Elvis Costello is undoubtedly one of the most important and challenging musicians of the last thirty years. Complicated Shadows paints a detailed portrait of an intensely private, complex, and creatively restless individual. It draws on a wealth of new research, including exclusive interviews with people from all stages of Costello's life and career: classmates, friends, members of his early bands, former lovers, members of the Attractions, producers, and various collaborators. Complicated Shadows reveals the circumstances surrounding his marriages to ex-Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan and jazz singer Diana Krall, and the bitter breakup of his long-term backing band, the Attractions. Costello's "coiled tight" personality and penchant for outrageous candor set the tone for a frenetic, and aesthetically inventive, independent band. Their independence is epitomized by their infamous 1977 Saturday Night Live appearance (replacing the Sex Pistols, who dropped out) when Costello cut short the scheduled song, "Less Than Zero," then directed the band to play the as-of-yet unreleased "Radio Radio." Costello didn't appear on live U.S. television again until the 1980s. Complicated Shadows contains a full examination and analysis of the entirety of Costello's vast and varied musical output, both in the studio and on the stage.
I write about music for a living. It's taken me to some interesting places. I've sat on a sofa in the control room of Abbey Road's Studio 2 and watched Paul McCartney remove his socks half way through our conversation. Keith Richards phoned me at 4 a.m. to ask, 'Whatya doing up so late, old boy?'. I've been offered a potentially fatal reefer by Willie Nelson. I've made Bob Geldof cry into his meat loaf, and Elvis Costello once threw a peach stone in my general direction. I left Lou Reed speechless at my apparent stupidity - "You don't play, do you?" he sneered when he recovered the power of speech; I do, but it didn't seem to make much odds. And I got into a heated argument with Mick Jagger about 'John Wesley Harding', which I'm still convinced I won.
I am the author of four books: 'Complicated Shadows: The Life & Music of Elvis Costello' (Canongate, 2004); 'Willie Nelson: The Outlaw' (Virgin, 2006); 'I Shot a Man in Reno' (Continuum, 2008); and 'Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush' (Omnibus, 2010). I'm currently working on a fifth, 'The Resurrection of Johnny Cash', due Spring 2011.
I'm a regular contributor to the Guardian, The Word, Uncut, New Statesman, the Herald and theartsdesk. My work has also appeared in the Observer, Esquire, Mojo, Time Out, Rolling Stone, HMV Choice, Oxford American and Record Collector. Occasionally I'm allowed to break cover on UK radio.
Here's some of the things people have written about my work:
* Praise for 'Under The Ivy':
"The best music biography in perhaps the past decade... an absorbing, painstakingly researched and downright fascinating book" - Irish Times
"Superb .... A compelling examination of an artist in a constant state of becoming - Mojo
"Respectful, fascinating and full of insight" - Q
"A masterful biography. Thomson's descriptive language is gorgeous" - The Word
"Sheds a light on the women behind the inspiration of many a modern-day chanteuse - NME
* Praise for 'Complicated Shadows':
"That rarest of rock & roll studies: expertly researched, restrained yet stylish, and in perfect tune with its subject's work" - Austin Chronicle
"Those with even a remote interest in rock music of the past 30 years will find his book utterly mesmerizing" - Library Journal
"A vital read ... Thomson here returns one of rock's most elusive figures to flesh and blood ... Definitive." - Uncut
"Brilliantly written . . . in the absence of Elvis Costello putting pen to paper himself, this is far and away the next best thing." - Record Collector
* Praise for 'I Shot a Man in Reno':
"Better musical surveys are hard to find, and the results are positively life-affirming." - Paste
"Its contents more than live up to the billing.... a rich and masterful read." - The Word
"Shows an electric ability to craft delectable imagery with informative reporting..... Dude knows the best musical death trips!" - KEXP, Best Books of 2008
"An essential volume for anyone interested in pop as an all-pervasive social force that soundtracks our lives right up to our last breath.... One of the most informative and fulfilling music books you're ever likely to read" - Record Collector
"A wildly cheering history of the subject of death in popular song." - Observer, Best Music Books of 2008
* Praise for 'Willie Nelson: The Outlaw':
"An excellent biography. Thomson is too shrewd a biographer to take [Nelson] at his own estimation." - Paul Du Noyer, The Word
"Thomson tells the Nelson story with incision and insight. Sharp writing, astute observation and a wry attitude .... make for a lively read and a vivid portrait of an often baffling talent. Recommended." - Neil Spencer, Observer Music Monthly
