Elvis Costello ‘s 104-track look back at his debut album, My Aim is True — 49th Anniversary Edition, is easily one of the year’s best reissues, packed with unheard songs and era-spanning live performances. Most notably, there’s a stash of pre-debut songs that show how broad his stylistic range was from the beginning, foreshadowing his later adventures in roots, country and pre-rock balladry.

In a recent episode of our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Costello looked back at the making of the album, some of the highlights of the boxed set, and more. You can read a condensed version of the interview below; to listen to the whole thing, check out the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify , or just press play above.

There’s an awful lot on this boxed set, some of it upturning our perceptions of your past. But I wanted to start with something we’ve always known: “I used to be disgusted/ Now I try to be amused” from “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” — a pretty emblematic line to have on your first album.…