The River in Reverse | 
 enlarge | Creators: Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint
Label: Verve Forecast
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy Used: $1.13
You Save: $17.85 (94%)
New (42) Used (40) from $1.13
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 39087
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 000666002
UPC: 602498560570
EAN: 0602498560570
ASIN: B000FA58IY
Release Date: June 6, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | On Your Way Down - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | Nearer to You - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | Tears, Tears and More Tears - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | The Sharpest Thorn - Elvis Costello, Costello, Elvis | | • | Who's Gonna Help a Brother Get Further? - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | The River in Reverse - Elvis Costello, Costello, Elvis | | • | Freedom for the Stallion - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | Broken Promise Land - Elvis Costello, Costello, Elvis | | • | Ascension Day - Elvis Costello, Costello, Elvis | | • | International Echo - Elvis Costello, Costello, Elvis | | • | All These Things - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | Wonder Woman - Elvis Costello, Toussaint, Allen | | • | Six-Fingered Man - Elvis Costello, Costello, Elvis |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Some inspired music has arrived in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (mainly on New Orleans-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
Album Description
The River in Reverse is Elvis Costello and 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).Toussaint 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 More Tears." 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.All 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.The 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."Toussaint 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" from Costello's 1989 album Spike.Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Toussaint relocated to New York City, where the two renewed their musical friendship at several benefit concerts and club gigs during a seven-day period from the 17th of September, leading to discussions of this new album. The powerful song "The River in Reverse" was written by Costello on September 24th, 2005, and performed by him for the first time at that night's "Parting the Waters" benefit event organized by the The New Yorker magazine. More Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
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| Customer Reviews:
 Repeated listenings October 4, 2008
Writer18 (Pittsburgh,PA)
Here is a collection of songs that need to be heard over and over again.
Elvis' voice is at its finest and the music is perfect for his voice.
You will want to hear these songs more than once as the melodies are simple
and the band is tight.
A fine collaboration by these two talented musicians.
 Little White Elvis September 23, 2008
smilingbassist (MN)
This recording unfortunately highlights Elvis' limitations as a singer. Allen toussaint is a tough act to keep up with, and although Costello tries hard, he just ends up sounding lame, and significantly detracts from the songs' appeal. This would have been a far better effort if Elvis had stuck to writing and playing and left the vocals to someone else.
 Disapointing experience August 8, 2008
JHM Van Der Meer (Netherlands)
The River in Reverse
I bought this album without listening it up front. It was a major dispointment when I heard the first song. I thought that my amplifier was broke. The sound of the album is as if it comes out of a very small box; it's very flat. All the other tracks sound the same. It's unbelievable that today, while millions of people are downloading illegal tracks from the internet with lousy mp3 quality, some artists still don't know that real music lovers like to buy their albums and expect to get a great sound for their money. Costello and Toussaint should be ashamed about this production.
 An interesting pairing, but it's just not what it could have been. March 8, 2008
J. Carroll (Island Heights,NJ)
An interesting labor of love, THE RIVER IN REVERSE turns out to be a solid collaboration of styles without any significant surprises. Playing to the strengths of both artists, this collection of songs from both Costello and Toussaint has all the requisite sounds: slow haunting horns, jazz and blues tempos throughout, and heartfelt vocals from Costello making for a pretty, but ultimately, forgettable effort. After listening to this a number of times, I've yet to find a song that sticks with me after I walk away. The true collaborations between the two, like "International Echo" and "Six-Fingered Man" add some spice to the mix, but the overall effect is just, "This is OK," and I guess my high expectations for this going in didn't help. I was hoping this would meeting would bring out the best in both, but there is no sense of challenge here, just mutual respect, and that doesn't necessarily lead to the most exciting mixture of styles. THE RIVER IN REVERSE is a worthy effort, but not one that will get a lot of play on my system in the future.
Don't Overlook The CD/DVD Combo May 4, 2007
James Bonevich (Kalamazoo, MI)
Yes indeed! So you're thinking about getting this great collaboration that came out in 2006 on CD, which is a wonderful thing to be thinking about, as most of the other reviewers here will attest to. But hey, please don't forget to look in the next bin at THE EXACT SAME TITLE IN THE CD/DVD COMBO PACKAGE (ASIN: B000FBH476) AND IT'S FOR THE *EXACT SAME PRICE*!! What was that? Well SOMEBODY you know must have a DVD player, and they can invite you over for dinner! It's worth it on so many levels, just to see them starting the project in LA, see them at Sunset Sound breaking out the ever-so-soulful song "What Do You Want The Girl To Do" (not on the CD), see them talking about actually going to The Big Easy soon after Katrina and debating whether it's a good idea or not since it could be seriously discouraged by the authorities, not to mention real upsetting for Allen Toussaint (having just lost his house and possessions there), see them flying coach from LA to NO, and then see them pick up the sessions again at a studio right there in the Crescent City! The material from the CD comes to life ten-fold, and the city by (and still in) the river welcomes them with open arms! As Toussaint says at one point "There will always be a New Orleans, and now.. there will be a Very New Orleans!" It's a joy to watch.
So to re-cap: the CD's great, 4 stars. But don't forget to look one shelf over at the CD/DVD combo, an easy 5 star package. And at zero extra dollars, it's a no-brainer!
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