Tribute albums present a tricky proposition for the music lover. As a fan of the honoree, one is likely to be disappointed by renditions of old favorites served up by well- meaning contributors, while fans of a contributor are likely to dismiss the songs of the artist honored or the other bands on the album. Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours and Rendezvous: The Songs of Elvis Costello, a tribute album of sorts, avoids these common pitfalls, largely as a result of its subject matter and unique concept.

Rhino A+R man Gary Stewart compiled the tracks for this album not from covers solicited and delivered for this project specifically, but rather from unusual or outstanding renditions of Costello songs already released. Many of the songs here were written for the performers and were therefore never released by Costello himself. The remaining tracks either supercede or completely rework Costello's own performances. As a result, die-hard Elvis fans will have little to compare to or complain about.

As for fans of the performers, after a few quick listens it becomes apparent that, similar to Costello's own albums, the true stars here are the songs. Costello is the finest songwriter to rise out of the late seventies post- punk movement and even stakes a claim as the best of his generation. What is difficult to comprehend over the expanse of his career but readily apparent here is the man's incredible versatility. Chet Baker's smoky "Almost Blue," Johnny Cash's country bop on "Hidden Shame," and the lounging jazz of Mary Coughlan's "Upon a Veil of Midnight Blue" serve to remind us of Costello's own unprecedented (and often unadvised) forays into country, jazz and orchestral arrangements. Here Costello's tunes meld gracefully into the performers' worlds. The aforementioned "Hidden Shame" is as easily matched to Cash as the melodic pop of "The Other End (Of The Telescope)" finds 'Til Tuesday.

If Costello has a shortfall as a writer and performer, it's his penchant for excess. Either unwilling or unable to edit himself, Elvis often lets his songs drown in complex and unnecessary arrangements or stretches melodies to their limits in order to support an extra syllable or two of lyrics. At the hands of these performers, however, the songs are for the most part clearly rendered. Unfortunately, what the songs may gain by Costello's absence, they lose doubly in his ever- improving voice-- Robert Wyatt struggles with "Shipbuilding" and Ruben Blades' "Shamed Into Love" is straight- out laughable. Additionally, while Costello's musical twists and turns can become muddled, they normally keep things interesting, a quality sometimes lacking in this collection.

That being said, Stewart's strict criterion for the project are its ultimate downfall. Because the songs had to outshine Costello's own versions, much of this album is far from his best work. And Stewart could have used an editor himself; the album's eighty minutes could have easily been cut to fifty without losing a worthwhile note. While graced by the occasional shining performance, Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendezvous too often rests in the hands of middling artists or upon Costello's weaker work, and as a result will most likely only appeal to the staunchest Elvis fans.

-Neil Lieberman