I’m hopping on the trend.
My Aim Is True, Elvis Costello’s 1977 debut album.
Pick the song you think is best.
I included “Watching the Detectives”, which was on the original American release but not on the original British release (where it was released as a single). I left off the various extra tracks that have been added for later reissues. (The 2007 Deluxe edition has forty-eight tracks!)
Tough choice. While nothing on this album ranks with my favorite Elvis, it’s all still pretty great. There are about half a dozen on here that I could easily choose as best, but I went with “Less Than Zero” 'cos I hear that South America is coming back in style.
Watching the Detectives, but it is kind of a cheat - I believe it was recorded at a later session with different musicians and is musically much more similar to the later albums with the Attractions than it is to the rest of My Aim is True.
If I were to stick with songs that were recorded in the original sessions, the best song is probably Alison, but my favorites might be Welcome to the Working Week or (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes.
This is turning out to be as difficult as the Abbey Road poll was.
So many great songs, so many great lyrics…
White lies, alibis, say anything but say that it’s true;
We could sit like lovers staring at each others’ eyes,
but the magic of the moment might become too much for you
I could tell you that I like your sensitivity when you know it’s the way that you walk
I said, ‘I’m so happy I could die,’
she said, ‘drop dead’ and left with another guy
I ultimately went with ‘Less Than Zero’.
mmm
Alison is, for my money, Costello’s best song.
Another poll? Yikes! Well, I’ve gotta do it 'til I’m through it so I better get to it.
I love this album, for me every track is great so it was a hard choice. I went with I went with the funky quasi ska beats of Less Than Zero mostly because if I was going to pick one track to listen to right now that’s what I would pick, but it could have been almost any song. I came very very close to picking Blame it on Cain instead for having my favorite lyrical moment in modern rock music
“Once upon a time, I had a little money
Government burglars took it long
Before I could mail it to you, still
You are the only one
Now I can’t let it slip away”
I love the way that line trips off the tongue. But on the whole it isn’t quite as…solid as Less Than Zero.
Also, while I love Alison, it is significantly farther down the list of my favorite songs on this album.
Mr Costello agrees with you because I think he is still playing 8 tracks off this album in his live shows. Mind you he plays everything. I saw him on consecutive nights in Sydney and he played completely different sets each night.
That’s really cool. I have only had a chance to see him once, but it was in a relatively intimate venue here in LA. I would love a chance to see him play again, it was a lot of fun.