Elvis Costello

If coffee monolith Starbucks' Artist's Choice compilations have taught listeners anything, it's that the majority of popular music's greats suffer from banal and predictable listening habits -- through his choice of collaborators and covers, not to mention the occasional essay, Elvis Costello has consistently proven himself a man of catholic and omnivorous musical tastes, but even his Artist's Choice entry suffers from limitations, both corporate and self-imposed. While focusing largely on the usual tried and true pantheon artists, Costello does at least opt for songs that the average Starbucks consumer might be hearing for the first time -- he spotlights Joni Mitchell's "The Last Time I Saw Richard" and Randy Newman's "Real Emotional Girl," for example, digging deepest to feature Marvin Gaye's underrated "You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'." Still, one wishes Costello would have seized the opportunity to tout artists and music outside the radar of your average Starbucks consumer -- especially if it would have meant deleting wife Diana Krall's tepid cover of his own "Almost Blue" in the process. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide