What an irony : one of my favorite recordings EVER, but I can't think of one person to recommend it to. My rocker friends wouldn't last 10 minutes into this as they await the drums to kick in, and my friends of the classical persuasion would give Elvis' "unclassically trained voice" even less audition time. My ongoing "desert island" top ten rotates over time, but Juliet Letters is a permanent fixture on that list. Now, if they'd just release the 1-hour PBS concert/documentary on DVD ...

I am a great admirer of Elvis Costello. Like many of us, I like it better when he is with the Attractions, rocking out than when he is with Burt Bacharach getting self conscious and arty. I am also a classical musician, deeply skeptical of "crossover" albums. In fact, I don't think I can name one crossover album I like. Except this one. And I love it. I think this record has several of Costello's best lyrics AND melodies. "Taking my life in your hands" would make Lennon, McCartney, and Mahler all equally proud. It defies genre and comes scarily close to what I am tempted to call "pure expression." Of course, that's a ridiculous notion, but this song is such an emotional and aesthetic slam dunk that I am awed. Also I love "Damnation's Cellar" and "Who do you think you are?" There are some duds here, and I'd have to say the first two tracks will scare a lot of people off. Hang in there. It was a year or two after this album was released that I learned to love it, and time after time, it holds up better for me than any other Costello release.

I give this a forth star because I still pull it out for the occasional listen. But it remains one of the most difficult CD's in Elvis' careening musical experimentation. What usually happens is I find myself wondering where these songs would have fit had they been recorded for other Costello albums. "Jacksons Monk and Rowe" obviously would have made it as a "Get Happy" song. "For Other Eyes;" "Imperial Bedroom." A folksy arrangement might have sent "Damnation's Cellar" to "King Of America." And so on and so forth....

But the song sequence works wonderfully and the playing of the Brodskies never sinks to pedestrian. These folks obviously understood that they were going to have to throw preconceived ideas about playing with a "rocker," just as Elvis was trying to (as he put it) avoid the dreaded "crossover" sound. My major gripe with the album is that Elvis' voice isn't always up to the task ("North" fares much better in that department). And anyone looking for a "typical" Costello platter is in for a major shock. Of course, anyone trying to define a "typical" Costello disc is probably going to have a rough go of it.....

That doesn't stop "The Juliet Letters" from featuring some fine work, including "The Birds Will Still Be Singing," which deserves a shot with a voice like Josh Groban's or Michael Buble's. Or maybe now that Elvis has his new beau, she'll do a full set of her favorites from the Costello/MacManus discography. Now wouldn't THAT be a hoot?

Juliet Letters definitely makes my "desert island" list. If ever stranded on a desert island (with CD player and a lifetime supply of batteries, of course) this is one of a handful of recordings I would choose. Costello's sense of melody, honest theatrics and storytelling is a rare and welcome gift. And accompanied by the Brodsky String Quartet, well...Tension, release, complexity, simplicity, the beautiful, the raffish. And ah, the melodies that strike the heart and live there long after the music ends. Each time I listen to this CD I am filled with gratitude and awe.

Unlike anything else he's done -which a career-long fan hopes/fears. And, once again, a brilliant gift - in concept and execution. Risky and deeply rewarding. As with all True Art, not only bears but improves with repeated listening/contemplation.