Description
All This Useless Beauty is the seventeenth studio album by English rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in 1996. The album peaked at No. 28 on the UK album chart, and at No. 53 on the Billboard 200. It is his final album with his longstanding backing band The Attractions.In its original conception, the album was to be a set of songs written for other artists, entitled A Case For Song, with backing by a diverse array of musicians. Instead, Costello chose to record the songs himself with The Attractions. For instance, ldquoComplicated Shadowsrdquo had been intended for Johnny Cash, and ldquoWhy Canrsquot A Man Stand Alonerdquo for Sam Moore, and the Bside opens with his collaboration with Paul McCartney, ldquoShallow Graverdquo.Four songs previously released by others also made it to the final track listing ldquoThe Other End Of The Telescoperdquo was cowritten with Aimee Mannnbspnbsp ldquoYou Bowed Downrdquo was recorded by Roger McGuinn ldquoAll This Useless Beautyrdquo and ldquoI Want To Vanishrdquo was recorded by June Tabor.
