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Almost Blue
Elvis Costello
Bill Bonner
As you may have anticipated from reading your favorite rock magazine, Elvis Costello has recorded an album of country songs. While Costello shows respect for his sources in his execution of the material (as opposed to using it as a creatively lazy way of refusing to conform, as Joe Jackson did with swing music on Jumpin' Jive), is efforts are always musically successful.
The thing that is most noticeable when you listen to the album is the use of traditional Nashville styles of country music rather than those of the Austin-based outlaws, or of the California country-rock groups. The songs consist mainly of honky-tonk ballads like those by George Jones and Merle Haggard. The arrangement and production are also done in a traditional manner — the album was recorded in CBS's Nashville Studio 1 — with pedal steel guitar and echo spread liberally throughout the album.
The musicianship of both the Attractions and the studio players is competent. The weakest part of the album appears to be Costello's vocals; while earnest, his throaty voice is not well suited to this type of material. Admittedly, this effect may be unconsciously enhanced by hearing someone who has written such bitterly ironic songs doing material that shows such a great deal of vulnerability.
Costello probably enjoyed making this album very much, and several of the songs are relatively pleasant to listen to. However, this type of indulgence among artists who are supposed to represent the forefront of whatever progressive mentality remains in rock does not bode well, and the rock audience cannot reasonably be expected to subsidize it. One can only hope that Costello will soon return to challenging his listeners, and that the next Talking Heads album will not consist entirely of Cole Porter songs.
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