Paying tribute to the greats is never easy. That does not stop anyone from doing so, though. Elvis Costello, having worked with those greats before and being a great himself, is better positioned than most to cover a Bob Dylan song. He has collaborated with Paul McCartney, Dylan, and The Pogues at various stages in his career. A cover of I Threw It All Away is a nice break from the inevitable renditions of Ballad of a Thin Man or Desolation Row but still offers Costello a clear link to the veteran artist. Featured on his underappreciated Kojak Variety album, Costello offers a solid array of covers. Personal favourites pieced together in the studio once more. He makes no fuss over this Dylan track, though, a song he has performed live on occasion. Those live versions capture the character of the song just as well as this studio rendition.
Tucked away between Remove This Doubt and Leave My Kitten Alone, it feels as though Costello is trying to hide his mighty effort. He has the vocal style needed for covering any Dylan song, let alone a Nashville Skyline classic. The staggered style and gruff tone of his punk days blend nicely with the stripped-back instrumentals. This is not the time nor the place for overwhelming, impressive guitar work. Costello realises this early on and instead brings the focus of his cover to where it always is for Dylan originals, the lyrics. Kojak Variety is more for the diehard Costello fans, but there is much to love about his I Threw it All Away performances. He captures the conviction of the original without the guiding guitar work. He swaps that out for piano and Hammond organ work from Larry Knechtel. Pete Thomas, too, on the drums, offers the track its closing moments. Pair that with Dylan collaborator Jim Keltner, and the cover has that extra pedigree so many artists are searching for when covering the all-time greats.
Costello is up there with Dylan, anyway, meaning Keltner’s appearance is not just a warm addition but one which further reinforces his cover. Any great cover song is about the conviction of an artist in choosing to record it, and the respect they have for the song. I Threw it All Away is changed enough to make it one of Costello’s, but it sticks rigidly to the storytelling pace. Those gaps before a first mention of the title remain the same, letting the instrumentals have their time in the spotlight, Costello considering his next moves as the character of I Threw it All Away does. The only hiccup is the echoed “love”, which feels more like a result of the times than a necessary sample.
Crucial to the Costello cover is maintaining the fault at the heart of the song. I Threw It All Away marks a rare moment where Dylan takes responsibility for an emotional break, a relationship now over. Costello keeps that spirit alive with the instrumental solo to play the track out. His vocal style, the lower registers and those “ooh” interjections are beautiful. There is a delicacy to be found in this take on I Threw It All Away even with the ever-exciting punk fundamental Costello brings, consciously or unconsciously, to the studio. His vocal range is astounding, and it, along with the very impressive instrumental arrangement, shares a new layer to a Dylan classic.
