Elvis Costello has announced a lavish box set marking the 49th anniversary of his 1977 debut album, My Aim Is True, deliberately sidestepping the more conventional 50th anniversary in a move he says avoids a "preposterous" celebration. The release matters for fans of the singer-songwriter as it offers a substantial expansion of one of the most acclaimed debut albums in rock history, pairing a fresh remaster with a wealth of previously unheard material and archival ephemera.

The box set, titled My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition), includes 52 unreleased songs, demos, outtakes and live recordings alongside a remastered version of the original 12-track LP taken from the analogue master tapes. It also features handwritten lyrics and new essays contributed by Nick Lowe, Rosanne Cash, Peter Wolf and Jim James, among others. The set is due for release on 2 October via UMe, with a live recording of "Watching the Detectives" shared as an early preview; Costello is currently on tour with Charlie Sexton.