Elvis Costello

King Of America

The former bad boy of the New Wave's finest hour or so

Review Score:

(10/10)
Elvis Costello has made a lot of albums, but few, if any, are better than this one; in my mind, only "Armed Forces" really compares (give honorable mentions to "This Year's Model," "Almost Blue," and "Imperial Bedroom"). It never had a chance in either England or the US, and that's a shame. Every single song is worthy of numerous superlatives, but even on this masterpiece there are standouts--the sardonic, defeatist "Brilliant Mistake," the heartbreaking "Indoor Fireworks" (if George Jones hasn't recorded this one, he ought to), one of Costello's best songs of a relationship gone bad; there's also "Little Palaces," a bitter and twisted song of the frustrations of the working life seemingly inspired by a story from "Dubliners," and "Suit Of Lights," a tribute to his father and an indictment of the people who couldn't understand or care what the Nat King Cole standards his father sang were really all about. And there's more than that--I've barely scratched the surface of what this album has to offer. With backing by a number of jazz, R&B, and rock greats including Ray Brown, Earl Palmer, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, and James Burton, this may be one of the finest and least appreciated albums in the history of rock 'n' roll. This album should be considered essential listening in any format.

More Reviews: