Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink

September 21, 2015
In this massive, circuitous biography, rock music icon Costello attempts to put his life into context, with varying degrees of success. Declan Patrick McManus, aka Elvis Costello, had music in his blood. His grandfather was a trumpet player with the White Star Line, and his father had a long, quirky career as a singer in a dance band and a radio show host, keeping him away from home a great deal. Young Costello was constantly surrounded by music and musicians. Though he spent most of his childhood living with his mother, it was his father who had the greatest influence on him as a performer. He was privy to the latest releases and shared them with his eager son, bonding over a mutual love of music. The narrative rambles, though there are plenty of tales to keep the pages turning. Readers will be fascinated by Costello’s stories of witnessing the Clash recording “London Calling,” absentmindedly leaving his guitar at the White House, and performing at Live Aid, yet he offers them only as asides. Hits such “Accidents Will Happen” and “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” are mentioned only in passing. However, many of his albums are covered in greater detail, as are observations on David Bowie’s skill at party games and Burt Bacharach’s charm. Costello’s an endearing, humble narrator, frequently awed by the opportunity to work with legends such as Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and Chet Baker. For better or worse, his book feels like a discussion between friends over a pint.

Always provocative, sometimes controversial, rock singer/songwriter Elvis Costello has evolved through and endured multiple phases--heralded and unheralded--and still remains a vital force in popular music. In this largely anecdotal memoir--read by the performer himself--he reflects on growing up in a musical family--his father was a jazz bandleader--catching the wave of punk amid the social and economic decay of mid-seventies Britain, and working with Paul McCartney, George Jones, and other musical icons. The fact that he reads the book himself is apt, considering the highly personal nature of the material. He really pours on the Liverpool accent, which is appropriate, considering his typically British barbed wit and the wry nature of the narrative. J.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine