Bootlicking

Aim to Please and Nashville and More, Elvis Costello. Many of Costello's demos, live outtakes, and B-sides, including a few selections from both of these bootlegs, have made it onto various Rykodisc reissues: The first of these boots features the early '70s demos Elvis recorded with his band Flip City, and the second contains unused tracks from Almost Blue, assorted Peel sessions, Letterman appearances, and live tracks.

Aim to Please presents Elvis as a pub-rocker infatuated with Van Morrison, his voice and even his lyrics containing little of the vitriol and sneer that would appear on My Aim is True; "Radio Soul" is almost affectionate compared to the song it would become, "Radio Radio," and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" builds a bridge to Dylan that Elvis would surely deny these days. Similarly, the relaxed and dashed-off Nashville and More gives E.C. more country credibility than its slicker counterpart ever did.