King of America

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King of America
Studio album by The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates
Released	February 21, 1986
Recorded	Ocean Way, Sunset Sound & Sound Factory Studio Los Angeles, 1985-86
Genre	Roots Rock,College Rock,Celtic Rock
Length	57:36
Label	Demon (UK) Columbia (US) Rykodisc (September 5, 1995 Reissue) Rhino (April 26, 2005 Reissue)
Producer	J. Henry (T-Bone) Burnett, Declan MacManus
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Pitchfork (8.7/10) link Robert Christgau (A-) link Rolling Stone link
The Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates chronology
The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1985) King of America (1986) Blood and Chocolate (1986)

King of America is the tenth album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, billed as "the Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates."

At the time of this album, the recently-divorced Costello legally changed his name back to Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus (the "Aloysius" being a new addition). Consequently, this is the first of a string of albums where the songs and production are credited to MacManus, while the album itself is credited to Elvis Costello. All of Costello's instrumental performances on this album are attributed to "the Little Hands of Concrete" (L.H.C. for short), a self-deprecating reference to his guitar-playing ability.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Side one 1.2 Side two 1.3 Bonus tracks (1995 Rykodisc) 1.4 Bonus disc (2005 Rhino) 2 Personnel 2.1 Additional personnel 3 External links

[edit] Track listing

All tracks written by Declan MacManus except as noted.

[edit] Side one

1. "Brilliant Mistake" – 3:44
2. "Lovable" (MacManus, Cait O'Riordan) – 2:52
3. "Our Little Angel" – 4:06
4. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus, Gloria Caldwell) – 3:17
5. "Glitter Gulch" – 3:14
6. "Indoor Fireworks" – 4:10
7. "Little Palaces" – 3:51
8. "I'll Wear It Proudly" – 4:21

[edit] Side two

1. "American Without Tears" – 4:30
2. "Eisenhower Blues" (J. B. Lenoir) – 3:43
3. "Poisoned Rose" – 4:09
4. "The Big Light" – 2:33
5. "Jack of All Parades" – 5:17
6. "Suit of Lights" – 4:02
7. "Sleep of the Just" – 3:48

[edit] Bonus tracks (1995 Rykodisc)

1. "The People's Limousine" (Costello, T-Bone Burnett) – 3:38
2. "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me" (Leon Payne) – 3:01
3. "Suffering Face" – 3:08
4. "Shoes Without Heels" – 4:18
5. "King of Confidence" (Costello) – 2:46

[edit] Bonus disc (2005 Rhino)

1. "Having It All" (demo version) – 3:57
2. "Suffering Face" (demo version) – 3:08
3. "Deportee" (demo version) – 3:35
4. "Indoor Fireworks" (demo version) (Costello) – 3:49
5. "I Hope You're Happy Now" (demo version) – 3:06
6. "Poisoned Rose" (demo version) – 4:12
7. "I'll Wear It Proudly" (demo version) – 3:25
8. "Jack of All Parades" (demo version) – 3:32
9. "The People's Limousine" (Costello, Burnett) – 3:38
10. "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me" (Payne) – 3:01
11. "King of Confidence" (outtake) (Costello) – 2:48
12. "Shoes Without Heels" – 4:20
13. "End of the Rainbow" (demo version) – 3:27
14. "Betrayal" (outtake) (Costello) – 2:24
15. "That's How You Got Killed Before" (live) (Dave Bartholomew} – 3:13
16. "The Big Light" (live) – 3:08
17. "It Tears Me Up" (live) (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) – 3:26
18. "The Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" (live) (Jimmy Bryant) – 2:42
19. "Your Mind Is on Vacation" (Mose Allison) / "Your Funeral and My Life" (live) (Sonny Boy Williamson II) – 5:16
20. "That's How You Got Killed Before" (Reprise) (live) (Bartholomew) – 7:00
21. "True Love Ways" (live) (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty) – 3:32

Note: The Rykodisc version has the original tracks and bonus tracks on one CD. The Rhino version has two CDs with the original tracks on the first CD.

[edit] Personnel

• Elvis Costello a/k/a The Little Hands of Concrete a/k/a Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolins, lead vocal
• Mickey Curry – brushes, drums, sticks
• Jerry Scheff – string bass, electric bass
• T Bone Wolk – electric guitar, piano accordion, electric bass
• Mitchell Froom – Hammond organ, harpsichord, organ, doctored piano

[edit] Additional personnel

• Jim Keltner – sticks, drums, brushes
• David Hidalgo – harmony vocal (on "Lovable")
• James Burton – electric guitar, Dobro, acoustic guitar
• Ron Tutt – brushes, drums
• Michael Blair – marimba
• T-Bone Burnett – electric guitar, production
• Jo-El Sonnier – French accordion (on "American Without Tears")
• Ray Brown – string bass (on "Eisenhower Blues")
• Earl Palmer– brushes, drums
• Tom Canning – piano
• Steve Nieve – piano, Hammond organ
• Bruce Thomas – electric bass (on "Suit of Lights")
• Pete Thomas – sticks, drums (on "Suit of Lights")

[edit] External links

• "The Jack of All Parades" - essay by Connor Ratliff

v • d • e Elvis Costello discography Albums My Aim Is True · King of America · Spike · Mighty Like a Rose · Brutal Youth · Kojak Variety · North · Il Sogno Elvis Costello and The Attractions This Year's Model · Armed Forces · Get Happy!! · Trust · Almost Blue · Imperial Bedroom · Punch the Clock · Goodbye Cruel World · Blood and Chocolate · All This Useless Beauty Elvis Costello and The Imposters When I Was Cruel · Cruel Smile · The Delivery Man · Momofuku Collaborations The Juliet Letters with The Brodsky Quartet · Terror & Magnificence with John Harle · Painted from Memory with Burt Bacharach · The Sweetest Punch with Bill Frisell · For the Stars with Anne Sofie von Otter · My Flame Burns Blue with The Metropole Orkest · Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland · The River in Reverse with Allen Toussaint Live albums Live at the El Mocambo · Deep Dead Blue · Costello & Nieve Soundtracks G.B.H. · Jake's Progress Compilations Taking Liberties · Ten Bloody Marys & Ten How's Your Fathers · The Best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions · Out of Our Idiot · Girls Girls Girls · 2 ½ Years · The Very Best of Elvis Costello and The Attractions 1977-86 · Extreme Honey · The Very Best of Elvis Costello · Singles, Vol. 1 · Singles, Vol. 2 · Singles, Vol. 3