Review: Beyond Belief - A Tribute To Elvis Costello

As I asked in a previous article, who could have guessed that out of all the new acts that popped up every week back in the Punk / New Wave era of the late 70's, that it would be Elvis Costello who would still be turning out meaningful work and touring regularly nearly 40 years on? I might have picked Joe Jackson, but what did I know? I loved the first 5 or 6 Elvis Costello albums, and still do, along with much of his later work. What I didn't know then was how much the brilliant work of bassist Bruce Thomas of The Attractions would influence my own bass playing over time. I consider that a bonus.

The arrival of a new tribute album dedicated to the songs of Elvis Costello is a surprise in the sense of how overdue it is. It's curious that no one had thought of doing a project like this, on this level, before now. The only other ones I can think of were a 2010 indie band collection that flew way under the radar, and an album assembled by the Rhino label in the late 90's that was just a compilation of tunes Costello wrote for other artists, and did not feature songs recorded specifically for that album. So they only came close. This one hits the bullseye squarely. It's the Elvis Costello tribute album we've all been waiting for. The kicker is that it manages to deliver consistently high quality recordings along with ear popping quantity; a rare achievement indeed. Co-produced by longtime Costello fans Olivia Frain and John Borack, this collection features independent artists putting their own spin on Elvis Costello classics and some essential deep cuts. Borack also produced one of my favorite tribute albums, the long out of print and now collectable Bubblegum compilation, "Right To Chews".

In keeping with Elvis Costello's own history of cramming a lot of songs onto an album, ("Get Happy" and "Taking Liberties" each had 20 songs on a single vinyl LP), "Beyond Belief: A Tribute To Elvis Costello" features a whopping 50 songs by 50 bands spread out over 3 CDs. Even with that much to choose from, Costello has written so much good material over the last three decades or so that it would not be difficult to have included at least 1 or 2 more discs worth of cover songs, and still keep the quality level high. But really, I'm delighted with 50. It's a nice round number.

I've been listening to "Beyond Belief" for the last couple of weeks and I can't believe how consistently good it is, to the point where it's been difficult to remain critically objective. Even a single CD of 10- 20 tunes will have at least a couple that may not work for you, or even rub you wrong. But here, we have 50 songs over 3 CD's, and I haven't heard one track that made me say "OK, that's just wrong". The clear majority of the musicians here have taken the original recording as a guide, and played it as they would play it. That doesn't sound like much of a statement, but the key is that when they play the song, they sound like themselves, while fully respecting the song's integrity. Very few, if any of the recordings rely solely on mimicry, but those that do have it, offer their share of Costello-isms with a sincere affection.

The evolution of Elvis

Despite the ample evidence that Costello has proven to be a brilliant lyricist and a most musical composer, and having done some co-writing with the likes of Paul McCartney and Burt Bacharach, I know there are some folks who just can't seem to get past either the sound of his voice, or some of the knottier complexities of his more advanced music. I can understand and appreciate that point of view. It is with that in mind that I will suggest that an album of well executed cover versions, such as this one, might prove a fine way to nudge someone who is on the fence about Costello's music to listen a little further, and hear some of the things that the musicians doing the covers have heard in the songs. It's an exploration well worth your time, and theirs.

Some of my favorite tracks include the Everly-esque vocal harmonies on "Brilliant Mistake" by Dennis Schocket & Cliff Hillis, and the faithful recreations of David Myhr's "Veronica", "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea" by The Stars Explode, and "Beyond Belief" by Nelson Bragg & Ken Cleveland. Honeychain rocks their energetic and crunchy version of "This Year's Girl". Brandon Schott's fine orchestral take on "Riot Act" explores the compositional and dynamic potential of the original. The punchy brass parts on "Pump It Up" by The Rubinoos would make it a dance floor packer for any live band with a horn section. I also enjoyed the brave and creative Doo-Wop vocals of "Blame It On Cain" by Jamie & Steve, the sultry groove on Kelley Ryan's "Monkey To Man", the acoustic mood shift of "I Hope You're Happy Now" by Smithereens bassist, Severo Jornacion, and the soulful bounce of Gail George's reading of "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror". That's only about 20% of the album, but any omission here does not infer anything negative. It's just that there's so much terrific music on the album that a track-by-track review would be an overly lengthy read. I'm sure you will discover your own favorites.

Here's a brief sampler of 3 random songs from the album. Enjoy.

It must be said that I like the packaging of the discs. The artwork is appropriately eye catching, in a nod to EC's classic late 70's cover art, but the producers were also smart to go with a glossy and reasonably sturdy paperboard wallet design that holds the 3 CD's and a booklet. I much prefer this design over the clunky, shelf space hogging multi-boxes of old, or the slim plastic triple cases that crack if you look at them cross-eyed. This is an aesthetically solid design that uses no plastic, and was likely a wise choice for the album's production budget as well.

I would be greatly remiss if I didn't tell you that 100% of the proceeds from the release will go to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which was founded by the late composer, Michael Kamen. The foundation helps put musical instruments into the hands of children in underserved areas. This fundraising is going towards a great cause, which is all the more reason for you to pick up this album promptly.

You can acquire the album at the Spyderpop Records website, which has links to buy the CD direct from the label, or you can visit CD Baby to listen to samples and choose the CD's or the digital download. The CD edition is currently limited to 1000 copies, so act now. There's also a 3 hour radio program on Soundcloud, The Time Machine, featuring DJ Michael McCartney playing many of the tracks from the album, along with a phone interview with co-producer John Borack.

This album provides further reinforcement of my theory that independent producers and artists will outperform major labels on tribute projects like this every time. "Beyond Belief" is clearly a labor of love, and a serious contender for Best Tribute Album of 2015, even though it's only February. It also happens to be one of the best tributes to the music of any one artist that I've yet seen. I understand that Costello himself is aware of the project, and is no doubt pleased. If you enjoy the songs of Elvis Costello to any extent, then this exceptional tribute is well deserving of an immediate spot in your collection, and plenty of spins in your CD player.