Tag Archives: Wise Up Ghost

Stereogum Deconstructs Elvis Costello & The Roots Collaboration

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There’s a great essay over at Stereogum by Chris Deville about the collaboration between Elvis Costello and The Roots, Wise Up Ghost.

“The first thing to understand about Wise Up Ghost is that it isn’t a vanity project,” Deville writes. “Yes, the new LP, released yesterday on Blue Note, is a full-length collaboration between Elvis Costello and the Roots. And yes, full-length collaborations between well-known artists sometimes end up as mere historical curiosities (Jay-Z and R. Kelly’sBest Of Both Worlds comes to mind) rather than blockbuster team-ups (Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch The Throne comes to mind). But Questo, Costello, and company seem to have put their all into this album, and the results are favorable. It might be a lark, but it’s an exceedingly pleasant lark.

For the rest of the piece, head over to Stereogum.

 

Video: Elvis Costello & The Roots Rock Brooklyn Bowl

Elvis and La Marisoul sing "Ghost Town."
Elvis and La Marisoul sing “Ghost Town.”

Last night (Sept. 16, 2013) Elvis Costello and The Roots played the Brooklyn Bowl and lucky for you (and me) fans video-taped the show. La Marisoul of La Santa Cecilia sings on a bunch of the songs. I’m totally digging “Spooky Girlfriend,” “Shabby Doll,” “Watching the Detectives” and a terrific version of The Specials’ “Ghost Town.” Wise Up Ghost, the collaboration between Elvis and The Roots is out today on Blue Note.

Check out some of the Brooklyn Bowl performances: