Because of all the 'not so great' talk about the Almost Blue album I saved it for last (although I like country). I should´nt have but then again, what a great surprise
It´s brilliant and very Costello as well. Can´t see why EC fans should not love it?
Almost Blue is a great album although I have to admit I was one of the "Narrow Minded" people who didn't buy it when it was first released. Even though I liked Good Year for the Roses and Sweet Dreams.
I like this album as well and bought it upon its' initial release.
You had to be there at that point in time to understand the "backlash" (actually very few people probably really cared) sorrounding the release of AB. EC and the Attractions were pretty much locked into a specific "sound" and attitude in the public's mind. A country album just did not fit into the mold. It's also interesting to note that the next album to be released, Imperial Bedroom, was touted as a major departure from the "beat-dominated" Attractions sound to a sound that was more driven by melody.
I remember getting a bus to Liverpool and buying this album on it's first day of release. I loved it straight away. It was the first Elvis record which you could understand the words to pretty much straight away. He didn't put any of the lyrics on his record sleeves until Imperial Bedroom and that was a pain lining up the record label to the hole in the inner sleeve.
My main disappointment at the time was the fact that my Dad liked it! Nobody else I knew cared about the album being country as nobody else I knew liked Elvis. Trust had not been a big seller and had not spawned a hit single and I think Elvis was looking for a hit. He certainly got one over here but true to form the follow up, Sweet Dreams, like High Fidelity and Accidents Will Happen before flopped in comparison to the previous top 10 release.
It was as much of the alphabet as I knew how to use.
That is so awesome that you two bought it at its initial release.
It's interesting to hear that point of view of how the record was accepted. My friends immediately put it down because it is country (ignorant?), and they are hardly into Elvis in the first place- so it makes them care less about him as well.
It´s not that I love country like the stuff on CMT but with EC it sounds pretty cool. (like country-stoners My Morning Jacket)
I want to turn up the volume and open the windows when I play the album (like Good year for the roses, sweet dreams, how much i lied, sittin and thinkin etc.)
Never thought it would come to that
It´s also a very nice version of 'Tears before bedtime'
DrS actually had the Almost Blue vinyl upon initial release and got Elvis to sign it back in February at the Ryman. You should have seen he and Elvis standing there talking about it. He had seen him in Nashville on the Almost Blue Almost '82 tour - and there were only like 13 cities on that tour. So Elvis was particularly pleased to talk about it with someone who had been there.
DrS did say though that even in Nashville when he played some of those country songs that he got some boos from the crowd.
I was at the same show of the Almost Blue/Almost 82 tour. The show was split into 3 parts with a short break in between. Part 1 was the early hits, part 2 was selections from Almost Blue plus a few extras like "Psycho" and part 3 was some hits plus many new songs from the then yet-to-be -released next album, IB.
I can back up DrS and say that the Almost Blue material was received with a pretty icy reception.
I'll never forget that show! Three hours long and we had 2nd row seats that we gave up a few songs into the show, at which point I had my elbows on the stage directly in front of Bruce Thomas, his monitor blasting in my right ear!!!
I too attended the '82 tour. EC played the now defunct Sports Arena. And, yes, the Frat boys were not liking the midportion -- and, trust me, a lot of not-too-avid EC fans (of the "I don't like punk, but I like this Costello guy" variety) were seriously put off. Great, great show, however.
Bobster, If you're talking about his show at the LA Sports Arena on the AB tour, I was there too. Great show! It was a week after I'd returned home from spending a semester in London where I had the pleasure of seeing The Clash, The Jam, James Brown, The Ramones, Squeeze, Any Trouble and a few other bands over a three month span. Couldn't believe my luck in getting to see Elvis immediately upon returning to L.A.
BTW, the LA Sports Arena isn't defunct. It may be forgotten but it's still around and still the home of USC (ugh!) basketball. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of watching UCLA's NCAA championship teams of 1964 and 1965 play at the Sports Arena.
Amost Blue is a bit too much country and western for me but having said that I do love 'How Much I Lied' - although I must confess I skip more tracks on this album than any other.
I'm not crazy about the Album, but it does have an astonishingly beautiful trio of covers in Good Year For The Roses, Sweet Dreams, and How Much I Lied.
I actually think Sweet Dreams is far superior to Patsy Cline's version, which I guess is the most famous one. Elvis's voice is so heartbroken on it, the arrangement is gorgeous - a classic tearjerker. It's one of my fave Elvis recordings.
