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. .
This is the album that got me into Elvis
" Being a lover of many different musical genres, especially true country music, I love this album and consider it one of my all-time favorites. I did not appreciate Elvis' earlier albums prior to "Almost Blue. I loved it so much in fact, that after hearing this album, I later went back and rediscovered Elvis including the earlier albums that I had not appreciated at the time. Subsequently, I have come to view EC as one the greatest songs stylists of all time, not to mention his brilliant writing. This album, of course, concentrates on his song styling, and as such is a wonderful album, and just one example among many that show the sheer genius of Elvis Costello and the depth of his musical knowledge and abilities. This is truly a great album, despite what is written by other reviewers here. My opinion is coming from one that has thousands upon thousands of albums, and has been an active listener of many styles of music for over 50 years.
Elvis' 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 the best singles in a country format ("Radio Sweetheart" being one), it 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. .
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
|
