Reviews (page 7 of 13)
I don't know yet. Alison was cool.
Elvis’s first - not as gods as second or quite a lot more…its alright 1. Welcome To The Working Week 2. Alison 3. Good year for the roses* *i know
De novo esse cara... É, tá um pouco melhor esse álbum, mais divertido de ouvir. Ainda sim tá ok, nada de mais pra mim, só animadinho. Nenhum destaque.
3.5
Klarer ikke helt å catche albumet. Mye bra, noe rart, noe fint. Må høre mer på det før jeg vet om treeren står.
Rockabillyopplegg med bluestouch. Funker vel på sitt vis, men i bunn og grunn uinteressant.
Панк рок и ронкнролл Прикольно Где-то я его раньше слышал Звучит плотно и хорошо Не думаю что захочу переслушать 3.1
A couple great songs but I feel it doesn't sound great today and a little uncool
Classic Costello. However, I don’t care for Costello. This isn’t a bad album though, but I probably won’t revisit.
Favorite Elvis Costello album on the list so far (and here's to hoping it will be the last)
iconic, distinct sound / vox. jammy, dancy. though, im confused what he's about.. what's your deal, elvis costello! im not sure im into the vowels? though that's what makes his voice iconic. hahaha maybe this one needs a second listen from me. cool though that it was 1977, i couldnt really tell what year, or even decade this is from. innovative, or nostalgic? who is this album for? and are we leaning even a little bit into parody?
There’s only so much quirky droll Costello I can take, but this is manageable
I loved Allison in a few songs, but it got kind of repetitive after a while. I am a fan of Elvis Costello‘s later work and I could see where he evolved as an artist from this.
I continue to be bewildered by how many Elvis Costello albums are on this list. Just utterly bewildered. I have been thoroughly wildered by his popularity. I keep trying to simply accept the fact that the process of compiling this list was subjective and imperfect and move on...but it sure is hard. I don't want to pick on Elvis Costello as he makes perfectly adequate music, but every single album is largely forgettable and there are six of them on here! None of them are bad, but I've never once in my life had the thought "This Costello chap is great; I should listen to more of his music." Maybe this is it: 1. This book is a compilation of influential albums. 2. Every Costello album is fine but not great. 3. Most music ever created is fine but not great. 4. All the mediocre music of the past 40 years owes a debt of gratitude to the trailblazing mediocrity of Elvis Costello. Did I just solve the puzzle?
A little over the top in the vocal department but otherwise decent album
This is Elvis Costello doing Elvis Costello things. It's fine, it didn't really land quite as well as This Year's Model and despite this only being my 2nd albuk of his, I know there's about 5 more to come and that's already annoying me!
2.9 2x didn't like it as much as i expected
Catchy and poppy. Easy listen.
had no idea who Elvis Costello was or what he did before this and yeah its pretty cool. its very much Rock And Roll which is oddly refreshing to be honest. as i understand he has a lot of stuff on this list so i'm looking forward to that.
My mom used to listen to Elvis Costello before she got hit by a truck. So I guess you could say I have an affinity for him
boringgg
This was fine. If his albums weren’t on this list, I probably wouldn’t listen to him all that much. I don’t think he’s bad, but when you’re talking about the late 70s and early 80s, there’s a lot of other stuff I prefer.
I liked this album. I don't need 7 more Elvis Costello album though thanks
I wish I liked Elvis Costello as much as Elvis Costello likes Elvis Costello
Growing up some of my "Punk" friends were into Elvis Costello. I can hear it now. It's not great but musically not terrible. I wish I could give half stars because 3 seems too low but 4 is too high. Favorite song is Less than Zero because WTF was up with Oswald?
un tres pero de mediocre no esta mal pero no lo volveria a agregar
3 estrelas e meio
será que precisamos ouvir tanto albuns de elvis costello assim antes de morrer? eu acho que não
Solid album, lots of hits. Wish it had “Pump It Up” on it, would take it up a notch.
Elvis Costello is like if you took 50s rock and gave it a slight punk quality. I like it. Buddy Holly with a hint of Ramones. Cool! But I kinda wish it did anything more than that, because it felt kinda samey throughout.
I have never been able to really get into Elvis Costello. I don't hate or even dislike his stuff, but it has just never grabbed me beyond some of the "hits" he had (like "Radio, Radio" and "Veronica.") I also really liked "Shipbuilding" on the High Fidelity OST. Some of this reminds me a little bit of Van Morrison, who I have also never been able to really get into. I wonder if there's a common reason for that. And like Morrison, Costello is held in really high regard by a lot of musicians who I love (and whose tastes are usually in line with mine.) I guess we can't all like the same things all the time. "I'm Not Angry" sounds a lot like an Alice Cooper song to me. This gets 3 from me, but just barely. It was OK. (P.S. - I did not know until reading on Wikipedia today that he is married to Diana Krall. Huh.)
I'm sad to say this was the first one I didn't finish, not because I didn't enjoy it, but life was just busy this day!
It was fun not my style
Elvis Costello, he appears to be a songwriter heavily influenced by rockabilly and 50s rock and roll. I don’t really care for the voice but the instrumentation is nifty. I enjoyed that song about blaming Cain and Allison was cool too. Not overly thrilled, I’ll listen to it again but I doubt it’ll get much higher than this score I gave.
Yeah that was alright
It's a fine listening
Either he’s growing on me or I have Stockholm syndrome. Either way, help!
Sorry not a fan of Elvis Costello. I have listened to all his albums and it's not for me.
It’s a pretty average rock and roll album. It’s fun, it makes you walk faster, but everything sounds the same. It’s got some pretty fun lyrics.
============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ----------------ELVIS COSTELLO---------------- ---------------------------------------------- ----------------MY AIM IS TRUE---------------- ---------------------------------------------- --------------------(1977)-------------------- ============================================== ============================================== -----------------CALIFICACIÓN----------------- --------------------★★★☆☆------------------ --------------------(3,166)--------------------- ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENIDO ORIGINAL Lado A 1. Welcome to the Working Week (★★★★☆) 2. Miracle Man (★★★☆☆) 3. No Dancing (★★★☆☆) 4. Blame It on Cain (★★★☆☆) 5. Alison (★☆☆☆☆) 6. Sneaky Feelings (★★⯨☆☆) Lado B 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 (★★★★★) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Aim_Is_True#Track_listing) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 4+3+3+3+1+2,5+2,5+3+3,5+3,5+4+5 = 38 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 38 / 12 = 3,166 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★★★☆☆ (3,166) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================
Pretty decent album, but nothing really stuck with me. Wasn’t too bad.
6/10
i wish we were stuck in the 70s music wise
Elvis Costello's music has never really clicked for me, but I enjoyed listening to this album lot more than I thought I would.
Pretty sharp lyrics in a soundscape that is unfortunately basic to my modern ears, but I still find it strong for a debut. Much prefer it over Brutal Youth.
again, songs are very similar to each other 3 songs stand out but its a very enjoyable LP
There are a few classics on here that I enjoy from time to time ('Alison,' 'Less Than Zero,' 'Watching the Detectives'), but the 50s rock and roll and rockabilly style grates on me after a while.
Another Elvis Costello album that seems fine, but just doesn't do it for me
Elvis Costello always sounds like something I should like and ought to have gotten into ages ago, but for whatever reason is just not captivating to me. Almost feels like, what if Randy Newman sang Bruce Springsteen? Hard to explain but that’s what comes to mind.
This album was fine but didnt stand out to me and gave my brain neither dopamine nor WOW THIS IS SO COOL. Didnt dislike it per se but probs wont listen again
6/10
Wish I liked this more. Liked better than the other album, brutal youth
Al creador de esta app le mola Elvis Costello
Ikke møkk, ikke spesielt bra.
3.5
Elvis Costello is aggressively adequate music.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I firmly believe that Elvis Costello is a bit overrated. I mean, this album (which is widely considered his signature record) has great individual songs, but it does not feel as a cohesive album. I may be printing my personal opinion all over this, but I think he is a three-star kind of artist at best.
I never understood why Costello was so famous. This album is okay.
rock. roll. rhythm.
More of a 2-star album, but "Alison" is still terrific and bumps it up a rank. I just don't get Elvis Costello. 99% of it doesn't hit at all.
i have no grudge toward quirky new wave men but yeah like thats somehow actually too much. and yes, it's (of course) not as good as this years man, but since it is his debut, it's alright. but its still a 3 for me cause this year's man impressed me too much and this album didn't impress me much apart from welcome to the working week and alison, although i know debut albums are always weaker than later works.
not great, but the best thing i've heard by him thus far.
Pretty good, kinda generic for me
Out of the Elvis Costello albums I’ve heard on this project, this one is the best.
its very roadtrip worthy. that's the first thing that coems to mind. or cooking. or like a hangout with friends and making pizza. for some reason it gives me james potter vibes. i liked it a bunch, but I'm not sure if I'd listen to it again. I mean that in like. It didn't stand out, you know? maybe it's just not my style, or I'd have to give it another listen. But i liked it!! it's pretty good.
This list really likes Elvis Costello. But this strong 1977 debut paved the road traveled by the great Joe Jackson in 1979. My Aim Is True is the only Elvis album that I can listen to in the same sitting. How much better would this album be if it had Lipstick Vogue? Alas, that’s on his follow up album.
Early works by this rock expert.
idk, jst didnt seem my type
twas alright all of the songs kinda sounded the same, but I enjoyed nonetheless
okay and calming but not something id classify as a must listen unless people somehow reference it a lot
not sure what i was expecting but it wasn't this! pretty fun
Not for me
reminds me of Saved by the Bell for some reason
There is more Elvis Costello on this list than Elvis
This was my first approach to Elvis Costello, I only knew a pair of his songs. I really liked this album, short songs with good rhythms, even reggae with "Watching the Detectives" The songs that I like the most are: - Miracle Man - Less than zero - Mistery Dance - I'm not angry Take it eeeasy 🤟🏽
I gave this album three tries. At best, it is unmemorable--unoffensive, but unmemorable. There are songs on here that I would be willing to revisit in the future, but overall this is not an album that I was impressed by. (Can we also talk about the album cover? Red text on a checkerboard background is way too much.)
Idk
Nice album, higher than 3 but not enough for a 4 so… Really liked “I’m not angry.”
some bangers, cool funky vibe
Didn’t really incite strong feelings for me either way on the whole. There were some things I liked however. I thought the instrumentals were pretty good throughout, the drums are played quite energetically and generally keep quite busy. The bass is pretty good throughout, especially in “Less than Zero”, “Alison”, and “Sneaky Feelings”. The vocals are serviceable to good, although Elvis occasionally has a strange twang, particularly in the first half of the album. Highlights for me were the very catchy “Blame it on Cain”, and then the last 3 tracks. Starting with “I’m Not Angry”, we go into a cool harder, heavier groove. This had Elvis’s best vocals for me, complemented by some cool, weird harmonica thing. And the guitar in this song is absolutely sick. “Waiting for the End of the World” keeps a bit of the harder sound, with the guitar wailing between the lines of the chorus. The last track, “Watching the Detectives”, has a sort of moody noir detective sound, over a reggae beat, which works surprisingly well.
It was fun. Sounded modern somehow.
Alison is a tune. Watching the detectives is a tune. The rest are fine. Simpsons: Yes
I liked Living in Paradise
Kinda whines when he sings.
Okay-ish
it's ok, but still cannot fully enjoy Costello's music
Hard to say the extent to which I was actually enjoying this vs. just me being surprised by how modern it sounded! Big influence from this one, and not what I expected, but I don't know if I'll listen to it again.
good guitar, some parts have too much of an american country sound for me, gets better mid way through stand out songs- blame it on cain, the angels want to wear my red shoes, mystery dance watching the detectives sounds like a chilli peppers song
I don't really like Elvis Costello. He's fine, but that's it. But this list makes me listen to his albums. And every listen confirms that he's fine and I don't like him
Enjoyable enough?
My first exposure to EC, so glad it was his debut album. Good music, clever lyrics, fun album. Looking forward to hearing more of his stuff.
The list doesn’t need this many Elvis Costello albums and for that I’m almost going in with prejudice. I’ve had a few already, only about 47 more to go. It’s perfectly fine but it doesn’t really do much for me.
not bad it bad
Almost good, not quite, close but no cigar. I prefered the one before.
3/5, pretty good album! I don't think Costello is as deserving of his reputation of being in the same lyrical world as Bob Dylan, but he's certainly a cut above your average musician in that regard. There's some great rhythms and melodies here and there. Small complaint is how often Costello will rely on the same vocal rhythms over and over again, so the album does start sounding samey after five songs in. His distinctive delivery doesn't help in that respect either.
Elvis Costello, a name I kept seeing referenced during this journey, but can’t say I knew much about otherwise. Upon further exploration of his hits I realized why his sound was so familiar. I enjoyed the listen and the style of this album overall. May explore further at a later time.
Don’t love the vocals but pretty solid
Ah been wanting to listen to more of this guy so glad to get my first of his albums. And nice to start with his debut. Let’s see… To be honest, I thought I might be more blown away. It’s pleasant and clearly a good songwriting. But so far not 🤯 Not much more to say and a 3.5 for me
Ytterligare en artist som är en blind fläck för mig. Gillar det här! ”Welcome to the working week” och ”I’m not angry” är toppen. Samtidigt finns lite trök här också. Men rätt stark 3a ändå!
Það kom að því, Elvis Costello plata sem mér finnst bara fín en ekki stórgóð. Hann er greinilega einn af þeim sem batnar með árunum.
This feels very similar to Men at Work. Honestly I like his solo work a lot better than his work in "Elvis Costello and the Attractions". I like "Welcome to the working week" and "miracle man". Apparently there could have been harmonica on this album, which always makes an album better. God I love the harmonica. I wonder if the movie watching the detectives is based on this song. I didn't really like the movie because it talks about a man who is desperately in love with this girl who keeps treating him badly and he keeps telling her he doesn't like it but she keeps doing it. I keep seeing videos of the one scene where he's trying to flirt with her and it's like "Oh is that my cut? Is that my cut, baby?" and the captions are like "OMGGG GIVE ME A MAN LIKE THIS" or "If he isn't like this, I don't want him". It just annoys me because it's an unhealthy relationship to me? He's obsessed with her and it brings him a lot of pain (albeit the pain is kind of funny sometimes, i.e. him running around the baseball track crying). Anyways at the end of the movie he gives in and I HATE THAT HE DOES. I found something on reddit that said the title is likely from the Elvis Costello song. They thought it was because they kind of have the same story.
Vooral een leuke listen, maar niet per se erg interessant verder. Klinkt als: Jeff Rosenstock
Ruime 3 sterren. Klinkt inderdaad een beetje als moderne Indië/pop/punk als Jeff rosenstock
This was a fun one! Listened to it all over campus.
Chill, easy listening rock. One great love ballad if your name is Alison. I liked it but I didn't love it. Top tracks: "Alison," "Less than Zero," "Welcome to the Working Week" NOTE: I did not include "Watching the Detectives" as it wasn't on the original release. If that was on the OG album, it might give 'My Aim is True' four stars.
No me lo acuerdo pero creo q estuvo bueno
Some songs good, at least one song weird...
3.5/5 Pleasantly surprised! I can hear inspiration from this album from the 70's in a lot of more recent music that I enjoy which is always nice! The first song was a charming 1:23 long and his songs know when they've said what they need to (shown in the typically sub-3-minute length of songs on this album) a pleasant relief from some of the Britpop on this list. I'm looking at you, Parklife by Blur. It was refreshing and groovy with high and low points that kept me engaged. Solid album! Probably not going on any playlists.
Medio aburrido aunque obvio para la época era innovador, interesante
Would have been awesome to listen to if I just came back from Vietnam. Otherwise, unremarkable.
Suffering from Elvis Costello fatigue from this project but just when I thought I absolutely hated him, his debut album shows up and is not only listenable but enjoyable.
I’ve heard of elvis before I thought the album was ok an easy listen but not something I would search for but overall it was alright no stand out songs
eh not my thing but good music still
inoffensive Caucasian slop. Only realized it was over because new band started playing something good. Really tries to appeal to a suburban america that I am just indifferent to. Listened to it a second time (something I wouldnt do if it wasnt so short) to try and see if it could change my mind, but its just... bland.
3/5
Chillomillo rocky music
Not bad, I prefer Armed Forces.
I enjoyed the drums in Miracle Man & (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes! Alison had some great songwriting and storytelling. This was such a fun listen and also incredibly good for being a debut album. I'm honestly surprised I haven't heard of Elvis Costello before. Rating: 3.5->4
Just bang average honestly. 3 stars
it is exactly as boring as i expected
not interesting, nothing to say.
Primera impresión: Tiene un sonido interesante, no es un género que esté tan acostumbrado a escuchar pero es disfrutable (al menos hasta ahora). Mitad: Me parece un álbum fácil de escuchar, se me está pasando rápido. Me gusta pero tampoco me fascina, por ahora se me está haciendo un poco repetitivo por momentos. Además creo que debería prestarle mayor atención a las letras. Final: La verdad es que me gustó, es entretenido y hay canciones que volvería a escuchar. No sé si está entre mis álbumes favoritos pero es llevadero e interesante. Quizás debería reescucharlo prestando más atención a las letras, pero sonoramente es disfrutable. Canciones favoritas: Mystery Dance y Waiting for the end of the world
Elvis Costello is the type of rock music you'd listen to if you had an underlying need to not appear too edgy.
Sopivan menevää poprockia. Osa biiseistä hyviä mut menee vähän taustamusa teemaan Albumi hyvin samankaltainen läpikotaisin.
I've heard some of this music before but never listened to a while album at once. It's OK, but a bit samey. Maybe if I listened to it multiple times I'd start to see the differences. I find his vocal sty;e a little irritating. He sings with an American accent even though I know he's English. Mick Jagger does the same sometimes and wonder why they do this. Musically it's OK and the vocals don't grate too much despite the accent.
Couldn't get into it. I liked Alison, other songs were alright. Solid 3 star for me. His other albums and songs are much better.
Not bad, but not memorable
This was quite fun! Not my kind of thing but I can see the appeal
I do like the Elvis Costello songs I know, although that isn't many of them. That meant that this album overall wasn't as good as I was maybe hoping it would be - not bad, just not as good as I'd hoped. I want to give it a bit of a pass given it's his debut, but then I remember that we're ostensibly talking about the greatest, or most important albums of all time here... And this is pretty average by either of those metrics. I don't really like "it's important because it launched his career and paved the way for better albums" as a justification for noteworthiness either. I can see there's lots more Costello on the list, this is my first... So I'm still hopeful that the rest might be really good. This gets the most average, middle of the road 3 rating from me.
A classic album. I don’t think I have a favorite song, but definitely decent!
3/5. My first brush with the Elvis Costello event horizon (or technically second since one of my previous albums was produced by him.) and it’s some decent enough rock music. Reminds me of some of the clashes stuff in how it occasionally flirts with 50’s rockabilly music. Overall though I wasn’t blown away or in love with this album, it’s just fine.
groovy but gets old fast
I've been here before. The last one I reviewed was a good one, previous to that I was disappointed. I feel kind of in-between, but on the whole I think he can do better.
Some of my favs on this one. Can’t listen to Elvis over and over though. Only every now and then.
Bro was born a decade or two too late
Passable, somewhat laid back rock Fave track: Alison
Eh. 3/5
Decent. Kind of boring. Liked more of this than I thought I would. 3.5/5 Songs added to playlist: - Welcome To The Working Week - Alison - Mystery Dance - I'm Not Angry
Average by Costello standards
Solid nerd-rock : liked the tracks where he leans more heavily into a 60's/blues sound rather than the singles I'd previously heard. Well Done "Other-Elvis", 3.5 star
I like it, but not the day after a different Elvis Costello album. 2 in a row is a bit much
I've found Elvis Costello to be very middling across the various albums I've heard. This still holds - but this one maybe feels a bit more accessible. There's not a huge amount of stand-out tracks, but overall it's pretty decent and has some personality to it. Not too bad. It's a very 3/5 album.
I don't know- I had expected to like this more than I did.
It’s a decent album. Not too much variation in most songs. I do love the song Allison. Watching The Detectives is a good song too. I’ve always liked Elvis, but not near as much as others.
I think this was better than the last Elvis Costello album we had, but I still feel pretty lukewarm about it.
Listened to this on my way to Montreal. I’ll take this over The Byrds any day but it definitely sits in more of a generic pop genre imo.
This was a pretty chill and easy listening album. Nothing amazing, but didn't dislike it either
Never really listened to his music but it's not bad. I imagine if I paid more attention to the lyrics there is some gold there. Seems well composed with great music that fits the vibe. It's nice but I feel like it's just not my thing.
Rating: 6/10
between good and mid gmid
Great
Hmm. At first i enjoyed it, it was pretty nice but after a while i became quite bored. Overall it's a very decent album so 3.5 (and i absolutely agree with the review saying that the cover is incredibly ugly...)
Almost outstandingly mid.
Tight debut - still not a massive Elvis fan - not sure why - JE
I tried going on an Elvis Costello deep dive a couple of years ago, but only really got through the first half a dozen LPs or so. I don't know what it is about the debut but I find the doo-wap and rockabilly-tinged songs on here a bit pastiche. The best song is Watching the Detectives which wasn't on the original UK release of the album so not sure if that should be part of the consideration of it's merits or not. Listening again in January 2026, I had an extra appreciation for Waiting for the End of the World though.
The songs are pretty neat but after two listens through I’m not really getting ‘this guy was a game-changing seminal songwriter’. Maybe I need a few more spins. I hope something clicks for me cuz I heard there’s like five more Costello albums on this list.
Got quite a bit better after a few listens.
Elvis Costello is still one of the corniest dudes in history but there were a couple tracks here that hit. Alison and Sneaky Feeling are good but then you go right back to corn fest with Red Shoes, like…what a completely unnecessary song.
Better than expected
Pretty good, fun and influential. 50s rock 'n roll meets 80s alternative with some punk foundation building? Woulda spun at a party in '77. Alison is a great song.
Ok
amo amo amo que sea cortico, chimba de álbum x me gusto pero igual no tanto
Never heard of him before Maybe the name but no any music I think it’s important to mention this goes into the atemporal vibe thing since doesn’t feel like late 70s Composition: 6 Interpretation: 7 Production: 6 Identity: 7 Originality: 7 Impact: 5 Consistency: 6
Taking 50s doo-op and sock bop into the modern (70s) age. Very well constructed songs but the album can sound a bit samey - also could maybe use one song that is about something other then how women are bitches
not really my favorite maybe just one song I actually liked
favorite - Most of Us Are Sad 7/10
Interesting voice, cool sound and yet, pretty repetitive. It is amazing how many of the songs end with the fade out of a single phrase that gets repeated over and over again. Alison and red shoes are my favorite songs from this one.
Mucho más animado, música de gente que se alcoholiza
Better than I remembered
Another Elvis Costello. Some very strong tracks, some not so. Not his best. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No: 43/174(24%) Will I get. No
I like Elvis Costello, but this is far from his best album. 3 stars. Fave track - Alison.
Pretty good
Between 3/4 for me. Cool vibe
Another Elvis Costello album 3 days later. I had to procrastinate this one for a week, I really couldn't stomach another one back to back. At least it's only 36 minutes. Starts off super poppy. Second song sounds like the inspiration for other high trouble bands I hate in the late 90s like Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20. That being said, it's overall not as terrible Costello's later stuff. Maybe he learned the excessive cheese later in his career. 3/5, but a low three.
I wasn't terribly impressed by this.
This album is "fine", but it's clouded by the volume of other "fine" Elvis Costello albums on this list.
J’entends parfois Jim Cuddy de Blue Rodeo, ou Frank Zappa dans une fausse ballade… mais en moins irrévérencieux. En plus sincère… et plus positif.
Elvis Costello is like matcha tea to me. I like it sometimes, I want to like it, or Im not interested at all, but I still want to try it. This album was ok, not mad about the listen. I appreciate the hints of bluesy in some of the songs. I think Allison is his best work. Such a smooth, great song. Love the melody and the guitars on it.
Fun, danceable album, but I wish I liked his voice.
Catchy enough. Maybe will increase the rating
de Elive der Zweite hed biz meh gmacht als sin Name hergid und darum gib ich ihm Pünkt der Dritte
Got me tapping my foot, but nothing was stuck in my head when I put my headphones away. Recommend best paired with setting up for an afternoon party. Nothing too distracting but still good vibes
I'm a fan of Elvis. Started listening when he started recording. I've always felt his strength is with singles. Re-listening to this album confirms that for me. Solid record with a couple of highlight singles.
Last two songs pretty good, brought this up from 2 to 3.
Saw Elvis Costello in concert in 2024. Had a much larger appreciation for him after
Apparently, this guy is a songwriting machine with over 30 albums released - wonder how many more are up for us to listen here. Enjoyed the upbeat fun pop, sounded a little (really a little) like Bob Dylan from time to time.
started out strong but i ultimately wasn't too high on it
Som vi tidigare konstaterat är Elvis Costello en sorgligt överskattad artist. Men just den här skivan tillhör nog hans bästa, med reservation för att jag inte hört alla. Det finns mycket energi och han krånglar inte till det. Inledande Welcome to the working week, No dancing, Alison, Red shoes och avslutande Waiting for the end of the world kan gott nämnas.
Did not know this qualified as punk. Decent.
that was fine. Inoffensive, feels older than the time it came out.
Not my vibe
Honestly impressed by the range of sonic sounds. From buddy holly ass rock, to blues to folky stuff. Pretty good
Franchement tu retires le fait que l'album fait 2h30 et tu écoutes tout ce qu'il y a avant les demo c'est très bien ! Mais malheureusement il y a le reste qui est fatiguant donc seulement 3
Side One much stronger, highlighted by the back to back of Blame It on Cain and Alison. A little more prickly lyrically than I was expecting, high-end 3
average music with a slightly annoying vocalist 6 Elvis Costello albums? Really?
It's okay. There's a lot more Elvis Costello in this challenge than I think there should be.
Неплохой альбом, но ничего особенного
always thought he was more modern than he is
Elvis Costello albums on this list have never been bad per se, but they have been incredibly inconsistent. This is one of the more mid albums. This entire album just seems so by the numbers, and lacks any real personality. Even at 36 minutes, it felt like it was too long. 2.5 / 5
solid debut album some fun songs in there
Kind of like Britain’s nerdier, punkier answer to Springsteen. A solid album although nothing here wowed me. Best song: Miracle Man
Not really listened to Costello much outside of the bigger singles (and Shipbuilding, which I love). Quite surprised by this - Definitely not punk, not really new wave. But too spiky in both music and lyrics to be really "mainstream" fare. Pretty good.
Es geht.
It's alright. Not so bombastic as the journos claim it to be, and Costello seems undeserving of 5 more albums. Ugh!
I haven't ever heard anything from Elvis Costello that I liked until today. I don't know if this album is just good and I hadn't heard anything from it before, or my tastes have matured. I'll be listening to this again, I think, and perhaps giving him another shot in general ⭐⭐⭐.5
Nice pumping beat, good voice yet not too blaring, helped me stay awake.
Less than zero sounds like glory days by Bruce Springsteen. I had heard Red Shoes before.
I think this one aged better than This Year's Model. Possibly because this one tried to be more rock, while the other leaned more into pop. Then again, did we need this many Elvis Costello albums on the list?
-my relationship with Elvis Costello’s music is complicated. it’s definitely pretty hit or miss for me but when it hits, it REALLY hits -this particular album probably falls into the “hits” category. something about his vaguely annoying voice and kitschy country rock sound is kinda doing it for me?? -solid 3-3.5. really good for a debut album -Favorites: Welcome To The Working Week, Blame It On Cain, Waiting For The End Of The World
Pretty fun sounding pop-rock.
Better than Coldplay
Elvis Costello is cool ... but I dont ever feel the need to listen to a full album. Much like that other Elvis guy!
Car ride on the desert of Texas feeling like a cowboy
Found it pretty boring. Nothing really stood out from this
Pretty good, it’s like sublime meets steely Dan
Great voice and some good songs but nothing amazing overall
Yllättävän hyvää. Pitää kuunnella joskus uudestaan. 3,25/5.
Didn’t care much for the vocals, but the first song is a lot of fun. Guitar solos were fun!
Very few people know this but Len Houmous of Houmous and Chutney fame actually lost his virginity to Elvis Costello. Not listening to him. But actually to him. It was in 1956 just after Len got back from Korea. Elvis denies it, reckons the dates don’t add up but Len said you’d recognise that voice anywhere. It was actual the subject of Len’s infamous Houmous & Chutney Hit. ‘I know it was you, I could feel your voice’ 3.0 5/13 Alison
🔥
Definitely see why Elvis Costello has such a fan base. This was a fun album, but felt like there was a bit to much filler for me to really get into it. "Alison" is a killer track. It's a 3 for me.
Very okay.
Like it 3/5
I went back and forth on this album a couple times. There were parts I liked a lot, and there were some parts that felt were almost silly. I feel like Elvis Costello definitely knows what he is doing as a songwriter and an entertainer. Likely these somewhat silly bits are actually done with full intention and to a great effect. If I listened to this a few times, I think there is a good chance it would grow on me and generate I higher rating, but after one listen I'm not quite convinced.
Feels like some Elvis Costello.
3/5
Given that he's got 7 albums on this list I have a feeling I am going to have a well formed opinion on Elvis Costello by the time this experience is done, but I digress. This debut sounds like a debut. Its a bit rough around the edges. Some good songs here and there. Its fine. Nothing special. The kind of album you accept as a debut and hope it gets better as the career goes on.
Eh
Fun listen, not many thoughts after my first listen
Pretty enjoyable album. Handful of hits, another handful of great songs, the rest all fills in nicely without being overly remarkable or memorable. But a great debut album. Solid 3+.
No standouts
theres one million elvis costellos albums on here and they're all the same. some of them he says the n word on
Still not a fan of E.C., but there’s a few good ones on this album.
Old school cool - perfect listenable but nothing that really moves me
This has a lot of older rock and roll feel but also almost some punk vibes.
Lots of classic songs on this, but overall uneven. It's punkish but ultimately closer to classic rock than many of Costellos contemporaries.
Rock and roll vibes, some good songs, wanted to stand up and dance at some.
Classic
Good album prefer thisyears model
liked some of the songs but everything blends a bit and it starts to drag despite being so short
Eh it’s not bad or anything but it’s just barely a 3
It's aight
Toujours cool
Encore lui ??? Faut lâcher là Musique de générique de série as usual, la note change pas quoi
This album is an easy listen but pretty uninspiring. It's a boring, made for radio album. If someone told me Costello was their favourite artist, I'd think they have bland taste in music. I will say "watching the detectives" does salvage the album somewhat.
136/1001 Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Second album of approximately eleventy billion from Costello and whilst I do like this, I don't know why this is on the list.
Lidt skizofrent album, men en del udmærkede sange på.
Some flashes of great songwriting on here, but as a debut it still feels a little rough around the edges in places. Not Costello’s best outing, but not bad.
484/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Elvis Costello is interesting. I like his overall sound, but I feel like there’s an ironic detachment between him and the music. Something about it feels… constructed? Inauthentic? I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but I feel it in basically every song. Allison still a banger though
I’ve known this album for years, but this time I listened to it from an audiophile point of view. Elvis sings very close to the microphone, which gives the vocals intimacy but leaves little sense of room or space. There’s quite a lot of compression throughout the record, limiting the dynamics. The production is rough and edgy, a style that perfectly suits the album’s energy and attitude, but doesn’t really fall within my personal taste.
Impressive debut. Nothing groundbreaking but nothing my ears disliked. 3/5.
If it wasn’t for Watching the Detectives, there’s no way this would have been even noticed by music listeners. The fact it’s his first album automatically makes it better than the others I’ve heard here. Mainly because all later albums are just a copy/paste of this one
Early new-wave, with plenty of do-wop/50s rocknroll influences. It's almost a complete 50s revival! Interesting sound, but not grabbing my attention. Waiting for the end of the world is proper post-punk/new wave Best track - Welcome to The Working Week, Mystery Dance, Waiting for the End Of The World 3 stars
Nice music.
Didnt listen to it deeply but it was kinda cute and catchy
Rockabilly avec des nuances country...
Album inégal, mais correct.
Not quite good as his other albums on this list, but still good.
Solid stuff by Elvis Costello. I get his popularity, but if I want something in this vein I tend to prefer Joe Jackson.
This grew on me as it went on. Heavy on the 50s nostalgia which I don't love.
Fun. Kind of repetitive. I enjoy Elvis Costello as much as the next guy which is not a ton, but I don't hold anything against him. I appreciated the brevity of the album too haha
I'm never sure what to make of Elvis Costello. He's simultaneously great fun and right up my alley, and supremely annoying to listen to.
Pretty good album. The first half is especially strong. It got a bit tedious to listen through even though is was only 30 something minutes. Still a good experience. 3/5
Pretty fun romp. Notes of Rock and Roll, New Wave, and Beach wave. I might be a nice album to put on a beach day or something. Had a fun time but it's not exactly something I would play regularly. 3.5/5
I was prepared to dislike this one to be honest. The songs sounded somewhat samey at the start but I was pleasantly surprised to find some versatility as the album went on. It was quite enjoyable in the back half particularly. I don’t think it was revolutionary by any means, but it was a good 36 minutes.
Not a fan of Elvis Costello. Also, one of the worst album covers I have ever seen
First thought: Oh god, another Declan MacManus album. From this point on, I refuse to use the first part of his name on principal since he stole the real Elvis' name as a marketing gimmick. I have just left this album on loop and it's grown on me almost to the point of enjoying some of it? Apparently this album was instrumental in creating the New Wave style of music that is similar to REM, Devo, Duran Duran etc that replaced punk music as the underground sound. The thought that this is considered "underground" makes no sense, but the UK has always been culturally weird. (yeah, I said it) I do like the song Less Than Zero, Waiting for the End of the World and Watching the Detectives. The rest are meh. Understand the historical significance of creating the New Wave genre of music, still don't like Declan Macmanus' music, but this album was better than Blood and Chocolate.
Pretty standard ES based on what we’ve already had.
I mean, he’s alright, but come on, does he really need to be on the list, again?
Well there was a surprise, a not so annoying EC album. He clearly hadn’t developed his full annoying vocal lilt, and was deploying a more trad rock style. Bearably short. This doesn’t however get you off the hook list. THIS MAN DID NOT DESERVE MORE THAN ONE ALBUM ON THIS LIST!
:)
Helt greit! Hatt en del kjedelig album i det siste, så gøy med noe mer rocka. Usikker på om jeg hadde hørt på nytt
I'm not really into Elvis Constello but I also can't help but enjoy the songs at the same time?
Enjoyed this aye, some solid tunes
3,5
2.7
This album - and Elvis Costello in general - has a signature sound. It’s not one I’m immediately drawn to but there are a few moments I can appreciate and I wanted more of…like the Mystery Dance, and Watching The Detectives, for example.
This a good record, but not a great one. "Watching the Detectives" is the best song. I've realized, 78 albums in, that this list is way too biased towards stuff that I've already heard or didn't need to hear. And it's just so Anglocentric. Yawn. I'm giving up writing these lengthy reviews and just opting for the star rating method, coz to be honest, this list isn't really worth giving up an hour a day to come up with pithy takes on each record. I have my own list anyway. It was fun while it lasted.
Not something I'd typically like, but something about this had me enthralled.
Liked pretty much everything past Alison. Good but not my style.
The idea that, out of the 1001 albums you MUST listen to before you die Elvis Costello is on the list twice, seems far fetched. Even dubious. Maybe Stevie Wonder put me in a good mood, but this album was actually fun to listen to for me and i don't know how to feel about that after i hated on him so much. And I'm the topic of why he deserves to be here again, this time i heard some Weird Al in his singing (who's entire discography should be on the list) some Billy Joel who i guess isn't an influence but a contemporary, some of The Matches (who have at least one perfect album), and a few other bands. So i get it. I guess it also makes sense that i like this Elvis album more than the other one since it's not from the 80s. I think it's not quite a 4 but i consistently enjoyed it. I should've given the other one a 2
Why is this album so weird about women? Make it stop. I really want to overlook this and not let it impact the rating, but there is too much of it; I cannot.
Tja, helt grei rock. Svingte greit til jobben, falt litt sammen i bilen. Klink 3
This was actually pretty good. The vanilla ice cream of rock and roll. It mostly all sounds the same. It’s not bad but not spectacular
Not bad but not my jam
Elvis Costello generally doesn’t really do it for me. I found it a little plain
En tiiä miks tästä tulee jotenkin jouluinen fiilis mulle. Muutenkin tulee jotenkin lämmin hyvä fiilis tästä. Oon alkanut kanssa lämpenemään Elvis Costellon musiikille, sitä on aika paljon tällä listalla. Tää on sen debyytti. Hyvää rokkia, voiko muuta sanoa. Parhaat: Alison, No Dancing
I like Elvis Costello, but I'm not sure if it's just the few songs I've heard or what. This album was fine, I wouldn't pick it again
Not my favorite so far but didn’t dislike it in any sense. Pretty good.
Rock and roll. A lil bit Bruce Springsteen, a lil bit Randy Newman, a tiny bit Elvis, and also a bit its own thing
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Welcome To the Working Week, Allison This album honestly just felt like more of the same, as I have just recently listened to This Year's Model. This debut album and the other one were released only one year apart, and you could have slammed the two albums together and had a entirely cohesive sound, even if the subject matter differed. It feels like a smattering of genres, without really having its own identity. I don't hate it, but I'm not particularly in enamored with it either. It sort of just exists for me. In one ear an out the other, leaving very little imprint on me.
Pretty great!
This has some good ones. And some less good ones.
Cool!
A collection of pretty good rock songs that borrow heavily from 50s rock and roll and pop. Judging without any historical context, it's great but I didn't find it particularly interesting or memorable.
This is a cool mix of power pop and 50s rock, it feels like it could be playing at a diner in an old movie despite obviously sounding more modern than that. Costello's voice really sells the songs and his cutting lyrics. I've never quite understood Costello's reputation as a lyricist though. As far as I can tell, he's just really sarcastic and make a lot of sexual innuendos on this one. There are some great lines ("there's no such thing as an original sin"), but it wears thin by the end, especially on "Mystery Dance." It wouldn't matter as much if there was more musical variety, but as much as I like the style the actual songs are fairly straightforward. And a lot are pretty similar; "Sneaky Feelings" and "Pay it Back" are almost identical. Some songs sound a bit different, in a good way ("Alison") or a bad way ("I'm Not Angry"). A fun enough listen, but in the end there aren't enough surprises.
nice but nothing special. Would give 3.5/5 (I did particularly like I'm not angry!)
Oh goody. ANOTHER Elvis Costello Album. That said, Watching the Detectives remains a great song. "She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake"
Solid classic alternative.