Dimensions
129 x 198 x 38mm
'I asked my dad if he needed 'Please, Please Me' any more. He laughed and handed the record to me . . . '
In a career spanning four decades, Elvis Costello (born Declan MacManus) has made himself a huge reputation through his tunes, lyrics and occasional bad behaviour. His long-awaited memoir finally reveals all about his mistakes and his marriages, his faults and his family.
From his controversial early television appearances, to becoming one of the industry's elder statesmen, Costello's memoir - which he has written himself - is a one-man history of British music. A warm, deep and surprisingly funny insight into an amazing life, it is rich with anecdotes about fame, music and the creation of his famous songs.
Beautifully written, extraordinarily moving. It covers all the bases - his childhood in Twickenham and Liverpool; his musical apprenticeship and eventual breakthrough; the riotous early tours with the Attractions; and his later incarnation as a musical sage.' Sunday Times
'Bristles with details of Costello's many encounters with such legends as Joe Strummer, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney and Burt Bacharach. Every pages exudes his deep love of modern music.' Guardian
'Wildly eccentric, wise, warm, rueful, compelling. Those familiar with Costello's musical manoeuvres through the decades will feel entirely at home.' Mail on Sunday
'Costello can conjure a whole era with a handful of words. His understanding of music and a musician's place in it is never less than extraordinary.' New Statesman
'Fascinating, utterly authentic, reveals much about Britain's most brilliant songwriter of the postpunk era.' Sunday Telegraph
'Utterly definitive.' Observer, Books of the Year
'Wryly comic tales that surely deserve the full Penguin Classics treatment.' GQ, Books of the Year
