Search - Elvis Costello & Attractions :: Almost Blue (Dlx)

Stranger In The House

K. H. Orton | New York, NY USA | 08/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off I love the Warning! label in the liner notes: "This album contains Country & Western Music & may produce radical reaction in narrow minded people". Further more, I'm afraid I disagree with any previous reviewers who cite this is the 1st misstep in a career that was consistantly on the rise. On the contrary, I think Almost Blue was the 1st time Costello completely stumped his audience. He's certainly done it a few times since.



It takes real balls to put your own stamp on a Hank Williams tune. Albeit, a relatively obscure one. Opening with "Why Don't You Love Me" Costello & company immediately put a spin into their own conceit. Throwing themselves into the proceedings with the same hyper, punked out abandon found on This Year's Model. This is your 1st indication that this isn't going to be your typical Country standards album. Or at worse a joke.



Fact of the matter is, he truly goes for the throat on this one. His take on "Sweet Dreams" may make Patsy Cline fans cringe in their beehives, but any Gram Parsons affecionado will appreciate Costello's heartfelt renditions of "Hot Burrito #1 (I'm Your Toy)" or "How Much I Lied". Both are just as touching as the originals, sung as if he'd written them himself.



"Good Year For The Roses" was the big surprise hit on this album. In England at any rate. Personally, I never get sick of hearing it. Perhaps because I've never heard the original.



As bonus discs go, Rhino & Mr. Costello have once again given you an all too generous assortment for your buck. Infact, there's more than twice as many tracks than on the original album. It starts off with his legendary duet with George Jones on "Stranger In The House". It doesn't disappoint. Followed by an even odder pairing with The Man In Black. I won't comment on the results, but the moment is to be cherished.



Besides some live tracks from his infamous gig in Aberdeen, there's not one, but 2 chilling versions of Leon Payne's "Psycho". Where others have milked the tune's black humor for all it's worth, Costello wisely takes it all too seriously. A welcomed restraint that will send a shiver up your spine, if you're in the right mood.



The bonus disc also features some very touching versions of "Too Far Gone" & "He's Got You". Not to mention real gems like "Wondering" & "Blues Keep Calling". His version of "I'll Take Care OF You" is to die for. Then there's "Your Angel Steps Out of Heaven". I'll bore you if I go on (if I haven't already).



Many Costello fans will begrudgingly look on this as a novelty, but far from necessary in terms of their collections. The superficial masses will cast this aside without a 2nd thought. But for me it tops flawed classics like "Punch The Clock", or his overrated Burt Bacharach album for that matter.



In fact, having been a longtime Costello & (not so lately secret) Country fan for years, I breathed a sigh of relief when this originally came out. Ofcourse, it didn't set the world on fire & I had to keep my dirty little secret to myself. But without a doubt, Almost Blue is one of the most interesting records of Costello's ongoing career. For my money, it's certainly one of the most rewarding reissues in this Rhino series. As much as I've always loved this album, truth be told, it's the bonus disc that sends this into the 5 star mark. In other words, I'm happy to have bought it again."

Another completist alert!

Kenneth French | Montclair, NJ | 09/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For all you Costello completists out there, DO NOT toss your Rykodisc copy once you get this new Rhino version. There are two "Live in Aberdeen" tracks on the Ryko pressing that did not get carried over onto the new one.



As for the record itself, when I first bought the vinyl 20+ years ago, I knew very few of the songs and had none of the original versions. Now I have almost all of them, as well as a deep appreciation for country music. I have Elvis and my wife to thank for that!"

Astounding! 20 Years before its time!MUCH overlooked

Frank G | Hollywood, CA United States | 11/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply astounding album. Elvis Costello was at his height of popularity and had the courage to eplore his personal favorites and bring them to his "New Wave" audience. Unfortunately his audience was so influenced by the Stalinistic"Year Zero"/scorched earth attitudes of the Class of '77 punk that they pretty much rejected this amazing sampler of heartfelt Country soul. ( Although I do recall Los Angeles' KROQ Rodney on Roq giving the aggro version of Hank Williams "Why Dont You Love Me -Like You Used to Do?" quite a few spins at the time).In their defense one must recall that "Country' at that time was as UNcool as you could get with the charts dominated by the likes of 'supergroups' like Alabama ad nauseum...Costello however TRIED to redirect the spotlight on the good stuff, the hearty, celtic rooted mournful stuff.It is worth noting that that ONLY Country lyrics share Costello's 'boy loses girl' themes( as opposed to the inane posturing of late 70's 'Prog rock' fantasy and 80's'hair bands' and todays hip hop)Country had the REALITY of a life that touches all people at all times NOT 'bling'- Fast forward 20+ years with fellow Celts The Thrills covering a similiar genre, the Late Great Johnny Cash having an ENORMOUS amount of 'Street Cred' post Rick Rubin's AMERICAN series and a general lovefest of all things Gram Parson's ( including this seasons biggest concert draw- Parson's bastard offspring band -The Eagles) Country/Roots/Alt.Country/Americana is Cool. Costello covered not one but TWO Parsons tunes ( 'How Much I Lied ' and 'I'm Your Toy'/'Hot Burrito #2') as well as taking us on a trip through George Jones, Merle Haggard , Hank Williams' greats ( all the stuff that Soccer Mom 'Country' radio ie Shania/Chesney/Garth and NO TWANG- REFUSES to play. Costello did a brave thing recording and releasing this and radio/critics of the day were caught flat footed expecting another "New Lace Sleeves' or 'Alison' they got "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down' and 'Sittin and a Thinkin' - Surprisingly the much pilloried disc gave Costello one of his biggest UK hits and a concert staple to this day in 'Good Year for the Roses'- So much of todays new /'alternative' music owes a DIRECT debt to this album. The SF Bay Area's great Dave Gleason and Wasted Days, Los Angeles Beachwood Sparks, the Irish Thrills ALL flow from this river of rootsy goodness. Superb!"