Sioux Falls Argus Leader, November 5, 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 Sioux Falls Argus Leader   1978 May 5 1979 February 8 1979 March 15 1980 March 13 1980 October 17 1981 January 18 1981 February 19 1981 November 5 1982 July 15 2005 April 16 South Dakota publications  Sioux Falls Argus Leader Northern St. Univ. Exponent US publications by state  AL  •  AK  •  AR  •  AZ  •  CA CO  •  CT  •  DC  •  DE  •  FL GA  •  HI  •   IA   •   ID   •   IL   IN   •  KS  •  KY  •  LA   •  MA MD  •  ME  •   MI  •  MN  •  MO MS  •  MT  •  NC  •  ND  •  NE NH  •  NJ  •  NM  •  NV  •  NY OH  •  OK  •  OR  •  PA  •  RI SC  •  SD  •  TN  •  TX  •  UT  VA  •  VT  •  WA  •  WI  •  WY — British rocker goes country Superior C&W with a rock-solid base Marshall Fine It's no secret that English rocker Elvis Costello has a fascination with American country-western music. As unlikely as the combination seems of British bad boy and American cornpone, it's a mix that is both intriguing and revealing. Costello has said in interviews that his favorite singer is country crooner George Jones. He wrote "Stranger in the House" for Jones and sang with him on a Jones album; Costello even showed up on Jones' House Box Office special, crooning country tunes. With his new album, Almost Blue (Columbia FC 37562), Costello has made the move from country-western dilettante to full-fledged Nashville cat. Recorded in the country music capital and produced by country-western veteran Billy Sherrill, Almost Blue is a surprisingly effective country venture. The connection between Costello's own songs and the country tunes he sings here is his raw emotion. Costello's compositions center on the failures of emotional entanglement, the sacrifices that eventually are for naught. It's no wonder then that Costello is drawn to such country-western classics as "Too Far Gone" and "Sweet Dreams." The sense of resignation at romantic loss is similar; while too many country songs are portraits in self-pity, Costello's song selection here centers on songs that admit mistakes rather than pinning the blame elsewhere. Costello's rough voice carries added weight on songs like "Sittin' And Thinkin'," "Colour Of The Blues" and "How Much I Lied." He makes the shift to honky-tonk blowsiness energetically on numbers like "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Use to Do)?" and "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down." His band, the Attractions, offers credible, restrained backing, replete with country touches that never slip into country cliches. Steve Nieve's piano and organ work add subtle color to the arrangements, as does the pedal steel guitar playing of special guest John McFee of the Doobie Brothers. Almost Blue is superior country music with a rock-solid base. Costello should win new fans from the country ranks while convincing his old fans of the value of country stylings. Tags: Almost Blue  •  The Attractions  •  George Jones  •  Stranger In The House  •  My Very Special Guests  •  House Box Office special  •  Nashville  •  Billy Sherrill  •  Too Far Gone  •  Sweet Dreams  •  Sittin' And Thinkin'  •  Colour Of The Blues  •  How Much I Lied  •  Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used To Do)?  •  Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down  •  Steve Nieve  •  John McFee  •  The Doobie Brothers  •  Marshall Fine Argus Leader, November 5, 1981 Marshall Fine reviews Almost Blue. Images Clipping. Photo by Keith Morris. Page scan.

External links

• Argus Leader.com
• Wikipedia: Argus Leader
• Wikipedia: Marshall Fine