Cheap Deep Dead Blue, Live at Meltdown (Music) (Elvis Costello & Bill Frisell) Price

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Customer Reviews of Deep Dead Blue, Live at Meltdown

While the audience applause in between each of the tracks on this album leads me to believe the setting was not quite as small as I like to imagine it, my imagination still beats out my reason. And that's what makes listening to this record so exciting. Clocking in at under twenty-seven minutes, and costing over twenty dollars, I had to wonder if this was worth the money. After it sat on my "To Buy" list for a few months, I decided to just spring for it.

I waited until, given what I'd read about the album and what I've already heard from Costello and Frisell as artists on their own, I thought the timing was right. It was a late night in November, sort of chilly outside. I wrapped up in a favorite blanket and listened to the album.

The album begins with "Weird Nightmare," an obscure Charles Mingus composition. Costello's voice is haunting when paired with Frisell's sparse lines, and Mingus' creepy lyrics bring out the best in both musicians. The tone is similar through the next three (two written by Costello, one a Lerner & Loewe standard) before picking the mood up considerably on "Poor Napoleon." Though it was originally recorded for Costello's "Blood & Chocolate," it is rerecorded here to a very effective end. Costello's voice is dead on, and (once again) perfectly matched to Frisell's one of a kind style.

This is music that needs to be heard. The next time you're lonely, pour yourself a glass of red (or two), light up a Lucky Strike, and curl up with a blanket. These twenty-seven minutes might not make you feel entirely better, but they'll certainly make you feel comforted.

2for2
live at the meltdown is truely one amazing piece of music. the pairing of elvis and bill was nothng short of genuis!! whether they are doing costello's "lovefield" or a mingus song "wierd nightmare" or the odd pair of writes (cait o'riordan/mac manus)"baby plays around" this CD offers nothing but talent from beginning to end. and i for one love elvis's voice

Interesting combination!!
Costello and Frisell happen to be two of my favorite artists. I had no idea that this album existed--I happened to stumble upon it one day while browsing through Amazon.com. I think they compliment each other pretty well. I particularly like the rendition of 'Baby Plays Around,' a gem from Costello's 'Spike' album that unfortunately often gets overlooked. The album has excellent sound quality. Fans of Costello and/or Frisell will dig this album.