Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Almost Blue

Elvis Costello & The Attractions' Almost Blue arrived in 1981 as a sharp left turn from Costello's early new wave run, trading his own songs for a full set of country covers. Recorded in Nashville with producer Billy Sherrill, the album channels classic honky-tonk and countrypolitan heartbreak through Costello's unmistakably British voice, making it one of the clearest statements of just how deep his American country listening went.

Rather than treating the material like a novelty exercise, Costello leans into the emotional pull of songs associated with Hank Williams, George Jones, Gram Parsons and Merle Haggard. The set opens with Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)" and moves easily between tear-stained ballads and harder-driving barroom cuts, with The Attractions proving how adaptable they could be outside their usual attack. Gram Parsons looms especially large here, not just in the choice of songs but in the album's balance of hard country and bruised, late-night melancholy.

"Good Year For The Roses" became a UK Top 10 hit, giving the record a life well beyond its initial surprise factor. Over time, Almost Blue has come to stand as a revealing album in Costello's catalogue: not a detour for its own sake, but a committed tribute to the songs and singers that helped shape his taste.

Features

• 180g vinyl edition
• Remastered from the original master tapes

Reviews

• It's one of the most entertaining cover records in rock & roll, simply because of its enthusiasm. - AllMusic.com

Genre: Pop & Rock