Remastered from the Original Master Tapes!

Elvis Costello’s remarkable My Aim Is True announces the arrival of a singular talent. Having long ago secured its status as one of the greatest debut albums ever recorded, the 1977 set hasn’t lost any of the vibrant urgency, lyrical edge, or biting wit that made Costello the pin-up model for new-wave music. Blending punk-fueled motivation with pub-rock, reggae, and classic American rock n’ roll strains, the landmark effort includes many of the singer’s best-known and most beloved tunes: the poisoned ballad “Alison,” voyeuristic “Watching the Detectives,” slinky “(The Angels Want to Wear My) Red Shoes,” and rave-up “Mystery Dance” included. There isn’t a bad note here.

The history behind My Aim Is True is as rich as the songs. Before landing at then-fledgling English indie label Stiff Records, Costello had been laboring as a computer operator housed next door to a lipstick factory. The conditions couldn’t be riper for the cynical blue-collar observations and fierce humor that pierce tracks like “Welcome to the Working Week” and “Less Than Zero.” Costello took inspiration from London subway rides, venomous politics, and surrounding vanity. Having been rejected by what he estimated amounted to every other label in the city, Costello began calling in sick to his day job in order to record material for what become My Aim Is True.

Made for just 1000 pounds and over the course of four six-hour sessions, the experience found Costello recording his parts in a room the size of a telephone booth. His backing band – Clover, not the Attractions (save for on “Watching the Detectives,” left off the original UK release) – rounded out the slinky, melodic songs with spare details such as fuzztone pedal steel guitar and organ. The minimal budget ensured that nothing extra or fancy was employed. Overdubs weren’t really an option; what was played is basically what you hear.