King Of America Elvis Costello & The Attractions

• 1 Brilliant Mistake 03:43
• 2 Lovable 02:52
• 3 Our Little Angel 04:05
• 4 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood 03:20
• 5 Glitter Gulch 03:17
• 6 Indoor Fireworks 04:09
• 7 Little Palaces 03:49
• 8 I'll Wear It Proudly 04:25
• 9 American Without Tears 04:34
• 10 Eisenhower Blues 03:46
• 11 Poisoned Rose 04:07
• 12 The Big Light 02:33
• 13 Jack Of All Parades 05:17
• 14 Suit Of Lights 04:06
• 15 Sleep Of The Just 03:52
• Total Runtime 57:55

Info for King Of America

Born in London in 1954 as Declan McManus, Elvis Costello emerged out of the punk revolution not just as the movement's one truly great singer-songwriter, but as one of them most enduring and versatile stars in popular music. Ever since his 1977 debut album My Aim Is True, Costello has never ceased proving exactly that-his long run of stylistically diverse and artistically adventurous albums bring lyrical weight, emotional endeavor. Produced by Costello with T-Bone Burnett and Larry Hirsch, 1986's King of America finds him surrounded by stellar L.A.-based musicians and assorted legendary players (including ex-Elvis Presley guitar ace James Burton and bassist Jerry Scheff). Live-sounding and vibrant, roots-flavored and brilliant, there's not twice as much of it to love!

A decidedly different turn from the hyper-arranged songs on the previous album, „Goodbye Cruel World“, Elvis Costello expands on his facial hair and strips down his instrumentation. The Attractions make a cameo appearance, but the backup largely features a team of American studio aces (Mitchell Froom, James Burton, Jim Keltner) that he dubbed the Confederates. Co-producer T-Bone Burnett captures most of the performances live in the studio, while our hero -- known alternately here as The Costello Show, D.P.A. MacManus, and The Little Hands of Concrete -- explores a more rootsy approach than on any previous album.

„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, AMG)

Elvis Costello, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, lead vocal
T-Bone Burnett, guitars, backing vocals
Mitchell Froom, Hammond organ, harpsichord, organ, doctored piano
Tom 'T-Bone' Wolk, electric guitar, piano accordion, electric bass
Jerry Scheff, string bass, electric bass
Mickey Curry, brushes, drums, sticks
Additional musicians:
Michael Blair, marimba
James Burton, electric guitar, Dobro, acoustic guitar
Tom Canning, piano
Ralph Carney, saxophone
Jim Keltner, sticks, drums, brushes
Earl Palmer, brushes, drums
Ron Tutt, brushes, drums
Ray Brown, double bass on 'Eisenhower Blues'
David Hidalgo, harmony vocal on 'Lovable'
Jo-El Sonnier, French accordion on 'American Without Tears'
Steve Nieve, piano, Hammond organ on 'Jack Of All Parades', 'Suit of Lights', and 'Betrayal'
Bruce Thomas, electric bass on 'Suit of Lights' and 'Betrayal'
Pete Thomas, sticks, drums on 'Suit of Lights' and 'Betrayal'

Recorded 1985-86 at Ocean Way, Sunset Sound & Sound Factory Studio, Los Angeles
Produced by J. Henry (T-Bone) Burnett, Declan MacManus a.k.a. (The Coward Brothers)

Digitally remastered

Elvis Costello
began working as a professional musician 35 years ago, shortly after the release of his first album, “My Aim Is True”. He has made more than 27 studio records, three live albums and numerous guest appearances on stage, studio and screen as well as working as a record producer, bit-part actor and composing music for television drama and dance performance.

He has toured the world with The Attractions, The Imposters and the pianist, Steve Nieve, performing with symphony and jazz orchestras as well as in solo performance. His catalogue of songs includes collaborations with Paul McCartney, Allen Toussaint and Burt Bacharach with whom he won a Grammy for “I Still Have That Other Girl” from their 1998 collaboration, Painted From Memory. Costello’s songs have been recorded by George Jones, Chet Baker, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield and Robert Wyatt.

Elvis Costello and The Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. In the same year he was awarded ASCAP’s prestigious Founder’s Award. His last record was 2010s National Ransom, produced by T-Bone Burnett. Between 2008 and 2010, Costello was the host of twenty episodes of the interview and music show, “Spectacle” on the Sundance Channel.

This album contains no booklet.