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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Lots of anecdotes from his rich and varied career but it became bit of a slog, after a while. Some very poignant writing on his dad, but filled with stories about hanging out with famous people, many of which finish with “and then I went off to Paris to support Bob Dylan”.
Despite having listened to Elvis Costello’s music since 1977, following his career from his early angry, spiky New Wave recordings with The Attractions, through the country songs of ‘Almost Blue’ and later collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet and Paul McCartney, knowing he is married to Diana Krall, when I think of Costello it is still the skinny, snarling young man spitting cynical lyrics from behind a Fender Jazzmaster that I picture. Only when you list the artists that Costello has written, recorded and performed with - Attractions, Imposters, Nick Lowe, Specials, Daryl Hall, Diana Krall, Ray Brown, Chet Baker, Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin, Ann Sofie Mutter, Brodsky Quartet, Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Burt Bacharach ,Bill Frizzell, Allen Toussaint, George Jones, James Burton, Jerry Scheff, T-Bone Burnett, Paul McCartney, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Wyatt, London Symphony Orchestra, The Roots - do you appreciate the breadth of his music and the impact he has had on the musical landscape of the last 40 years.
In ‘Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink’, written without ghostwriters and narrated in the audiobook version by the author himself, Elvis Costello tells of this perhaps unlikely journey and his experiences along the way. It is not a traditional chronological autobiography - “I was born in Paddington in 1954….” - rather a series of themed chapters dealing with particular aspects of his love of music. Costello is candid about his personal life but these stories are told in context and always framed by the music. The music is the most important character in this book. We learn about his grandfather, a White Star Line trumpet player, and his father, the big-band singer, Ross McManus, through Costello’s reflections on the life of a musician on the road. His chapters on, for instance, Allen Toussaint and Burt Bacharach concentrate on these collaborations across several years.
Costello, as anyone who has listened to his lyrics will know, is a natural storyteller and his stories here are frank and honest, as when he talks of his drinking and his marriage failures, but also comical like the unlikely sounding story of how he and Solomon Burke stood in a corridor outside Aretha Franklin’s dressing room hoping to speak with her only to have the Queen of Soul fling the door open and snap their picture with a disposable camera, or when he and Bob Dylan accidentally locking themselves out of a concert hall and having to make their way back through queuing fans.
This is a big book but it rattles along. It is almost liking sitting with Costello as he relates a series of “Did I ever tell you about the time…” stories, illustrating points by quoting song lyrics, both illuminating their meaning and sending you back to the recordings. I began this book as an Elvis Costello fan, albeit intermittently over the last 10 or 15 years. I finished it with an increased admiration for, and appreciation of, one of the most singular talents of the last 40.
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Link to Costello speaking about the book on November 3, 2015 as part of the 26th annual Chicago Humanities Festival - https://youtu.be/_wVjxAN8j-8
In ‘Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink’, written without ghostwriters and narrated in the audiobook version by the author himself, Elvis Costello tells of this perhaps unlikely journey and his experiences along the way. It is not a traditional chronological autobiography - “I was born in Paddington in 1954….” - rather a series of themed chapters dealing with particular aspects of his love of music. Costello is candid about his personal life but these stories are told in context and always framed by the music. The music is the most important character in this book. We learn about his grandfather, a White Star Line trumpet player, and his father, the big-band singer, Ross McManus, through Costello’s reflections on the life of a musician on the road. His chapters on, for instance, Allen Toussaint and Burt Bacharach concentrate on these collaborations across several years.
Costello, as anyone who has listened to his lyrics will know, is a natural storyteller and his stories here are frank and honest, as when he talks of his drinking and his marriage failures, but also comical like the unlikely sounding story of how he and Solomon Burke stood in a corridor outside Aretha Franklin’s dressing room hoping to speak with her only to have the Queen of Soul fling the door open and snap their picture with a disposable camera, or when he and Bob Dylan accidentally locking themselves out of a concert hall and having to make their way back through queuing fans.
This is a big book but it rattles along. It is almost liking sitting with Costello as he relates a series of “Did I ever tell you about the time…” stories, illustrating points by quoting song lyrics, both illuminating their meaning and sending you back to the recordings. I began this book as an Elvis Costello fan, albeit intermittently over the last 10 or 15 years. I finished it with an increased admiration for, and appreciation of, one of the most singular talents of the last 40.
____
Link to Costello speaking about the book on November 3, 2015 as part of the 26th annual Chicago Humanities Festival - https://youtu.be/_wVjxAN8j-8
Has some fun and interesting stories, including more than a few Bob Dylan related anecdotes, but a lot of unnecessary ramblings that make the book way longer than it needed to be. Jumps around chronologically in a way that becomes difficult to follow.
Candid, informative and some good anecdotes. Also sheds a lot of light on his songwriting and inspirations. Too long, though. I started skimming near the end, which I rarely do.
relaxing
slow-paced
Lots of names of people in here, but not many nuggets i’ll carry with me, I’m sorry to say. Was nice to hear it read by the author though. Could’ve used an editor, and i would’ve made it a little more obviously chronological.
That Elvis Costello is an excellent writer should be no surprise to anyone. The first half of the book was compelling enough, as most rise-to-fame-from-obscurity stories are pretty interesting. Costello is honest enough, but not particularly forthcoming (if you can figure out what that might mean). There are some very warm and tender passages about his father, and his current wife, especially. But the second half devolves into a recounting of all the other celebrated artists Costello has performed, written and recorded with (hard to avoid when you're Elvis), and long passages of his lyrics.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
My experience is of the audio version of this book, read by the author. Every review that I have read about this book states that it is too long, too rambling, too unedited ... and that may be true if you’re expecting an organized and formal memoir. But as an audiobook, I found it to be delightful. I was fascinated by his anecdotes, loved his turn of phrase in his own voice, loved to hear stories about some of the giants he has worked with. Yes, I guess I would agree that it’s not a great book and yet I really loved it.
And though I probably won’t read it all again, I plan to revisit the section about the end of his father’s life. As a hospice chaplain, whose own father has recently died, I found his tribute to his imperfect but loving father to be so real, so raw, and so full of love.
And though I probably won’t read it all again, I plan to revisit the section about the end of his father’s life. As a hospice chaplain, whose own father has recently died, I found his tribute to his imperfect but loving father to be so real, so raw, and so full of love.