Elvis Costello Double Vinyl LP - When I Was Cruel - NEW, UNPLAYED, England

$

193

This is an extremely rare copy of Elvis' album released  in 2002.  
The album was acquired, new, by me, on release and is unplayed.  It was never wrapped in cellophane - just in a clear sleeve cover.  There are a couple of minor creases on the outer jacket caused by the gate fold, hence the NM- jacket rating.  Please note this was an Island Records release (prior to being acquired by Mercury/Def Jam), and the jacket was printed as such.  It has a 'Mercury Records' sticker covering the Island logo on the back of the album jacket (visible in the photo).
Product Description: Personnel includes: Elvis Costello (vocals, arranger, electric guitar, Spanish guitar, harmonica, melodica, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harmonium, bass, cymbals, loops); Steve Nieve (melodica, piano, Clavinet, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, vibraphone); Roy Nathanson (alto saxophone); Jay Rodriguez (tenor saxophone); Ku-umba Frank Lacy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Curtis Fowlkes (trombone); Bill Ware (vibraphone); Davey Faragher (bass); Pete Thomas (drums, shaker, tambourine, percussion); Leo Pearson (tabla, programming); Steven Kennedy (background vocals). Producers include: Elvis Costello, Ciarin Cahill, Leo Pearson, Kieran Lynch. Recorded at Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland; Avatar Studios, New York, New York. WHEN I WAS CRUEL was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album. "45" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Spanish guitar, harmonica, melodica, grand piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harmonium, electric bass, cymbals, background vocals); Steve Nieve (melodica, grand piano, Clavinet, keyboards, vibraphone); Roy Nathanson (alto saxophone); Jay Rodriguez (tenor saxophone); Curtis Fowlkes (trombone); Pete Thomas (drums, shaker, tambourine, percussion); Leo Pearson (guiro, tabla); Steve Kennedy (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Ciaran Cahill; Kieran Lynch; Leo Pearson; Elvis Costello. Recording information: Avatar Studios, Inc., NY (09/24/2001); Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland (09/24/2001). Editor: Kieran Lynch. Photographer: Jill Furmanovsky. Though he was involved in worthy collaborations (Burt Bacharach, Anne Sofie Von Otter in the interim, the notoriously prolific Elvis Costello didn't release a proper solo album between 1996's triumph ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY and this 2002 effort, the longest gap of his career. WHEN I WAS CRUEL is a return to visceral, rock-oriented production and songwriting after the more complex, sophisticated pursuits of his aforementioned collaborative works, and one can feel Costello's joy at getting back to his roots for a while. The maturation of the previous decade isn't invisible here--this is not the sturm und drang of THIS YEAR'S MODEL (or even BLOOD & CHOCOLATE), but this as electric-guitar-based as latter-day EC gets, and the likes of "Tear Off Your Own Head" and "Daddy Can I Turn This" are as hard-hitting as anything he's done. Two-thirds of the Attractions (occupying the drum and keyboard stools) are on hand to provide that classic sound, but new arrival Davey Farragher impressively emulates disgruntled bassist Bruce Thomas's McCartney-on-speed licks. Tasteful horns add effective coloring to the quartet sound, and Costello's own tremolo-drenched guitar has never been so prevalent. Despite a couple of long, moody songs (the title track and the closing "Radio Silence"), the overwhelming feeling here is one of unbridled energy of the sort Costello hadn't let out for quite a while. "Every Elvis has his army," sings Mr. Costello on "Episode of Blonde," and it appears that his is well trained enough to mobilize effectively even after long periods of rest.
I will not ship outside the continental US.