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Towards the end of last summer, I went to a friend of my sister's house for an evening of mirthful activities, when suddenly, almost by sheer instinct, someone reached for the television set. They assured us that since they had Home Box Office everything would be ok.
The set came on; some crap about a country music special staring George Jones. Not being much of a country-western fan, I dismissed its presence and turned away.
But right then, as George's tune had ended, he grabbed the microphone and announced that a good friend of his was about to come up on stage to sing with him. I was on my way out of the room when Elvis Costello walked on that stage. Looking rather fat and ill (I later learned that he was nursing very swollen glands), Elvis amazed me, his inspiring voice ripping through the Grand Ole Opry as he and Jones sang some down home country classics.
Costello's latest album, Almost Blue, reflects his apparent love for country music: It is pure, 100 percent Nashville-style country-western. Manipulating his vocal capabilities to the extreme, Costello comes across here as a practiced, well-rounded performer. His grasp of this truly American form of music is outstanding (which may be attributed to the production of Billy Sherrill, and the smooth, authentic steel guitar playing of John McFee).
Almost Blue is a very important album to Elvis — on the cover, he's pictured with his hand covering his face almost as if he were crying. His superior voice dominates every dimension of Almost Blue, shining through on even the most mundane melodies.
As a fan of old, standard Elvis Costello, I was skeptical of this album before hearing it, but that prejudice didn't last long. Elvis sounds very good here. He's confident without being over-powering.
This transition shows a versatility not easily matched by a "rock" singer in this day and age. I guess this proves that Elvis is much more than just a "rock" or "punk" performer.
Olé Elvis!!
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