Elvis Costello
Watching The Detectives
My Aim Is True
(1977)

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308 comments:lyrics:add your comment
ddbz
May 15, 2013 - 16:14
OK, after the 20th time hearing this song on this radio station I have begun to wonder if the proprietor of this station is married? I very much enjoy this song and if this song is played for "someone" else I am all for it! all the best to all and play it again.


davewski
Mar 13, 2013 - 22:21
I just love the ambiance of this song. Brings back a lot of good times...


joelbb
Feb 10, 2013 - 13:42
The first big hit from an enormous talent and the only Film Noir pop tune ever recorded to my knowledge. This cut is an all-time RnR masterpiece. Gave it a 9.


oldsaxon
Nov 08, 2012 - 11:49
kcar wrote:

I remember watching that too...not fully engaged (who is this manic geek) and being sleepily puzzled as to why the hell he wouldn't play the song?

All-knowing Uncle Wikipedia explains ...Frankly, I don't think Americans watching were going to link "Less Than Zero" to Oswald Mosley, so Elvis might have made the right call. I sure didn't until I looked at the Wikipedia piece; like a lot of guys, I admittedly don't listen carefully to lyrics.

As for SNL banning Elvis for x years: assclowns. Lighten up: the unrehearsed and chaotic make shows like that fun.


I saw that show...f**kin brilliant...loved him ever since.


kcar
Nov 07, 2012 - 00:16
coloradojohn wrote:
Another mighty blast from the past catches up with us on good old RP ...
I can never forget how I was first introduced to this song, this guy and his wacky new sound...
Watching SNL, '77, back in the day — this nerdy gawky sweaty pigeon-toed dude comes on with Buddy Holly specs and Fender Jag guitar and tight stove-pipe jeans with the cuffs turned up hideously high (weirdly enough, bell bottoms were the norm then!). He herks and jerks around the stage spastically then grabs the mike and wraps around it and snarls something like, "Nhuh we're not gonna do THAT one...we're gonna do THIS one instead," and HE FREAKED THE WATCHING WORLD RIGHT OUT WITH IT! Next day at high school, we're all imitating the pigeon-toed pose and sneering the wicked, twisted lyrics, "and she is WATCHING the de-TEC- TIVES !" and the teachers are giving us the same sort of stunned and quizzical looks we'd first given Mr. Declan MacManus on the tube the night before...and we sure DUG IT!

I remember watching that too...not fully engaged (who is this manic geek) and being sleepily puzzled as to why the hell he wouldn't play the song?

All-knowing Uncle Wikipedia explains ...Frankly, I don't think Americans watching were going to link "Less Than Zero" to Oswald Mosley, so Elvis might have made the right call. I sure didn't until I looked at the Wikipedia piece; like a lot of guys, I admittedly don't listen carefully to lyrics.

As for SNL banning Elvis for x years: assclowns. Lighten up: the unrehearsed and chaotic make shows like that fun.




gemtag
Oct 23, 2012 - 12:21
Byronape wrote:

Yeah, I agree there. Irony is good, snarky is good, but to be ironically snarky while projecting an image that I'm not cool enough to be part of the "in crowd" anyway does not give me any reason to want to listen.


I just have no idea what this means. Either you were absent in 77 or you were listening elsewhere to something I would not go near.


lily34
Oct 23, 2012 - 12:14
karljonasson wrote:

Well, except the song he did instead was 'Radio Radio' off his This Year's Model album. The producers at SNL banned him from the show for decades for that stunt.

i THOUGHT that was the song i remembered! i remember it was a super uptempo and i was about to say "wasn't it radio radio" as some kind of slam to producers or something - is why he did it? i can't recall...


karljonasson
Oct 23, 2012 - 12:12
coloradojohn wrote:
Another mighty blast from the past catches up with us on good old RP ...
I can never forget how I was first introduced to this song, this guy and his wacky new sound...
Watching SNL, '77, back in the day — this nerdy gawky sweaty pigeon-toed dude comes on with Buddy Holly specs and Fender Jag guitar and tight stove-pipe jeans with the cuffs turned up hideously high (weirdly enough, bell bottoms were the norm then!). He herks and jerks around the stage spastically then grabs the mike and wraps around it and snarls something like, "Nhuh we're not gonna do THAT one...we're gonna do THIS one instead," and HE FREAKED THE WATCHING WORLD RIGHT OUT WITH IT! Next day at high school, we're all imitating the pigeon-toed pose and sneering the wicked, twisted lyrics, "and she is WATCHING the de-TEC- TIVES !" and the teachers are giving us the same sort of stunned and quizzical looks we'd first given Mr. Declan MacManus on the tube the night before...and we sure DUG IT!

Well, except the song he did instead was 'Radio Radio' off his This Year's Model album. The producers at SNL banned him from the show for decades for that stunt.


lily34
Oct 23, 2012 - 12:10
damn, i love this.


coloradojohn
Sep 21, 2012 - 23:47
Another mighty blast from the past catches up with us on good old RP ...
I can never forget how I was first introduced to this song, this guy and his wacky new sound...
Watching SNL, '77, back in the day — this nerdy gawky sweaty pigeon-toed dude comes on with Buddy Holly specs and Fender Jag guitar and tight stove-pipe jeans with the cuffs turned up hideously high (weirdly enough, bell bottoms were the norm then!). He herks and jerks around the stage spastically then grabs the mike and wraps around it and snarls something like, "Nhuh we're not gonna do THAT one...we're gonna do THIS one instead," and HE FREAKED THE WATCHING WORLD RIGHT OUT WITH IT! Next day at high school, we're all imitating the pigeon-toed pose and sneering the wicked, twisted lyrics, "and she is WATCHING the de-TEC- TIVES !" and the teachers are giving us the same sort of stunned and quizzical looks we'd first given Mr. Declan MacManus on the tube the night before...and we sure DUG IT!


nagsheadlocal
Sep 06, 2012 - 13:25
1977 - the year I abandoned grad school and took a third-shift job, where I was able to play a local radio station whose overnight DJ played Elvis Costello, XTC, Nick Lowe, etc.

Thanks, Pat P., wherever you are!


slate_dk
Jul 21, 2012 - 02:23
Classic.
Listening to the older Elvis C always brings back memories of Warm Guns; a danish band inspired by Elvis C.

Especially their album "Hard luck"
"Bedtime story" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqkHy3xNypU hmm cut short by a minute

"The young go first" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vfl3vnBiA hideous video, but that was how it was back then


coding_to_music
Jul 05, 2012 - 15:16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watching_The_Detectives_(song)

The single, produced by Nick Lowe , was the first to be credited to 'Elvis Costello & the Attractions', reflecting the new backing band that he was using, previous releases being credited solely to the singer. The lead track was, in fact, recorded in May 1977, before the Attractions existed - the backing band on the song were Steve Goulding on drums and Andrew Bodnar on bass guitar, both from Graham Parker 's band, The Rumour . Keyboard overdubs were added later by Steve Nason (later better-known as Steve Nieve ). It was also the first top 40 hit in the UK Singles Chart for Costello, reaching #15 and spending a total of eleven weeks in the chart.

Andrew Bodnar on bass guitar



lemmoth
May 01, 2012 - 13:51
Pure Genius


Kaisersosay
May 01, 2012 - 13:51
Love Elvis,,,,or I should say the Elvi..


Byronape
Mar 30, 2012 - 20:42
Sorcha wrote:

My comment is sure to be trashed, but here goes:

I have NEVER liked Elvis C. I cannot *stand* when people sing in that sneery, snarky contrived tone. I suppose he's a clever songwriter, to be fair; but his singing just cancels out any listenability for me.

Tra La.....


Yeah, I agree there. Irony is good, snarky is good, but to be ironically snarky while projecting an image that I'm not cool enough to be part of the "in crowd" anyway does not give me any reason to want to listen.




lemmoth
Jan 27, 2012 - 12:14
WonderLizard wrote:

Most critics think The Attractions, EC's band after this album, was his best. Hmm. Don't know if he'd have gained any traction if My Aim Is True had bombed. Clover, a group from Mill Valley, CA, backed him on My Aim courtesy of Nick Lowe, who'd brought them over to England to record. Clover was Huey Lewis's band by then, but he doesn't appear on My Aim . Sean Hopper, later starting The News with Lewis, and John McFee, long time Doobie Brother, do.



As a long time Elvis fan, I can appreciate the work of the boys from Clover on MAIT but.........I would put Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas up against anyone in their generation on their respective instruments.



Cloudbusting
Jan 27, 2012 - 12:12
Love Elvis..all class


johnjconn
Jan 27, 2012 - 12:11
Elvis , the King of Punk

Great album
Great song
Great glasses




hubcapsally
Jan 27, 2012 - 12:10
THE REAL ELVIS! {#Clap}


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