Ray Davies. Jerry Garcia. Jesse Winchester. Bruce Springsteen. Bob Dylan. Van Morrison. Ray Noble. Paul Simon. And more. The first disc is just a remaster of the album that came out to little notice in 1995. It is unjustly neglected excellence, made especially so by the fantastic backing musicians whose collobarative arrangements are deeply enjoyable. It's an interesting combo--the avant guitarist Marc Ribot, but also the old-timer James Burton. Former attractions drummer Pete Thomas, but also session aces Larry Knechtel and Jim Keltner. It works great.

The second disk is not like most reissue/extra track packages, in that it is not outtakes, but other "cover" versions Costello produced under a variety of circumstances. The best music on the bonus disk--maybe the best music in the whole package--are the demos Elvis did of other people's songs in the style of George Jones, hoping to convince George Jones to boost his career by covering tunes like "Brilliant Disguise" by Springsteen or "Congratulations" by Paul Simon. These versions are even more relaxed and confident than what you find on the first disk. The rest of it is a mix of Irish music, jazzy stuff, and tunes he contributed to tribute albums for, among others, the Grateful Dead and Gram Parsons. It's all worth hearing.

If Costello's albums of original material ever start to seem too fussy or over-written, pull this disc out for some perspective.

Nice romp through Elvis music collection.......2004-08-29

When "Kojak Variety" was first released it was ignored by most EC fans and mentioned by critics as an example of a lack of inspiration on EC's part. Nothing could be further from the truth. While "Spike" and "Mighty As A Rose" demonstrated EC's diversity over the course of a single album, "Kojak" demonstrates where that inspiration originally came from. What's best about this reissue is the second disc included here. With thirty (!) remakes of classic contemporary and older rock 'n' roll gems, the second disc makes this the gem of the recent EC trio of reissues.

Covering Springsteen's "Brilliant Disguise" and a number of other songs to convince George Jones to tackle better material makes for great listening. It tells you 1) Who EC listens to and 2)How great he can be covering other people's definitive versions of their own songs. The gem here aside from "Brilliant Disguise" (which I had as a CD single)is the remake of Paul McCartney's little known gem "Step Inside Love". The song was written for Petula Clark but it sports one of McCartney's lush and innovative melodies. We're also treated to an alternate version of "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man", Arthur Alexander's "Sally Sue Brown", Van Morrison's "Full Force Gale", The Grateful Dead's marvelous "Ship of Fools" and a gem I had never heard before called "My Resistance is Low".

The liner notes are extensive and cover the sessions for the album as well as why EC decided to cover the material he did. Oh, and we finally find out where the enigmatic title comes from as well (there's even photographic evidence to back it up). A delightful covers album. While I've always liked "Almost Blue" (and the reissue has some delightful additional material as well), I've always been more of a rocker at heart. Here we get a glimpse into EC's heart full of rock 'n' roll and soul.

The BEST bonus disc of the EC re-issues, ever!.......2004-08-25

I have always had a soft spot for this particular chapter in Elvis Costello's library. Recorded roughly the same time as "Spike," it sat in a vault for a few years before Elvis could talk the WB into putting it out. The original "Kojak Variety" is basically a lighthearted romp through 15 of Elvis' favorites. In the (now expanded) liner notes, he also mentions that it was recorded in about two weeks time. The loose feel of the songs does hint at that, and it provided some of the more uptempo numbers with a free wheeling charm.

But who would have thought that, in this reissue series comprised of Elvis Costello's "neglected" albums, (including "Almost Blue" and "Goodbye Cruel World"), it would be "Kojak Variety" that spawned the best bonus disc of Rhino's ongoing re-releases for ANY of his career? For a change, you get a disc that could've held its own as a solo album, and had it been released as "Kojak Variety Vol 2" would have raised more than a few eyebrows.

As Elvis explains in the liner notes, 10 of these 20 (whew!) extra songs were recorded as a pseudo demo for George Jones as EC's attempt to cut convince Jones to cut a more contemporary country album. These ten covers crush the easy-bake Nashville mentality that tied an anchor to "Almost Blue" down to shrapnel. Had THESE songs been Elvis' valentine to country music, maybe folks might have understood how songs like "Stranger In The House" or "Radio Sweetheart" sounded more honest than anything on "Almost Blue." In particular, assembling "Brilliant Disguise," "Congratulations" and "Innocent When You Dream" in such a consistent manner makes what was basically a likable curio in the Costello library even more fun to own, and raises my rating from its earlier 3 star to the new 4 star commendation.

As to the original CD itself, "Kojak Variety" still holds a mixed bag of treats. Randy Newman is a spiritual kin to EC anyway, so it's little surprise that his "I've Been Wrong Before" comes of very strong. "Remove This Doubt" recasts EC as a Supreme, which is good for a smile, and he also does a passable Dylan on "I Threw It All Away." And since country-esque ballads have long been one of his strong suits, "Must You Throw Dirt in My Face" is a perfect fit.

On the other hand, "Bama Lama Bama Loo" and "Leave My Kitten Alone" provide evidence that not every song needs to be re-recorded. And as good as "Days" is from the Kinks' catalog, it comes across as clumsy sounding here. (As opposed to the Wim Wenders' "Till End Of The World" soundtrack where it was a standout.)

I am also happy that "Ship Of Fools" pops up here from the "Deadicated" tribute CD, as well as his version of The Beatles' "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." I'll also compliment the remaster for giving the entire album a much more spacious atmosphere. The new liner notes also give more details to the genesis of the album, including finally giving the secret origins of the album's title!

How much you need to have "Kojak Variety" again depends on how fanatical of an EC completist you happen to be. I will say it will never leave my library and if he ever does release another volume, (please Elvis, don't skip ANY volumes), I'll be there to buy it. Can't wait to see what his favorite songs from the seventies were.....

Not much more than interesting..........2004-08-24

This collection of covers is slightly superior to his OTHER collection of covers, Almost Blue. There are a couple of interesting choices here, and it's good for a few listens, but I doubt it will find its way back into many CD players after the initial novelty wears off.

Average customer rating:

A Big Disappointment
Music for Lollipops
Not looking forward to the next one
The best three-star cover album you'll ever listen too!
It's underrated!

Kojak Variety
Elvis Costello
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

All This Useless Beauty
Brutal Youth
Mighty Like a Rose
Spike
When I Was Cruel

ASIN: B000002MY5
Release Date: 1995-05-09

Tracks:

Strange
Hidden Charms
Remove This Doubt
I Threw It All Away
Leave My Kitten Alone
Everybody's Crying Mercy
I've Been Wrong Before
Bama Lama Bama Loo
Must You Throw Dirt In My Face
Pouring Water On A Drowning Man
The Very Thought Of You
Payday
Please Stay
Running Out Of Fools
Days

Amazon.com

Songs he wishes he wrote. A mixed bag, both in genre and quality of performance, but Kojak Variety is often convincing. Unsurprisingly, its best moments come on ballads. Costello's take on the Supremes nugget "Remove This Doubt" is as apocalyptic as anything he's laid down since "Riot Act" on 1980's Get Happy!!, and Dylan's "I Threw It All Away" and the Randy Newman obscurity "I've Been Wrong Before" are stunners in the Big El's hands, too. --Rickey Wright

Album Description

With 'Kojak Variety', from 1995, Costello is a crooner, picking forgotten tunes by both minor & major artists (anyone from Screamin' Jay Hawkins to Bob Dylan). Guest musicians include Marc Ribot & Jim Keltner. Warner Brothers.

Customer Reviews:

A Big Disappointment.......2004-04-05

Costello`s 1995 album Kojak Variety is a collection of songs Costello wish he`d written himself. I hate to say this, but I feel he lacks inspiration on many of these songs; especially on most of the slow ballads.

Of course there a good tracks here, but they`re few.

My clear favourites are "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man" and the obscure Bacharach song "Please Stay". Both songs are performed like the were his own songs.

"Strange", "I Threw it All Away" and "Must You Throw Dirt in My Face" are good too.

The rest of the songs are either uninteresting, uninspired or downright bad; Ray Davies`"Days" is the worst of all. Costello succeeds in turning one of the best songs into the worst track!

Music for Lollipops.......2003-11-18

The results are a mixed bag of treats, though. Randy Newman is a spiritual kin to EC anyway, so it's little surprise that his "I've Been Wrong Before" comes of very strong. "Remove This Doubt" recasts EC as a Supreme, which is good for a smile, and he also does a passable Dylan on "I Threw It All Away." And since country-esque ballads have long been one of his strong suits, "Must You Throw Dirt in My Face" is a perfect fit.

On the other hand, "Bama Lama Bama Loo" and "Leave My Kitten Alone" provide evidence that not every song needs to be re-recorded. And as good as "Days" is from the Kinks' catalog, it comes across as clumsy sounding here. (As opposed to the Wim Wenders' "Till End Of The World" soundtrack where it was a standout.)

How much you need to have "Kojak Variety" depends on how fanatical of an EC completist you happen to be. I will say it will never leave my library and if he ever does release another volume, I'll be there to buy it. Can't wait to see what his favorite songs from the seventies were.....

Not looking forward to the next one.......2002-10-29

In the liner notes to KOJAK VARIETY, EC mentions that he considers this CD the first volume in a series. My question is "Why?" This mixed bag of R&B, ballads and the occasional well-known classic (Ray Davies "Days") is unsatisfying to say the least. Actually the liner notes are the best part, insightful looks at Costello's past and how his taste in music developed. The problem is I don't understand why Costello needed to make this record. Better he had put his name on a compilation of original recordings and let the listener in on what motivated him to create CD's like GET HAPPY. As it stands this CD is just a mistake. Costello's take on the various tunes lack the vitality of his original work and even the songs he should make his own, like Randy Newman's "I've Been Wrong Before" and "Days" are more annoying than memorable. If KOJAK VARIETY Vol. 2 does appear as promised, I think I'll skip it.

The best three-star cover album you'll ever listen too!.......2002-05-03

The highlights make the mistakes on this album forgivable:

"Remove this Doubt" puts a huge grin on my face - Elvis as a Supreme...brilliant fun!

"I Threw It All Away" - a better performance of a great Dylan song than the original.

"Strange" and "Must You Throw Dirt in my Face" - hilarious! I hope Elvis wants us to laugh with him at these performances - I think he does....

The rest of the songs range from pretty cool ("The Very Thought of You") to head-scratchers ("Leave My Kitten Alone," "Bama Lama..whatever") and of course, don't buy this one if you have any significant holes in your EC collection. But this is a more satisfying album for me than Goodbye Cruel World and even All This Useless Beauty. I know I'm probably about the only EC fan who likes Kojak more than Beauty, but there you have it. It's worth it for the Dylan and Supremes numbers, and you may find enjoyment in some of the other pieces where I have not.

It's underrated!.......2000-08-19

Listen to the clips for yourself. I'd never heard of this one, and bought it on a whim. The more I listened, the more I enjoyed it. It was playing when some friends came over, who were pleasantly surprised as well. It may not have the thought provoking lyrics and compexity of sound of some of his other work, but it is extremely listenable. It was one of a handful of CD's I kept playing over & over while working on my dissertation; it made for good, upbeat, singable tunes that weren't too distracting. It gets better with repeated listening.