Editorial Reviews Recorded in a mere 24...
My Aim Is True [Extra tracks]
Music Review:
Music Review
French Noëls of the 18th Century on instruments
Everything Is Wrong (DJ Mix Album)
Grosse Deutsche Filmko [Import]
History #2 [CD-single] [Import]
Amazon.com essential recording
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
From the Label
Hard to imagine life before this album, isn't it? But yes, there was once a time when all the world knew about this guy was that he had a funny name, wore gawky glasses, and had the gall to splash "Elvis is King" all over his album cover. Once Elvis Costello was a promising new artist instead of a musical institution. And once upon a time, you really had to convince your friends that "Alison," "Less Than Zero" and "The Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes" were great songs.