Costello's aim never misses (My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello)

Member Name: RussellsReviews

Product:	My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello
Date:	27/07/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great tunes, fantastic lyrics, many many influences.

Disadvantages: None

Elvis Costello appeared seemingly out of nowhere producing this album. Despite the previous release of 'Less Than Zero' (one of the album's tracks) as a single, Costello had not acheived an real success prior to the album's release. He retained his day job as a data entry clerk during the recording and after the album's release he was asked by Stiff Records to become a professional musician, after 7 years of trying this was Costello's big break.
His stage name Elvis Costello was a homage to his father who had used the stage name Day Costello.
The album opens with the stonking Welcome To The Working Week, the dreamy, angelic backing vocal laden opening is ripped apart with Costello's signature jangly, punky and hopelessly melodic sound. Costello's lyrics on this number are very realist as you can probably imagine from the title and Costello speaks from experiences as he was working 9 to 5 during the writing and recording of the album, famously Costello called in sick in order to rehearse and record the album.
Alison was the next song to catch my ear. Alot of people will have heard this song without really knowing who Costello is. It's a ballad with Costello telling the story of meeting a woman that he was in love with year later to discover that the life she is living now is terrible, trapped in a loveless marriage, perhaps even an abusive one. The lyrics are obviously great but another thing that caught my attention was the guitar playing. Costello used backing band Clover in order to record the album which explains when I have watched live videos what appears to be entirely different versions of the songs, often footage is rare.
(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes is a great song another of Costello's classics, more of a poppy, slightly folky number than anything. The one thing that perplexes me is to what the lyrics to this song refers. The last few lines make me wonder whether it refers to trading his red shoes for death, 'I won't get any older now the angels wanna wear my red shoes'. But I think without asking the man itslef its impossible to tell... Good song nonetheless.
I had loved the last song Watching the Detectives long before I had bought this album. Costello's ability to flit between the genres throughout the album is incredible. We've had pop, punk, folk and ballad and now... ska. Reggae rhythms and spooky synth all add to make this song dramatic as it is catchy. Lyrics are once again top notch, for a man of the tender age of 22 Costello was very sharp with words. The lyrics seem to imply a woman who watches cop shows to be stalked by a heartless man who breaks into her house and murders her in a manner that wouldn't be alien to a murder in a detective show hence the line 'It's just like watching the detectives'. Whatever its about its creepy lyrics contrast brilliantly with the upbeat ska tune.
My Aim Is True is a fantastic album which has given me an entirely different perspective of Costello and listening to subsequent albums has shown me that Costello is rather an amorphous gentleman who can put on many guises and still manage to be fantastic whichever he is wearing. A top notch album which truly will stand the test of time, for me at least.

Summary: Great album. Did Costello ever top his debut?