Elvis Costello

Painted From Memory

My Darkest Place

Review Score:

(10/10)
Well, this is my 'second' time around in trying to review this amazing disc...and I'll keep it up until I get it right! This is simply one of those cd's that I can't quite get a handle on when it comes to talking about it. Perhaps it cut's too deep...I'm not quite sure but I do know that listening to "Painted From Memory" forces me to look into myself, at times with an unbearable reality. Oh well, while it sounds a cliche this album really does defy catagorization and trying to explain it's contents, whatever adjectives I may use, will simply fall far short of the beauty that these songs hold. But, since hope springs eternal, here we go again!

This is a disc that, if you truly enjoy 'adult' music, and by that I mean music that indulges in wonderful, sophisticated melodies, mature lyrics and unforgettable chemistry between two artists than prepare to pick up your copy of "Painted From Memory" . Right from the outset with "In The Darkest Place" Burt and Elvis set the mood for a cd filled with heartache, regret, sadness and not just a little remorse as well. Looking back not exactly a 'fun' cd to throw on at parties but....you'd be wrong! Between Burt's still amazing gift with a melody and Elvis' ascerbic lyrics this disc can, and should, be enjoyed whatever you may be doing. The problem being though that you will soon find yourself stopping in the midst of whatever you were in the middle of and eventually finding yourself sitting down to listen much more intently to Elvis's tragic but at all times honest lyrics.

It never ceases to amaze me at the power that music holds when done, as in this case, exceedingly well. From "My Thief" to "Painted From Memory" and "The Sweetest Punch" to the awe inspiring finale "God Give Me Strength" Elvis and Burt consistantly paint pictures of relationships that have, for various reasons, fallen apart and left one or perhaps both parties hurt, confused and ultimately abandoned. My first few listens I honestly kept wondering how they were aware of 'my' feelings when watching a lover walk out of your life....for the last time. Bogart actually said it best in Casablanca, "....standing there with a stupid look on my face feeling like someone just kicked me in the gut!" But perhaps that is, in essence, what makes for a true masterpiece such as this. The artists not only understand your feelings so well but are also able to convey those emotions for you. And in the case of "Painted From Memory" Elvis and Burt have done just that.... countless times over! Who thought that a broken heart could feel so good.

Ultimately, this cd demands quite a bit from the listener. These are not just songs that 'paint' pretty pictures about love and everything that comes after. Elvis and Burt are two composers who have so much to say, not just in an incredible lyric but also in a passage where words simply aren't necessary. And that, my friends, is what makes this cd so powerful. A disc to put on with a glass of wine and an open wound.

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