Despite efforts to the contrary, news of Elvis Costello's next album is starting to emerge. Entitled Almost Blue, the LP was recorded in Nashville with producer Billy Sherrill (George Jones, Tammy Wynette) at the board and displays a countrified Costello crooning his way through some down-home standards; in fact, there's no El-penned material on the disc. Among the selections: "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down," "Brown to Blue," "Too Far Gone," "Blue Must Be the Color of the Blues" and "Honey, Hush!' The stand-out cut is said to be a "real driving" version of the Hank Williams wailer, "Why Don't You Love Me like You Used to Do?" Backing up Elvis are the vaunted Attractions, aided and abetted by the pedal-steel playing of Doobie Brothers axe-man John McFee, who, as a member of Clover, appeared on El's debut album, My Aim Is True. String sections for some of the tunes have been recorded, but it's not certain whether they'll make it to the final mix. The LP should be out the first week in October.
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