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Almost Blue

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Recorded
  
May 1981, Nashville

Release date
  
23 October 1981

Producer
  
Billy Sherrill

Length
  
32:35

Label
  
F-Beat

Almost Blue httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb3

Released
  
23 October 1981 (1981-10-23)

Almost Blue (1981)
  
Imperial Bedroom (1982)

Artists
  
Elvis Costello, The Attractions

Genres
  
Rock music, Country music, New wave, Alternative country, Cowpunk

Similar
  
The Attractions albums, Rock music albums

Elvis costello tonight the bottle let me down


Almost Blue is an album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It was recorded May 1981 in Nashville, and released on 23 October 1981. The record's songs consist entirely of country covers, including works originally written by Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Gram Parsons. It was Costello's first album not to be produced by Nick Lowe.

Contents

Contemporary critical reaction to Almost Blue was mixed, with Trouser Press labelling the album "surprisingly clumsy" and "a dud", while Robert Christgau gave it a grade of B- and Rolling Stone gave it an overall positive three-star review. In recent years, Allmusic rated it favourably, and Rhapsody praised the album, calling it one of their favourite cover version albums.

Elvis costello almost blue with lyrics


Packaging and artwork

Album cover was designed by Barney Bubbles. The design is an homage to the 1963 Blue Note album Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell. Many versions of the artwork were made, with slightly different base colours.

It originally appeared with a warning label that read "WARNING: This album contains country & western music and may cause offence to narrow minded listeners". An alternative label read "WARNING! This album contains country & western music and may produce radical reaction in narrow minded people".

Side one

  1. "Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)?" (Hank Williams) – 1:40
  2. "Sweet Dreams" (Don Gibson) – 3:00
  3. "Success" (Johnny Mullins) – 2:41
  4. "I'm Your Toy" (Gram Parsons, Chris Ethridge) – 3:23
  5. "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" (Merle Haggard) – 2:09
  6. "Brown to Blue" (George Jones, Virginia Franks, Country Johnny Mathis) – 2:40

Side two

  1. "Good Year for the Roses" (Jerry Chesnut) – 3:10
  2. "Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Charlie Rich) – 3:02
  3. "Colour of the Blues" (Lawton Williams, George Jones) – 2:21
  4. "Too Far Gone" (Billy Sherrill) – 3:28
  5. "Honey Hush" (Lou Willie Turner) – 2:15
  6. "How Much I've Lied" (Gram Parsons, Pam Rifkin) – 2:55

Note: The Rykodisc version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on one CD. The Rhino version has two CDs with the original tracks on the first CD.

Bonus tracks (1994 Rykodisc)

  1. "He's Got You" (Live) (Hank Cochran) – 4:07
  2. "Cry! Cry! Cry!" (Live) (Johnny Cash) – 2:45
  3. "There Won't Be Anymore" (Live) (Charlie Rich) – 2:23
  4. "Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Live) (Charlie Rich) – 2:55
  5. "Honey Hush" (Live) (Lou Willie Turner) – 2:31
  6. "Psycho" (Live) (Leon Payne) – 3:36
  7. "Your Angel Steps Out of Heaven" (Jack Ripley) – 1:58
  8. "Darling, You Know I Wouldn't Lie" (Wayne Kemp, Red Lane) – 2:37
  9. "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You" (Lee Ross, Bob Wills) – 2:04
  10. "Tears Before Bedtime" (Early Version) (Costello) – 2:27
  11. "I'm Your Toy" (Live) (Gram Parsons, Chris Ethridge) – 3:49

Bonus disc (2004 Rhino)

All songs written by Costello unless noted.

  1. "Stranger in the House" (duet with George Jones) – 3:39
  2. "We Ought to Be Ashamed" (duet with Johnny Cash) (George James, Earl Montgomery) – 2:47
  3. "Radio Sweetheart" (Live) – 3:15
  4. "Stranger in the House" (Live) – 3:56
  5. "Psycho" (Live) (Leon Payne) – 3:35
  6. "If I Could Put Them All Together (I'd Have You)" (Live) (Even Stevens) – 2:28
  7. "Motel Matches" (Live) – 2:21
  8. "He'll Have to Go" (Live) (Joe Allison, Audrey Allison) – 2:51
  9. "Girls Talk" (Live) – 1:46
  10. "Too Far Gone" (Lost Session version) (Billy Sherrill) – 3:11
  11. "He's Got You" (Lost Session version) (Hank Cochran) – 3:51
  12. "Honky Tonk Girl" (Loretta Lynn) – 2:26
  13. "That's Why I'm Walking" (Melvin Endsley, Stonewall Jackson) – 2:22
  14. "Wondering" (Joe Werner) – 2:21
  15. "Darling, You Know I Wouldn't Lie" (Wayne Kemp, Red Lane) – 2:37
  16. "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You" (Lee Ross, Bob Wills) – 2:04
  17. "Blues Keep Calling" (Janis Martin) – 2.07
  18. "Tears Before Bedtime" (Early Version) – 2:27
  19. "Psycho" (Leon Payne) – 3:32
  20. "Cry, Cry, Cry" (Johnny Cash) – 2:45
  21. "I'll Take Care of You" (Brook Benton) – 3:11
  22. "Your Angel Steps Out of Heaven" (Jack Ripley) – 1:59
  23. "Brand New Heartache" (Live) (Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant) – 2:29
  24. "There Won't Be Anymore" (Live) (Charlie Rich) – 2:32
  25. "Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Live) (Charlie Rich) – 2:51
  26. "Honey Hush" (Live) (Lou Willie Turner) – 2:30
  27. "I'm Your Toy" (Live) (Gram Parsons, Chris Ethridge) – 4:01

Personnel

  • Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar
    • The Attractions
  • Steve Nieve – piano, organ
  • Bruce Thomas – bass
  • Pete Thomas – drums
    • Additional personnel
  • John McFee – lead guitar, pedal steel guitar
  • Tommy Millar - violin
  • Nashville Edition - backing vocals
    • Technical
  • Ron "Snake" Reynolds - engineer
  • "Fast" Eddie Hudson - assostant engineer
  • Barney Bubbles - sleeve design
  • Keith Morris - photography

    • Charts

    Album

    Songs

    1Why Don’t You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)1:38
    2Sweet Dreams3:00
    3Success2:42

    References

    Almost Blue Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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