A Chainsaw Running Through a Dictionary

Original Facebook post here.
Today's played-through formative album: Elvis Costello, King of America. I had to work to love Imperial Bedroom, his other masterpiece, but this one I loved immediately, not least because it coincided with my own growing interest in folk/country/roots/Americana; I'd been hearing from E.C. about how much he loved that stuff, but here he was actually doing it (his weird, straitlaced Nashville record Almost Blue notwithstanding). What hits me all these years later is the warmth of the sound, and of his voice, even in the spikier tunes, with obvious credit due to T-Bone Burnett (who made a great solo acoustic album of his own the same year, 1986). Yes, the Animals cover is still awful, and I'm not sure the world needed to hear him unearth "Eisenhower Blues." But this record, his first solo effort and really the beginning of his post-Attractions role as a genre-hopping magpie, still towers over my musical consciousness.

Cinco Paul How could you have to work to love Imperial Bedroom??? Anyway, there's a lot of this album I love ("And I loved you there and then/It's as simple as that")...but I'd rank Trust and Get Happy above it.

Rob Weinert-Kendt I knew you would weigh in on this one, Cinco! I guess we'll continue to disagree on this. I'm a little bit country...

Dan Povenmire One of his best albums. Especially the Ryco-Rerelease with the extra tracks.

David Van Biema One of my favorite albums, and I goth say I liked "Misunderstood;" truly unhinged.

Rob Weinert-Kendt I can tolerate MISUNDERSTOOD for the first minute or so, but I think it runs out of steam and he just keeps bellowing...

Paula Donnelly In my top 5. Might have to put it on right now.