Elvis Costello's Armed Forces (33 1/3)

Customer Reviews:

A critical tour de force -- and a must-buy for serious Elvis fans.......2005-07-10

Franklin Bruno's book on *Armed Forces* gives Elvis's music the serious attention that it deserves. As someone who has had the album in fairly constant rotation since I bought it 20 years ago, I was amazed throughout by discoveries, small and large, about the album. Small discoveries: Who knew that Elvis's band listened constantly to ABBA and Cheap Trick while on tour (and that these bands left their fingerprints on his imagination)? Who knew that Elvis's version of 'Peace, Love and Understanding" cut out the satiric patter and folk-rock harmonies of the Nick Lowe original? Who knew that each of Elvis's first three albums begins with Elvis's voice unaccompanied by his band? Bruno is a wonderful 'close listener' of the music and he has a great ability not just to notice these small details but also to speculate on their meaning for Elvis's project as an artist.

Large discoveries: Bruno captures something that I've always struggled with when thinking about Elvis -- how his 'avenging dork' persona became the vehicle for a new kind of pop music, music that was witheringly critical of so much (neo-colonial adventures, power games involving sex and money, the media that turns everything into black and white) but also could be very self-critical too. Bruno suggests that the avenging dork persona was a kind of doppelganger of the 'authoritarian personality' -- the foot-soldier of reactionary movements -- and that the power of Elvis's argument with 'emotional fascism' (the album's original title) was that it was something of an internal dialogue. To me, that seems right-on, though unsettling too. Here Bruno follows the critic Greil Marcus's lead, but he's able, as a musician himself, to tie these larger questions of pop & politics to the actual sound of the music.

It's probably fair to advertise to the reader that Bruno's book is structured in a novel way -- as an 'A to Z' guide to Armed Forces, with entries that begin with 'abbreviations' and 'Accidents Will Happen' and end with Costello's novel use of the 'you' pronoun and the word 'zero' (as in Songwriting Degree Zero, or as in the song 'Less than Zero'). For me, the form worked perfectly -- it allows Bruno to spend time on fascinating digressions (i.e. the resemblance between the balance of sentimentality and satire in Chaplin's The Great Dictator and in Armed Forces), and it allows a reader who wishes to skip ahead to, say, his gloss of 'Oliver's Army' to flip ahead to the 'O' section. Those who read the book from start to finish, however, will discover that it does develop its argument, surprisingly -- very cunningly in fact -- 'from A to Z''.

I'm Being Nice.......2005-06-29

Overall the word I'd use to describe this book is "choppy," as if there was no outline and the early draft was edited and immediately published. In the preface the author says, "As to the less than ideally elegant organization I have chosen, I will say only that it is meant to to be useful as well as playful." Did he say playful? Useful??? How about half-baked? THERE'S NO CHAPTERS! And what about all the "see below" references as if it were still in word-processor format? If the author would have spent more time filling in the gaps between his periodic historical references, I would have felt like my 11 bucks were better spent, but as it stands, I wasn't all that impressed w/ his sometiems dazzling (occasionally flat) wordplay guessing a song's detailed structure, which constitutes the bulk of the text. And why are some words bold-face? It's inconsistent -- that's all -- and makes me wish the research had yielded a better book about ARMED FORCES. The album deserves it and in itself was the primary drive behind reading the entire book on a Sunday (three stars for that).

Good luck: you'll need it. The other reivewer ("Scott") must have been tipped off regarding his insight to the structure, b/c there's no way someone could just off-hand determine such organization from confusion.

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Baby Boomers and Elvis Costello!!

The Very Best of Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0634012606

Book Description

This comprehensive collection is a matching folio to his double album of greatest hits. Features 40 of his finest, including: Accidents Will Happen - Alison - (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes - Everyday I Write the Book - (I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea - Oliver's Army - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding - Pump It Up - Radio Radio - Shipbuilding - Veronica - Watching the Detectives - and more.

Customer Reviews:

Baby Boomers and Elvis Costello!!.......2006-08-26

BB's and EC go hand in hand. If you're a BB and a piano player, you'll enjoy this collection of piano arrangements. I basically bought the book for the songs, "She" and "Candy." It's well worth the money spent.

Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse

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Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
Elvis Costello , and Allen Toussaint
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1423420071

Book Description

In its 4-star review, the Los Angeles Daily News calls this CD, created in the wake of the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, "the fruits of a songwriting partnership made in RandB heaven." Our matching songbook contains all 13 tracks: Ascension Day * Broken Promise Land * International Echo * Nearer to You * On Your Way Down * The River in Reverse * Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further? * and more.

Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition

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Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition
Larry David Smith
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0275973921

Book Description

The torch song has long been a vehicle for expression--perhaps American song's most sheerly visceral one. Two artists in particular have built upon this tradition to express their own unique outlooks on their lives and the world around them. Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello, and the Torch Song Tradition combines biographical material, artist commentary, critical interpretation, and selected exemplars of the writers' work to reveal the power of authorship and the creative drive necessary to negotiate an artistic vision in the complicated mechanisms of the commercial music industry. Author Larry David Smith, as in his Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and American Song, considers the complicated intersection of biography, creative philosophy, artistic imperative, and stylistic tendencies in the work of both Joni Mitchell and Elvis Costello--two songwriters with seemingly nothing in common, one famously confessional and one famously confrontational. Yet, as Smith shows so incisively, they are two personalities that prove fascinatingly complementary. Mitchell and Costello both yielded bodies of work that are cohesive, coherent, and rich in meaning. Both have made historic contributions to the singer-songwriter model, two rebellious respones to the creative and commercial compromises associated with their chosen field, and two distinct thematic responses to the torch song tradition. Smith examines these responses, offering a unique and invaluable exploration of the craft of two of the last century's most towering musical figures.

Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello

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Very Happy !!
Don't Bother
Searching for the Man out of Time
THE DEFINITIVE ELVIS COSTELLO BIOGRAPHY
More Aptly Titled: the Music of Elvis Costello

Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello
Graeme Thomson
Manufacturer: Canongate U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1841956503

Book Description

Elvis Costello is undoubtedly one of the most important and challenging musicians of the last thirty years. Complicated Shadows paints a detailed portrait of an intensely private, complex, and creatively restless individual. It draws on a wealth of new research, including exclusive interviews with people from all stages of Costello's life and career: classmates, friends, members of his early bands, former lovers, members of the Attractions, producers, and various collaborators. Complicated Shadows reveals the circumstances surrounding his marriages to ex-Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan and jazz singer Diana Krall, and the bitter breakup of his long-term backing band, the Attractions. Costello's "coiled tight" personality and penchant for outrageous candor set the tone for a frenetic, and aesthetically inventive, independent band. Their independence is epitomized by their infamous 1977 Saturday Night Live appearance (replacing the Sex Pistols, who dropped out) when Costello cut short the scheduled song, "Less Than Zero," then directed the band to play the as-of-yet unreleased "Radio Radio." Costello didn't appear on live U.S. television again until the 1980s. Complicated Shadows contains a full examination and analysis of the entirety of Costello's vast and varied musical output, both in the studio and on the stage.

Customer Reviews:

Very Happy !!.......2007-01-19

This arrived on time and in great condition. Recommend the seller. Great book too.

Don't Bother.......2006-07-16

I have never bothered to write a review.

That's how bad this book is.

This is NOT a biography. It consists almost entirely of setlists and credits put in prose form.

There is almost no insight into either the man or his songs.

Obviously, Elvis and his friends and family generally refused to cooperate with the writing of this book. So, I understand the author was hard-pressed to provide any real details. What he does is simply organize various material from OTHER sources (magzine reviews, interviews, etc.) which makes for really not much.

I'm not joking. The book consists almost entirely of what songs were played at what shows and who played what on recordings.

B-O-R-I-N-G.

Searching for the Man out of Time.......2005-11-02

I can think of few tasks more daunting than deconstructing Elvis Costello. While Elvis has autobiographed his own musical journey via extensive CD reissue liner notes, he and those closest too him have remained respectfully tight-lipped with regard to his personal life. Perhaps that's just as well. I've always felt that the bloodlines between personal drama and artistic inspiration are more intriguing when left untelegraphed. Still, when it comes to a man who's written some of the most self-depricating lyrics ever conjoined to a pop melody, a bit of curiousity must be afforded.

In this particular book, Graeme Thomson does a commendable job of extracting new insights from several sources, including Flip City-era collaborators and post-Attraction session men like the mighty Marc Ribot. The juicy tidbits come, predictably, from Bebe Buell; rock n' roll's all-time kiss n' tell groupie, as well as Costello arch-nemisis and former Attraction Bruce Thomas. We learn how the roots of self-opportunism formed early in Mr. McManus, via a lemonade commercial, and how a painful string of incidents in the mid-80s led to his embittered estrangement from Ms. Buell, his first wife Mary, and the Attractions. More sympathetic material arrives in later chapters, which detail his widening musical interests and his penchant for unabashed risk-taking in both studio and concert. The overall portrait is of an artist who seeks nothing less than the freedom to express the varied and shifting strains of his musical ambitions. When denied that freedom, he can be petulant and meglomaniacal. When granted it, he is capable of masterwork.

THE DEFINITIVE ELVIS COSTELLO BIOGRAPHY.......2005-10-03

SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT THE BOOK...IT NOT BEING THIS OR THAT BUT IT'S STILL THE MOST DEFINITIVE BIO ON ELVIS...IT GIVES AT LEAST SOME BACKGROUND ON EACH PERIOD...I DON'T FEEL IT'S OVERTLY REVEALING...OR ANY AMAZING REVEALATIONS REVEALED HERE BUT IF YOUR INTERESTED IN THE LIFE OF ELVIS THIS IS THE BOOK!!

More Aptly Titled: the Music of Elvis Costello.......2005-08-27

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.

Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach: Painted from Memory : Piano/Vocal/Chords (Essential Groups & Artists)

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Holy Cow!!!

Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach: Painted from Memory : Piano/Vocal/Chords (Essential Groups & Artists)
Elvis Costello , and Burt Bacharach
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0769281486

Book Description

Collaboration between two titans of pop. Songs include: God Give Me Strength * I Still Have That Other Girl * In the Darkest Place * The Long Division * My Thief * Painted from Memory * Such Unlikely Lovers * The Sweetest Punch * Tears at the Birthday Party * This House is Empty Now * Toledo * What's Her Name Today?

Customer Reviews:

Holy Cow!!!.......2006-07-31

I cannot believe that there is not a review for this album posted! I LOVE this album. I love the sound of Elvis Costello's vocals backed by Bacharach. And the background vocals! Oh sensory overload. Great production. Soulful vocals. Melodies to die for. And those arrangements...oh man! What are you waiting for? Go get it!

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I learned alot from this book about Mr. Costello
Elvis For Beginners
Elvis deserves better
Kill This Book Please

Elvis Costello (Kill Your Idols Series)
David Sheppard
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Complicated Shadows: The Life and Music of Elvis Costello

ASIN: 1560253037

Book 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.

Customer Reviews:

I learned alot from this book about Mr. Costello.......2003-08-02

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.

Elvis For Beginners.......2001-04-28

Admittedly, it's not the deepest of dissertations. However, it's completely factual and a lot better-written than the Clayton-Lea biography. If I had a friend who was just starting to get into Elvis, I would loan her this book, but tell her that some of the comments on individual songs might not mirror her experience.

Elvis deserves better.......2001-02-22

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

Kill This Book Please.......2001-01-10

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!

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I got this book as a present in 1982
Classic Songbook
Perfect Pop

Elvis Costello a Singing Dictionary
Elvis Costello
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Very Best of Elvis Costello

ASIN: 076921505X

Book Description

Songs from the albums MY AIM IS TRUE, THIS YEAR'S MODEL, ARMED FORCES, GET HAPPY!! CIVIL LIBERTIES. Songs include: Blame it on Cain * Alison * No Action * Little Triggers * Accidents Will Happen * Chemistry Class * Love for Tender * Motel Matches * Girls Talk * Radio Sweetheart * Just a Memory * Sunday's Best and more.

Customer Reviews:

I got this book as a present in 1982.......2002-03-15

It helped me learn to play guitar. Elvis Costello's early compositions are all here. The songs are reasonably simple to learn and sing along to. The melodies are fantastic because it's Elvis Costello, and if you haven't listened to the songs that closely, you will be amazed at how clever his wordplay is.

Classic Songbook.......2001-08-06

I have used this songbook so much it's falling apart. All the early songs that E.C. wrote are included. (not the covers like My Funny Valentine) Songs are from the albums My Aim is True, This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy!! and the Taking Liberties collection of b-sides and imports. A few lyrics may be a little off. There were never lyric sheets with those albums, so I may just have put in my own intrepretations. These early songs are great for budding guitarists and song writers. They are easily played on solo acoustic and you can learn about what makes a great song. Of course, you must first own the recordings!

Perfect Pop.......2000-03-24

For rock music fans this is a piece of history. The words and music to Elvis Costello's early canon of work, and as a contribution to the genre it doesn't get much better. Call yourself a music aficionado? Not until you've got this in your collection!

Let Them All Talk: The Music of Elvis Costello (Sanctuary Music Library)

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Very Under-rated
This book tells it like it is
LET THE AUTHOR TALK...
What A Great Talent
Costello Fan To The MAX!!

Let Them All Talk: The Music of Elvis Costello (Sanctuary Music Library)
Brian Hinton
Manufacturer: Music Sales Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1860741967

Book Description

The first full study of the extraordinary career of this enigmatic singer/songwriter--London born Elvis Costello.

Customer Reviews:

Very Under-rated.......2003-11-11

This is a very good reference for Costello admirers. I like the odd speculation about his song content and the possible intentions to his message. Costello is a master songwriter and this book gives a few different perspectives to his work. I don't think Hinton is far off with some of his theories. What I have found with the lyrics in question is that they have many possible meanings. The music might suggest love but the lyrics will point to politics, just to give one example. All in all, this was an entertaining observation into the life of a mysterious man. A very under-rated book to boot. I really think it is worth the purchase and the read.

This book tells it like it is.......2003-08-01

I really enjoyed reading this book. It took alot of effort to do so much research on such a private man. His music is fantastic and his personal life is just like you and me. Ups and downs and very normal. At the time of this book Mr. Costello was happily married to his wife Cait. Now that marriage is over and he is to marry again, this time to a jazz singer. I think he should just be single for awhile. The book also explores the meanings of the songs. I liked that the best.

LET THE AUTHOR TALK..........2002-03-18

I've never been so aware of an author before. Usually, even in a biography, you can kind of lose yourself in the story. Not here. Apparently the writer is getting paid by the word, and the longer the better. Turn to any page and there are examples like: "Sniffing glue and being sick had replaced rural weekends, tower blocks were suddenly more romantic than a bluebell wood, and anger and amphetamine seemed infinitely preferable to drifting away on a dope-fuelled reverie" (Honestly, I didn't even look for this. I opened the book for an example and it is the first thing I saw!) It is a very annoying read that also concentrates too much on live performances and interviews in the press. I guess I'm still looking for a book about Elvis that concentrates on the SONGS - a book that is much more browsable than this one. Some decent anecdotal song information is here, but you have to suffer through so much garbage to get it that you should save the money and form your own opinions.

What A Great Talent.......2002-03-16

I just finished this book today. I am not that versed in Mr. Costello but I got curious when I finished the autobiography of Bebe Buell, "Rebel Heart", with Victor Bockris. I am now curious to explore his music mentioned in both books. I love a good love story!! This one sort of reminds me of the movie "Immortal Beloved" with Gary Oldman. After finishing this bio by Hinton, I was left wondering how one man could have so much talent and so many songs inside of him. It is rare to say the least. The only music I have by Mr. Costello is the "Painted From Memory" effort, which I really enjoy. I guess I will have to go and purchase the entire lot at this point!
As for this book, I found it interesting and complete. Many times I found it hard to put down. When you read this book back to back with Ms. Buell's bio, it is even more entertaining. My final word, is that Mr. Costello is a genius and a master of mind games. Wordplay is also a specialty of his and I think he will be around as an artist for a very long time. An enormous talent for sure!

Costello Fan To The MAX!!.......2002-03-14

I think some of the reviews about this book are a tad harsh and unfounded. I really enjoyed the thing and all the fun theories on the topics of his songs and such. I feel that Hinton did a very complete job of exploring all the possibilities. I think that even if Costello himself were to write his own book, it would be veiled in mystery. Most writers of his talent love to confuse and excite the listener. I feel this book answered alot of questions and confirmed alot of MAYBE's... I think that this is the best of the Costello tomes and I can't wait to hear the new record, "When I Was Cruel". Sounds like he is trying to say sorry to someone. And whats up with the two big bumble "Bees" on the cover?? I can hardly wait!!

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Elvis Costello
Tony Clayton-Lea
Manufacturer: Carlton Books Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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