Let us begin this week's consideration of new releases with a prayer of thanks to the creator for the magnificent bounty of not one, but TWO new Elvis Costello albums. Thank you, Elvis. You are truly the king - if not the king of kings.
The Delivery Man is a new pop album, said to draw more heavily on American country roots music than anything he's done since the uber-classic King of America. Early word on this is very positive. Note that this currently rates as high as #4 on the Amazon sales chart. This is also his first full album backed by his touring band The Imposters, aka the Attractions with a new bass player.
Elvis' second album this week is Il Sogno, listed as some kind of "ballet" and put out as a "classical" album. I tend to be real skeptical of rockers doing "classical" music, but this is the fellow who created The Juliet Letters. It'll be interesting to see what he's come up with.
After something like seven years, John Fogerty has a new album, Deja Vu All Over Again. His consistently stellar work tends to get lost in the shuffle, perhaps due to lack of some indefinable star charisma. Whatever. Fogerty's one of the greatest songwriters of the rock era, so this surely rates a listen.
Oh, and some other people put out records this week too. Notably, there's a three disc version of the Clash's big classic, London Calling. This version is called London Calling: 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition. One disc is a DVD with rehearsals for the album and whatnot. The collection includes five previously unreleased songs. Half an album of new leftovers from this record rates higher interest than way the majority of new albums.
Ben Harper has a full-fledged gospel album with the Blind Boys of Alabama, There Will Be a Light. This could be worth hearing.
They only ever really made one good album (A Date with Elvis), but I'll admit to having a soft spot for The Cramps. Their new album is How to Make a Monster on Vengeance Records.
If anybody still gives a fat rat's buttock about Green Day, they have a new album out, American Idiot. Some kind of concept thing about how Americans are really stupid to take terrorist threats seriously. I'm sure it's very insightful. Now, if they only had some real songs to go with their Deep Political Insights.
Looks like there's a new Keith Urban album, if you inexplicably like modern commercial processed country cheese food products, and a new Mark Chesnutt album- if you can tell the difference.
This week's major releases, from All Music Guide:
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
Steve Morse from the globe loved Delivery Man.
another reviewer really liked the classical thing too (sorry, couldn't find that one online.)
2 - Brady
Elvis is King and I'm sure "Delivery Man" won't change that.
3 - The Theory
The Buddy Miller disc looks most promising from that list.
4 - Eric Olsen
very fine, if undiplomatic round-up, thanks Al - the Dictators reissue is worth noting as well.
5 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
"Some kind of concept thing about how Americans are really stupid to take terrorist threats seriously"
That ain't what the albums about, Al. give it a spin, man. thats the wrong impression you done picked up right there.
6 - Al Barger
I could overlook the politics entirely, if the actual songs were any good. However, I've been thoroughly underwhelmed by everything I've ever heard from this band, so I'm just not motivated to bother. I've yet to hear a single song from this outfit that impressed me.
Is this album way better than anything else they've ever done? If so, I might bother with it.
Plus, there are REAL musicians with records out. Did I mention that there are TWO new Elvis albums this week?
7 - Eric Olsen
you are underestimating Green Day, Al: they've grown tremendously musically and otherwise since the terrific-if-adolescent Dookie - "Warning" was a great mature rock 'n' roll album - although I haven't heard this new one yet.