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Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Almost Blue Audio CD

A fair review of the Elvis Costello And The Attractions "Almost Blue" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Elvis Costello And The Attractions reviews here, or go back to the Elvis Costello And The Attractions tabs.

Elvis Costello And The Attractions Band: Elvis Costello And The Attractions
Title: Almost Blue
Rating:
Release Date: 2007-05-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)? 2: Sweet Dreams 3: Success 4: I'm Your Toy 5: Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down 6: Brown To Blue 7: Good Year For The Roses 8: Sittin' And Thinkin' 9: Colour Of The Blues 10: Too Far Gone 11: Honey Hush 12: How Much I Lied

How Come You Treat Me Like a Worn Out Shoe?
I remember seeing a documentary produced for British TV (Melvyn Bragg's "The South Bank Show") that chronicled Costello and the Attractions' Nashville adventures. It's funny to see how ALMOST BLUE still divides Costello fans after all these years. Producer Billy Sherrill, after displaying a lot of initial skepticism, responded to Elvis' pumped-up version of "Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used to Do?" with a reaction like -- "Now we're getting somewhere! That's why I took on this project!" (Elvis meanwhile had confessed to the cameras how nervous he was about going into the studio and letting Sherrill hear what he and the gang had done to the track. ) Detractors aside, ALMOST BLUE holds up as a classic collection of country covers -- packed with more drinking and heartbreak than most pasty punk rockers could endure -- and the first of many (mostly) successful musical digressions in Costello's illustrious career.

Standout tracks: "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do?"), "I'm Your Toy," "Brown to Blue," "A Good Year for the Roses," "How Much I Lied. ".


Costello-politan - works for me.
As a fan of Costello's early work, as well as a fairly well-informed country fan, I've found this to be an album that's grown on me over the years. I think this is an album where either you're into it, or you aren't -- it isn't an issue of whether it's a "good" record, or a "bad" one. He knew what is was doing, and he did it well. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Guide To Country Music).


Costello's first mis-step
Elvis wanted to go to Nashville and meet with an icon of a country classic producer, then cut an album of some of his favorites right there in music city. It probably seemed like a good idea in retrospect. And after cutting some of excellent singles in a country format ("Radio Sweetheart" being one), "Almost Blue" really could have been a great record.

Instead, it was Elvis' first big misstep of his stellar career. He failed to understand the hack mentality of the Nashville scene, and "Almost Blue" is the sound of a 9 to 5 producer (Billy Sherrill) trying to shoehorn a band of randy brits into a paint by numbers sound. While the album kicks off like it should ("Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To?"), the ensuing album finds the band in a straightjacket. The sole exceptions, naturally, were the ballads. ("Good Year for The Roses," "Brown to Blue" and "How Much I Lied. ") The rest of "Almost Blue" then struggles to get out from under the limitations. It left Elvis and the Attractions, who had spent those first three albums exposing themselves as a volatile, high energy creative force, suddenly blanded into cookie cutter recordings robbed of an album worth hearing more than as a vanity project. .


a crushing disappointment
This album is a slap in the face to those people as well as to authentic country music performers who come from places like Birmingham, Alabama instead of Birmingham, West Midlands. Prior to this, Elvis Costello made a series of rock records of such brilliance as to inspire the pursuit of a musical career in many of those who heard them. This is a narcissistic, self-indulgent musical vanity project of the worst kind - an idea as stupid as Loretta Lynn rapping or Sean Combs attempting to sing Ella Fitzgerald or Roberta Flack songs. The more you like his first records the more you'll hate this one - don't waste your money.


Almost great
His voice is suited to the genre and the Attractions give it all they've got, supported by some expert Nashville musicians like John McFee on lead and pedal steel guitars, and Tommy Miller on violin. Costello's country excursion works well because of the quality material he chose.

The fast paced Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do) sounds more like early rock 'n roll than country to me, whilst Sweet Dreams is done with feeling and lots of soul. Success is a gently lilting ballad with lovely piano.

My favourites are the buoyant Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down, the moving Colour Of The Blues, this slow version of Too Far Gone, and especially the poignant Good Year For The Roses, a brilliant interpretation.

Costello's country excursion reminds me of another highly successful country album by a UK artist, Marianne Faithfull's very authentic Faithless (also available as Dreamin' My Dreams). Almost Blue obviously won't appeal to all Elvis Costello fans, but I find it a pleasure to listen to. .


You can see a complete list of all Elvis Costello And The Attractions discography, or go back to the Elvis Costello And The Attractions tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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