This came out in 2005 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
King of America is one the last Elvis Costello albums to be released in Rhino’s years-long reissues campaign, and the only one so far to come out on its own.
Supposedly this is because it’s one of Costello’s personal favourites. And perhaps that’s because this country-folk outing is one of his most personal albums. Reverting to his given name Declan MacManus and recording with a crew of session cats instead of The Attractions, Costello nixes the showoffy pop of previous works for stripped-down immediacy. The daring honesty on display not only serves to help Elvis — sorry, Declan — assert his own identity more than ever before; it also hints at bold and increasingly eclectic work that would define his subsequent work.
YEAR: 1986.
HIGHLIGHTS: Smartly crafted numbers like Suit Of Lights, Brilliant Mistake and American Without Tears may be more artful, but it’s hard to refute the rootsy kicks of Glitter Gulch, Lovable and The Big Light.
EXTRAS! EXTRAS! Like the rest of the series, King of America comes with a bonus disc of demos, outtakes and live cuts — along with two tracks by Costello and producer T Bone Burnett’s extracurricular duo The Coward Brothers — and a booklet with lyrics and the usual witty, well-composed reminiscences from Costello.
