June Tabor"He's a man of such tremendous enthusiasm, eclectic taste, and downright balls! He never does anything by halves, and that comes over in his music. He's a wordsmith of the highest order, with occasionally a very wayward approach to his subject matter. You name it, he's done it - apart from Gilbert & Sullivan. Give him time with that, though!"

Paddy McAloon (Prefab Sprout)

"I like him, but I'm not a big fan. This is really hard to put, but I don't find him very natural. I'm not talking about the lyrics, because he has great insight into things, but there isn't the grace there that I see in people who would be considered less in such elevated company. I feel terrible about it, but it's passed me by. I like to hear grace in music. Irving Berlin had it. McCartney has it."

Trisha Yearwood

"Almost Blue, Costello's country album, works very much as a record. I became an Elvis fan in a roundabout way, through Linda Ronstadt and her version of Alison (from My Aim Is True). The songs on Almost Blue fit, though. He's a brilliant songwriter, and if you listen to his music, you'll find it's all about interpretation. The song is the story, and the way you interpret it can alter what kind of song it is."