Kojak Variety

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.

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.....

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.