Customer Reviews

The Big Wheel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I echo the sentiments of other reviews.. Bruce Thomas, former Attractions Bassist, can turn a phrase with almost the degree of virtuosity that he displays in his mastery of the electric bass guitar... no small feat.

As a fan of Elvis Costello, I read the book, perhaps a bit defensively, knowing of the falling out this book reportedly caused between EC and Bruce. I readied myself to hear the worst about Elvis and the boys. I did not find Bruce's anecdotes particularly inflammatory or derogatory to "The Singer", "The Drummer" or "The Keyboard Player" (Thomas' Wodehouse-esque thinly-veiled psuedonyms for his bandmates.) No, it all seemed refreshingly frank, and having had just a small taste of life on the road in a band, it was nice to see the monotony so well chronicled. I enjoyed Bruce's irony and word play and found his style to be not unlike the wit and intelligence of Elvis Costello's own writing. I also appreciated Bruce's willingness to turn a critical eye to his own thoughts, motivations and behaviors.

Unfortunately, the overiding tone of the book is essentially joyless and bleak. Obviously The Road was a source of monotony and introspection, but surely there were more than a few moments where Bruce must have found the journey worth the taking. At no point is there any acknowledgement that he was having any fun or finding any personal joy and fulfillment in making a living playing music for adoring fans. Obviously it can't all be sex, drugs and rock n roll party fun, but this books makes the journey out to be nothing but dreary skies, shabby truck stops, and hangovers. The book seems dominated by an overriding sense of Bruce saying with a condescending tone 'oh why can't everyone be as observant and cynical as me?' The chronicle does manage to end with a slight glimmer of hope, and hints that Bruce may be at peace with himself, but it came across to me as an almost obligatory afterthought to round it out. Too little too late. Still, a good read, I just kept wanting to find the chapter, or even a paragraph in which he says "wow, how lucky am I to be playing in a band, and seeing the world and making a living doing it?!." You chronicled the downside, Bruce. Now count your blessings.

I've been reading for years about how good this book is, and how it caused a irreparable rift between Elvis Costello and the author. Having read it, I cannot understand either. The writing is repetitive and precious. Thomas tries too hard to turn a phrase at every, uh, turn, and his incessant descriptions of how boring the touring life can be are equally as excruciating. I cannot figure out what Elvis got pissed off about? The fact the uses the "lavatory" three times before a show? His fear of flying? I get the feeling he must have just learned to dislike Thomas over time and this book was a good excuse to chuck him from the band. Americans wishing to learn British slang and vernacular will find this book rife with opportunity. For hardcore Elvis fans only, and only suitable then as bathroom reading.

Having been a fan of the band from the beginning and being aware of the fact that "the book" supposedly caused the split, I began the book with some defensiveness. Before long, I found it to be a very interesting and well written record of life on the road. Granted, the tone is brooding at best but so was the music of this period.

The lingering question that I have is what was so bad here to cause the split? One of the reviewers stated that Bruce should lighten up. I'm a huge Elvis fan but maybe he should lighten up as well.

A good read.

Man am I glad I didn't pay big bucks to buy this used while it was out of print. Let me tell you the reason it has been out of print all this time: It's just not a very good book.

Bruce Thomas is a superb bassist -- an extraordinary one, even. He is also clearly highly intelligent, well read and well educated. And he wants you to know that on every single page.

The main aspect of the book that bothered me was Bruce's repeated expressions of contempt for his audience. Hey, we get it Bruce. You get tired of fans ligging about asking you what strings you use over and over again, and Holiday Inns suck, an life on the road can be monotonous and hard. We get it. You're not a dumb rock star, you are an erudite English gentleman. Enough already.

For Costello fans, it is pretty obvious to me that there is no truth to the legend that this is an inflammatory book with loads of Elvis dirt that got him fired -- unless you consider eating too much sushi a salacious detail.

I am not saying it's not worth a read as a novel, but keep your expectations where they would be for any first time novelist.

Look, I dig Elvis Costello & the Attractions but why the hell did they fire this guy after he wrote this? There's nothing really in here that is all that shocking or scandalous. The book reads like someone's diary and as a sort of rock travel essay put me to sleep. It's all the same--disconnected observations on nothingness. Some hit the right tone but others are just there and make you go "So what's the big deal?"

Compare this to some other books of this genre and this does not even hold a candle to many of the New Wave era.

Kind of difficult to read at first due to his odd style, but the book picks up. Bruce comes off as a loner who lives deep in his head. He says he was fired twice because of this book. Unless this is an abridged edition I have, I dont see it. Hopefully one of the other Attractions writes a more straightforward account of these days but till then Bruces book is a fine look inside life in a very successful band.

All of his anecdotes, jokes, and cringe-inducing puns imply that he views himself as the ultimate arbiter of taste and intellect. He's a great bass player.

I really thought this was going to show at least more than a fleeting glimpse at Elvis and the boys, but it's really just a pissed off ex-bass player spouting off at how everything sucks except him. There's not much about "The Singer" or the rest of the band, just Thomas waxing un-poetically about how much better he is than everyone else. Really sad...

This is not a book for fans of Elvis Costello and the Attractions. If you're buying this book as a fan of the band, skip it. There's about 10-15 pages worth of material that mention anything interesting or funny related to that subject. The rest of the book is nothing but pointless rambling and pseudo-philosophical mumbo-jumbo. I guess this could count as Bruce's outlook on life. Oh, and there's that goofy chapter about letting some guy borrow a van. (???) Seriously, it gets so tedious and boring I just skimmed the last few chapters for anything relating to the band, but found nothing and closed the book. I have no idea why this book could be cited for causing problems between Bruce and Elvis. There's nothing inflammatory or personal revealed; just a few jokes made here and there about the band members' habits or demeanor while on the road. Wow.

I am so pleased to see this book back in print! Bruce Thomas was the bass player with Elvis Costello and the Attractions and this "fictional" work featuring characters such as The Singer, The Keyboard Player and The Drummer, contributed largely to the eventual split between Elvis and Bruce (and the disintegration of the band) when it was first published over 10 years ago.

Whilst Elvis may not have approved, the book comes across to me as an honest memoir of life in a band - not always full of glamour and hot women! It's not always flattering, either to the author or to his bandmates, but real life isn't.

The anecdotes in the book are sometimes amusing, sometimes poingnant, but always interesting, especially if you are a fan of the music. It largely focuses on Bruce's life in the Attractions, but there are chapters about his childhood, his family, and his work with US band Quiver amongst others.

It's a little thin, and won't take you long to work through, but is a highly enjoyable read.