My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

1977

3.35

Rating

21340

Votes

Distribution

Rock Pop New Wave Singer Songwriter

Album Summary

My Aim Is True is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in the United Kingdom on 22 July 1977 through Stiff Records. After years of little success performing in Britain, Costello was signed to Stiff through the label's founders Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Recording sessions for the album took place at Pathway Studios in Islington, London from late 1976 to early 1977, over the course of six four-hour studio sessions. Produced by Stiff artist and musician Nick Lowe, the backing band was made up of members of Clover, a California-based country rock act, who were uncredited on the original release due to contractual difficulties. Costello kept his day job as a data entry clerk during the sessions. At the time performing as D.P. Costello, Riviera changed his name to Elvis after Elvis Presley, and adjusted his image to match the then-rising punk rock movement. The music itself on My Aim Is True is influenced by a wide variety of genres, from punk, new wave and British pub rock to elements of 1950s rock and roll, R&B and rockabilly. The more downbeat lyrics are motivated by revenge and guilt, reflecting topics from relationship struggles to politically charged and misogynistic ideals. The original monochrome cover art, showing Costello in a pigeon-toed stance, was later colourised for reissues. The album was preceded by three singles, all of which failed to chart. By June 1977, Costello formed a new permanent backing band, the Attractions, to better match his new image and commenced live performances with them for the rest of the year. Shortly after Presley's death in August, My Aim Is True reached number 14 on the UK Albums Chart. The American version, released in November 1977 through Columbia Records, added Costello's newest single "Watching the Detectives" as the final track. By then the biggest-selling import album in US history, it peaked at number 32 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart. On release, My Aim Is True was met with critical acclaim, with many praising Costello's musicianship and songwriting; it appeared on several year-end lists. In later decades, commentators consider it one of Costello's finest works, one of the best debut albums in music history and has appeared on numerous best-of lists. The album was reissued in 1993 and 2001, both of which featured extensive liner notes written by Costello, and in 2007 as a deluxe edition.

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Reviews

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Dec 18 2021 Author

I think the editor of 1001 Albums must have lost his first virginity to Elvis Costello or something. Every album is just incredibly okay. Not unpleasant, but pretty good. But he keeps popping up! I am learning that Elvis Costello has existed fairly consistently. But this is meant to be 1001 of the best albums to hear before you die. On my deathbed, of I even remember listening to this, I don't think I'm going to think "I wish I had listened to more of Costello's consistent but dull music.

Feb 18 2021 Author

Is Elvis aim was to produce an album with 13 songs that are exactly the same, he has achieved this.

May 12 2023 Author

A pretty cool style for the time period. Didn't love anything here, but nothing excruciating either Side note; whether intentional or not, this is one of the ugliest album covers I've ever seen with my own eyes

Apr 13 2022 Author

One of my all-time favorites. Packed with great songwriting. An incredible debut album. I love how confidently he uses different genre styles throughout the album. There’s some doo-wop on “No Dancing,” country twang on “Blame It On Cain,” old fashioned rock n roll on “Mystery Dance,” and reggae in the beat of “Watching the Detectives.” Most of all Elvis Costello just sounds so cool. He’s a great performer. I remember listening to this in high school and even though I was too nervous to date girls at the time, this album gave me a little window into an adult world of relationships and sex. Hearing Elvis Costello sing about dating with a snarky attitude had a huge impression on me. He was smart and nerdy looking but still had swagger. A lot of songs went over my head — I still don’t know what “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” or “Less Than Zero” are about) — but I loved the style with which he sang them. Fun fact: I was Elvis Costello for Halloween in college once and I based my look on this album cover. I’m sorry to say no known photographs exist of this costume but I swear it was really good.

Feb 24 2021 Author

Yasssssssss. Not sure anything more needs to be said, but this is in my top 20 ever albums based on the line "she's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake" alone, much less Alison, Angels Want to Wear My Red Shoes and everything else on this goldmine.

Oct 13 2021 Author

Another artist that I know is well-respected but that I knew little about. What a great album. And the Elvis moniker is very befitting - he's got his own sense of rockabilly for the modern era. Very cool. Some perfect examples were Mystery Dance (sounds like Elvis Presley reimagined) and No Dancing (sounds like a modern cross between the King and the Beach Boys). Welcome to the Working Week might be the coolest 90 second song ever made; it doesn't feel that short with all he packs into it. I still don't love Alison, other than to jokingly sing the title like Costello does. Still, side one is brilliant. Great energy and great arrangements, with neat wordplay. Side two isn't far behind. The singles Red Shoes and Less than Zero are solid, but I really like the tempo and beats in Pay it Back.

Mar 09 2021 Author

Now this is some grade-A power pop.

Jan 04 2022 Author

What an overrated, low-talent hack. Elvis Costello has hung his whole career on leveraging the misplaced, rose-tinted-glasses nostalgia of white middle class America. And they've eaten it up thinking that this plastic imitation is the real deal.

Jul 04 2021 Author

What a debut! Costello came out of the gate running. Pure anger, spitting power pop. BT: Welcome To The Working Week, Alison, (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

Apr 02 2021 Author

I would say its at least twice as good Blood and Chocolate so that makes it a 6 on a 5 star scale? I feel like this album has a ton of personality and is fun to listen to. A variety of sounds that all still carry Elvis's style without being an album of songs that all sound the same

Feb 23 2021 Author

Really like the album, both songs I knew and loved, and others that I had never heard before. To this point, this is my highest rated album.

Oct 13 2021 Author

Wow, I really enjoyed this album. I've heard of Elvis Costello, but can't say I ever listened to his music (at least if I did, I didn't know about it). This was just a fun, high quality album. It's like a more modern version of classic rock 'n roll (and songs like No Dancing and Less than Zero sound like pure old fashioned Rock n' roll). Favorite tracks were Miracle Man, Waiting for the End of the World, and Pay It Back (which really got stuck in my head). Least favorite were Alison and I'm Not Angry. Both were just a little cheesy, but still enjoyable (and the guitar on I'm Not Angry was pretty good). Looking forward to listening to more of his stuff.

Sep 24 2024 Author

I honestly don't get the hype. Would this guy even be famous if he hadn't changed his name and have the fortune of having an album gain popularity in the wake of [the other] Elvis's passing?

Feb 26 2021 Author

Better than the other album but I still don't really get what is so important/significant/brilliant about Elvis Costello. 5/10

Jul 12 2021 Author

This guy is such an asshole. Best track: Alison

May 08 2024 Author

I dunno man, sometimes shit just rocks

Sep 16 2020 Author

I really liked this album. Such a good debut record!!

May 25 2023 Author

Just like all his other stuff I like it but don't find it too interesting, feels like he has 1 or 2 songs on an album that are really nice to me and then lots of fillers which I don't mind but are very forgettable

May 27 2024 Author

A classic. I don’t love Elvis Costello’s later stuff, but this holds. It’s a unique, angsty kind of punk that was very unique at the time.

May 05 2024 Author

Wow, it’s hard to believe this is his first, and not a greatest hits album. Lots of really good tunes, and “Alison” just gets better and better with age. “Watching the Detectives” still has an incredible base line and punchey drums, “Less than Zero”, and “Blame it on Cain” still hold up 45 years.

Jul 22 2022 Author

I dug this one a lot for some reason. It’s got this earnest nerdy rock vibe to it that feels like a precursor to more modern stuff I like, like weezer, lcd soundsystem, the strokes. The songs are fun and energetic but also feel genuine and homespun and have a rebellious youth vibe to them. Allison is an all-timer, Welcome to the working week is a great opener, the stretch from blame it on Cain to mystery dance is pretty killer. I don't love watching the detectives as the closer but otherwise I like the album from top to bottom. Probably a strong 8 for me

May 27 2024 Author

I discovered and started to like (as much as possible) Elvis Costello on the 1001 list. After five (5!) albums, I feel he can achieve the impossible. He can sound very repetitive, and very repetitive, even though it has one of the widest ranges of styles on the list. How is it possible? I don't know. I prefer his work with "The Attractions," but I didn't dislike this debut. The rawness that is only possible in a debut album saves it from being just "another (but different)" Elvis Costello album.

Sep 17 2022 Author

My fave album by the Other Elvis.

Oct 19 2024 Author

My first time hearing Costello was in December of last year, with the album "This Year's Model" with his band The Attractions. This isn't quite as strong. Something about his voice frustrates me, like it's in an uncanny valley between a few other, better vocalists. He sounds *kind of* like Billy Joel, the better Elvis, the Strokes, and a few other rock bands from various eras mashed together. Another problem, related to that one, is that the music doesn't really bring anything new to the party, other than some decent compositions. The style is an odd sort of soft-punk, with clear 50s/60s R&B and rock influences. (My friend and I argued briefly about whether this counted as rock, and we couldn't come to an agreement. But being "genreless" isn't necessarily a good thing.) There's a lot of filler music and poor mixing on the album too. As for the positives: Watching The Detectives, Alison, Red Shoes, and Less Than Zero are really fun little tunes, especially when paying attention to the instrumentals only. Watching The Detectives has a great bassline that really holds the song together. Alison is an enjoyable sort of chill power pop, featuring a chorus that sounds exactly how you'd expect based on the title and genre. Throughout the album, the guitar and drums are generally pretty good, and the bass is pretty killer. 3/5 Key tracks: Alison, (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes, Less Than Zero, Watching The Detectives

Jun 06 2023 Author

Not a huge amount to say about this. Enjoyable for the most part, nothing to write home about though. Just a good 70s album, nothing more or less.

May 25 2023 Author

Another album I was dreading this week that was much better than expected, this time thanks to Costello opting to nOt dO waCkY gOofY thInGs WItH hIS vOicE.

Feb 04 2025 Author

This is where the rot began. If people hadn't bought this record, let it be the abject failure it should have been, then maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't have been cursed with more content by Mr Costello. This is the saddest, retro-pop from one of the most exciting times in music. It's like Billy Joel and Buddy Holly got together and produced the blandest collection of awful music, pretending the last twenty years hadn't happened. The Wikipedia article has punk as one of the genres for this, but I couldn't hear anything remotely punk about it, just fake. There was a Rockabilly revival coming round the corner, with Shakin' Stevens and The Stray Cats among other bands who jumped on the bandwagon in the early 80s. I remember how truly awful they all were, but I still hold Elvis Costello as one of the originals, exhuming something that should have remained dead.

Jul 07 2025 Author

As an immature, weedy, and timid 17 year-old, just about to go to university and in desperate need of an identity, I happened to read a short review of this album in my father's Guardian (as one did). On impulse, and without having heard any of the tracks, I bought the album in WH Smith in Canterbury while on holiday with my surrogate family. I sneaked off and played it on the record player in the house we were staying at every opportunity - and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Elvis Costello came from nowhere, fully formed. This and his many following albums became the soundtrack to my life, this is no exaggeration. Don't you think that I know that walking on the water won't make me a miracle man. I said this to my boss at the end of my annual appraisal about 20 years later and he just looked up and said 'Elvis Costello'.

Jun 19 2025 Author

So... I've never heard a single song by Elvis Costello ever in my life. I can easily say that this is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. A New Wave masterpiece. Costello is an incredible lyricist and quite a proficient guitarist for new wave standards. When it ended, I wished there was more. Non stop quality, non stop fun. Can't wait to listen to more albums. 5/5

Nov 24 2021 Author

Elvis Costello crosses so many genres here you’d think it wouldn’t work. Not only does it work, it works in such a way that creates a sound that is unique to Elvis Costello. I can hear a strong Beatles influence as well as elements of reggae, punk, laurel canyon folk, and new wave. Elvis Costello’s vocal delivery is energetic and unique as well

Jul 25 2021 Author

First Elvis album, either Costello or Presley. If we're including "Watching The Detectives" on this album (and there's no reason not to, it was on every United States version of the LP), there's a chance this could be the best Elvis album (although not overall if we include Presley). What a debut album, from the moment the killer Track 1 kicks off through the end. Oh, and "Alison" is on this album. This is the power pop you're looking for. There's a ton of Elvis on this list, and if I could only have one (Costello) album, I'd be hard pressed choosing between this one and "This Year's Model".

Feb 11 2021 Author

Great record. Throwback to 50s/60s rock and r&b but with 70s punk vibe/influences. Also somewhat of a landmark for alt/indie rock.

Apr 12 2025 Author

I've never been a big fan but I recognize the talent. I had an old boyfriend that listened to him too much and it put me off it forever. But this is an iconic album. Favorite track: Watching the Detectives

Apr 12 2025 Author

I know all of EC's pre-1990 albums like my own heartbeat and this is nowhere near the best of the lot. What strikes me, revisiting it now, is that its main contribution is in the cleverness of the lyrics; the songs are straight-up rock & roll tunes (only Watching the Detectives, which was not on the original album, sounds like any kind of departure). Nonetheless, I have to give it at least a 4 for cultural significance and announcing a major talent, not to mention encapsulating my youth. (Also, do yourself a favor and listen to a remaster--the old one sounds like crap)

Jun 01 2024 Author

No one writes or sings like Elvis Costello.

May 31 2024 Author

Better than I expected—especially because I didn’t like the last EC album.

Jul 15 2025 Author

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 68 The Aim Is Slightly Off Costello… Although I do prefer early Elvis Costello, this release is just not as punchy without those Attractions behind him. However, with this debut, its one of the most compelling and intelligent first albums in rock history. Released in 1977 during the rise of punk and new wave, it immediately set Costello apart—not just as a provocateur, but as a literary songwriter with a venomous wit and a soft spot for pop hooks. The songwriting is where this album truly shines. Costello blends bitterness, longing, political outrage, and self-deprecation into compact, quotable verses. Whether he’s lamenting lost love or skewering right-wing politics, his lyrics are dense with meaning but never feel overworked. 🎧 Classic Track: Alison 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Mystery Dance 🎧 My Personal Favorite: Less Than Zero Nick Lowe’s lo-fi, no-nonsense production is a defining characteristic. The album sounds like it was recorded in a hurry—and it was—but that immediacy contributes to its urgency and charm. This is not a polished debut. It’s a deliberate explosion of intent. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Rockin’ Costello’in While later albums like This Year’s Model and Armed Forces show Costello at his most aggressive and sonically ambitious, My Aim Is True holds a unique place. It’s raw but calculated, angry but articulate, funny but bruised. It’s one of the most literate and emotionally complex debuts in rock history.

Jan 16 2025 Author

I’m going start off by saying something nice about Elvis Costello, because in my previous reviews I’ve refered to him as “the pied piper of shitty records” and made allusion to hoping that he gets mauled by a lion. I think it’s only fair to pay him a compliment, because, honestly…those were kind of shitty things to say about a guy whose only real crime is writing some not-so-hot songs. So, without further adieu, a compliment for Elvis Costello: Elvis Costello plays a Fender Jazzmaster and I think that makes him pretty cool. Now, with that out of the way, I’ve got some shitty things to say about Elvis Costello. Just kidding. For me, Elvis Costello is an artist whose work became more and more conceited as his career went on. In other words, he started off pretty strong and it all went downhill from there. “My Aim is True” is a solid slab of power pop. It doesn’t get bogged down in self-importance or have lofty ambitions. It’s just a straight forward rock record: concise and with a set of songs that are all pretty good. His later albums would become a little too big for their britches, if you will, but here, he is in fine form.

Sep 04 2023 Author

this was a bit hit and miss and when i did like a song it was really good as oppose to songs i didnt really like which were fine but not like fine when you see an attractive person and elongate the i in fine

Jun 08 2023 Author

Well you know what it didn't rile me as much as usual. I still find it bland really don't get the ES hype. But still surprisingly ok

May 25 2023 Author

See previous Costello reviews.

May 22 2023 Author

This album would have been 5 stars if it was written by Declan Patrick MacManus and not Elvis Costello. Walk into a Johnny Rockets or Hard Rock Café and I can guarantee you hear one of these songs playing. Middle of the road and as vanilla as it gets from the late 70's. Some good hits but nothing special.

May 19 2023 Author

Living up to my usual tropes re: Elvis Costello, debut albums and Greatest Hits. The tracks from here included on Girls, Girls, Girls are wonderful, the rest very meh particularly those that take a dead end into pop country and rockabilly. Keep trying Elvis!

Feb 08 2022 Author

Off-brand Elton John?

Sep 25 2025 Author

Elvis Costello bores me to tears, and the list creator's obsession with him is downright pathetic.

Aug 29 2025 Author

I wish someone could explain to me the appeal of Elvis Costello. The only thing I can think of is he is a nostalgia act for boomers who were teens in the 50s. He’s a hack who had to copy another man’s style and name to become popular.

Jul 30 2024 Author

If Elvis's "aim" was to infuriate my ears, then he is correct. I heard they play songs like these at grocery markets to get you out of the store quicker.

Jun 06 2023 Author

overall: feels like every awkward dance scene in a teen rom com. elvis costello to me sounds like a guy trynna be someone else like drowned in water and thrown across a field? i cant put my finger on it but it just doesnt sound right. the instrumentals arent bad especially for the time. take this album, tweak it for the 90s and it would slap

Sep 15 2021 Author

Inte min musik

Oct 19 2024 Author

I’m not a stickler for authenticity but Elvis Costello just comes off so fake.

Nov 25 2025 Author

The presence of Alison takes this from a 4 to a 5.

Nov 25 2025 Author

One of my all time favorite albums.

Nov 22 2025 Author

A seminal record for me. Not a bad song on it. Not every song a 10, but collectively an amazing record. With the added trivia bit that Huey Lewis' band at the time Clover were the backing band, though he didn't play on it.

Nov 17 2025 Author

I’m a big Costello fan and this one is quite unique and one of the best. It’s comparable to something like oasis’s definitely maybe in that it captures that exciting, raw newness that can only be heard in a debut album. Beyond this he would make equally great albums but sounding more like the established artist we know to this day. It’s great!

Nov 15 2025 Author

If the whole reason for the list was for me to eventually hear this album then it was all worth it. I am enamored by the album. It's like everything I love now but in 1977. The guitar parts are so well written and fun, the vocals are unique and aren't distracting, great lyrics, I can't stop thinking that if we had Ska a little earlier in the timeline this is just a Jeff Rosenstock album. But also there's tinges of like pop punk, alt rock, dare I say some screamo instrumentation every once in a while? It's so good. This is dethroning Dig Me Out as the best album from the list so far that I haven't heard before.

Nov 15 2025 Author

Yeah this is a great album with so many great songs and personality. He's just as comfortable doing proto-pop-punk as he is doing a slower ballad. Truly a great songwriter. My man Jeff Rosenstock definitely was influenced by this. This deserves a 5/5

Nov 11 2025 Author

This is the second album I hear from Elvis Costello. It has great music. It was cool and relaxing to it. The songs went by fast. 5/5

Nov 11 2025 Author

I love this record so much

Nov 11 2025 Author

Boomer punk

Nov 11 2025 Author

Every song on this album is a gem. Love it!

Nov 07 2025 Author

This is one of those rare albums where the supplementary tracks on the Deluxe Edition are perhaps better than the album itself. The songs are terrific and Costello delivers them well. I preferred the versions with The Attractions that are on the second CD in the deluxe version: these sound rawer, more immediate and a bit more contemporary (to 1977) than do the versions on the actual album, where Costello was backed by American C&W band Clover.

Nov 07 2025 Author

Clean, punchy production perfection. Tough, tight songwriting. Crisp, restrained performances. Hard to admit, I have only known the hits from this record, and there are plenty of them. Pretty hard to be both timeless and absolutely of it's time, but this record is both. 5 stars is not grade inflation.

Nov 04 2025 Author

Loved it! But its nothing new :D

Nov 01 2025 Author

Elvis Costello, and particularly his first two albums, was the artist that got me into music in general, so I've obviously gotta give this one full marks. That being said, this one's charms have worn off on me to an extent. The classic songs are all still obviously classics, no way I could ever get sick of songs like "Welcome to the Working Week", "Alison", or "Red Shoes", but especially in the second half these songs start to feel a bit insubstantial. Hiring a dedicated backing band instead of relying on the News was easily the best move Costello could make for his next album. (Side note: this is the closest we get to Huey Lewis on the list, right?)

Oct 28 2025 Author

Great

Oct 21 2025 Author

Is there a reason these have all been 40-50 years? This one (Elvis Costello) is another fond memory....

Oct 14 2025 Author

Definitely in top 100. Musicians songs arrangements all stunning. Songs still fresh. Classics including at least 2 best ever.

Oct 08 2025 Author

I am now basing my scores entirely on how much I enjoy that first (or first few) listens. As such, this gets an easy 5. Great, immediate, catchy rock - pop songs. Starts off with a bang and Alison is beautiful

Oct 08 2025 Author

A masterclass in sardonic songwriting. Elvis is king.

Oct 08 2025 Author

I knew a couple of the tracks but reminds me how good he is as a singer

Oct 07 2025 Author

Great!

Oct 06 2025 Author

Elvis is King!

Oct 06 2025 Author

Hell yeah. What a great Album

Oct 03 2025 Author

Loved it!

Oct 02 2025 Author

Every artist has a moment when they are at the height of their powers. For some it's a singular album, for others it's a period. Sometimes it's an aberration in an otherwise lackluster career and sometimes it's like the tallest peak of a vast mountain range. This album for me is the very point at the top of Elvis Costello's Mount Everest hovering just above "This Year's Model."

Sep 30 2025 Author

Honestly really great. Looks to the older rock tradition with the likes of Buddy Holly (someone he's somewhat aping with his look and the music.)

Sep 29 2025 Author

Absolutely one of the best debut albums there ever was. Not a bad song in the bunch, and served as a great launchpad into Costello's initial period of great pop albums. Perhaps he's been full of himself all along, but with a catalog like his, he has a right to be. Not every album is as good as this one, but that's okay with me.

Sep 28 2025 Author

I was really surprised to see that this was Elvis Costello’s debut album. It already sounds so sharp and fully formed, like he had been at it for years. If pop-punk had existed in the 70s, this record would have been a perfect fit. Some of the songs don’t even sound tied to that era—they feel way ahead of their time. “Blame It on Cain,” “I’m Not Angry,” and “Waiting for the End of the World” all stood out as highlights. “Waiting for the End of the World” especially caught my ear, with guitar and drum parts that felt like a throwback to the psychedelic rock of the late 60s. It gave the record some extra texture without losing its punch. Overall, My Aim Is True is a killer debut that set the stage for Costello’s career. Fast, clever, and packed with energy, it feels just as fresh today as it must have back then. Favorite song: Waiting for the End of the World

Sep 26 2025 Author

ELVIS COSTELLO

Sep 24 2025 Author

Elvis Costello has been in my life a long time, since this debut was released and I saw him perform "Watching The Detectives" on BBC TVs Top Of The Pops. I was twelve years old and punk was morphing into New Wave. In truth Elvis Costello was neither of these things. Incidentally, "Watching The Detectives" wasn't on the original UK release of "My Aim Is True", which is a quite wonderful debut album. The songs are concise and memorable. The hallmarks of Costello's best work are present in this debut; lyrical wit, a distinctive vocal delivery and great melodies. The production and mix holds up well for a 48 year old album. The standout track is "Alison" a song that Costello has said was inspired by a beautiful checkout girl he saw at a supermarket. He imagined her past as being full of promise and her present as being trapped in a disappointing life with a "ruffian who told her convenient lies." "My Aim Is True" is a clear five star album for me. For those interested; Costello's run of albums, from this release up to "Imperial Bedroom" in 1981 are quite stunning, and there more delights to be found, across his catalogue, beyond those run of releases, right up to the present day. Side one 1. "Welcome to the Working Week" – (5/5) 2. "Miracle Man" – (5/5) 3. "No Dancing" – (4/5) 4. "Blame It on Cain" – (5/5) 5. "Alison" – (5/5) 6. "Sneaky Feelings" – (4/5) Side two 1. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" – (5/5) 2. "Less Than Zero" – (5/5) 3. "Mystery Dance" – (4/5) 4. "Pay It Back" – (4/5) 5. "I'm Not Angry" – (4/5) 6. "Waiting for the End of the World" – (5/5) 7. "Watching The Detectives" - (5/5) Total - 60 Average - 4.62 110/1001

Sep 22 2025 Author

5/5. This is a great album, I checked this one out after listening to his second one and I've slowly grown to like this album maybe not as much as the 2nd one but still a fantastic one. Punk with a Buddy Holly vibe, with intelligent lyrics about someone I would never want to meet. It's angry to a point that it feels a little incel but it also rides the line of sarcasm and satire that is hard to tell, and that's pretty punk. If this was the first time I was hearing this album it would be a 3 at best but it definitely takes a few listens to appreciate. Best Song: Miracle Man, Blame It On Cain, Alison, Less Than Zero, Waiting To The Working Week

Sep 22 2025 Author

The Album feels like a warm hug from my mother. It feels nostalgic and also new. I have never heard any music from Elvis Costello this Album has opened my eyes/ears to Elvis Great music!

Sep 18 2025 Author

Surprised me that this came out in 1977. I thought it was more in the mid 80s. What a first album! I love this. No one hits a vibrato that makes the hair on my arms stand straight up quite like Elvis.

Sep 11 2025 Author

JAKO DOBARRRR iskreno 5⭐️ bas mi je bia dobar pre jebeno groovy i zabavan vrh

Sep 01 2025 Author

Still probably my favourite Elvis Costello album, his debut predates the Attractions, the backing band being Clover, a country rock band who featured, a pre-News, Huey Lewis, but contains stunning songs. Costello’s vocals are at their most biting and snarling, the lyrics spat out. Even on “Alison”, one of his very best ballads, there a bitterness, about the loss of a dream love to the mundanity of life and marriage (perhaps?). The album never lets up starting with “Welcome to the Working Week” and through “Miracle Man”, “(The Angels Wanna Wear) My Red Shoes”, “Less Than Zero”, “Mystery Dance”, all classics. Every time I listen to the album I hear something new. This time the backing vocals on “No Dancing” really jumped out and the bridge section in “Waiting For the End of the World” (“and then the bride, the groom…) over an excellent slide guitar. The music is steeped in the pub rock from which Costello and producer Nick Lowe had just emerged and there is rock and roll, country, doo-wop, Spector-like beats, and other influences all thrown into the angry melting point. “Watching the Detectives”, which was not part of the original album but was added to the US release, features Steve Nieve’s organ and points to the Attractions who would back Costello on the rest of his ‘70s and early ‘80s output. But My Aim is True stands on its own merits and is the equal of anything which followed.

Aug 30 2025 Author

I've always heard of Elvis Costello but never listened to any of his albums. I loved it. It's so modern, I can't believe it came out in 1977. Just so fun and smart and punky and yeah. So great. So many blends of genres and yet still so distinctive. I really really enjoyed this! A hidden gem find for me.

Aug 30 2025 Author

A personal favorite .

Aug 30 2025 Author

Nice Friday afternoon album!

Aug 30 2025 Author

My first full Elvis Costello album -I'm a fan. This was a great listen.

Aug 23 2025 Author

Piano rock is so much better without piano

Aug 14 2025 Author

Hard to believe this was his first album. Every track is excellent. It was great when I first heard it in high school and has aged brilliantly.

Aug 13 2025 Author

Great debut

Aug 11 2025 Author

Listening more carefully for this project, it's so obviously a debut: a mix of different styles to see what comes across best. But it's still brilliant.

Aug 04 2025 Author

My intro to one of my absolute favorite artists!

Jul 31 2025 Author

Fanboy here. Sorry not sorry. Elvis Costello is right up there with the greatest songwriters of all time. Zappa, Dylan, McCartney Pop/Rock icons that EC belongs in the conversation with

Jul 28 2025 Author

More to my liking. Words I can understand and music that allows me to tap my fingers or feet to play along. Haven't listened closely to words yet but will. Typical life and love situations in the songs. Must admit I never really listened to him but I will now. A feel good album for me and my first 5 stars

Jul 26 2025 Author

All Time Class

Jul 26 2025 Author

Great album and a good start to explore Elvis.

Jul 25 2025 Author

Classic.

Jul 22 2025 Author

My favorite cut is Less Than Zero. All are great