- Audio CD (18 Jun 2007)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Commercial Marketing
- ASIN: B000OHZJKA
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 90,854 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Welcome To The Working Week |
| 2. Miracle Man |
| 3. No Dancing |
| 4. Blame It On Cain |
| 5. Alison |
| 6. Sneaky Feelings |
| 7. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes |
| 8. Less Than Zero |
| 9. Mystery Dance |
| 10. Pay It Back |
| 11. I'm Not Angry |
| 12. Waiting For The End Of The World |
| 13. Watching The Detectives |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
Elvis Costello kicked off his debut album with a formal device that would also serve his next two long-players well: the first thing you hear is his voice. That opening phrase--"Now that your picture's in the paper..."--was more than sneakily, if not intentionally, appropriate, since Costello was quickly declared the second coming. It's become de rigueur to dis the pub-rock backing of U.S. band Clover, but their work here is satisfactorily edgy; guitarist John McFee makes some of the arrangements with his wailingly articulate fills. The Rykodisc CD restores the album's British sequence, adds the eternal "Watching the Detectives," and kicks in a slew of bonus tracks, including the intriguing "Honky Tonk" demos. --Rickey Wright
Review
For an era obsessed with authenticity, Elvis Costello was about as fabricated as they came. A made-up name, a lot of lo-fi hype (remember all the Stiff slogans and his arrest outside the CBS London convention?) and those Clark Kent glasses, he always looked like a ringer in rock's perpetual race to find the real deal.
Just 23 years old when this glorious debut album was first released in 1977, it may have been touted as part of the new wave but the vintage Rolling Stones vamping of 'Miracle Man' or the splendid countrified kiss-curls of John McFee's guitar on 'Alison' suggests that rather than being part of the year zero movement, Costello was always something of a great pretender: 'New wave' was always a flag of convenience for a songwriter who'd been steadily refining his craft for the previous seven years. Though Nick Lowe's sparse production fitted with the back-to-basics ethos it was more pragmatic than politic: the budget wouldn't stretch to anything more lavish.
When it comes to reissues the labels are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Reissued in 2001 with a hefty plethora of bonus material, you can argue that this 30 years anniversary tie-in is a cynical attempt to milk more moolah from the long-suffering fan. The main argument against that here is that of the 48 tracks in this set, (including demos, sound checks and a full gig) 29 of them are previously unreleased or new to CD. Other than the limited-release Live At The El Mocambo, this splenetic outing by Costello and the newly formed Attractions at the Nashville Rooms marks the first official release of a complete Costello concert.
The sullen glower 'Blame It On Cain' and a terrific 'Lipstick Vogue' (later found on This Year's Model) are real highpoints, along with an impromptu and wistful solo rendition of 'Hoover Factory', added when bassist Bruce Thomas snaps a string. It's proof of Elvis' crowd control that he can quell the punters with a song about art-deco architecture! His aim is still true after all these years. Brilliant stuff. --Sid Smith
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
endless recycle,
By Alex (The Hague, Holland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Aim Is True { Deluxe Edition } (Audio CD)
Yes this is the brilliant debut album from Elvis Costello from 1977.As a collector-fan from Elvis I bought it. I bought the Lp in the late 70's, and the CD from the album (13 songs).somewere in the '80 the reissue CD with extended play ( 9 extra songs,total 22 songs) in '93. the re-reissue Cd with 2nd disc( 13 extra songs,total 26 songs) in 2001. and this one, total of the songs now: 48. probably in 2015 another one with 99 songs. But the album is what it always was; raw,straight forward music (new wave...?), brilliant songwriting. it stood out of all what was going on in the late 70's,(remember punk?) and still does! He made some very different albums over the years, jazz ,classical and so on. Most of them also worth buying. But this cannot be topped. Oh and for all the extra songs, for a fan they are interresting, some demo's, some outakes, live songs. and interresting inner sleeve notes, from Elvis himself. But (for sentimental reasons) I still prefer to play the LP.........
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Debut Album,
By
This review is from: My Aim Is True [Deluxe] (MP3 Download)
This album contains the original debut album of Elvis Costello; which are the first twelve tracks of the first disc; plus the first extended version tracks and then those added for the Ryoku version. The second disc is mainly live versions. Even with all the additions, there isn't a single track that has been added as a filler.Even after all these years since its' release it remains fresh and original; and still one of my favourite ever albumns. I can't recommend this album highly enough.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
His first steps,
By A Customer
This review is from: My Aim Is True (Audio CD)
This album, predating the Attractions, has to be heard: a weird preview of the great things to come, with the trademark Costello sound given a corny country twinge by Clover, Huey Lewis' country band. Songs like "Waiting for the End of the World" and "Welcome to the Working Week" are up there with anything the man's done since, and the bonus disc is worth the money alone, including demos from the album "This Year's Girl" that was to follow and the very first recordings of Costello from a BBC London Radio show, derivative country songs that tell you a lot about his influences and early development. The best thing on here is the bizarre "Dallas" version of "Less Than Zero", a transatlantic version of the classic which changes the subject matter from Oswald Mosley to JFK!
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