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The River In Reverse
by
The River In Reverse Image
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 7 Ratings

  • Summary: The British musician teams with legendary New Orleans songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint for this mix of covers and new material.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. AllMusic
    90
    What makes the album rather extraordinary is that it's as much celebration as it is protest.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Costello can still oversing and overwrite... But even when he threatens to turn baroque, as in ''Broken Promise Land,'' Toussaint rescues him.
  3. The Guardian
    80
    This album is best heard through audio equipment tweaked to suppress the excesses of Elvis Costello's strained bleat.
  4. E! Online
    75
    An urgent, soulful collection.
  5. Rolling Stone
    70
    It's the master's steady, rollicking piano that elevates the music -- and keeps the ever-elusive Costello honest.
  6. PopMatters
    70
    A frequently inspired album.
  7. musicOMH.com
    60
    It's good to see this album released, but whether the meeting between Costello and Toussaint has produced anything of greater note that their individual achievements, I'm not convinced.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. MattK
    Jul 5, 2006
    10
    What a great collaboration. Top it off with a live performance and you've got the very best that music can offer. Costello's vocals What a great collaboration. Top it off with a live performance and you've got the very best that music can offer. Costello's vocals and Toussaints arrangements will live a long time.… Expand
  2. AndrewR
    Jun 7, 2006
    9
    As with the very best albums, the melodies reveal themselves more fully over time, as does the conviction that underlies this work. As with the very best albums, the melodies reveal themselves more fully over time, as does the conviction that underlies this work. Costello's vocals may not lend themselves naturally to this sort of thing, but he has an intuitive ability to pluck unexpected meanings from lines that would simply meld in when sung by anyone else. And the trade-offs between Toussaint's piano and Steve Nieve on Hammond B3 are magnificent.… Expand
  4. JedZep
    Aug 31, 2006
    9
    What a great pairing at any time but certainly sounds right and righteous in light of Katrina. Bears repeated listening all the way through. What a great pairing at any time but certainly sounds right and righteous in light of Katrina. Bears repeated listening all the way through. It covers a lot of musical ground while not straying far from New Orleans.… Collapse
  5. PaulS
    Jun 14, 2006
    8
    One of Costeelo's good excursions outside his original genre (The juliet Letters being one of the bad ones). The piano shines and the One of Costeelo's good excursions outside his original genre (The juliet Letters being one of the bad ones). The piano shines and the music is just fun.… Expand
  6. ImanL
    Jun 16, 2006
    8
    I dont know squat about Toussaint but Costello's best in years and years and years maybe since "For the Stars" (another collaboration: I dont know squat about Toussaint but Costello's best in years and years and years maybe since "For the Stars" (another collaboration: hmmmmmmmm). "Brother" is just plain great, title track masterful, and the playing livly and fun.… Expand
  7. BrandonS
    Jun 6, 2006
    7
    A lot of reviews call Costello overbearing or somehow otherwise in the way - but would they even be reviewing it if Costello weren't A lot of reviews call Costello overbearing or somehow otherwise in the way - but would they even be reviewing it if Costello weren't involved? It just seems to me that these music critics jump at every opportunity they get to showcase their elitism. This is a good cd, with a number of excellent songs, played with a lot of energy and feeling.… Expand

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