King of America is the tenth studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 21 February 1986. Co-produced by Costello and T Bone Burnett, the album originated following a series of tours the two made under the name "the Coward Brothers". Recording took place in mid-1985 at various studios in Los Angeles, California, with a group of American session musicians dubbed "the Confederates". Selected by Burnett, they included Ray Brown, Earl Palmer and former members of Elvis Presley's TCB Band. Costello's regular backing band, the Attractions, were intended to appear on half of the album before poor sessions led to them appearing on only one track, "Suit of Lights".
Featuring a mostly acoustic sound, King of America was a departure from Costello's previous albums, exploring roots rock, country, folk, R&B and Americana. Its personal songs delve into themes of romance, betrayal, alcoholism and the American dream. The cover artwork features Costello wearing a crown and matching jacket, which commentators at the time found both "ridiculous" and "serious". Costello credited himself on the album sleeve under his real name, Declan MacManus; the album itself was credited to "the Costello Show featuring the Attractions and Confederates" in the UK and Europe and to "the Costello Show featuring Elvis Costello" in North America.
King of America reached number 11 in the UK and number 39 in the US. It was supported by a cover of Nina Simone's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", a UK top 40 single. Hailed as a return to form for Costello and his best record in years, the album was praised for its production, depth and vocal performances. Mixed reviews found the album too complex and lacking accessibility to attract new fans. Later reviewers call King of America one of Costello's best works, praising its personal tone and the songwriter's growing maturity, and arguing the album anticipated Costello's various musical excursions and collaborations in the following decades. It received expanded reissues in 1995 and 2005, which were positively received.
Background and development
thumb|alt=T Bone Burnett in 2007|Costello collaborated extensively with [[T Bone Burnett (pictured in 2007) for King of America.]]
Elvis Costello undertook a series of solo tours during late 1984 and early 1985, sharing the bill with the musician T Bone Burnett. Given that the new material was America-centred, they wanted American musicians to play on the record.
Costello and Burnett planned session dates and musical lineups, which would be tailored to each song, during the flights on their Coward Brothers tour of Australia and Japan in June 1985. Burnett later stated: "There was a tremendous amount of planning that went into that record. We had pages and pages of production notes." Burnett was responsible for selecting the musicians and experimenting with sounds and styles.
Recording
Recording for the album began in July 1985 immediately after Costello performed solo at Live Aid. The sessions took place between Ocean Way and Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles, with Costello and Burnett co-producing and Hirsch engineering.
Costello's regular backing band the Attractions—the keyboardist Steve Nieve, the bassist Bruce Thomas and the drummer Pete Thomas (no relation)—flew in from England in mid-August 1985, about two-thirds through the sessions. Costello had originally intended to use them on half of the album's songs to differentiate their style from the American musicians, but by the time they arrived half of the album was already completed. He scrapped any remaining plans to record with the Attractions and failed to inform them, leaving them to spend the remaining time waiting in their Los Angeles hotel for a call that never came.
The sessions overall lasted under three months. According to Costello, most of the songs were mixed at the end of each session. R&B,
Release
King of America was originally released on 21 February 1986
Critical reception
King of America was acclaimed by critics as a return to form for Costello Musician Scott Isler wrote that "these art-songs re-establish Elvis as a premier jongleur charting the heart of darkness."
According to Thomson, critics praised the record's compassion and warmth, the instrumentation and the quality of the songs. Billboard magazine hailed King of America as possibly "the most accessible, heartfelt songs he's yet written in a spare but rich framework", all 15 songs containing "remarkable depth", resulting in a "timeless" blend of rock, country, blues and pop. Some writers noted the production allowed better lyrical clarity compared to prior releases, giving the vocals more emotional intimacy. Costello's vocal performances were also highlighted. one that Creem Jeff Nesin believed "give[s] the tracks an amazing presence and immediacy". Chris Willman of Los Angeles Times enjoyed the collision of the "coldest" lyrics with the "warmest" musical styles combined with the minimalist arrangements, making for an "alternately brilliant and aggravating LP".
In more mixed assessments, some critics believed the songs were too complex, Other reviewers criticised the session players as inferior to the Attractions,
Other reviewers noted King of America as a transitional album, NME Sean O'Hagan wrote that after years of musical experiments and different personas, Costello had reached a point in his career where he wanted to be himself and sing with his own voice, concluding: "Maybe that's why the first Declan MacManus album is so straightforward and so complex."
In The Village Voices annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, King of America finished at number two, behind Paul Simon's Graceland. The album also placed at number five in Melody Maker album of the year list.