Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "IT IS ALWAYS HARD TO DETERMINE exactly where genetic inheritance ends and destiny begins..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Attractions, New York, Bruce Thomas (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The progeny of a trumpet player grandfather and a big band vocalist father, Costello was destined to be a star musician by osmosis, if not genetics. Born Declan Patrick MacManus in 1954, the future Buddy Holly clone was raised by a West London family understandably supportive of his early rock leanings. Though "gawky and comically knock-kneed," the young Brit was performing in Liverpool clubs by 18, honing his anti-establishment persona by 22 and on the verge of conquering America by 25-a lightning fast rise deftly recorded by freelance journalist Thomson. A knowledgeable critic, Thomson skillfully interweaves articulate criticism of Costello's musical evolution into his biographical narrative, and unsentimentally details the thrice-married lyricist's dips into infidelity, drug use and egomania (including the artist's infamous song switcheroo on Saturday Night Live in 1977 and his unceremonious firing of his back-up band, the Attractions, in 1987). And while Thomson assumes that readers will have a certain familiarity with the composer's oeuvre and influences, he also writes clearly enough for Costello novices. And he's not without a sense of humor; while discussing the heyday of glam rock, he explains that Elvis wasn't a believer because he had "neither the physique nor the eyelashes for that." In all, this is an engrossing and lively account of an equally animated personality.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Despite an eclectic quarter-century career in which he has essayed, with varying success, musical genres ranging from country to classical, Elvis Costello remains best known as the angry young geek who burst on the late-seventies scene as the public personification of punk. Since then he has evolved into an imaginative composer, brilliant lyricist, and powerful vocalist who enjoys a critical reputation quite surpassing his limited commercial success. Although a devotee, Thomson is clear-eyed about Costello's missteps, and he doesn't skirt embarrassments like Costello's dalliance with ubergroupie Bebe Buell and the notorious, career-derailing incident when he made a racist remark about Ray Charles during a drunken argument. Even the most hardcore fan will learn something from Thomson's extensive research, particularly about Costello's heretofore veiled pre-Elvis days as an aspiring pub-rocker. If the early years, when Costello and bandmates indulged in drugs and sex on the road, are more interesting than his relatively staid later career, Costello's restless exploration and experimentation help keep the narrative compelling throughout. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Canongate U.S. (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841956503
• ISBN-13: 978-1841956503
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #983,012 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More Aptly Titled: the Music of Elvis Costello, August 26, 2005

By	Martin Hamann (Kennesaw, Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Elvis is my all-time favourite musician and I really was looking for a book about the life of Elvis. Complicated Shadows is a thorough treatment of the music of Elvis Costello, delving into his upbringing in a musical household through to about 2004. In all it is a scholarly treatise. Like many scholarly endeavors, it comes across as dry in spots.

I don't want to shoot the messenger, but unfortunately Graeme Thomson had the auspicious and daunting task of writing about a very reclusive and private person. As such, almost (if not) all parts of the book are second-hand accounts of the man, focusing mostly on his music rather than himself since he remains to this day a shadowy subject. I did not get the sense that Mr. Thomson was ever able to have any sort of direct meaningful conversation with Elvis.

If you are interested in knowing the exact order of songs played at a particular venue in 1987, you are in for a treat. As for me, I tired of the musical critique, setlists, and comparisons to other songs (and especially the overuse of the word "pastiche") and was hoping to learn more about the person. Graeme Thomson is obviously a big Elvis fan, but even he was not able to penetrate the layers of veils around his life to delve more into personal matters. It's like trying to learn of someone solely based on their works rather than directly talking and interviewing the person.

I was glad I got the book from a library as I would have felt bad paying for it. As I read the last words and finished the book, I felt I had learned just a bit more of the man, but he really does remain in the shadows.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it, but..., June 28, 2005

By	Sparrow (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This book is heavily researched, and you have to commend the author for taking on such a private subject to begin with. You can sense his enthusiasm and respect for Costello's music, but, even though every Costello album is covered in detail, I was left wanting more. I enjoyed learning new tidbits of information about the various inspirations for some of Costello's more noteworthy songs, but in the end I didn't feel like the book really addressed both parts of its subtitle: Thomson ably covers the "music" of Elvis Costello, but the "life"--his relationship with his family and friends--was a bit lacking. Also the narrative didn't move along with a real thrust; this is no page-turner, in fact it's kind of stagnant in some chapters (felt like a textbook at times). In the end, as a huge Costello fan seeking insight into his brilliant music, the book was worth the read, but it wasn't a particularly enjoyable one.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Costello bio I've seen, June 18, 2005

By	Roy Eassa (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Elvis Costello has been my favorite artist since 1979, when in college I bought "Armed Forces" and was blown away. I quickly bought everything by him that I could find. Over the years I've also purchased several EC biographies (some obscure and now out of print). This new book is by far the best of the pack. It is very well written (by a Brit) and has literally hundreds of interesting tidbits I'd never heard before. It also fleshes out many well-known stories, answering a lot of questions in the process. It's a must-have if you're even a moderate fan of EC's music or enjoy good biographies of brilliant people.