Here's what I posted on a Elvis Costello forum-
http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... com/38zunr
http://tinyurl.com/38zunr
The Look Of Love-Burt Bacharach/
Trijntje Oosterhuis ( 2006)
http://tinyurl.com/2nrhv9
Who'll Speak for Love
Trijntje Oosterhuis ( 2007)
Trijntje Oosterhuis has, yet again , totally resuscitated two PFM songs. GGMS is delivered in a very even manner , the vocal having just that right amount of jadedness to make you believe the songs message. Whereas Elvis' original works best , usually live , if you engage with the song from the start , building up to the shrieked 'hurt' , this version has a more subtle approach.
The real highlight is
Painted From Memory. Starting with swirling strings, arranged by
Vince Mendoza , it eases into a gorgeous harp, played by
Joke Schonewille , piece and another world weary vocal. Yet again it totally revives the song. Elvis' version is blighted by a ridiculously high pitched vocal and swamped by a syrupy string arrangement by
Johnny Mandel. I've just played it for the first time in a while and it is just awful compared with this. Interestingly,
Bill Frisell's Sweetest Punch version ( just Bill on guitar with
Cassandra Wilson's vocal) seems , also on a re-listen,like a template for Ms Oosterhuis's recording.
What with Burt's involvement , along with past Costello collaborators
The Metropole Orkest ( and being mixed by
My Flame Burns Blue's
Al Schmitt) this disc has to have had , however indirect, Elvis' involvement. That we are , just like her version ( with similar imput) last year of
This House Is Empty Now, getting such radical re-interpretations probably means that he has accepted the deficiencies of the PFM album and is glad to facilitate this, partial, remake.
By the way, the album's final track
'On My Own' really stirred up some ghosts for me. I had no idea Burt wrote ( with
Carole Bayer Sager ) this 1980's hit ( by
Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald). Trijntje's version is , again restrained , not much more than a vocal with guitar ( by Peter Tiehuis) . Listening to it I was , however, just awash with memories of fall down drunk nights in tacky Dublin nightclubs, drinking to forget a job I hated. The song is just about saved this time , serving to re-enforce my present good fortune.