Blood & Chocolate

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Blood & Chocolate is Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ eleventh studio album, released on 15 September 1986. It features the Attractions—Steve Nieve, Bruce Thomas, and Pete Thomas—with Costello reuniting with producer Nick Lowe. Cait O’Riordan of the Pogues sang backing vocals on two tracks. The album was recorded in London’s Olympic Studios from March to May 1986, during a period of lingering tensions within the band. Sessions were quick and mostly live, with the band playing together in one room and Costello aiming for a raw, immediate sound.

Musically, Blood & Chocolate moves back toward Costello’s early rock roots, a garage‑rock, guitar‑driven style reminiscent of This Year’s Model. It is a straightforward rock record with loud, energetic performances and lyrics focused on revenge, guilt, and dark imagery drawn from nightmarish worlds. The cover features a painting Costello made titled “Napoleon Dynamite,” and the liner notes credit Costello under three names: Declan MacManus, Elvis Costello, and Napoleon Dynamite.

Two singles were released from the album: “Tokyo Storm Warning” (August 1986) and “I Want You” (October 1986). The record itself reached number 16 in the UK and number 84 in the US, making it Costello’s lowest-charting release at the time. Critics were divided on release—some saw it as a return to form, while others considered it substandard compared to his earlier work. In later years, Blood & Chocolate has been reevaluated by many as one of Costello’s finest, praised for its lean performances and direct approach.

Following the album, Costello and the Attractions did not work together again for eight years. Blood & Chocolate was Costello’s final collaboration with Nick Lowe and his last album for Columbia Records; he soon signed with Warner Bros. The accompanying tour featured different configurations of Costello and his collaborators, and in January 1987 he played a six‑night residency at the Royal Albert Hall with varying lineups.

Blood & Chocolate has since been reissued several times with bonus material, including 1995 and 2002 editions. It remains a landmark for fans who see it as a sharp, unapologetic return to Costello’s punchy, guitar‑driven rock.