New album for 2013: "Wise Up Ghost" (with The Roots!)

[sweetest punch]

http://www.wienerzeitung.at/themen_chan ... Ghost.html

Costello, Elvis And The Roots: Wise Up Ghost

Überraschendes Joint Venture: Elvis Costello und The Roots hauen sich auf ein Packerl.
Neues Album "Wise Up Ghost" zwischen Soul und Funk.

Im Leben gibt es grundsätzlich zwei Möglichkeiten. Entweder man setzt sich das Ziel, sich kein Ziel zu setzen, und bevorzugt keine Ambition vor der mit dieser verbundenen Aufregung. Überraschungen bedeuten nur selten, dass der Postmann mit einem Geschenk vor der Haustür steht, sie fallen meist als von Donnergroll begleitete Nachrichten, die man nicht hören will, aus dem heiteren Himmel. Als Gegenmaßnahme empfiehlt sich die innere Abschottung ebenso wie ein gesundes Vertrauen auf Wörter wie "nicht" und "nein". Und auch ein Hauptwohnsitz in Österreich kann diesbezüglich nicht schaden. Die Welt erfindet sich täglich neu, aber garantiert ohne uns.

Oder aber man tingeltangelt hungrig und mit der Neugiersnase eines drogenabhängigen Polizeihundes durch das Leben. Stillstand ist der Tod, das wahre Abenteuer gerade eben nicht im Kopf. Man schließt sich einem Berufsstand an, dem die Veränderung Dogma ist, wird Künstler, Haubenkoch oder Serienmörder auf der Flucht und betritt keinen Raum auch nur ein zweites Mal. Es ist schön hier, aber baba, ich muss jetzt gehen.

Neuland bevorzugt

Elvis Costello ist nicht nur als geborener Brite mit irischem Familienhintergrund und kanadischer Wahlheimat kein guter Österreicher. Er bereist auch künstlerisch gerne Neuland und macht es sich dabei selbst weniger schwer als den Fans, die sich auch im Ausland sehr österreichisch verhalten. Sie erinnern Elvis Costello bevorzugt als Jungspund mit Buddy-Holly-Brille und Gottvater forsch-zackiger oder gerne auch ans Herz gehender Hadern vor allem über das Gestern. So schön, schön war die Zeit - bevor Costello etwa mit Hotellobby-Jazz auffällig wurde oder plötzlich auch klassische Einspielungen für die Deutsche Grammphon auf dem Programm standen. Zuletzt wiederum wurde auf in Nashville eingespielten Albenwie"Secret,Profane&Sugar-cane"(2009) und "National Ransom"(2010)eine Hinwendung zum staubigen Roots-Rock zelebriert.

Mit "Wise Up Ghost" liegt nun die nächste Überraschung vor. Heimlich, still und leise hat sich Costello mit The Roots aus Philadelphia zusammengetan, die seit 1987 als musizierendste aller Hip-Hop-Groups gelten. Schließlich steht das Kollektiv um Mastermind Ahmir Khalib Thompson a.k.a. Questlove für eine um dienstältere Black-Music-Spielarten erweiterte Spoken-Word-Kunst, die ohne Sampling auskommt und stattdessen auf eine unternehmenseigene Band setzt. Im Verbund mit Costello gibt man durchaus im Vintage-Sound gehaltenen Soul, R&B und Funk zum Besten.

Schleifend bis smooth

Ursprünglich als Überarbeitung alter Costello-Songs angedacht, entstand bald ein eigenständiges Album mit neuem Originalmaterial - auch wenn etwa das als Wiegenlied und Soulwalzer gleichermaßen hörbare "Tripwire" auf "Satellite" aus dem "Spike"-Album von 1989 aufbaut und alte Textbausteine per Copy-and-paste-Verfahren ins Heute geholt wurden. Die dabei beschworenen Bilder sind nicht selten düster. Es geht um das Unterdrückt-Werden ebenso wie um das Sich-unterdrücken-Lassen ("We’ll stand in the light of your new killing ground/and we won’t make a sound") und das grundsätzliche Gefangensein in realen Alpträumen: "Wake me up/there must be something better than this!" Musikalisch übersetzen sich diese Momente am besten im monumental-dystopischen Titelsong des Albums.

Die Höhepunkte sind hingegen im trockenen Midtempo-Groove von "Sugar Won’t Work", das sich in einen innigen Refrain entlädt, im repetitiv-schleifenden "Refuse To Be Saved" oder im begnadeten Retro-Soul von "Come The Meantimes" zu finden. Sehr gut auch die smoothe Dauerschleife von "Viceroy’s Row", nicht schlecht das Ska-nähere "Walk Us Uptown".

Die Funkgitarren drängen in den Hallraum. Der Bass hat den Lenz. Gemeinsam mit dem Fender Rhodes wippen die Beats butterweich aus den Knien. Dass am Ende dieses über weite Strecken sehr erfreulichen Joint Ventures mit "If I Could Believe" ein klassischer Costello steht, gefällt dem Österreicher in uns aber auch nicht schlecht. Die Macht der Gewohnheit? Ein alter Hut.

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Google translation:

Costello, Elvis & The Roots : Wise Up Ghost

Surprising joint venture : Elvis Costello and The Roots hew to a Packerl .
New album " Wise Up Ghost" between soul and funk .

In life, there are basically two options . Either you set yourself the goal to set no goal, no ambition , and preferably before the excitement associated with this . Rarely surprises mean that the post man stands with a gift on the doorstep , they fall mostly as accompanied by Donnergroll messages that do not want to hear , out of the blue . As a countermeasure, the inner foreclosure is recommended as a healthy reliance on words like " not " and "no." And also a main residence in Austria can not hurt in this regard . The world reinvented every day , but guaranteed without us.

Or you tingeltangelt hungry and nose with the curiosity of a drug-addicted police dog through life. Stagnation is death, the real adventure just now not in the head . It joins a profession where the change is the dogma , artist , chef or serial killer is on the run and enter no room even for a second time , it 's nice here, but baba , I have to go now .

territory preferred

Elvis Costello is not only a born Englishman with an Irish family background and Canadian home is not a good choice Austrians. He travels and artistic territory and makes it look like it even less difficult than the fans who behave very Austrian and abroad. You remember Elvis Costello preferred youngster with Buddy Holly glasses and God the Father - pronged research or even like walking to the heart rag especially about the past . So beautiful, beautiful was the time - before Costello about with hotel lobby was flashy or suddenly Jazz and classical recordings for the German Grammphon were on the program . Last turn was celebrated on rehearsed in Nashville Albenwie " Secret , Profane & Sugar Cane " (2009) and "National Ransom " (2010) a turn to the dusty roots rock .

With " Wise Up Ghost" is now available the next surprise . Secretly and quietly located Costello has teamed up with The Roots of Philadelphia, which are considered musizierendste all hip-hop groups since 1987. Finally, the collective of mastermind Ahmir Thompson aka Khalib is Questlove for a service to older black music game types Advanced Spoken Word Art that does not require sampling and instead relies on a proprietary tape . In association with Costello you are certainly held in the vintage sound soul, R & B and funk for the best.

Grinding to smooth

Originally conceived as a revision of old Costello songs , soon created a separate album of new original material - though about that as Lullaby and soul waltz equally audible " Tripwire " to "Satellite " from the " Spike " album from 1989 builds and old text blocks per copy - and-paste method were brought into the present . The images evoked here are often grim. It's about the Suppress - If , as to the self- suppress - Let ( "We'll stand in the light of your new killing ground / and we will not make a sound" ) and the fundamental imprisonment in real nightmares " Wake me up / there must be something better than this! " Musically this translate in the best monumental moments dystopian title song of the album.

The highlights , however, are found in the dry mid-tempo groove of " Sugar Will not Work" , which discharges into intimate chorus, repetitive in - abrasive " Refuse To Be Saved " or gifted retro -soul of "Come The Mean Times" . Very good , the smooth continuous loop of " Viceroy 's Row " , not bad , the more ska "Walk Uptown Us " .

The wireless guitar pushing in the reverberation chamber . The bass has the bilge . Together with the Fender Rhodes bounce beats the buttery soft from the knees. Is that at the end of this over long distances very encouraging joint ventures with " If I Could Believe" a classic Costello, also like the Austrian in us but not bad. Force of habit ? Old hat.

[sweetest punch]

http://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/feuilleton/po ... 1.18149196

Geteilte Gegenwart

Im Anfang sind Stimme und Schlagzeug: Hart und funkig schlägt der Drummer Pfade durch die Verkalkung der Zeit. Und von Sorgen singt der Sänger: «And we won't make a sound, except to sing our sorrow». Zwischen die Beats des 42-jährigen Hip-Hop-Pioniers Ahmir «Questlove» Thompson und die heisere Stimme des 59-jährigen Singer/Songwriters Elvis Costello aber legen sich Arrangements aus Orgeln, Bläsern, Streichern. Der geschichtete Sound nimmt sich wie ein Geflecht aus Wille und Vorstellung aus.

Innere Logik

Authentizität ist an sich wohl eine direkte Funktion des Seins. Aber auch wer inständig etwas will, wirkt irgendwann glaubwürdig. Diese Form musikalischer Aneignung und Identifikation erweist sich in der Zusammenarbeit von Costello und Questlove, dem Drummer der wegweisenden Hip-Hop-Band The Roots, als bindende Erfahrung, als geteilte Gegenwart. Und mochte einem diese Kollaboration dieser Sonderlinge zunächst überraschen, als man letzten Januar davon hörte, so hat das Album «Wise Up Ghost» nun durchaus eine innere Logik.

Costellos Karriere begann in der Kälte von Underground und britischem New Wave. In seinen poppig-punkigen Anfängen lernte der eitle und gewitzte Nerd, gesanglich Theater zu spielen und sich in Rollen zu versetzten. Im Laufe der Jahre wurde daraus eine Obsession: Der Sänger drängte sich immer weiter vor in fremde Welten und insbesondere in die amerikanische Musiktradition. Er wühlte sich durch die Schollen von Folk, Rock, Blues und suchte hier offenbar eine expressive Kraft – so etwas wie eine zweite Natur, die er auf seinen Alben dann zumindest glaubhaft simulierte. Dabei setzte er immer wieder auf die Mithilfe amerikanischer Experten: auf den Jazz- und Folk-Gitarristen Bill Frisell («Deap Dead Blue», 1995), auf den Pop-Komponisten und Arranger Burt Bacharach («Painted From Memory», 1998) oder auf den New-Orleans-Stilisten Allen Toussaint («The River In Reverse», 2006) (es ist wohl auch nicht zufällig, dass er 2003 dann die kanadische Jazzpianistin und Sängerin Diana Krall ehelichte).

Die vielfältige Musikalität von Questlove und The Roots ist scheinbar leichter erklärt: Als Hip-Hop-Band versuchten sie das Zitieren und Montieren, das Mixen und Remixen der DJ in den Kontext von Live-Musik zurückzuholen. So wurden sie zu Archäologen der Pop-Geschichte: Ihre Konzerte gerieten phasenweise zu Zitat-Schlachten und zu heiteren Ratespielen. Die dabei gewonnene stilistische Flexibilität kommt den Roots heute in Jimmy Fallons Late Night Show zugute, wo sie als Resident-Band fungieren. In einer Ausgabe dieser Show haben sie Elvis Costello kennengelernt. Auch The Roots aber suchen immer wieder Kollaborationen, um den eigenen Horizont zu erweitern – so spielten sie mit dem M-Base-Jazzsaxofonisten Steve Coleman, mit Rap-Stars wie Jay-Z und mit Soulsänger wie D'Angelo oder Cody Chesnutt.

Obwohl «Wise Up Ghost» auf sessionartigen Versuchen von Costello, Questlove sowie dem Roots-Sound-Ingenieur Steven Mandel basiert, erweist sich das Album nun wenn nicht als Wurf so doch als ebenso kontrastreiches wie stimmiges Werk. Die unterschiedliche Herkunft der Protagonisten bleibt hörbar. Das Repertoire, das von knochigem R'n'B, archaischem Rock und federndem Funk dominiert wird, führt wiederholt in den düsteren Vorhof der Hölle, wo Wut glüht, Verzweiflung dräut. In dieser Sphären («Wake Me Up», «Stick Out Your Tongue») hält sich Costello gesanglich zurück. Er versucht sich nicht als Rapper (Black Thought, der eigentliche Roots-Rapper, ist übrigens nicht mit von der Partie), lauert aber quasi in gebetsartigem Sprechgesang. Wohler aber fühlt er sich, wenn er die Stimme im kehligen Vibrato eines breiten Refrains erzittern lassen darf – wie etwa in «Sugar Won't Work». Zuletzt führt er die Musik gar in die anrührende Pop-Ballade «If I Could Believe», die sich wie ein zuckriges Sahnehäubchen abhebt von den schwarzen Tracks.

Blues als Brennstoff

Questlove überzeugt einmal mehr als Produzent. Er versteht es, in die tiefen der Black Music zu bohren, um die Brennstoffe des Blues und Souls in zeitgenössische Pop-Musik einfliessen zu lassen. Dabei baut er nicht nur auf historisches Wissen, sondern auch auf technisches Können: Wie nur wenige versteht er es, Live-Musik mit den Möglichkeiten der Postproduktion zu kombinieren. So wirken die zwölf Tracks gleichzeitig spontan und ausgeklügelt, roh und raffiniert. Nicht zu unterschätzen ist schliesslich auch die Bedeutung des zugewandten Personals: Der Neo-Soul-Virtuose Pino Palladino etwa spielt Bass, und die berauschenden Streicher-Arrangements stammen von Bernt Fischer (dem Sohn des Jazz-Arrangeurs Clare Fischer).

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Google translation:

Shared presence

In the beginning, voice and percussion are : hard and funky beats of drummer paths through the calcification of the time . And concerns of the singer sings : " And we will not make a sound , except to sing our sorrow ." Between the beats of the 42 -year-old hip-hop pioneer Ahmir " Questlove " Thompson and the hoarse voice of the 59 -year-old singer / songwriter Elvis Costello but put arrangements of organs, brass, strings . The layered sound takes like a braid of will and idea .

internal logic

Authenticity itself is probably a direct function of being. But even those who sincerely want something that works sometime credible. This form of musical appropriation and identification proves in cooperation Costello and Questlove , the drummer of the seminal hip- hop band The Roots , as a binding experience as a shared present. Liked this one and this collaboration nerds seem surprising , as we heard last January it so well , the album has " Wise Up Ghost " now an inner logic .

Costello's career began in the cold from Underground and British New Wave . In his pop - punk beginnings learned the vain and crafty nerd , singing and playing theater to offset in rolls . Over the years it became an obsession : The singer pushed ever further into unknown worlds , and especially in the American musical tradition. He rummaged through the clods of folk, rock , blues and studied here appears to be a expressive power - something like a second nature , which he then simulated at least credible on his albums . He sat down again on the help of American experts : on the jazz and folk guitarist Bill Frisell ( " Deap Dead Blue " , 1995) , to the pop composer and arranger Burt Bacharach ( " Painted From Memory " , 1998) or on the New Orleans stylists Allen Toussaint ( " the River In Reverse " , 2006) ( it is probably not a coincidence that in 2003 he then the Canadian jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall married ) .

The diverse musicality of Questlove and The Roots is apparently easier to explain : As a hip- hop band , they tried quoting and assembly , retrieve the mixes and remixes of DJ in the context of live music. So they became archaeologists of pop history : Their concerts came in phases to citation battles and serene quizzes . The thus obtained stylistic flexibility comes the Roots today at Jimmy Fallon's late night show benefit , where they act as the resident band . In an issue of this show they have met Elvis Costello . The Roots but also always looking for collaborations to expand your horizons - as they played with the M -Base jazz saxophonist Steve Coleman, with rap stars like Jay -Z and with soul singers like D'Angelo and Cody Chesnutt .

Although " Wise Up Ghost " is based on session -like trials of Costello, Questlove and the Roots sound engineer Steven Mandel, the album is now proving if not then as well as a throw -contrast as coherent work . The different backgrounds of the protagonists remains audible . The repertoire is dominated by bony R'n'B, archaic rock radio leads and resilient , repeated in the dark vestibule of hell, where anger glows , despair Looming . In these spheres ( " Wake Me Up ", " Stick Out Your Tongue ") is Costello holds back vocally . He tries not as a rapper ( Black Thought , the actual Roots rapper , is not the way of the party ), but lurking in quasi gebetsartigem chant . Well but he feels when he can leave the voice tremble in throaty vibrato of a wide choruses - as in " Sugar Will not Work" . Most recently, he leads the music at all in the touching pop ballad " If I Could Believe " , which is like a twitch -engine icing stands out from the black tracks.

Blues as fuel

Questlove convinced once more as a producer. He knows how to drill in the deep of Black Music to incorporated the fuels of Blues and Soul in contemporary pop music. He not only builds on historical knowledge , but also on technical skills : how he just knows how to combine live music with the possibilities of post-production . Thus, the twelve tracks simultaneously act spontaneously and sophisticated , raw and refined . Not to be underestimated is the importance of finally facing staff : The neo-soul virtuoso Pino Palladino about playing bass , and the exhilarating string arrangements are by Bernt Fischer ( the son of jazz arranger Clare Fischer ) .

[sweetest punch]

http://www.jazzecho.de/aktuell/news/art ... den-themen

Elvis Costello & The Roots - Sexy Musik zu angsteinflößenden Themen

Was mag wohl passieren, wenn man einen ehemaligen Punkrocker und New Waver mit einer der besten HipHop- und Neo-Soul-Bands der Gegenwart zusammenführt? Elvis Costello und The Roots geben die brillante Antwort auf "Wise Up Ghost", einem furiosen, abenteuerlichen und höchst unterhaltsames Crossover-Album, das schon jetzt in der Presse als der Überraschungscoup des Jahres gefeiert wird. Bei NPR Music hieß es: "Das Album klingt wie die besten von Costellos Sachen und wie nichts, was er je zuvor gemacht hat... Es ist sexy Musik zu angsteinflößenden Themen wie Machtmissbrauch und Manipulation."

Kraftvolle Songs müssen schon im Rohzustand kraftvoll klingen

"Die Roots sind eine großartige Band mit einem sehr weiten musikalischen Horizont", sagt Elvis Costello. "Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass mit dieser Band alles möglich sein würde... Wir hatten anfangs keine Ahnung, welche Form die Zusammenarbeit annehmen würde, ob wir nur einen Song oder eine EP oder was auch immer machen würde. Aber die Ideen purzelten nur so aus uns heraus und sie schienen durch einen gemeinsamen rhythmischen und lyrischen Ansatz miteinander verbunden zu sein." "Ausgesprochen kraftvolle Songs müssen schon im Rohzustand kraftvoll klingen", sagt Thompson, der schon Alben von Größen wie Al Green und Booker T. Jones produziert hat. "Also setzen wir unsere Ideen zunächst nur mit Schlagzeug und Klavier um. Und wenn sie in dieser Zwei-Mann-Kombination überzeugten, begaben wir uns aufs nächste Level und brachten die Band ins Spiel." Und die wiederum gab den Songs einen Sound, der am ehesten an den kinematographischen Funk erinnert, den etwa Curtis Mayfield und Isaac Hayes in den frühen 1970er Jahren produziert hatten.

Visionen von modernem Chaos und Verhängnis

So harmonisch wie die Aufnahmen verliefen, so kontrovers sind die Emotionen in Costellos Texten. In ihnen geht es um Visionen von modernem Chaos und Verhängnis, um eine von Gier und Täuschung geprägte Kultur. "Ich hatte nicht geplant, über solche Trostlosigkeiten zu schreiben", sagt Costello, "aber man kann doch nicht die Dinge verleugnen, die man sieht und fühlt. Wenn man aus dem Fenster schaut, den Fernseher einschaltet, eine Zeitung aufschlägt... stößt man auf all diese trostlosen Geschichten. Sie existieren wirklich. Ich erzähle nichts noch nie Dagewesenes. Es scheint, dass wir uns damit abgefunden haben, wie die Dinge sind, dass wir die Vorstellung akzeptiert haben, dass andere den Preis für unsere eigene Zufriedenheit zahlen müssen. Das war schon einmal anders, wir hatten früher größere Ziele. Und mir wäre es lieber, wenn wir wieder etwas hätten, auf das man sich freuen könnte." Mit "Wise Up Ghost" liefern Elvis Costello und The Roots der Musikwelt nun genau dies: ein Album, auf das man sich freuen kann und an dem man noch sehr lange Zeit Freude haben wird.

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Google translation:

Elvis Costello & The Roots - Sexy music for about scary

What might happen if one brings together a former punk rocker and New Waver with one of the best hip-hop and neo- soul bands of the present? Elvis Costello and The Roots give the brilliant response to " Wise Up Ghost ," a furious , adventurous and highly entertaining crossover album, which is already being hailed in the press as the surprise coup of the year. For NPR Music stated: "The album sounds like the best of Costello's stuff and like nothing he has ever done before ... It's sexy music scary terms like abuse of power and manipulation. "

Powerful songs have been sound powerful in its raw state

" The Roots are a great band with a very broad horizon ," says Elvis Costello . "I had the feeling that everything would be possible with this band ... We had no idea at first , which would take the form of cooperation that we would do whatever one song or an EP or . Ideas tumbled But the only so out of us and they seemed to be connected by a common rhythmic and lyrical approach. " " Extremely powerful songs have to sound forceful already in the raw state ," said Thompson, who has been producing albums by the likes of Al Green and Booker T. Jones. "So we put our ideas initially only with percussion and piano to . And when they convinced in this two-man combination , we went to the next level and brought the band into the game . " And in turn, gave the song a sound that somehow reminds of the cinematographic radio , about the Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes were produced in the early 1970s.

Visions of chaos and modern doom

As harmonious as the shots ran so controversial are the emotions in Costello's lyrics. In them it comes to visions of modern chaos and disaster to a culture dominated by greed and deception . " I had not planned to write about such desolations ," says Costello , "but one can not deny the things that one sees and feels. Looking out the window, turn on the TV , open a newspaper comes ... you to all those dreary stories. , you really exist. anything I tell unheard . , it seems that we have come to terms with how things are , that we have accepted the idea that others have to pay the price for our own satisfaction . that was a different way, we used to have bigger goals . And I would prefer if we did something again , upon which to rejoice. " With " Wise Up Ghost" provide Elvis Costello and The Roots of the music world right now this: an album that you can enjoy and where you will have for a very long time joy.

[sweetest punch]

http://www.ampya.com/news/Reviews/The-R ... -AR100152/

Eine spannende Kollabo

The Roots treiben Elvis Costello an

8/10

Es gilt als eine der Aufsehen erregendsten Kollaborationen: Die Organic-Hip-Hopper von The Roots treffen sich mit dem grantelnden Briten Elvis Costello. Was auf den ersten Blick skurril anmutet, entwickelt auf "Wise Up Ghost" interessante Eigendynamik. Unterfangen gelungen!

Mit Kollaborationen ist das so ein Ding. Es gibt Zusammenarbeiten, die deutlich darauf abzielen, Fans beider Lager zum Kauf des Ergebnisses zu bewegen, wenn zwei Parteien sich im Studio treffen oder sich Files übers Netz hin und her schicken. Nicht selten steht hinter diesem Gedanken das Kalkül der Shareholder und nicht künstlerische Interessen. Die Kooperation von Metallica mit Lou Reed könnte man hier beispielhaft erwähnen. In Anbetracht dieser Tatsache wirkt es schon desillusionierend, wenn die Vorzeige-Hip Hopper von The Roots sich mit Querkopf Elvis Costello zusammentun, schließlich entstammen die Herren aus zwei ganz unterschiedlichen musikalischen Galaxien. Sollte man zumindest meinen.

Aber bevor sie ihrem gemeinsamen Schaffen irgendeinen obskuren philosophischen Überbau verpassen, kümmern sie sich um wichtigere Sachen, und zwar um das Pochen des Herzschlages des Albums: ein dunkler Groove, dem sie alle Entfaltungsmöglichkeiten lassen. Der Legende nach trafen sich die hier versammelten Parteien in der Jimmy Fallon Show, wo die Roots seit 2009 als Hausband agieren.

Von zwei entgegengesetzten Extremen machen sich The Roots und das geifernde Hutzelmännchen mit Brille auf den Weg, um Orte zu erkunden, die noch nicht vollends vermessen sind. Costello hat man schon besser erlebt als in jüngster Vergangenheit. Er steht hier am Mikro und federführend im Vordergrund und thematisiert Verrat, Missbrauch von Macht, düstere Begierden und zerstörte Ideale. Die Organic-Hip-Hopper scheuchen Elvis nun von seinem gemütlichen Altenteil, um eines seiner besten Alben der letzten Jahre zu erschaffen. Deshalb steht auch überhaupt nicht mehr die Frage im Raum, wie es zu dieser Partnerschaft kam. Egal! Vielmehr keimt die Hoffnung auf, dass dem Zusatz "Number One" auf dem Plattencover noch weitere folgen werden.

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Google translation:

An exciting collabo

The Roots of Elvis Costello drive

8/10

It is considered one of the most sensational collaborations : The Organic hip-hop of The Roots meet with the grumpy British Elvis Costello . What seems bizarre at first glance , developed to " Wise Up Ghost" interesting momentum . Endeavor succeeded !

With the collaboration is such a thing. There are collaborations aimed clearly on fans of both camps to move to the purchase of the result when two parties meet in the center, or send files back and forth over the net . Not infrequently is behind this idea, the calculus of shareholder and not artistic interests. The cooperation of Metallica with Lou Reed could mention here as an example . Given this fact, it has been disillusioning when the flagship of hip hoppers The Roots team up with cross- head Elvis Costello , after the gentlemen come from two very different musical galaxies. You should at least think.

But before they miss their joint work some obscure philosophical superstructure , they take care of more important things , namely by the pounding of the heart beat of the album : a dark groove, they can all development opportunities. According to legend, the assembled parties met here in the Jimmy Fallon show, where the roots act as house band since 2009.

Of two opposite extremes Roots and drooling Hutzelmännchen do with glasses on the way to explore places that are not yet fully measured. Costello is seen better than in the recent past . He is here at the micro and the lead in the foreground and discussed betrayal , abuse of power , dark desires and ideals destroyed . The Organic hip-hop shoo Elvis now from his cozy old part to create one of his best albums in recent years. Therefore, no longer the question is asked , how did this partnership. It does not matter ! Rather, the hope is springing up that the addition of " Number One" will be followed on the album cover yet .

[sweetest punch]

http://www.weser-kurier.de/freizeit/mus ... 61976.html

Coole Charismatiker

Hornbrille trifft Afro: Auf "Wise Up Ghost" verschmelzen Elvis Costellos Coolness mit den trockenen Black-Music-Grooves von The Roots.

Als Ende der 70er-Jahre der Punk die Musikwelt eine Weile regierte, kreuzte in London ein schlaksiger Jackettträger mit Hornbrille auf, und feuerte seinen tanzbaren Punk-Wave-Power-Pop-Rock aus allen Rohren. Elvis Costello sollte in seiner langen Karriere noch viele stilistische Intermezzi durchschreiten. Doch egal, ob Roots, Blues, Country, Ska oder Soul: Costello hatte schon immer ein Händchen in der Zusammenführung von amerikanischen Tugenden und britischem Erbgut. Zwischen Curtis Mayfield und The Who passt eben immer noch ein Elvis Costello. Und neben ihn auch eine HipHop-Band wie The Roots, jetzt auf "Wise Up Ghost" zu hören.

Nein, es ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass der mittlerweile 59-Jährige nach Kollaborationen mit Schmalzkönig Burt Bacharach, Jazz-Experimentierer Bill Frisell und New-Orleans-Legende Allen Toussaint nun mit The Roots gemeinsame Sache macht. Die HipHop-Querdenker und Soul-Eklektiker standen schon immer etwas abseits des Black-Musik-Biz, da sie - genau wie Costello - schon immer ihr eigenes Ding machten.

Kein Wunder also, dass sich Roots-Vorsteher Questlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) und Costello beim zufälligen Begegnen in Jimmy Fallons "Late Night Show", bei der The Roots als Hausband agieren, bestens verstanden. Über die Jahre entwickelte sich so eine Freundschaft, die von einem musikalischen, zunächst wenig zielgerichteten Austausch von Ideen befeuert wurde.

Bei Jams mit diversen Musikern folgte ein Herumbasteln mit Rhythmen und Samples, die Thompson vordergründig aus Costellos alten Songs bezog. Basierend auf nur wenigen Akkorden folgte die Einbindung von The Roots als Ganzes, die um Costellos unvergleichlich charismatisches Reimen und Erzählen einen trocken vibrierenden Groove basteln. Daraus entstand letztlich "Wise Up Ghost": Das Album ist ein gleichberechtigtes Nebeneinander von schwarz-weißen Soul-Stax-Spinnereien, Jazz-Schnipseln, Philly-Funk, britisch koloriertem Ska. Darüber thront Costello mit seiner zeitlosen Post-Mod-Coolness: Die Songs sind vertrackt, tanzbar, groovy - und haben manchmal sogar Platz für eine, von Costello lässig aus der Hüfte gefeuerte Gitarrensalve. Sehr sehr cool!

-------------------------
Google translation:

Cool Charismatics

Horn-rimmed glasses meets Afro : In " Wise Up Ghost" merge Elvis Costello's coolness with the dry black-music grooves from The Roots.

In the late 70s the punk ruled the music world for a while , cruised in London a lanky Jackettträger with horn-rimmed glasses on , and fired his dance- punk - wave power - pop-rock on all cylinders . Elvis Costello should still pass through many stylistic interludes in his long career . But whether roots , blues, country , ska or soul : Costello has always had a knack in the merging of American virtues and British heritage. Between Curtis Mayfield and The Who, just still fits an Elvis Costello . And next to him as a hip-hop band The Roots , now listen to " Wise Up Ghost ."

No, it is not surprising that the now 59- year-old now makes for collaborations with lard King Burt Bacharach, jazz experimentalist Bill Frisell and New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint with The Roots common cause. The hip-hop maverick and soul eclectics have always been a little off the Black- music biz because they - like Costello - always did their own thing.

No wonder , then, that act Roots head Questlove ( Ahmir Thompson Khalib ) and Costello Meet at random in Jimmy Fallon's " Late Show ," in the house band The Roots , well understood. Over the years, developed as a friendship that was fired from a musical , first little purposeful exchange of ideas.

In jams with various musicians followed a tinkering with rhythms and samples which ostensibly referring Thompson from Costello's old songs . Based on only a few chords followed by the integration of The Roots as a whole , the tinker a dry vibrating groove to Costello's unrivaled charismatic rhyme and story-telling. The result was ultimately " Wise Up Ghost ": The album is an equal juxtaposition of black and white soul Stax spinning , jazz snippets Philly radio, koloriertem British ska. In Costello perched with its timeless post- mod -coolness : The songs are intricate , danceable, groovy - and sometimes even have room for one , casual Costello fired from the hip guitar salvo . Very very cool!

[Otis Westinghouse]

I think Costello went out of his way to make NR something special, and he promoted the hell out of it, only to have it get a kind of shrug-- the usual mix of good and bad reviews that pretty much every Costello record gets now, but no lingering energy keeping it in the conversation, and poor sales. Six months later, in one of his Spinning Songbook posts, he referred to it as "the recently deleted album, National Ransom."

Maybe this is a US perspective. Over here Costello had publicly turned his back on the place after his last Glastonbury performance, almost never performing here. I don't recall any out of the ordinary publicity for National Ransom, just another album for someone who used to be prominent. I can't believe he expected to sell many, here at least (SP&S probably sold about 500 copies here!), and I really can't see, from what I know and observe of him, that it really mattered to him. he was obviously delighted to be playing sell-out or close to it gigs here in 2012 with rapturous responses.

I think WIG is sure to sell a bit more due to the high profile (in the US especially) of the Roots, and it's a striking collaboration and in this case, yes, there seem to be a ton of reviews and photos to go with them. But will it bother him if it doesn't sell so much? I doubt it.

In general for artists of such longevity, stature and reputation isn't the key thing always going to be people turning up at their shows over new record sales? I would expect this in 99% of cases and can't believe Elvis would be any different.

[johnanderson]

In general for artists of such longevity, stature and reputation isn't the key thing always going to be people turning up at their shows over new record sales? I would expect this in 99% of cases and can\'t believe Elvis would be any different.

I agree with that.

Having listened to WIG a few times now, I expect it to sell pretty well. It will also feature in a lot of the album of the year lists, which might well validate it for both collaborators.

More than that, I can see commercial success coming from use on soundtracks. There are several songs that could easily end up on soundtracks to film, TV drama and adverts. It really is that much of a commercial album, despite the density of the song meanings.

[John]

Full album now on Spotify including bonus tracks.

[jardine]

PlaT: uncut and mojo have been positive but mild. there was one on line review that was negative, but also a bit stupid--basically a "oh no, not him again" bit of lazy junk.

so overall, very positive. anyone got any sense of whether WUG reviews are more positive than previous go-rounds--NR or SPS, momo or delivery or the like? I can't quite tell...

[docinwestchester]

Full album now on Spotify including bonus tracks.

not in the U.S.

[the_platypus]

I think Costello went out of his way to make NR something special, and he promoted the hell out of it, only to have it get a kind of shrug-- the usual mix of good and bad reviews that pretty much every Costello record gets now, but no lingering energy keeping it in the conversation, and poor sales. Six months later, in one of his Spinning Songbook posts, he referred to it as "the recently deleted album, National Ransom."

Maybe this is a US perspective. Over here Costello had publicly turned his back on the place after his last Glastonbury performance, almost never performing here. I don't recall any out of the ordinary publicity for National Ransom, just another album for someone who used to be prominent. I can't believe he expected to sell many, here at least (SP&S probably sold about 500 copies here!), and I really can't see, from what I know and observe of him, that it really mattered to him. he was obviously delighted to be playing sell-out or close to it gigs here in 2012 with rapturous responses.

I think WIG is sure to sell a bit more due to the high profile (in the US especially) of the Roots, and it's a striking collaboration and in this case, yes, there seem to be a ton of reviews and photos to go with them. But will it bother him if it doesn't sell so much? I doubt it.

In general for artists of such longevity, stature and reputation isn't the key thing always going to be people turning up at their shows over new record sales? I would expect this in 99% of cases and can't believe Elvis would be any different.

I definitely get what cwr was saying about the promotional push for NR. He was peddling that record pretty hard, at least in the US.

[cwr]

Yeah, it's totally a US perspective.

In 2009, at pretty much every Starbucks in America they had a copy of SP&SC on the counter, and it was his highest US chart debut since Get Happy!!

In the UK, it was a different story all together.

NR was a total publicity blitz in the US, he went on pretty much every TV and radio show that would have him. (A few UK ones as well, but many more in America...)

[charliestumpy]

Let's be honest, it's a pile of lofi amusical crap where someone is trying to be hip replacement ...

My Deluxe version is somehow still on order, though I have today heard all 15 tracks.

It is more fun to watch as I did yesterday EC's appearance in fine 2006 film 'Talladega Nights' ...

'Tripwire' however is a welcome sound.

Keep tongues in.

... Actually, it's not as dire as I first perceived, despite 'hip' non-analogue vinyl bollox digital vile sound.

[invisible Pole]

8 out of 10 from Popmatters.
Isn't it great to read all these reviews?

http://www.popmatters.com/review/elvis- ... -up-ghost/

By Colin McGuire 16 September 2013
PopMatters Music Reviews Editor

All you really need to know about Wise Up Ghost, the genius collaborative effort from iconic songwriter-singer Elvis Costello and iconic live hip-hop act the Roots, can be found on “Viceroy’s Row”. At about five minutes, the song is the single most indicative example of precisely how oddly nuanced the entire project ultimately is. The track runs on ?uestlove’s misleading, inventively provocative dark groove that doesn’t even prove itself not a mistake until the third or fourth listen. Is it rhythm and soul? Is it a shuffle? Is it the blues? Is it rap music come alive?

Ultimately, it’s all of those things doing their best impressions of the others, an amalgam of an idiom as trite as influence that reaches unprecedented heights here because of impeccable fearlessness and rarified talent. There aren’t a lot of people who could pull this type of collection off, anyway, and there certainly will be some who can’t even muster the guts to accept it as mere listeners. But regardless of intention, reaction, comprehension or confusion, there is still no denying this undeniable fact: Holy cow. The Roots and Elvis Costello actually got together and made an album.

And at the risk of sounding overly smug or obnoxiously glib ... these 12 songs sound exactly like the Roots and Elvis Costello got together and made an album. Each artist is prevalent within the fabric of each note of each track, and each artist gives only as much as they take, allowing for the others to shine in ways only they know how. It’s as unique as anything you’ll hear in pop music today and it demands repeated spins before settling on any rational opinion. It’s not, not accessible, of course, but it’s also not “Alison” sung over a “Rising Down” back beat, either.

What it is, however, is a display of shit-hot funk feels underneath a surprisingly inspired and subliminally aged Costello. “Refuse to Be Saved”, anthemic in nature, is irresistible fun, the singer inching closer and closer to Black Thought (who is disappointingly absent from the set) territory with his rapid-fire delivery and stuttering verses. Even more enticing is the Steve Naive-esque keys that meet up with the Roots’ horns for an interplay alone worthy of whatever they want you to pay. By the time the “I refuse to be saved” cadence shines through the track’s climax, you can’t tell if you’re in Memphis for the protests or the music.

Actually, it’s that very Southern soul that makes Wise Up Ghost so intoxicating. “Wake Me Up”, a retread of the singer’s “Bedlam” and “The River in Reverse”, might be the grooviest Mr. MacManus has ever sounded on a record, his solemn, low-key vocals playing perfectly with the Philadelphia crew’s expertly crafted and authentically presented version of contemporary R&B. Joining Costello’s familiar faces is the decidedly hip-hop “Stick Out Your Tongue”, a Punch the Clock favorite repurposed for a collection that was initially borne out of the idea that ?uestlove and his boys wanted to revisit some of the singer’s catalogue. In hindsight, thank God they didn’t. Because for as intriguing and insightful as that record may have turned out, it would have been criminal to leave this original material unrealized.

Maybe the most notable example of that would-be depravity is the tender “Tripwire”, a throwback ballad that accentuates the best qualities of both parties. Costello, for all his signature angst and punk-rock attitude, has long allowed his secret weapon to be his vulnerability (have you seen the stripped down version of “Everyday I Write the Book” from his short-lived Spectacle series?). The Roots, meanwhile, are accustomed to backing modern-day soul sisters, mastering the art of playing it pretty while also playing it smart. In this instance, the song is a bona fide 1960s R&B radio hit, echoing Smokey and his Miracles along with a settled down Little Stevie Wonder. Adding to the AM Gold is the singer’s delicacy, uttering the title word with the strength of a feather. It’s so welcoming, you would prefer to fall asleep in it rather than to it.

Still, and all gentility aside, you can’t have these guys get together and not expect some dirty fun. “Come the Meantimes” and “Walk Us Uptown” stand out for the dance party they want to help formulate in some sweaty warehouse the other side of Chelsea. The former is classic Roots with its slinky movements and unique instrumentation (not to mention an unavoidable Breaking Bad connection: With all the tiny, spastic ringing bells, it’s easy to envision Hector Salamanca sitting in somewhere on this performance). “Uptown”, the collection’s first single, sets the tone correctly for a release so stubbornly collaborative. The funk guitars and organs, coupled with ?uestlove’s straight-ahead pitter-patter, create the soulful legs on which the rest of the songs stand, a clear indication of exactly what is to be expected throughout the next 11 songs.

And what’s to be expected through those next 11 songs is a surprisingly exciting record. For all the collaborations both Elvis Costello and the Roots have found themselves in, Wise Up Ghost has got to be among the most substantial, among the most revered. Everybody knew that it might get a little weird to hear what these guys could do together, but nobody figured it would be this ... invigorating. Costello sounds no more reborn than he does retooled while ?uest and his crew have never before appeared this skin-tight on wax (turns out that Fallon gig has worked wonders for their capabilities, no?). Right place, right people, right time; those things aren’t even the half of it.

Some people turn their obsessions into careers, the singer argues at one point during “Stick Out Your Tongue”. Elvis Costello and the Roots? Well, they already have the careers. With Wise Up Ghost, though, they now also have a great album.

[charliestumpy]

Reviews meaningless ... your money/your perception ...

Amazing how many old EC songs re-recycled on WUG (I guess that the cover GFX are a clue).

'If I could believe' is nice ...

[jardine]

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

#10 in Music > Rock
#17 in Music > Pop

back in the top twenty @ amazon.com

[John]

http://www.ivpressonline.com/entertainm ... 0e318.html


Elvis Costello and the Roots, "Wise Up Ghost" (Blue Note)

Enough with Velvet Elvis. This year's model of Elvis Costello features a collaboration with the Roots that inspires his angriest singing and best album in many years.

"Wise Up Ghost" covers topical turf as Costello rails about the tense and troubled times. The title cut calls for a revolution, "Come the MEANTIMES" offers dark ruminations on faith and the flag, and "TRIPWIRE" considers the combustible combination of fear, hatred and armies.

Costello also lets loose on love gone wrong, as he has done on many of his best songs. "She's pulling out the pin ... that lets her hair fall down," he sings on "(She Might Be a) GRENADE."

Writing with Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and producer Steven Mandel, Costello dials back his melodic ambitions, and for a change he sings songs that don't exceed his range. Built more on riffs than hooks, the music has the verve of new wave, the directness of punk and the groove of 1970s R&B, with Questlove's snare and Costello samples among the hip-hop flavorings.

The hybrid gets good mileage, and Costello's venomous vocals energize much of the set. But on the closing piano ballad, "If I Could BELIEVE," he oversings and reverts to his worst role.


(If I Could Believe sounds just fine to me - a perfect closer to the album.)

[John]

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2013/09 ... ongs-2013/

Wise Up Ghost and Other Songs, the new collaboration between Elvis Costello and the Roots, is the 30th studio album in Costello’s long, unrelenting, and continually reinvented career. The collaboration grew organically when the musicians became acquainted on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” where the Roots are the house band and Costello a frequent guest. Originally envisioned as an EP, the work eventually grew to become a full-length album.

Costello is a wordsmith with few equals and a talent for breathlessly cramming an uncanny number of syllables into a small musical space, and he’s never been afraid of taking on socially relevant topics, facts that seem to answer all the culture pundits who thought that Elvis and hip hop would make for strange bedfellows. Wise Up Ghost takes advantage of Costello’s substantial back catalog in new ways, sometimes in the form of entire songs reworked and sometimes in the form of samples threaded into the fabric of new compositions.

The songs all lean heavily on Costello’s flair for biting cultural commentary, and while he reuses lyrics written in some cases a long time ago, the Roots manage to take them to some surprising new places in terms of rhythm and feeling. It’s either a measure of Costello’s prescience, or a sign that the more things change the more they don’t, that none of these lyrics sound dated. In fact, their relevance to the current zeitgeist is always spot on. “Give us our daily bread in individual slices, and something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis,” he sings in “Stick Out Your Tongue,” and the astute observer will note that this relevant bit of analysis is 30 years old this year (a reworking of “Pills and Soap” from 1983′s Punch the Clock).

Thematically, Wise Up Ghost is pretty bleak stuff. “Tripwire” sounds soothingly like a ballad, but the lyrics are lacerating, hinting at barely disguised danger (“Torn from the pages of history, repeated again and again and again; you’re either for or against us, and that is how the hatred begins”) and laced with paranoia. Floating through the twelve tracks is the idea that we’re on an irreversible collision course with disaster, propelled by corporate interests and a populace that’s all too happy to trade freedom for imaginary comforts, kept dumbed down by a corporate news machinery that keeps us drugged up on pop culture and a sense of false patriotism. There’s danger lurking around every corner on this album, and we have no one to blame for the fix we’re in but ourselves.

It would be nice to say that all this ends on an upbeat note, thematically speaking, but it doesn’t. The last track, “If I Could Believe,” suggests that the singer can’t buy into any of the nonsense he’s being asked to believe, and more’s the pity:


If I could believe two and two is five
Two wrongs make a right
Well then, man alive
Lost in my insolence and sneers
That might sound like prayers
If I could believe
If I could believe

If you’re of the opinion, like I am, that Costello’s at his best when he’s leaning toward the dark side then you’ll find Wise Up Ghost very appealing. His voice, which magically seems to get even better as he ages, sounds terrific, with a slightly hoarse edge that blends nicely with The Roots’ rhythms and the overall cynicism of the work. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s drumming drives everything forward at just the right pace, with Costello’s sinuous vocals insinuating a resigned and pessimistic fury that simmers just below the surface of the music. And in spite of the substance and the tone, make no mistake — this is sexy stuff. There’s no rule that says doomsday can’t be exciting in its own weird way.

Songwriting credits on most of the tracks are shared by Costello, Thompson and their co-producer Steven Mandel. The new material is fresh and interesting (particularly the lovely “Cinco Minutos con Vos,” another case of a lovely melody and seductive rhythms hiding a lyric with the sting of a scorpion’s tail), and the three have done a great job of taking some of Costello’s older stuff and driving it right downtown. If we are, as Costello seems to be suggesting, careening toward the apocalypse, at least we’re getting there in style.

[John]

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainm ... Ghost.html


It starts with anything. It could be a computer or a melodica. Including the Apple Computer volume “quacks” that are all too familiar, the first seven seconds of Wise Up Ghost sum up the record. It speeds up, slows down and moves backwards. These seven seconds are what this record actually is: a marriage of new and old.

Catch it before the drums come in. They are the cleanest drums you’ll hear all year – expect nothing less from ?uestlove, the man of every hour – and the piano strings are so tightly wound it’s a shame they fade into the tracking. Costello’s slightly reverbed vocals do that groovy groan we’ve loved forever. They echo each other and layer. With that and horns that sound like passing traffic as you Walk UPTOWN, the track is all chorus with terrific Costello one-liners, “No matter what the price/Each crushed in the corner of their own paradise” and “some hearts are a-flutter/some scoop gold from the dirt in the gutter.”

Elvis Costello and The Roots are both connoisseurs of the underground. They’ve both waded through rough patches and had aces. They know what will work, even when “Sugar Won’t Work” and they are willing to test any and all waters. Which makes for a great record.

They both come from completely difference sections of the store (and the world). They’ve shape-shifted themselves and their genre. Neither act has ever been afraid of asking questions. From their high quality records, they demand a high quality audience – they want us to ask questions too.


The Roots have earned their gold stars as one of the best and innovative hip hop acts we’ve seen. Philadelphia has watched them work from the streets to national television. (It also goes without saying that if you haven’t read Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to ?uestlove you’re doing yourself a disservice. It’s a must read for any fan of music, at any age, and every Philadelphian.) Their catalog of eleven records over eighteen years is a favorite for hip-hop heads and soul mates the whole world over. The Roots are a staple, I’m not sure there’s any other way to say it.

From the start Costello has been our cult hero, encouraging us to buckle our knees and fashion thick glasses since ’77. He’s released twenty-four studio albums, guided us into New-Wave and brought the organ to the front. He’s worked with artists from Richard Harvey to Burt Bacharach.

Wise Up Ghost itself is a fusion of genres. Hear it on “Wake Me Up” with the smooth Rhodes hook and “a slap of a kiss.” There are strings on “Refused To Be Saved” and chimes on “Tripwire”. “Stick Out Your Tongue” winds up and let’s loose. “Come the Meantimes” will nod your head and quicken your pace. The smooth, muted trumpet hook on “Viceroy’s Row” glides and glows. The Roots have brought their A game, again, and Costello is at ease.

“Walk Us UPTOWN” was originally released as a Record Store Day single and turned into the full-length, Wise Up Ghost. The Roots have backed Costello three times since becoming the house band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in 2009. While Costello is happy to weave in and out of steady releases, it shouldn’t come to a surprise that The Roots are working on their own record for later this year, or early next – & Then You Shoot Your Cousin.

But I have a feeling we’ll be fine until then. Wise Up Ghost is a perfect fall record. As a perfect soundtrack to the change of season, keep it on heavy rotation for the coming weeks. It’s a smorgasbord of sound. Nothing on this record is black and white, except for the cover, homage to the City Lights Pocket Poets series that produced Allen Ginsburg’s Howl.

So take their advice, “Wise Up/When you’re gonna rise up.”

[John]

http://www.thenational.ae/elvis-costell ... e-up-ghost

Elvis Costello and The Roots
Wise Up Ghost
(Blue Note)
⋆⋆⋆
Elvis Costello and The Roots may initially seem like an odd pairing, but old-school fans of the former English songwriter know his career is peppered with adventurous partnerships. His teaming up with the revered American hip-hop group stems for their initial joint performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where The Roots are the house-band. Impressed by the chemistry, the artists initially hit the studio to rework some of Costello’s former hits before deciding to jam out some original material. The result is easily one of Costello’s and The Roots’ more organic recordings; the opener Walk Us Uptown feels like it was created on the spot as Costello snarls political missives over The Roots’ muscular and funky backdrop, including a menacing piano and scampering bass lines. Sugar Don’t Work unfurls languidly before arriving at some truly luscious string arrangements, while If I Could Believe gets all gospel with both Costello and The Roots really locking together. Wise Up Ghost is a not serious album recorded by serious musicians. It’s a fine message to respective fans that both artists haven’t lost their vibrant touch despite years in the game.

[John]

http://www.nme.com/reviews/various-artists/14781

Elvis Costello & The Roots - 'Wise Up Ghost And Other Songs'
Elvis Costello's collaboration with Jimmy Fallon's house band exhbits their true potential

7 / 10 The Roots’ four years as house band on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon has helped unleash their limitless potential. This collaboration with veteran genre-hopper Elvis Costello follows his appearance on the show, and its only disappointment is the absence of Roots rapper Black Thought to joust with him. ‘Refuse To Be Saved’ is as funky as Dr John, and the title track mines a ’60s black-power vein. Then ‘Stick Out Your Tongue’ revisits Costello’s 30-year-old evisceration of tabloid jingoism, ‘Pills And Soap’, and finds not much has changed.

Angus Batey

[John]

http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/ ... host-songs

Elvis Costello And The Roots – Wise Up Ghost And Other Songs
(Blue Note) UK release date: 16 September 2013
By Christopher Monk | 16 September 2013

In a 2002 interview, Elvis Costello bemoaned the relatively cool reception of his many collaborative albums: “They’re not side projects… I give them all my time and attention. The attitude since [1996 album] All This Useless Beauty has been, Why doesn’t he knock it off and make an Elvis Costello record?”

Costello has steadfastly refused to “knock it off” in the 11 years that have followed those comments. During that time, he’s written and recorded with artists as diverse as jazz pianist Marian McPartland, R&B legend Allen Toussaint and the London Symphony Orchestra. Wise Up Ghost And Other Songs is his latest collaborative work and perhaps the most intriguing yet: a 12-track album produced with American hip-hop veterans The Roots, recorded over a year in a series of experimental sessions after Costello met the band as a guest on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – the television show for which they act as the house musicians.

Wise Up Ghost… is attracting significantly more attention than any of Costello’s previous collaborative works. It’s easy to understand why that’s the case: at first glance, the union between a 59-year-old former punk rocker from Liverpool with a cooler-than-thou hip-hop act from Philadelphia is an incongruous one. And yet there’s always been an R&B undercurrent to Costello’s music. Despite his reputation as a master wordsmith, his songs have always displayed plenty of rhythmical nous. Moreover, 1980’s Motown- and Stax-obsessed album Get Lucky!! is a career highlight.

Across Wise Up Ghost…, The Roots should prove themselves to be the perfect foil for Costello’s voice and words. The division of labour throughout the record remains the same: Costello sings, The Roots provide the music, while each song – barring the closing piano ballad If I Could Believe – is credited to Costello and The Roots’ QuestLove. Listeners hoping to hear Costello rapping alongside The Roots’ MC Black Thought will come away disappointed, although that’s probably for the best.

Any album that’s billed as the outcome of jamming sessions always threatens to be aimless and self-indulgent, but that’s not the case here. Sure, Wise Up Ghost… has a loose, off-the-cuff feel that stems from the experimental nature of its genesis but, in contrast, the songwriting maintains the tightly-coiled intensity that’s Costello’s stock-in-trade.

Walk Us Uptown, Sugar Won’t Work and Refuse To Be Saved are the most overtly funky tracks on the album, each one constructed out of QuestLove’s limber drumming, seductive organ licks, swaggering basslines and the occasional burst of saxophone. These tracks conjure up a late-night, cinematic feel reminiscent of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield’s 1970s output, yet their tasteful minimalism ensures that they also feel utterly modern.

Come The Meantimes, Viceroy’s Row and Cinco Minutos Con Vos (featuring a delectable guest turn by La Marisoul of Mexican-California band La Santa Cecilia) are the tracks which, musically speaking, veer the closest to straight hip-hop. Indeed, take Costello’s vocal off the latter and it could have been lifted straight from The Roots’ 1999 classic Things Fall Apart. In the midst of all this is Tripwire, a sweet ballad that’s among Costello’s most straightforwardly pretty songs.

Throughout the album, Costello quotes lyrics from his back catalogue. Long-time Costello fans will have fun spotting the references to some of his back catalogue’s deepest cuts: Refuse To Be Saved quotes from Mighty Like A Rose’s Invasion Hit Parade; Wake Me Up (“…with a slap or a kiss”) is a call-back to 2006’s The River In Reverse; (She Might Be A) Grenade is a re-imagining of Pulling Out The Pin from 2004’s The Delivery Man.

But this isn’t an exercise in re-heating old work. Instead, Wise Up Ghost… finds Costello re-contextualising his back catalogue in a manner that invites comparisons to hip-hop’s penchant for sampling. For example, Stick Our Your Tongue mashes together lyrics from 1983’s Pills And Soap and Hurry Down Doomsday, another Mighty Like A Rose number. It’s likely that Costello spotted a thematic link between the two songs that was ripe for exploration: Pills And Soap is a veiled swipe at the British media’s response to the Falklands War, while Hurry Down Doomsday appears to be a commentary on cultural imperialism. Coupled with The Roots’ sinister backing, this hybrid of a song seethes with anger.

Wise Up Ghost And Other Songs is undoubtedly a smart and richly-detailed album, but it’s not offputtingly cerebral. This is an album that’s aimed equally at the head and the feet. Not only is it one of Costello’s best collaborative efforts, it’s also one of his best albums full stop. Recommended for Costello newcomers and long-time believers alike.

[Azmuda]

Record Collector, Oct. '13. Terry Staunton also recycles some of his epic Quietus feature.

Text is here:

http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/e ... e-up-ghost

A landmark collaboration and a mood-swinging masterpiece

A frequent visitor to US comedian Jimmy Fallon’s chat show on US television, Costello has relished sitting in with house band The Roots for inspired re-workings of his early material. Wise Up Ghost develops the relationship much further, on a collection of original songs, albeit it with a few spliced lyrical excerpts from Elvis’ past.

Advance press suggesting it was a hip-hop collaboration are exaggerated, however, because, though clipped riffs and breakbeats are peppered throughout, it’s closer to an old-school soul record with nods to the sublime grooves of The Meters or Curtis Mayfield. Stick Out Your Tongue and Walk Us Up Town set social commentary against staccato rhythms, the former borrowing lines from Costello’s 1983 single Pills And Soap, while lyrical snippets from less familiar Elvis oldies get radical makeovers on the minimalist funk of She Might Be A Grenade and the brooding Wake Me Up.

It’s the most sonically daring album of Costello’s lengthy career, with co-producers The Roots’ Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson and Steve Mandel concocting a disciplined palette that frames the words against a constantly surprising backdrop. Busy without being overblown, the myriad levels of activity reveal something new with each listen, be it thought-provoking observations on the struggles of the modern world, or curveball melodies and musical passages of remarkable vigour. A high watermark in the canons of all involved.

4 stars

Blue Note/Decca | cat no tbc

Reviewed by Terry Staunton

[Otis Westinghouse]

Came home expecting to find Verbal, Sulky and whoever else celebrating the UK release. Where are you? A couple of people on the 'countdown' thread only. For my own part my glorious plans to 'rush my money to the record shops' went pear-shaped due to about 5 too many issues to deal with at work. So I will go in the morning en route to work, or I'll spend the week not making it! Hope they have it ...

[Anodyne]

Looking like, in the US, the vinyl is delayed until 9/24. Anyone have news to the contrary?