Tuesday 15 September 2015

Rewind: 1986 Blood and Chocolate - Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Blood and Chocolate -  Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Demon (UK)/Columbia (US)
Produced by Nick Lowe and Colin Fairley
Released 15th September 1986
UK Chart #16
US Chart #84


Personnel
    Elvis Costello – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonium, tambourine, bellows, canes, knives, bass, Vox Continental electric organ
    Steve Nieve – piano, organ, harmonium
    Bruce Thomas – bass, electric guitar, saxophone
    Pete Thomas – drums, alto saxophone

Additional personnel
    Nick Lowe – acoustic guitar
    Cait O'Riordan – vocals on "Crimes of Paris" and "Poor Napoleon"
    Jimmy Cliff – vocals on "Seven Day Weekend"
    Mitchell Froom – organ on "Blue Chair" single version
    Tom "T-Bone" Wolk – electric guitar, bass on "Blue Chair" single version
    Mickey Curry – drums on "Blue Chair" single version
Side One
   1. "Uncomplicated" – 3:28
   2. "I Hope You're Happy Now" (Elvis Costello) – 3:07
    3. "Tokyo Storm Warning" (MacManus, Cait O'Riordan) – 6:25
    4. "Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head" – 5:07
    5. "I Want You" – 6:45

Side Two
    1. "Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?" – 2:09
    2. "Blue Chair" – 3:42
    3. "Battered Old Bird" – 5:51
    4. "Crimes of Paris" – 4:20
    5. "Poor Napoleon" – 3:23
    6. "Next Time Round" – 3:28.


Seven Months after the release of the magnificent King of America album Elvis Costello and the Attractions unleashed what would be their last album together for eight years (1994's Brutal Youth) after relationships between Costello and the band having soured after recording the album and a tour. Nick Lowe returned to Production duties (Trust in 1981 was the last time he had taken that post) for the Eleventh Studio album from Elvis Costello who credits himself on the album as Elvis Costello, Declan MacManus and Napoleon Dynamite.
The album uses Esperanto to list musician credits and LP sides!
Blood and Chocolate is one of my favourite albums by Elvis Costello and the Attractions, but don't let that deter you from giving it a listen! 
The single I Want You, although it never charted, is right up their in my mind with the very best singles he's ever released. In 2013 he did a version of it with The Roots that's worth checking out. Click Here. There's also a great live version of it from the Spectacular Spinning Songbook shows with The Imposters that again is worth spending eight minutes and twelve seconds of your day to enjoy. Click Here.


- November 1986.

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