Negative Positive
Title: doesn't work for me
Review: I am a long-time fan of both Elvis Costello and Bill Frisell. At their best, both artists can be phenomenal. But they do have bad moments, and I'm sorry to say this disk is is situated in that portion of the Venn diagram in which disappointing performances overlap. After repeated listening sessions in which I tried really hard to appreciate this, I finally gave up. Costello just sounds self-absorbed, self-indulgent and (frequently) strained (more-so than usual). Frisell is laid back throughout -- almost to the point of being absent. It is a live disk, and even the audience doesn't quite seem to know whether to applaud.
Is the review positive or negative? 