Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin); James Burton (acoustic & electric guitars, dobro); T-Bone Wolk (electric guitar, accordion, keyboards, electric bass); T-Bone Burnett (electric guitar); Jo-El Sonnier (French accordion); Mitchell Froom (piano, harpsichord, organ, Hammond organ); Tom Canning (piano); Michael Blair (marimba); Jerry Scheff (acoustic & electric basses); Ray Brown (acoustic bass); Earl Palmer, Ron Tutt, Jim Keltner, Mickey Curry (drums); David Hidalgo (background vocals).
The Attractions: Steve Nieve (piano, Hammond organ); Bruce Thomas (electric bass); Pete Thomas (drums).
Producers: T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello, Larry Hirsch, The Coward Brothers.
Recorded at Ocean Way, Sunset Sound Studio and The Sound Factory, Los Angeles, California in 1985. Originally released on Columbia (40173). Includes liner notes by Declan Patrick Aloysius "Elvis Costello" MacManus.
Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin); T-Bone Wolk (vocals, electric guitar, accordion, electric piano, electric bass); David Hidalgo (vocals); James Burton (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro); Little Hands of Concrete, L.H.C. (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin); T Bone Burnett, Bruce Thomas (electric guitar, electric bass); Jo-El Sonnier (accordion); Mitchell Froom (piano, harpsichord, organ, keyboards); Steve Nieve (piano, organ); Tom Canning (piano); Michael Blair (vibraphone, marimba, percussion); Jerry Scheff (electric bass); Earl Palmer , Jim Keltner, Mickey Curry, Ron Tutt (drums, percussion); Pete Thomas (drums).
Liner Note Author: Elvis Costello.
Recording information: Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (1985); Sound Factory, Los Angeles, CA (1985); Sunset sound (1985); Sunset Sound Studio (1985); The Sound Factory, LA, CA (1985).
Photographer: Terry Donovan.
Stripping away much of the excess that cluttered Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World, Elvis Costello returned to his folk-rock and pub rock roots with King of America, creating one of his most affecting and personal records. Costello literally took on the album as a return to roots, billing himself by his given name Declan MacManus and replacing the Attractions with a bunch of L.A. session men (although his old band appears on one cut), who give the album a rootsy but sleek veneer that sounds remarkably charged after the polished affectations of his Langer/Winstanley productions. And not only does the music sound alive, but so do his songs, arguably his best overall set since Trust. Working inside the limits of country, folk, and blues, Costello writes literate, introspective tales of loss, heartbreak, and America that are surprisingly moving -- he rarely got better than "Brilliant Mistake," "Glitter Gulch," "American Without Tears," "Big Light," and "Indoor Fireworks." What separates King of America from the underrated Almost Blue is that Costello's country now sounds lived-in and worn, bringing a new emotional depth to the music, and that helps make it one of his masterpieces. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
On KING OF AMERICA, the ever-restless Costello reinvented himself yet again, using his Christian name (Declan MacManus) in the credits, and employing the other Elvis' old backing band (as well as Ray Brown and Earl Palmer) for his most reflective, mature-sounding album thus far. The overall sound here is closer to Costello's folk-rock roots (The Band, the Grateful Dead) than he'd ever dared come before, and the songs trade elliptical wordplay for considered emotional statements.Though the Attractions appear only on "Suit of Lights," their influence is felt on the album's poppiest tune "Lovable." Elsewhere, Costello offers poignant country ballads ("Indoor FIreworks," also expertly covered by Nick Lowe), jazz/blues torch songs ("Poisoned Rose") and even a bit of '60s Britbeat (an effective recasting of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"). In short, KING OF AMERICA contains some of Costello's finest, most understated work.
Stripping away much of the excess that cluttered Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World, Elvis Costello returned to his folk-rock and pub rock roots with King of America, creating one of his most affecting and personal records. Costello literally took on the album as a return to roots, billing himself by his given name Declan MacManus and replacing the Attractions with a bunch of L.A. session men (although his old band appears on one cut), who give the album a rootsy but sleek veneer that sounds remarkably charged after the polished affectations of his Langer/Winstanley productions. And not only does the music sound alive, but so do his songs, arguably his best overall set since Trust. Working inside the limits of country, folk, and blues, Costello writes literate, introspective tales of loss, heartbreak, and America that are surprisingly moving -- he rarely got better than "Brilliant Mistake," "Glitter Gulch," "American Without Tears," "Big Light," and "Indoor Fireworks." What separates King of America from the underrated Almost Blue is that Costello's country now sounds lived-in and worn, bringing a new emotional depth to the music, and that helps make it one of his masterpieces. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize