King of America (Dig) (Spkg)

Elvis Costello | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 1, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hip-O Records
• ASIN: B000OHZJMS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,862 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Seeking to exorcise the demons of 1981's ill-fated country album, Almost Blue, Elvis Costello had another go with 1985's exquisite 15-song exploration of American life, King of America. "Little Palaces" and "Indoor Fireworks" feel like you've lived with them all your life. "Our Little Angel" has the aura of a lost Hank Williams classic, but, of course, only Costello could come up with a couplet like "You try to love but you're so contrary / Like a chainsaw running through a dictionary." King of America isn't all slide guitars and domestic discord, though. "Lovable" is as pure a moment of joyful abandon as Costello has ever allowed himself. Six months later, he kicked up an unholy racket with Blood and Chocolate. Costello fans have never seen another year like it. --Peter Paphides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elvis is the King, January 19, 2009

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Costello Show: King Of America (MP3 Download)

When Elvis Costello decided to finally to roots rock HIS way (as opposed to the mis-fit of "Almost Blue'), he switched his name back to Declan MacManus and forged ahead into brilliance. With the exception of the slippery jam session of "Eisenhower Blues," the 15 songs on "King Of America" are as flawless a whole album as anything from his early years and his most successful collaboration with a producer, in this case, T-Bone Burnett, save Burt Bacharach.

By recruiting some of the best musicians old and new, songs like "Brilliant Mistake" and "American Without Tears" effortlessly blossom with atmosphere and honesty. Even though Elvis has described his state of mind during "KoA's" recording period in less than flattering terms, it's incredible just how seamlessly the songs here flow through the course of the album. Almost every song here glimmers with the kind of purity that Burnett would eventually trademark with the likes of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou." Even the Attractions, who at this venture, had become estranged and embittered, contribute one of their best performances ever with the single song "Suit Of Lights." Given the song's topic of entertainment as entrapment and the image of a southern mob's tar and feather party as "the closest to a work of art that they will ever be," it's not surprising that they could relate.

In fact, Elvis seemed to be at a more relaxed state of lyricism than since the underrated "Trust." Compare the fire analogies of "The Only Flame In Town" (on "Goodbye Cruel World") to the far superior "Indoor Fireworks" here. Or such leap from the speakers couplets like "She said that she was working for the ABC news, it was as much of the alphabet as she new how to use" from "Brilliant Mistake." There is also one of my all-time favorite Costello-isms, as he describes a relationship with a contrary girlfriend to be akin to "a chainsaw running through a dictionary." Perhaps my favorite moment on "King Of America" would be the two person viewpoint of the disc's closer, "Sleep Of The Just." A tale of an army pin-up girl and her soldier brother, it's a masterful tale of conflicting family and emotions, with a slow, sad organ fade.

After this album's perfect maintaining of musical atmosphere and flawless songwriting, Elvis renegotiated his pathway to roots music and blues via "The Delivery Man." "King Of America" showed the vitality of his early exploration of the genre. It remains one of the many five star albums in Elvis' Columbia years worthy of rediscovery.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elvis is king, May 5, 2007

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: King of America (Dig) (Spkg) (Audio CD)

When Elvis Costello decided to finally to roots rock HIS way (as opposed to the mis-fit of "Almost Blue'), he switched his name back to Declan MacManus and forged ahead into brilliance. With the exception of the slippery jam session of "Eisenhower Blues," the 15 songs on "King Of America" are as flawless a whole album as anything from his early years and his most successful collaboration with a producer, in this case, T-Bone Burnett, save Burt Bacharach.

By recruiting some of the best musicians old and new, songs like "Brilliant Mistake" and "American Without Tears" effortlessly blossom with atmosphere and honesty. Even though Elvis described his state of mind in less than flattering terms in the CD's extra liner notes, it's incredible just how seamlessly the songs here flow through the course of the album. Almost every song here glimmers with the kind of purity that Burnett would eventually trademark with the likes of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou." Even the Attractions, who at this venture, had become estranged and embittered, contribute one of their best performances ever with the single song "Suit Of Lights." Given the song's topic of entertainment as entrapment and the image of a southern mob's tar and feather party as "the closest to a work of art that they will ever be," it's not surprising that they could relate.

In fact, Elvis seemed to be at a more relaxed state of lyricism than since the underrated "Trust." Compare the fire analogies of "The Only Flame In Town" (on "Goodbye Cruel World") to the far superior "Indoor Fireworks" here. Or such leap from the speakers couplets like "She said that she was working for the ABC news, it was as much of the alphabet as she new how to use" from "Brilliant Mistake." There is also one of my all-time favorite Costello-isms, as he describes a relationship with a contrary girlfriend to be akin to "a chainsaw running through a dictionary." Perhaps my favorite moment on "King Of America" would be the two person viewpoint of the disc's closer, "Sleep Of The Just." A tale of an army pin-up girl and her soldier brother, it's a masterful tale of conflicting family and emotions, with a slow sad organ fade.

After this album's perfect maintaining of musical atmosphere and flawless songwriting, Elvis renegotiated his pathway to roots music and blues via "The Delivery Man." "King Of America" showed the vitality of his early exploration of the genre. It remains one of the many five star albums in Elvis' Columbia years worthy of rediscovery.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful arrangements and tunes, August 24, 2010

By 

Jeremy (Madison, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of America (Dig) (Spkg) (Audio CD)

I am not a Costello fan. I have a couple of other CD's of his that really stink.

But this one has a very good mix of styles and songs, a showcase for Costello's talent (which he must have even though I might not fully appreciate most of it). This album sits in the broad middle acoustic/electric pop/country with clever lyrics that might include Squeeze, Gin Blossoms, or Prefab Sprout.

Brilliant Mistake has a bright arrangement of upstroke rhythm guitar, hollow body phrases, upright bass, a hint of Hammond, and a lovely dash of accordion. "She said that she was working for the ABC News/It was as much of the alphabet as she knew how to use". Worth the price of the whole CD, it gets better the more revealing your gear is.

Sleep of the Just opens with a "magic piano" sound, and enters a slowish lament anchored by acoustic guitar, drums mixed well forward, and Costello's voice center stage. The magic piano haunts a brief fadeout, a great way to end a record.