Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint: The River In Reverse CD Track Listing

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Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint The River In Reverse (2006)
Originally Released June 6, 2006\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: It's impossible to consider The River in Reverse without taking the devastation Hurricane Katrina wreaked upon New Orleans into account. Indeed, it's quite likely that this collaboration between Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint would not even have occurred if it weren't for that cataclysmic event. They've collaborated before -- Toussaint wrote horn charts for Costello's 1989 album Spike -- but neither had plans to work together until they appeared together at several benefit concerts for the victims of Katrina in September of 2005. That kick-started the album that became The River in Reverse. Initially, the plan was for the collaboration to be a songbook album, with Costello and Toussaint performing some highlights from Allen's rich songbook, and while the record bears some remnants of that blueprint -- seven of its 13 songs were written byToussaint in the '60s and '70s -- the finished work evolved intoan elegant, eloquent protest album crafted out of old songs and new. Costello alone wrote the title track, premiering at a benefit concert at Town Hall that September, and its angry account of the flood that wrecked New Orleans provides a touchstone for the other five new songs here, all co-written with Toussaint. "Broken Promise Land," "Ascension Day," and "International Echo" explore the aftermath of Katrina, while "Six-Fingered Man" is a funny acerbic take on a sinful sloth who is "always the first to blow his horn/His achievements multiply/Pity half of them seem to be lies." Toussaint's presence on these five songs tempers but doesn't dilute the churning anger that roils underneath The River in Reverse: "Broken Promise Land" drives along on a swampy funk rhythm, the spare and laid-back "Ascension Day" is a showcase for Allen's piano, "International Echo" revives the rolling spirit of classic New Orleans R&B, while "Six Finger Man" has a grinding, gritty blues backbeat. All five of these new songs are genuine collaborations, bearing the unmistakable stamp of both highly distinctive musicians, but the best compliment that can be paid to them is thatthey blend seamlessly with the classic Toussaint songs that comprise the rest of the record. When placed next to explicit songs of protest like "Broken Promise Land," such New Orleans R&B and soul staples as "On Your Way Down," "Tears, Tears and More Tears," "Freedom for the Stallion," and especially "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" with its chorus of "What happen to the Liberty Bell, I heard so much about?/Did it really ding-dong?/It must havedinged wrong/It didn't ding long" take on an entirely different,politically charged meaning. \n\nThis undercurrent of protest gives The River in Reverse thematic cohesion -- and as politically minded pop goes, it trumps such other 2006 albums as Neil Young'sLiving with War, if only because it isn't so heavy-handed about its intentions -- but what makes the album rather extraordinary is that it's as much celebration as it is protest. There is joy and tenderness within the performances of Toussaint, Costello, his backing band the Imposters, and Toussaint mainstays the Crescent City Horns, all captured by Joe Henry's clean yet warm production. If Costello pushes his phrasing a little harder than most interpreters of Toussaint -- not only does Allen himself have an easy,casual delivery, but so did such singers as Lee Dorsey, Aaron Neville, Ernie K-Doe, and Lowell George -- it suits the spirit of when the album was recorded, and Elvis is balanced about by the earthy, natural sound of the band, and Allen's graceful harmonies. As pure music, this is impossible not to enjoy, and this rich blend of R&B, blues, soul, and funk illustrates exactly how important New Orleans is to America's culture, and that it needs to be embraced in the wake of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Ultimately, the greatest achievement of The River in Reverse is that it, like the music of New Orleans itself, can not be pigeonholed or reduced to one specific thing. It can seem like a party, or it canseem like a bittersweet elegy, which is only appropriate for an album borne out of tragedy but created as a celebration. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nSome inspired music has arrived in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (mainly on NewOrleans-themed benefit albums), but nothing as audaciously ambitious as this cross-generational collaboration between Crescent City mainstay Allen Toussaint and former British upstart turned adventurously eclectic veteran Elvis Costello. As a songwriter, producer, and arranger, Toussaint has been responsible for hits from artists ranging from Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, and Lee Dorsey to the Pointer Sisters and Labelle. Costello, long a huge fan of Toussaint's music, sings relatively familiar fare such as "On Your Way Down" and "Freedom for the Stallion" from Toussaint's extensive songbook along with obscurities mainly recorded by Dorsey. Toussaint supplies his distinctive piano and horn arrangements--as well as lead vocals on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?"--with Costello's Imposters serving as the rhythm section. Yet the real revelation comes from the new material, including the title track (a searing Costello composition in the Toussaint soul-spiritual mode) and five new Costello/Toussaint compositions that spotlight Toussaint's signature sound without diminishing Costello's creative contributions. What could have been a curiosity is instead a hallmark in the catalog of each artist. --Don McLeese \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nThe River in Reverse is Elvis Costelloand Allen Toussaint's spirited and deeply soulful new album, including seven songs from Toussaint's remarkable catalog; five newly written by the two; and one new song, the title track, written by Costello. Sessions for the album took place over a whirlwind two weeks late last year in Hollywood, CA and at Piety Street Studios in Toussaint's hometown of New Orleans. Produced by Joe Henry, the album masterfully combines Costello's band the Imposters with Toussaint's horn section (Amadee Castenell, Joe Smith, Sam Williams, and Brian Cayolle) and guitarist (Anthony Brown).\n\nToussaint led the ensemble from the piano, with Imposters keyboard player Steve Nieve switching to Hammond B3. The majority of the tracks were cut with the entire group in the room and Costello singing live, occasionally adding his guitar to the mix. Costello selected songs from deep within the Toussaint catalogue such as "Nearer To You," "Freedom for the Stallion," and "Tears, Tears and MoreTears." Toussaint kicks off the lead vocal on his composition, "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" and trades vocal lines with Costello and bassist Davey Faragher on several other tracks.\n\nAll of the horn arrangements are marked with Toussaint's distinctive style and, commented Costello, "add a second voice" to the title track, the one song that Costello wrote alone. Just before the recording began, the duo holed up in New York to write together throughout October, a quick-moving process that resulted in four songs on the album of various combinations of words and music.\n\nThe songwriting collaboration began with Costello writing lyrics for Toussaint's beautiful minor key variation of Professor Longhair's "Tipitina." The resulting piece is now entitled "Ascension Day." Other new titles include "The Sharpest Thorn," "Broken Promise Land," and "International Echo."\n\nToussaint previously produced a 1983 Costello cover of Yoko Ono's "Walking on Thin Ice" with the Attractions and the T.K.O. Horns, and also contributed piano to the New Orleans-recorded "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" fromCostello's 1989 album Spike.\n\nImmediately following Hurricane Katrina, Toussaint relocated to New York City, where the two renewed their musical friendship at several benefit concerts and clubgigs during a seven-day period from the 17th of September, leading to discussions of this new album. The powerful song "The Riverin Reverse" was written by Costello on September 24th, 2005, andperformed by him for the first time at that night's "Parting theWaters" benefit event organized by the The New Yorker magazine. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA monumental effort for a monumental city. , June 7, 2006\nReviewer: Soulboogiealex (Netherlands)\nWhen the Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint collaboration was announced I was a bit skeptical at first. Costello's output has been very unpredictable in recent years. Toussaint's latest collaboration with John Henry was endearing but by no means very special. I felt this could become an amusing record at best. Both gentlemen prove me wrong on this outing. \n\nThe idea for record probably started after the flood of New Orleans. In the accompanying DVD Costello explains it was initially intended as a Toussaint songbook effort. While working on the project it involved into more than that. Some five songs here are new collaborations between Costelloand Toussaint. What immediately strikes you is how well these two gentlemen complement each other. Elvis' somewhat nasal and sandy voice is balanced out by the ever friendly and gentle backing vocals of Allen, the gruff instrumentations of the Attractions complemented by Toussaint's own Funky horn section and elegant pianoplaying. \n\nThematically the album approaches that of a protestalbum. Costello still proves to be the angry young man he was atthe start of his career, albeit not so young anymore. Toussaint classics as "On Your Way Down" and "Who's Gonna Help A Brother Get Further" are complemented with the new "River in Reverse", a beautiful snarling track filled with horror about what occurred in the Crescent City. The album is filled out with some beautiful love songs from the Toussaint catalog that function as a counter tothe political material and bring balance to the record. Elvis delivers al these songs with a passion and conviction you haven't heard from him in years. The album is an emotional rollercoaster, it makes you want to laugh, dance, sing, cry and scream, all in the course of an hour. \n\nThis album could very well be what Springsteen's Rising was to 911. It is as much a balm for the soul asit is an indictment to the Bush administration and those who left the poor of New Orleans to fend for them selves in the onslaught of the flood. Yet the record never gets bitter. It honors the city's spirit and music. The music is intended to lift you up, to be critical yet soothing, to give voice to anger yet to heal wounds. A monumental effort for a monumental city. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBrilliant: An absolute triumph!, June 8, 2006\nReviewer: Yossi (Silver Spring, MD)\nAll I can say is that this record has exceeded my expectations. Mind you, I was just a bit nervous: what??! nervous with two such monumental talents teaming up? Let me explain. A huge fan of EC, I am however no big fan of The Delivery Man, Costello's last effort. Despite some great musicianship and some fine songs, I felt that Elvis was sometimes flagrantly oversinging and over-emoting on The Delivery Man. And here's the thing: when Elvis doesn't TRY to be passionate, he IS an awesomely passionate and powerful vocalist period. On Deliver May,though, in my opinion (and there may be those who differ), he was just trying too hard to SQUEEZE out the passion and pain from those oh-so-tortured Southern songs. But here: maybe it's the presence of the great Allan Toussaint (there's noone cooler), a master himself of understated vocals, or the fine producer, Joe Henry, but whatever it is: EC is not oversinging like on Delivery Man. He isjust singing: deep, dark, truthful, soulful, powerful, searing, smoking...I could go on and on, but I won't. This is a terrific record, both men get enormous kudos...the songs, the arrangements,the lyrics (haunting and apocalyptic images of walls tumbling, and such, throughout). It is a wonderful triumph of musicianship, vision and artistry, worthy of the two great artists who have produced it. \n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Joe Henry \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, Hammond b-3 organ, tambourine); Allen Toussaint (vocals, piano, Wurlitzer piano); The Crescent City Horns, The Imposters.\n\nThroughout history, times of tribulation have given birth to strong artistic statements. So it is with THE RIVER IN REVERSE, the collaboration between Elvis Costello and New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint. The two came together during benefit concerts for Toussaint's home town in the wake of the 2006 Hurricane Katrina disaster. One thing led to another, and before long the two legends were composing together and recording an album, forming a pop music mutual admiration society.\nThough it's impossible not to hear many of the songs as responses to Katrina's aftermath, a number of them are Toussaint tunes that were first recorded years ago by Lee Dorsey and others. Joe Henry's production and Costello's vocalsbring those tracks into the present day while still remaining reverent of their roots. Likewise, the new songs Costello and Toussaint wrote together bear a connection to classic soul but feel perfectly of their time, with a robust horn section and Toussaint'sunmistakable piano giving them that indelible Crescent City stamp.
This data cd contains 13 tracks and runs 53min 7sec.
Freedb: b90c710d

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