[.ca] For The Stars Von Otter Meets

From Amazon.co.uk:
For the Stars is the result of a unique collaboration between songwriting legend Elvis Costello and Anne Sofie Von Otter, one of the world's leading mezzo-sopranos. Working with a host of acclaimed musicians, including Abba's Benny Andersson, Costello takes Von Otter out of the concert hall and off the opera stage, and into Stockholm's Atlantis studios, birthplace of Abba's early albums. The outcome is an hour-long disc of 18 perfectly-crafted tracks, including several new numbers penned by Costello as well as songs by the likes of Tom Waits, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and Lennon and McCartney. Throughout, Otter's warm and elegant voice is utterly captivating, adding a new dimension to many familiar songs (I defy anyone not to be touched by her heartbreaking rendition of "Baby Plays Around"). On the handful of tracks where both Otter and Costello sing, her controlled and refined tones contrast with--and complement--his familiar gruffness. Instrumental colour also has a vital role to play--credited instruments include: celeste, Hammond organ, accordion, marimba, flugelhorn, baritone guitar, electric five-string violin and Moog bass. In his liner note, Costello explains that many songs had to be discarded along way, so here's to For the Stars II --Rebecca Agnew

what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?:
Nothing's funny about this boring duo. I picked this up FREE at my library and it didn't take me too many tracks to see why it was donated. The musical arrangements are hapless and dull, and her voice is Dion without the Vegas power finale. Come to think of it, the lyrics remind me of Dion; they are as saccharine as anything Dion has ever sung. I wasted a blank CD on this limp, sleepy pairing of two otherwise good artists.

Roll down the windows, turn up the tunes!:
If we had more albums like this, there would be no road rage! Anne Sophie's lilting voice, contrasted on occasion with Elvis's roughness, is downright perfect. Others may scoff, but I say Anne Sophie fans, Elvis fans, rejoice. I bought it because of him and found myself adoring her just as much. This is a fabulous collaboration, as light as the scent of flowers on a spring day, but suffused with a haunting melancholy that hints of a final frost to come. I saw a special on cable about the making of the album, and it made me love it even more. Baby Plays Around, The Other Woman, and Broken Bicycles/Junk are my personal faves.

Remarkable:
I have owned this album over a year and any questions I've had concerning its cohesiveness and/or quality have finally been vanquished. The opening track floors me (alone worth the price of admission), and the rest of the album is a brilliant yet light-hearted essay in the versatility of pop. If your love of classical music is founded in the value memorable themes and undeniable execution, this album is a must.

No life in her (pop) art:
I am a big fan of both artists and wanted very much for this combination to work. It avoids the traditional trap of "oversinging" the pop material. But a few years after its release, in these American Idol era, is that really such a terror for pop music any more? So-called oversinging seems pretty popular these days! The big problem is that von Otter has not found a way to communicate any emotion in this scaled-down form of singing. All her classical techniques are stripped away, and there's nothing to replace them. Sure, her voice is gorgeous, but it sounds exactly the same no matter what the lyrical content. The songs could have been made up of nonsense syllables for all the emotional life she communicates. Deeply disappointing - but someone, somewhere, will figure out how to bring classically trained singers to the wonderful pop song repertoire that has been composed over the past 50 years. Elvis may very well be the person to do it, but not on this album.

Jazz-Pop:
Truthfully, I had found Costello's previous collaborations to be too arty and bloodless, in the end. Juliet Letters was too dry, and he gave Painted From Memory over to Burt very early on. Not so here. What he offers here for Ms. Von Otter is much more collaborative than previously. True, the arrangements are never truly inspired, with the exception of the duets between Elvis and Sofie. What DOES happen is that we get to hear old material in new ways (Broken Bicycles/Junk) and Elvis material being sung by someone who can hit the notes (I Want to Vanish, which surpasses the original on All This Useless Beauty). Von Otter's beautiful voice soars, dips, ripples through the arrangements prepared by Costello. It's truly brilliant listening. Her operatic background serves her well, and Costello does a great job of choosing songs for her that can stretch her wonderful abilities as an interpreter. But, such an egomaniac as Costello can't leave himself out, can he? He wrote most of the album himself, and saves the title track for a stunning duet that pairs VonOtter's lovely, soaring trills with his own pungent, declarative voice. For the Stars (the song) is worth 10 stars out of 5 for this incredible juxtaposition, and the rest of the album ain't bad, either. A bit dry at times, but wonderful overall, especially as an into to Ms. Von Otter. Transcendant, tasteful, muted jazz-pop.

• No Wonder
• Baby Plays Around
• Go Leave
• Rope
• Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
• Broken Bicycles / Junk
• The Other Woman
• Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
• Green Song
• April After All
• You Still Believe In Me
• I Want To Vanish
• For No One
• Shamed Into Love
• Just A Curio
• This House Is Empty Now
• Take It With Me
• For The Stars