With The Delivery Man--Elvis Costello and the Imposters' first release for Lost Highway--one of modern music's most admired and prolific talents has delivered a remarkable album that draws on deep American musical roots more than any of his releases since King of America in 1986. It is a collection that ranges from the ferocious, bass-driven opening track, "Button My Lip," which speaks in the voice of a desperate man on the verge of committing a terrible crime, to a tender and timely closing rendition of "The Scarlet Tide," referred to by Costellos co-composer and fellow Oscar nominee T-Bone Burnett as an "anti-fear song." Like a lot of great things in music history, The Delivery Man can be said to have started with the late great Johnny Cash. "The Delivery Man is actually a character imported from a song I wrote in 1986 for Johnny Cash," Costello explains. "He's based on a real character. I read this story in the paper about a man who confessed to murdering his childhood friend thirty years later, having been in prison for a number of other things. I thought this story was very interesting because he'd carried this burden of guilt of this childhood crime."
T**S
Sweet Music, Sour Grapes
I was fortunate enough to buy the expanded edition first. Those who didn't are disappointed. Boo-hoo-hoo! But I'm not going to dwell on their sour grapes or downgrade this album as a result. Let's talk about the sweet music, shall we?This is wonderful, honest stuff, a return to form for our delivery man Elvis. He's written moving, cutting-edge songs and performed them with a top-flight crew, and he's stretched himself by immersing himself in Mississippi culture, an influence that pervades the album.Almost an hour of studio recordings are nicely complemented by nearly a half-hour of an exquisite informal session on a second CD. This music has a very intimate, live feel. Three of the songs on the two discs are unavailable elsewhere.The video of Elvis' Memphis performance of "Bedlam" whets one's appetite for an eminently recommendable DVD called "Club Date: Live in Memphis," which includes several songs with Emmylou Harris and a long documentary about his explorations of the region's musical heritage. Check it out!
E**C
Play It In Reverse Order!
At first, I had a hard time getting into this one. The first track is not my thing ... so I programmed the CD in reverse and presto - it blooms. I also grabbed the bonus track from iTunes ("She's Pulling Out the Pin", which is classic Elvis) and added it to my mix as the first tune.Nice mix of ballads and rockers, great lyrics and vocals - standard excellent Elvis fare!
G**Y
Go Elvis Go Costello Go
Better Delivery that Ups is the Costello Man ... Good songs , Great anger , Real as it gets in this Bush era of Loosers are Okey , and I wonder if the Imposters are Impostoring Los Lobos in a Rootsy kind of dust ... Best effort since Brutal Youth ( a must ) and All this Useless Beauty ( another must ) ... I like it , it makes me feel Wanted ...
R**Y
Terrific
In my humble opinion, the best album Elvis Costello has made since "King of America". The bonus disc doesn't hurt.
J**.
Five Stars
Love the way Elvis stretches out and the Monkey Man is a great song
R**R
Three Stars
The vinyl had big bumps but it plays ok
L**Z
Love it
Great price, fast delivery... and I love the CD! Thank you!
G**W
Five Stars
yup
N**Y
I'm gonna love this one!
I don't know why but I've never really "found" Costello....not until now. I've tried with other releases but never been more than inquisitive...until now. I bought this one on it's Americana sales blurb and lets face it...for Lucinda Williams. The songs are great and the storytelling is good too. Although it took a few listens to get to know the general layout of the musical map I'm slowly getting to really like it. For me the "slow starters" always end up being "the long distance winners". A really good CD. His voice is in brilliant form with a beautiful touch of "soul distorted nerve"...it melts like dark chocolate in the late summer sun. I might even buy the re-release of Blue now and go on from there. Anyway all you Costello freaks are gonna say "what took you so long" well I finally got there. Enjoy.
A**R
avoid !
Am a huge EC fan but this is the one album of his that i don't like - at all!
K**R
TOM WAITS SAID THIS WAS ON OF HIS FAVOURITE ELVIS COSTELLO ALBUMS AND I AGREE
WELL IF YOU ARE AN ELVIS COSTELLO FAN , A MUST PURCHASE .,,,,,,,LOVE LOVE ELVIS COSTELLO
J**O
El precio, otra vez.
Buen disco de Costello y los Imposters. Grabado en Mississippi e impregnado de un evidente aroma sureño, Costello nos obsequia con una excelente colección de canciones en la que se mezclan country y rock, soul y jazz, blues y pop, sin complejos y con elegancia y contundencia. Cuenta, además, con las colaboraciones de Lucinda Williams y Emmylou Harris.Lo increíble es que pagué menos de 3 euros. Entregado en perfecto estado y dentro del plazo previsto.
K**T
Costello
Elvis non si discute. Si ama e basta. Ogni suo disco, anche il meno riuscito,è sempre da ascoltare e riascoltare
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