Almost Blue

by Elvis Costello, Elvis Costello & the Attractions

Overview

Elvis Costello's "country record" is usually written off as a vanity project, but Almost Blue is quite a bit more than that. It's one of the most entertaining cover records in rock & roll, simply because of its enthusiasm. The album begins with a roaring version of Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me" and doesn't stop. Costello sings with conviction on the tear-jerking ballads, as well as on barn burners like "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down." It's clear that Costello knows this music, and it's also clear who he learned it from: Gram Parsons. Costello covers Parsons' "Hot Burrito No. 1" and "How Much I Lied," and all of the music on Almost Blue recalls Parsons' taste for hardcore honky tonk and weepy ballads. It's to Costello's credit that he made a record relying on emotion to pay tribute. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/01/2007
Label:	Hip-O
UPC:	0602517260573
Rank:	59894

Tracks

1. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do?)
2. Sweet Dreams
3. Success
4. I'm Your Toy
5. Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down
6. Brown to Blue
7. Good Year for the Roses
8. Sittin' and Thinkin'
9. Colour of the Blues
10. Too Far Gone
11. Honey Hush
12. How Much I've Lied

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Elvis Costello   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Elvis Costello & the Attractions   Primary Artist
Johnny Cash   Primary Artist
George Jones   Primary Artist
Bruce Thomas   Guitar (Bass),Bass
The Nashville Edition   Vocals (Background)
Tommy Millar   Fiddle
Steve Nieve   Organ,Piano
John McFee   Guitar,Pedal Steel,Guest Artist

Technical Credits

Billy Sherrill   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
Ron Reynolds   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Michele Horie   Reissue Producer,Producer
Hank Williams   Composer
Brownie McGhee   Composer
J. Chestnut   Composer
Boudleaux Bryant   Composer
Pam Rifkin   Composer
Bill Levenson   A&R
Chris Ethridge   Composer
Earl Montgomery   Composer
Felice Bryant   Composer
Joe Werner   Composer
Johnny Cash   Composer
Lou Willie Turner   Composer
Adam Starr   Product Manager
George Jones   Composer
Hank Cochran   Composer
Gram Parsons   Composer
Johnny "Country" Mathis   Composer
David Rivkin   Composer
Coco Shinomiya   Design
Sam Feldman   Management
Barney Bubbles   Cover Design
Daniel Hersch   Mastering
Johnny Mullins   Composer
Fast Eddy Hudson   Assistant
Allen Jones   Composer
Sonny Terry   Composer
Audrey Allison   Composer
Elvis Costello   Composer
Big Joe Turner   Composer
Bob Wills   Composer
Lawton Williams   Composer
Jack Ripley   Composer
Joe Allison   Composer
Even Stevens   Composer
Charlie Rich   Composer
Don Gibson   Composer
Lee Ross   Composer
Wayne Kemp   Composer
Janis Martin   Composer
Virginia Franks   Composer
Loretta Lynn   Composer
John Mullins   Composer
Nat King Cole   Composer
Jerry Chesnut   Composer
Merle Haggard   Composer
Red Lane   Composer
Leon Payne   Composer
Brook Benton   Composer