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My Flame Burns Blue

Elvis Costello
2 discs

0. DISC 1:
1. Hora Decubitus, song
2. Favourite Hour, song
3. That's How You Got Killed Before, song
4. Upon A Veil of Midnight Blue, song
5. Clubland, song
6. Almost Blue, song
7. Three Distracted Women, for voice & string quartet: Speak Darkly, My Angel
8. Almost Ideal Eyes, song
9. Can You Be True?, song
10. Put Away Forbidden Playthings, song for voice & viol consort
11. Episode of Blonde, song
12. My Flame Burns Blue, song for voice & instruments (after "Blood Count')
13. Watching The Detectives, song
14. God Give Me Strength, song
0. DISC 2:
1. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Prelude
2. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Overture
3. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Puck 1
4. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Court
5. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Workers' Playtime
6. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Oberon and Titania
7. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Conspiracy of Oberon and Puck
8. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Puck 2
9. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Identity Parade
10. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Face of Bottom
11. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Spark of Love
12. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Tormentress
13. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Oberon Humbled
14. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Twisted - Entangled
15. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Fairy and The Ass
16. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: Sleep
17. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Play
18. Il Sogno, ballet (after Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream): Suite: The Wedding
Code: QZZQ
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 5994
Credits

Producer Sid McLauchlan; Gert Jan van den Dolder
Engineer Philip Siney; Roland Heap; Gert de Bruijn; Mark Buecker; Mike Cox
Adapters: Williem Friede; Sy Johnson; Steve Nieve; Vince Mendoza; Elvis Costello; Richard Harvey ; Bill Frisell.
Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals); Peter Tiehuis (guitar); Joke Schonewille (harp); Herman Van Haaren, Arlia de Ruiter, Ruben Margarita, Erik Kromhout, Marianne Van Den Heuvel, Erica Korthals Altes, Dennis Koenders, Sarah Koch, David Peijnenborgh, Elisabeth Cats, Seya Teeuwen, Simone Vierstra, Linda Dumessie, Wim Kok (violin); Mieke Honingh, Aimee Versloot, Norman Jansen, Iris Schut, Julia Jowett (viola); Annie Tangberg, Wim Grin, Olaf Groesz, Bastiaan Van Der Werf (cello); Maril Van Den Bos, Janine Abbas (flute); Steve Nieve (melodica, piano); Paul Van Der Feen (clarinet, saxophone, soprano saxophone); Marc Scholten (clarinet, saxophone, alto saxophone); Leo Janssen, Jos Beeren (clarinet, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Max Boeree (clarinet, saxophone); Willem Luijt (oboe); Jan Hollander, Henk Heijink, Jan Oosthof, Ruud Breuls (trumpet); Hans Van Der Zanden, Roel Koster (French horn); David Rothschild, Jan Elsink, Bart Van Lier (trombone); Arend Liefkes, Chris Laurence (double bass); Martijn Vink (drums); Eddy Koopman, Peter Erskine, Murk Jiskoot (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Al Schmitt.
Recording information: Abbey Road Studios, Studio One, London, England (04/2002-07/2004); North Sea Jazz Festival, The Hegue (04/2002-07/2004).
Editor: Mark Buecker.
Illustrator: Ed Fotheringham.
Arranger: Michael Mossman.
If NORTH is Elvis Costello's "version" of FRANK SINATRA SINGS FOR ONLY THE LONELY, then MY FLAME BURNS BLUE is Costello's SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS! Accompanied by longstanding keyboardist Steve Nieve and a full orchestra, Costello recasts many songs from his sizable catalog as big-band/swing-jazz tunes. "Clubland" becomes a swirling, dreamlike cha-cha, while "Watching The Detectives" goes from ominous roots reggae to a sophisticated musical panorama that's almost cinematic in its breadth (think WEST SIDE STORY). The heartrending "Almost Blue" finally gets the grandiose old-school treatment it deserves, replete with billowing strings and tender, haunting trumpet and harmonica solos. This set closes with Costello's memorable Burt Bacharach collaboration, "God Give Me Strength."
Critic Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.63) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[W]hen the Orkest hit the swilling climaxes of 'God Give Me Strength,' Costello is right up there with them, singing with a force and clarity as big and regal as the music around him."
Entertainment Weekly (p.100) - "[R]earranged for jazz orchestra, where the '50s meets the aughts and hot bebop horn charts compete with ice-cool film-score strings." -- Grade: A
JazzTimes (p.69) - "[The album confirms] his status as the most cunning musical magician of the past quarter-century..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Elvis Costello fronts with aplomb this swinging and spirited Dutch 52-piece....[The Orkest] swagger over the cracks with the exotic splashiness of Duke Ellington's 'Anatomy Of A Murder' soundtrack."