Melody Maker, October 24, 1981

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Melody Maker   1974 April 20 1975 November 1 1976 August 14 1977 March 26 1977 June 4 1977 June 25 1977 July 23 1977 August 6 1977 August 13 1977 August 20 1977 September 3 1977 September 17 1977 October 1 1977 October 8 1977 October 15 1977 October 22 1977 November 5 1977 November 12 1977 December 17 1977 December 24 1977 December 31 1978 February 18 1978 February 25 1978 March 4 1978 March 11 1978 March 25 1978 April 15 1978 April 22 1978 April 29 1978 May 6 1978 May 13 1978 May 20 1978 September 30 1978 October 21 1978 October 28 1978 November 11 1978 November 25 1978 December 9 1978 December 23 1978 December 30 1979 January 6 1979 January 13 1979 January 20 1979 February 3 1979 February 10 1979 April 14 1979 May 12 1979 June 2 1979 September 29 1980 January 5 1980 January 19 1980 January 26 1980 February 2 1980 February 23 1980 March 8 1980 March 29 1980 April 5 1980 July 19 1980 August 23 1980 September 6 1980 October 4 1980 October 11 1980 November 22 1980 December 6 1981 January 3 1981 January 17 1981 January 24 1981 February 7 1981 February 14 1981 February 28 1981 March 7 1981 April 4 1981 May 30 1981 July 11 1981 September 5 1981 October 17 1981 October 24 1981 October 31 1981 December 19 1982 January 2 1982 January 9 1982 January 16 1982 March 13 1982 May 15 1982 May 29 1982 June 12 1982 June 26 1982 July 3 1982 July 31 1982 September 18 1983 January 8 1983 May 28 1983 June 4 1983 June 11 1983 July 2 1983 July 9 1983 July 30 1983 August 20 1983 September 10 1983 October 15 1983 October 29 1984 January 7 1984 April 14 1984 April 21 1984 April 28 1984 June 2 1984 June 9 1984 July 28 1984 August 11 1984 August 18 1984 September 1 1984 October 13 1984 October 20 1984 November 17 1984 December 15 1985 March 16 1985 April 13 1985 May 4 1985 June 1 1985 June 8 1985 July 13 1985 July 20 1985 July 27 1986 February 22 1986 March 1 1986 March 22 1986 May 24 1986 July 5 1986 July 12 1986 September 13 1986 November 15 1986 November 22 1986 December 6 1986 December 20 1987 January 31 1987 February 7 1987 May 2 1987 June 27 1987 November 28 1987 December 19 1988 February 20 1988 February 27 1988 May 14 1989 January 28 1989 February 4 1989 February 11 1989 February 18 1989 February 25 1989 May 6 1989 May 13 1989 May 20 1989 June 24 1989 July 15  1989 October 21 1991 April 13 1991 April 27 1991 May 18 1991 June 22 1991 July 13 1991 October 12 1991 October 26 1992 April 18 1992 May 30 1993 January 23 1993 February 6 1993 March 6 1993 August 21 1993 October 9 1994 February 5 1994 February 12 1994 February 19 1994 February 26 1994 April 9 1994 April 23 1994 April 30 1994 July 2 1994 July 9 1994 July 16 1994 November 12 1994 November 19 1995 April 1 1995 April 8 1995 May 27 1995 June 3 1995 June 10 1996 May 18 1996 July 20 Magazines  Concerto Details Entertainment Weekly Esquire Forbes Il giornale della musica GQ Interview magazine Life Music Maker The Nation New Yorker Newsweek Nöjesguiden Opera News People Spy Time Total Guitar Uncut Vanity Fair Village Voice Vox The Word — Tears for souvenirs Elvis Costello & The Attractions Almost Blue Allan Jones Dedicated from the opening bell to the idea of over-carving his own legend, it was probably only a matter of time before Elvis Costello turned up in Nashville, embracing country music with such partisan conviction. Thriving on exaggeration and melodrama, it's not surprising that so much country and western smocks of soap opera. From Hank Williams to Gram Parsons, its heroes have loved their lives like episodes of some long-running saga where the emotional temperature is always running close to fever. Its not impossible to imagine Costello being drown to the devil in country music: that impulse that drove Williams and Parsons to the edge, the celebrations of indulgence, the maudlin regret that invariably follows a surrender to sudden whims of self-destructive passion. Costello has catalogued such instances often enough in his own work: "Riot Act," "Accidents Will Happen," "Party Girl" and "You'll Never Be A Man" immediately suggest themselves as examples of Elvis refusing to fight shy of the fire. But there are truths expressed in country music that even a songwriter as forcefully articulate as Costello has found difficult to accommodate or even duplicate. Nashville loves nothing more thee the sound of breaking hearts and the ability of its writers to zero in on moments of emotional stress and disaster with an explicit clarity. Whether it's regarded as the sweetest amnesty or a wound that never heals, love in country music seems to leave only tears for souvenirs. Displaying a voracious appetite for the sheer detail of personal upheaval and distress, country songwriting usually illuminates the painful ironies of the lovelorn in a language more direct and unambiguous than the majority of mainstream rock. Considering the increasing complexity of his own writing ("New Lace Sleeves," "Big Sister's Clothes), Costello must have relished this opportunity of expressing his feelings through songs whose succinct economy has recently evaded him. Simultaneously, Almost Blue has offered him an eagerly-seized opportunity to enjoy and exploit the vocal flair he began to tap with sudden energy on Trust. One of the first things that strikes the listener about Almost Blue is how relaxed and assured everyone sounds, especially Costello whose voice has rarely enjoyed such freedom and expressive scope. Broadly, the 12 tracks on the LP are divided between driving, shellacking honky tonk tunes and exquisitely poignant ballads. Representing the former category, the album opens with a rollicking version of Hank Williams' "Why Don't You love Me (Like You Used To Do)." Special guest John McFee leads the charge with fleet, rippling guitar runs; sounding like he's served an apprenticeship in a hundred Texas saloons, Steve Nieve is at his shoulder supplying strafing piano frills. Elvis brings the track to a demon conclusion with a final exultant vocal yowl that lifts your knees right off the carpet. Classic drinker's laments, Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Remainder of text to come... << >> Melody Maker, October 24, 1981 Allan Jones reviews Almost Blue. Brian Harrigan previews Almost Blue, the Southbank Show and the Almost Blue, Almost '82 tour. Images Clipping. Clipping. An orgy of Elvis Brian Harrigan Cover.

External links

• Wikipedia: Melody Maker