1981-10-23
Almost Blue
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
By Maeve C.
Twelve country songs by other writers make up Almost Blue, recorded at CBS Studio A in Nashville during May 1981 with Billy Sherrill producing. Elvis Costello and the Attractions took material from Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Charlie Rich and Gram Parsons, among others.
Hank Williams’s “Why Don’t You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)” opens the record, and Gram Parsons, a co-writer of “I’m Your Toy”, is represented twice. “Good Year for the Roses” became a number six single in Britain, with “Sweet Dreams” following it in December. The album reached number seven on the UK chart.
Sources
Official Elvis Costello discography: “Released on Oct 23, 1981”; F-Beat; producer Billy Sherrill; tracklist.Corroborates 23 October 1981 (F-Beat UK, citing BPI; Columbia US); recorded 18–29 May 1981 at CBS Studio A, Nashville; writers per track; singles Good Year for the Roses (UK No. 6) and Sweet Dreams (Dec 1981); UK No. 7.