Customer Reviews

Elvis Costello: A Biography

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What a let down! I can't think of anyone more deserving of a good biography than Elvis Costello. The greatest 20th Century songwriter -- and I include Dylan, Gershwin, Porter, et al., in that comparison. Well, this isn't what we've been waiting for, by a country mile. A thrown-together collection of press clips, apocrypha and tired gossip, with absolutely no analysis of his lyrics and songwriting in general. If you're going to read a bio, try "God's Comic" instead. It's no great shakes either, but this is the pits. Why the publisher didn't just sling the MS in the trashcan, I don't know. Obviously done with no cooperation from the subject or anyone who knows the first thing about his music. Save your money.

Tony Clayton-Lea's book, "Elvis Costello: A Biography" is about as inspired as its title. It is a mostly a cookie-cutter approach to the life of the greatest singer-songwriter this side of Bob Dylan. Interestingly, previous chronologies of Dylan's life and times have been imaginative, provocative, and literate. It's a shame Costello has yet to receive equal treatment. Clayton-Lea's book reads like a cross between a college term paper and a transcript from VH1's "Behind the Music". Basically, rock star makes it big, is overcome by sex, drugs, and fame, has a few tiffs with his record company, but is able to maintain his artistic integrity throughout. Though it may be true, it's a plot that's been exhausted a thousand times over with a hundred other artists. There has got to be a more creative approach to filling 200 pages about this man's life and work. The book's one saving grace is its ample use of insightful quotes from various interviews throughout the years. If Costello had been on board to lend literacy to this entire project, perhaps quality and originality would have been enforced (and "Damnation's Cellar" would not be referred to as "Damnation's Alley").

Even though the author says in the beginning that he was rejected by his subject for an authorised biography,he still manages to write an interesting,informative and esoteric piece of work.I think this book will only be worthwhile to someone who is already a fan and is familiar with his discography.It gave some light as to how E.C.'s career has taken so many turns and how he became influenced by so many musical genres.It also became clear that he would'nt be the artist that he is today if he had'nt been some what of a maverick in the music industry.This of course is further supported by ups and downs of his personal life that was often reflected in his music.Overall,the book was tastefully writen and will again,be of interest primarily to fans of E.C. and not to people unfamilar with his work as there are reletively few sensational and trashy stories to entertain the voyeuristic and curious public.

Because of Costello's fantastic music and lyrics, not so much because of the mans life(of which I knew nothing about), I wanted to read this book, and so I have.

Well, I must say that while Costello's lyrics are profound and rich, the book about him do not fit that description. I was all the way through reading the book with great interest and fascination, but that was never because I found the book well written or in any way brilliant. Anyway, I couldn't put it away because the story told was about an exciting human being.

This is on the other hand no excuse to write a boring book, that uses more energy on explaining marketing strategies and US charts, than contemplating Elvis Costello.

There are three types of unauthorized biographies, well-researched, pure speculation, and cut and paste. This is an example of the latter. The author gives us the Elvis Costello to be found in magazine interviews, and creates a whole book by taking information from a variety of sources and putting it all together into this quickie bio. Some decent insights into his recording career are to be found throughout, but this is really not well-done. You can put your time to better use by listening to a few Costello CD's and wonder about the workings of the man who created all this challenging music. That will bring you closer to understanding Elvis Costello than this book will.

One thing that you have to give credit to Tony Clayton-Lea for is that he right up front advises the reader that Elvis Costello had nothing and wanted nothing to do with this biography. Cooperation from the subject of a biography is, of course, immensely helpful in writing of the book, but by no means a necessity. Mr. Clayton-Lea offers an extremely pedestrian account of the life and times of Elvis Costello. The book reads like press clippings in many spots and offers no insight into the man's career. Being that there are barely any books on Mr. Costello, this book has a minimum of value for that reason, but not much else. if you are an avid fan of Mr. Costello, then this book doesn't offer much, but if you are not that familiar with his career, then this book is a decent primer.