So my wife won $175 for an online music store here in Canada and she's not really into cd buying like me. I'm thinking it's high time I've picked up some Elvis Costello albums. I've wanted to pick up one of those Rhino reissues but they're a bit much in terms of price here (roughly $30), so I figure this is a perfect opportunity to grab a couple. Of the ones I'm thinking of picking up:

Armed Forces
My Aim is True
Imperial Bedroom
Get Happy

Unfortunately, This Years Model is 'out of stock'. Anyone have any recommends/thoughts about his discography?

(I'm also picking up Morrissey's Bona Drag and Concrete Blonde's 'Mojave')

I'm a big, big fan. Don't think you can go wrong with any of his first 5 albums.

Why not start at the beginning and just get My Aim Is True.

After '82 his catologue gets a bit weaker, but there is still good stuff there.

Steve

Armed Forces is my favorite
Followed closely by King Of America!
Don't overlook King just because the Attractions aren't on it, it has some of his very best songs:
"Brilliant Mistake"
"Indoor Fireworks"
being only my two favorites...
great record.

Cool.

I have the re-issues of Armed Forces, Imperial Bedroom, and My Aim is True. You can't go wrong with any of the ones you listed. I would also add "Trust" to your list although I'm not sure it was re-issued.

It's tough to recommend one because all of those are so good. You really need to hear them all because only then can you see what a high creative level he maintained for so many years.

My Aim is True is considered by many to be the greatest debut of all time. It doesn't sound dated at all. Just a damn good collection of songs done by a brilliant lyricist. The fact that it came out "the year that punk broke" and is still considered by many to be the best record of that year says a lot about it.

Imperial Bedroom was an album where he allowed himself the time in the studio(with a big budget) to create a masterpiece of composing and musicianship. Very dense album of pop in the classic sense.

This probably wasn't much help but I like them all at different times.

I would say my faves are Get Happy and My Aim is True....................at least today.

I love Get Happy. It's got some exceptional slow burning tunes like Clowntime Is Over, Riot Act and Motel Matches. Not a particular rocking affair, but one of his best, IMHO.

"Imperial Bedroom" is in my All-Time Top 10, period. Matter of fact, I'm putting it on right now.

i've just picked up spike because i really liked the couple songs I played off of it for that EC tribute here in town, and it's pretty stellar. But I also like All This Useless Beauty, so many would say my taste is suspect at best, but fuck 'em. The guy's a natural.

This Year's Model is my favorite by far. Imperial Bedroom is awesome. Armed Forces is good.

To get a bit of the best of every style he's covered, pick up Blood And Chocolate and Brutal Youth for some "Angry rockin' Elvis," King of America for the country-ish Elvis (because Almost Blue is just too depressingly "country" for me to stomach,) Get Happy!!! and Trust for Elvis-takes-on-the-great-American-pop-song, and, well, Armed Forces because it just plain kicks ass. But then I have found a reason to like just about everything Elvis has done . . . aside from Almost Blue. Seriously, that is one of the most dreary albums in my collection.

Has King of America been reissued by Rhino yet? Are there any others thtat are still to come and when are they expected?