An artfully presented glimpse into the mind of a passionate thinker and artist, Elvis Costello's memoir reaches beyond anything attempted by rock stars in this medium. From the very first page you can tell this is not your daddy's autobiography. Costello, born Declan Patrick MacManus, a Londoner of Irish descent with a father who toiled in the music business from every possible angle, presents a musical life like no other; a destiny filled with significant road marks along the way.
Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink time-travels effortlessly through the deep-rooted past of Costello's family history, providing clues to his ambitions, fears, and triumphs in and out of the music business. He takes us into old-time music halls, star-studded ceremonies, lavish parties, and endless soul-crushing tours; sometimes all at once. Most importantly, we're given access inside his craft and a distinctive study of the music that inspired him. Costello's elegant writing reveals a true reverence for songwriting and the lineage that bore him. It is rare a man of such raw talents can both understand his place in the pantheon of great composers, but also deconstruct his work in the most charming and relatable way.
Costello's finest achievement with Unfaithful Music, beyond the amazing recollection of childhood traumas and the joys of personal and professional experience, are the wonderfully rich characters from his past, both harrowing and hilarious. Uniquely, Costello interjects short stories from his archives that reflect the times in which he is covering, and these, again, are all manner of moments, from tragedy, as in the loss of a close school chum in his formative years to a car accident, to the death of his beloved father and mentor, to his loves and musical achievements, of which on both accounts, there are many.
For those who want more of a tell-all that one finds in Keith Richards, Graham Nash or Pete Townshend's recent memoirs, this may be a disappointment. Costello goes out of his way to avoid this type of celebrity trope, but he does manage to name-drop without being too maudlin. For my money, the chapters inside the Attractions best work and his collaborations with Paul McCartney are revelatory and provide great weight to his decades of work.
Fans of Costello would expect this much from him; Unfaithful Music is intelligent, heartfelt, and brutally honest.
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