First year of university, and this was one of those records we sat round and actually listened to. And this geeky looking bloke on the cover is a punk, is he?
Of course, we now know that Elvis Costello was just one of a number of talents that would have emerged in any era, although arguably the 'do it yourself' ethos of punk, and producer Nick Lowe's ability to get a good simple sound down with minimum fuss (and the use of US country rockers Clover as a tight backing band) helped Costello's debut see the light of day.
It's stood up well. Welcome To The Working Week and Miracle Man are bright openers, and Alison stands out in the first half of the album, while Red Shoes and Less Than Zero set up the second half nicely. But within this, there have been a number of forgettable songs - not bad songs, but unremarkable. Waiting For The End Of The World wrapped up the original album, a bit plodding, but a good song - however this CD version also has Costello's first hit single, Watching The Detectives, which matches the quality of the best tracks on this album.
3* - a bit harsh? Half a dozen fantastic songs, but a lot of filler. A great debut, but there's clearly a lot more to come from young Elvis.
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