Elvis Costello (Kill Your Idols Series) (Paperback)

~ David Sheppard (Author), John Aizlewood (Editor) "Adopting the King of rock 'n' roll's name was always the most impudent of act - to do it in the year that the musical..." (more)
Key Phrases: pop classicism, get happy, cover versions, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Bruce Thomas (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Any man who is prepared to take on the first name of the King of Rock 'n' Roll has to have enough confidence in his own talent not to care what the critics think of him, and this is certainly the case with Mrs. McManus' little boy. From the sneering 'psychotic bank clerk' look and short, sharp, splenetic singles of his early days with the Attractions, through the period when he wore a beard and made serious music with the Brodsky Quartet, to his mellow, tuneful songs written with Burt Bacharach, Costello has always been a musical chameleon. Commercial success has been sporadic, but Costello's refusal to follow fashion or bow in the face of often vitriolic criticism has marked him out as uncompromising, determined, and focused on exploring the boundaries of his craft. His influence on the next generation of artists remains unquestioned, and his acceptance as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the last twenty years is assured. The book includes a chronology and complete discography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (January 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560253037
• ISBN-13: 978-1560253037
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #134,333 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Kill This Book Please, January 9, 2001

By	"ericm2613" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

While the author's account is factual accurate, I felt I did not learn much new information about EC. The book was very thin and really did not go into much detail. The author only alludes to what Elvis might have been thinking/feeling etc. or quotes what others have stated. The whole book felt like a term-paper I might have written at the end of high school. Being a huge Elvis Costello fan, I really expected more from this book. The book is divided up into three sections. The first section is the bio. The second is a discography (available at almost every EC website) a complete waste of paper (but given that the bio portion is so short the author probably needed to fill the pages with something). I only wish I had read a review of this book prior to pre-ordering it. I've learned my lesson. So basically unless you need to own every piece of Elvis Costello...skip this one!

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Elvis deserves better, February 21, 2001

By	Terry L. Pierce "tlandta" (Renfrew, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Witless and dry distillation executed in the style of high school book report. Pass on it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned alot from this book about Mr. Costello, August 1, 2003

By	"raymondharding" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This is the perfect "beginners" Elvis Costello book. But thats the most it has to offer. Lots of facts and stuff about his early years. It is so interesting to me that he came from a musical family background. I then suggest moving on to the Brian Hinton bio which is the definitive and best book ever written on Costello. The Tony Clayton-Lee book is the weakest of the lot.