Elvis Costello's Soulful Country & Western Covers Album: Almost Blue Tackles Standard Tunes by George Jones, Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, and More
Experience the Close-Up Vocals, Steve Nieve's Piano, and the Pedal-Steel Guitars in Great Relief: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM LP Is Out of Print
1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to analog console to lathe
Elvis Costello was so enamored with American country music when he finally discovered it, he was motivated to record Almost Blue. Renowned as one of the most passionate and enthusiastic covers albums ever made, the 12-song set finds the iconic singer/songwriter interpreting standards by the likes of Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, George Jones, Merle Haggard, and other legends. Replete with heartbreak, lonesomeness, boozing, cheating, and dreaming, it's laden with country and western's customary themes and dignified by one of the finest performances of Costello and the Attractions' peerless career.
Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP opens up the soundstages, clears previously muddled midrange frequencies, and places the imaging of the various country-tuned instruments into clear focus. Listeners can hear just how much of himself Costello invests in the vocal performances, while the Attractions don't miss a beat, particularly pianist Steve Nieve and guest musician John McFee. Moreover, the strings (when employed) take on new life, and the record's cover art, a take-off on Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue, is faithfully reproduced.
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. "Hot Burrito #1" (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) – 2:40
7. "A Good Year for the Roses" (Jerry Chesnut) – 3:10
8. "Sittin' and Thinkin'" (Charlie Rich) – 3:02
9. "Colour of the Blues" (Lawton Williams, George Jones) – 2:21
10. "Too Far Gone" (Billy Sherrill) – 3:28
11. "Honey Hush" (Lou Willie Turner) – 2:15
12. "How Much I Lied" (Gram Parsons, Pam Rifkin) – 2:55
