My Aim Is True [LP]

by Elvis Costello

Overview

Elvis Costello was as much a pub rocker as he was a punk rocker and nowhere is that more evident than on his debut, My Aim Is True. It's not just that Clover, a San Franciscan rock outfit led by Huey Lewis (absent here), back him here, not the Attractions; it's that his sensibility is borrowed from the pile-driving rock & roll and folksy introspection of pub rockers like Brinsley Schwarz, adding touches of cult singer/songwriters like Randy Newman and David Ackles. Then, there's the infusion of pure nastiness and cynical humor, which is pure Costello. That blend of classicist sensibilities and cleverness make this collection of shiny roots rock a punk record -- it informs his nervy performances and his prickly songs. Of all classic punk debuts, this remains perhaps the most idiosyncratic because it's not cathartic in sound, only in spirit. Which, of course, meant that it could play to a broader audience, and Linda Ronstadt did indeed cover the standout ballad "Alison." Still, there's no mistaking this for anything other than a punk record, and it's a terrific one at that, since even if he buries his singer/songwriter inclinations, they shine through as brightly as his cheerfully mean humor and immense musical skill; he sounds as comfortable with a '50s knockoff like "No Dancing" as he does on the reggae-inflected "Less Than Zero." Costello went on to more ambitious territory fairly quickly, but My Aim Is True is a phenomenal debut, capturing a songwriter and musician whose words were as rich and clever as his music. [My Aim Is True was re-released on LP in 2015.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/06/2015
Label:	Universal
UPC:	0602547331144
Rank:	26033

Tracks

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

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Elvis Costello   Primary Artist,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Drum Sticks,Vocals (Background)
Andrew Bodnar   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Nick Lowe   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background),Bass,Piano,Drum Sticks
Micky Shine   Drums
Stan Show   Organ
Bruce Thomas   Bass
Pete Thomas   Drums
Steve Goulding   Drums
Steve Nieve   Organ,Piano,Keyboards
John McFee   Guitar,Pedal Steel,Guitar (Steel)
Sean Hopper   Organ,Piano,Vocals (Background)
John Ciambotti   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Elvis Costello & the Attractions   Band

Technical Credits

Michele Horie   Reissue Producer,Producer
Bazza   Audio Engineer,Engineer
Nick Lowe   Audio Production,Producer
Adam Starr   Product Manager
Keith Morris   Photography
Coco Shinomiya   Design
Barney Bubbles   Cover Design
Daniel Hersch   Mastering
Elvis Costello   Composer
Steve Nieve   Piano Overdubs
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Suha Gur   Remix Engineer
Bill Levenson   A&R
Hal David   Composer