There are now three different versions of Elvis Costello's 1977 debut album My Aim Is True for sale. For about $15, you can purchase the one-disc "Original Masters" version released this May by Universal/Hip-O. For about $20, you can purchase Rhino's 2001 reissue, which features the original album on one disc plus a bonus disc of assorted demos, live tracks, and outtakes. And now, for about $30, you can purchase Universal/Hip-O's 2xCD "deluxe" version, which packs the original album, outtakes and Costello's solo demos on the first disc, and an entire 1977 live show from the Nashville Rooms (complete with soundcheck) on its second.
In a sense, it's an interesting model of consumer choice, or at least it could be: three incrementally priced versions of an album, geared towards three different levels of interest. But this new reissue not only falls short of being the final, definitive word on the album-- it falls short of the Rhino reissue as well. The bonus material on the 2001 reissue seemed more carefully curated, giving a complete picture of Costello's work at the time and making for a compelling listen throughout. The gestures towards completism on this reissue are appreciated, but much of the bonus material fails to be of more than just passing interest.
A good deal of the first disc's better bonus material has appeared on previous reissues. Outtakes "Stranger in the House" and "Radio Sweetheart" heighten the country-tinged tone of the record, and are on par with some of its weaker tracks. The Pathway Studio demos, most of which are previously unreleased, sound like what they are: high-quality demos recorded in anticipation of making a record. Four of these unreleased tracks didn't make it onto the record, and all are serviceable, if not spectacular. But a lot of the better tracks from the Rhino reissue are noticeably absent here, including a cover of the Burt Bacharach/ Hal David standard "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself". While this reissue offers an interesting glimse into Costello's creative work immediately before and after the release of My Aim Is True, it lacks the reverent and enthusiastically geeky perspective of the Rhino reissue.
The live disc provides a fascinating window into how backing band the Attractions changed the course of Costello's work. You can hear Steve Nieve's keyboard begin to take prominence over Costello's guitar work, but the band has yet to account for these changes in their arrangements. You can also hear drummer Pete Thomas holding back and falling a bit behind, perhaps trying to emulate the more loose and laid back tone of My Aim Is True. The songs culled from the record sound awkward and uncertain, and an embryonic version of "I Don't Want to Go to Chelsea" is listless and sluggish. At this stage, the band sounds like a pale imitation of the incredibly forceful unit heard on the vastly superior Live at El Mocambo, which was released in a box set with Rykodisc's even earlier reissues, and excerpted on the Rhino reissue.
Of course, the album itself is still fantastic. Songs like "Alison", "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes", "Less Than Zero", and "Watching the Detectives" are among Costello's best, and constitute a vital chapter in the lexicon of punk and new wave. My Aim Is True sounds just as relevant now as it did four months ago, seven years ago, and 15 years ago (when Rykodisc's expanded reissue was first released on CD). Does this reissue do anything to provide a new context for the album? Not really. Whereas the Rhino reissue featured some truly fascinating liner notes from Costello himself, this reissue-- though impeccably packaged-- includes no illuminating liners, old or new. It does, however, include an ad for Elvis Costello ringtones, obnoxiously dating this release and calling into question its motives. Still, this is hardly a case of exploitation or instant obsolescence. None of the bonus material here is bad, and much of it will be of interest to Costello completists. If you have thirty dollars to spare on a batch of demo recordings and an interesting live show, there are worse ways to spend your money. If not, the Rhino reissue makes a much better case for this classic and essential album.
