Continued from page 16 when missing at radio or then-tastemaker MTV . Commercial favor would return in 1989 with Spike and the lively Anglophile pop of “ Veronica .” Patterned after the Animals ’ version rather than Nina Simone ’ s original , adding the cover song “ Don ’ t Let Me Be Misunderstood ” to King of America was intended to provide a viable single . While the track complemented the remainder of the album
and was no embarrassment , it doesn ’ t exceed the highlights of Costello ’ s compositions , including the acoustic jangle of the jaded “ Brilliant Mistake ,” the interpersonal combustion of the simmering “ Indoor Fireworks ,” the wry Cajun-country waltz and sketch of displaced Brits “ American Without Tears ,” the lively rockabilly skiffle of “ The Big Light ” shining on a wicked hangover , or acerbic “ Suit of Lights .” The album overflows with Costello ’ s finest collection of tall tales , small tales , and character sketches ever assembled on a single one of his albums . The tale of the dejected loser in “ I ’ ll Wear it Proudly ” is accompanied by Mitchell Froom ’ s descending Hammond organ riff that was later lifted wholesale and placed into the hit Crowded House ballad “ Don ’ t Dream It ’ s Over .” If King of America is your own favorite Costello album , this six-CD set is a treasure trove and a must-have . The main album benefits from a respectful and meticulous remaster . Encased in a hardback book , the Other Realms includes 82 tracks beyond the main album ’ s familiar 15 songs . The CD Le Roi Sans Sabots begins with early album contender and two-beat country of “ The People ’ s Limousine ,” credited to the Coward Brothers . Costello and Burnett had toured under the name before embarking upon the recording of King of America . The Red Bus studio demo of the plaintive breakup song “ Shoes Without Heels ” is fine fare and clearly of a piece with the finished album but was perhaps left aside for sounding too similar to other forlorn fare on the album . A different version surfaced in 1987 ’ s rarities collection , Out of Our Idiot . Another disc offers a full show from January 1987 at the Royal Albert Hall , with bandmates including guitarist James Burton and bassist Jerry Scheff from Elvis Presley ’ s TCB Band , drummer Jim Keltner , keyboardist Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , and T-Bone Wolk from Daryl Hall and John Oates ’ band . The set list spotlights key material from King of America alongside a musicologist ’ s dream of deep cuts from a study of Americana . Songs performed include Allen Toussaint ’ s “ Riverboat ,” Sonny Boy Williamson ’ s “ Your Funeral and My Trial ,” Mose Allison ’ s “ Your Mind Is on Vacation ,” and Ray Charles ’ “ What Would I Do Without You ” before closing with Buddy Holly ’ s “ True Love Ways .” Other outtakes span the decades since the original release of King of America while sharing the album ’ s spirit . These include “ There ’ s a Story in Your Voice ” with Lucinda Williams , a previously unreleased version of the rollicking “ Quick Like a Flash .” The swampy and wounded torch song “ That ’ s Not the Part of Him You ’ re Leaving ” was recorded with Larkin Poe in 2024 . Weeper “ Heart Shaped Bruise ” captures Costello in a Memphis duet with Emmylou Harris . “ Clown Strike ” rides a taut and upbeat Motown tempo in a Toussaint arrangement spiked by brass . “ The Monkey ” is a swinging live romp accompanied in New Orleans by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band . Songs including " Jimmie Standing in the Rain " appear from 2010 ’ s collaboration with Burnett National Ransom , as well as a live version from the Grand Ole Opry of “ A Scarlet Tide ,” Costello and Burnett ’ s Oscar and Grammy-nominated song for the film Cold Mountain . A version of “ Brilliant Mistake / Boulevard of Broken Dreams ” casts the album tracks as a rueful piano-based tango . The set concludes with the Gospel tones of The Fairfield Four , joining Costello on a stirring version of “ That Day is Done ” from Paul McCartney ’ s 1989 album Flowers in the Dirt . The journey is made more immersive by the 35 pages of photos and liner notes penned by Costello himself . This set would be a lot to process for a newcomer but provides hours of context , insight , and adjacent material to thrill devotees . ( elviscostello . com )
– Jeff Elbel
9 NEON HORSE Habit of Creature ( Velvet Blue )
The originally clandestine gothic rockers Neon Horse released a second full-
Continued on page 22
18 illinoisentertainer . com january 2025