Almost Blue Reviews
All-Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)
Costello's country record is usually written off as a vanity project,
but Almost Blue is quite a bit more than that. It's one of the most
entertaining cover records in rock & roll, simply because of its enthusiasm.
The album begins with a roaring version of Hank Williams' Why Don't You
Love Me and doesn't stop. Costello sings with conviction on the
tear-jerking ballads, as well as barn burners like Tonight the Bottle Let
Me Down. It's clear that Costello knows this music, and it's also clear
who he learned it from -- Gram Parsons. Costello covers Parsons' Hot
Burrito No. 1 and How Much I Lied, and all of the music on
Almost Blue recalls Parsons' taste for hardcore honky-tonk and weepy
ballads. It's to Costello's credit that he made a record relying on emotion
to pay tribute.