My eagerly-awaited copy of the new version of Elbow’s last album arrived this weekend.
Recorded for the BBC in January, the new version has Elbow backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and a full choir to play The Seldom Seen Kid in full.
The dratted ‘red button’ wouldn’t let me hear the show when it was broadcast on iPlayer and I decided the Listen Again steam in the web wouldn’t do it justice. So I hadn’t heard any of it until the package arrived, and waiting made sure it was a real treat.
The original version is a bit of a masterpiece, and here virtually every song is improved on.
The opening tracks Starlings sets the tone: an album already full of strings has a new depth and delicacy. The Bones Of You is subtly enhanced, free of compromise that’s inevitable with a band in the studio. The feeling is that this is what they’d have done originally had they had an orchestra and a dozen choristers to hand. It segues into an exquisite jazzy ‘Summertime’.
The standout track is a heart-stopping Grounds For Divorce with its deeply textured arrangement and huge brass punch. But for the most part the original template is followed: subtlety an understatement win out, adding to the original songs rather than over-egging a near-perfect pudding.
Even the overblown The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver works more: the contrasts, emotion and crechendo coming together better with the orchestra.
Two tracks disappoint slightly: The Fix lacks some of the punch and humour of the original. One Day Like This is difficult: the studio version is a manipulative, string-laden slice of overblown but utterly trumphant glory. So what more could they do? Not much, so other than for completeness it’s a case of why bother? It’s still pretty wonderful though.
It’s beautifully recorded and well mixed. A masterpiece turned into something more masterful: Elbow absolutely at the top of their game.
