The genius of Elvis Costello — seemingly unaffected and unconcerned by the fickle trends of the record-buying public — has surfaced in the unlikely form of Country and Western. Shock! Horror! Drama! scream the conformists — a sticker on the album cover proclaiming that "This album contains country and western music and may produce radical reaction in narrow-minded people" is a perfect answer to their hollow criticism.
This album is from the heart — a direct musical dialogue that doesn't smack of commerciality.
"Why Don't You Love Me" opens side one, played at a fast pace, with calmer tracks like "Success" and "Brown To Blue" complementing their harder-edged counterparts.
The current single "Good Year For The Roses" is in amongst them as well. As the best comedians say, every one a gem — the only difference being that polished professional Elvis is deadly serious.