Elvis Costello – The Kings Of America Live At Royal Albert Hall — 1987 (Record Store Day 2025 vinyl release)

This live show was initially included in the CD/digital 2024 release King Of America & Other Realms Super Deluxe. This Record Store Day 2025 release is the vinyl debut of these live tracks.

The Kings Of America Live is a seventeen-song concert recorded on January 27, 1987, at The Royal Albert Hall in London. Costello performs with some of “the Confederates” – musicians who played on the studio version of the 1986 King Of America album. The live band is:

• ELVIS COSTELLO: Guitar & Vocals
• JAMES BURTON: Lead Guitar – Burton was a member of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band.
• JIM KELTNER: Drums – Keltner is one of the leading session drummers in America.
• JERRY SCHEFF: Bass – Scheff was also a member of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band.
• BENMONT TENCH: Keyboards – Tench was a member of Tom Petty’s band.
• T-BONE WOLK: Guitar, Accordion, Mandolin & Vocals – Wolk was a studio musician, but also was in the Hall & Oates band and the Saturday Night Live band.

Per the Record Store Day website, the album is from:

“Newly mixed from multitrack tapes – and featuring live renditions of several King Of America titles – Costello is also heard performing songs by Waylon Jennings, Arthur Alexander, Allen Toussaint, Sonny Boy Williamson, Mose Allison, Ray Charles, Jesse Winchester, Dave Bartholomew and Buddy Holly. A truly great American songbook.”

This is an excellent live recording, both sonically and in the performance. I am a fan of the King Of America album, and so it is great to have those songs live, but the real treat here is the covers – see the setlist below (bold italic songs are from King Of America):

1. The Big Light
2. Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line – Waylon Jennings
3. Our Little Angel
4. It Tears Me Up – Percy Sledge
5. I’ll Wear It Proudly
6. Lovable
7. Riverboat -Allen Toussaint
8. Sally Sue Brown/36-22-36 – Arthur Alexander/Bobby Bland
9. American Without Tears
10. Brilliant Mistake
11. What Would I Do Without You – Ray Charles
12. Your Mind Is On Vacation /Your Funeral, My Trial – Mose Allison/Sonny Boy Williamson
13. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man – James Carr
14. Payday – Jesse Winchester
15. That’s How You Got Killed Before – Dave Bartholomew
16. Sleep Of The Just
17. True Love Ways – Buddy Holly

The recording of this live show exudes fun, excellent musicianship, entertainment, and a rock ‘n roll urgency. Elvis’ voice has never sounded better. Elvis’ King Of America is his rootsier side, which fits him well. Most of the covers were unfamiliar but fit seamlessly with his songs. This is going to be one of my favorite Elvis albums.

The vinyl is of high quality. However, the packaging is bargain basement. I will take quality vinyl over packaging any day.

You can stream the equivalent of this album, which is buried in the streaming release of King Of America & Other Realms Super Deluxe (scroll to “The Big Light – Live”):