"Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink" by Elvis Costello

Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elvis Costello is one of my few personal heroes, in terms of creativity at least. I'm not sure I'd want to meet him in person; this masterful autobiography is the perfect alternative.

"I've absorbed almost everything I know from listening to records; the rest came from trial and error." This quote comes near the end of a lengthy, detailed account of a life dominated by an obsession with music. Flitting with apparent randomness back and forth through time, the man christened Declan MacManus writes with clarity and directness, although idiosyncratic turns of phrase abound ("I tried to find the corridor between the bedchamber and the war room").

His late father, singer/musician Ross MacManus is a dominant presence; he left the family to go adventuring with music and women, an example which Elvis seems to have followed. The heart of the book is Costello's account of his relatively brief period of pop stardom in the late '70s and early '80s; his many infidelities, and other indiscretions, are discreetly confessed.

We learn much about his upbringing, and his first and third marriages; the nature of his long relationship with Cait O'Riordan is only hinted at. The love for his musical collaborators and those of his heroes (e.g. Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint) with whom he has managed to connect is plain; the musicality of Attractions bass-player Bruce Thomas is extravagantly praised, but there are no titbits about their broken friendship.

For the true fan, the most fascinating element is his description of his songwriting process; the collage-style construction of lyrics, and the "borrowing" of the music which surrounds them. I possess the vast majority of the albums he's made, but there were many references which will elude all but the most obsessive completist.

There is little here for the casual reader; but for devotees, this is pure gold.


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"Gurls With Guitars" - a novella

Available in the Amazon Kindle Store

"In Time O' Strife" / "Roathbud" etc.

Obviously, the cultural highlight of the past few weeks, and possibly the year, has to be the Johnny Marr gig. But The Cardiff Contemporary art festival (of which my “Inside The Poetry Storehouse” film was a small part), has also been enlivening the city – the excellent John Peel portrait below is part of the co-incident Empty Walls project.

The Made In Roath Festival has been happening, too. I went to the now-annual Roathbud screening at The Globe, which was the usual entertaining mixed bag, including some amusing mini-shorts from comedian Marek Larwood, some likeable no-budget local documentaries, a two-hander starring Boyd Clack and Rhodri Hugh, and a screening of Ryan Andrews’ star-studded “Little Munchkin” (2011). And the allied Cardiff Open exhibition has  been taking place at the former Blockbuster Video store on Albany Road – full of good stuff.

My most recent British Theatre Guide reviewing assignment was National Theatre of Scotland’s revival of Joe Corrie’s miner’s strike drama from the late 1920s “In Time O’ Strife” at Sherman Cymru – enlivened by punk-folk music and angry dancing, but still somewhat downbeat, given the unhappy ending.

I’ve had a go at compiling three recent short plays – including my “Dirty, Gifted and Welsh” piece into a Kindle download. This is the trailer:

"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" is a great favourite of mine; I was captivated by the private universe she created, even though it wasn't an especially pleasant one. "The Little Friend" I found less memorable, though obviously highly accomplished.

As in her previous novels, "The Goldfinch" gives pulp-fiction plotting a high-culture sheen. The title refers to a painting, the first viewing of which, by young narrator Theo, coincides with a catastrophic incident. It then goes on to dominate his life, as the plot takes him from old money New York to trailer-trash Las Vegas and back, via various misadventures involving severe family crisis, substance abuse, furniture restoration and Ukrainian gangsters.

In Hitchcockian terms, the painting is a MacGuffin - an object which drives the plot, and motivates the protagonists. In the face of grief, upheaval and romantic disappointment, Theo's Goldfinch remains a symbol of hope and continuity.

Impeccably researched as the book is, the pace sometimes falters as the author gets bogged down in obscure detail. This is entirely justifiable given the obsessional nature of the central character, but slightly alienating. For the most part, though, the writing is beautiful - meticulous and profound.

Vastly imperfect though he is, our hero is a sympathetic one, Tartt making it easy to identify with his somewhat messy life and troubled relationships. "The Goldfinch" is a heartfelt tale of love, loss, and the search for meaning in a world where disaster is always just round the corner.



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Morrissey: "Autobiography"

Autobiography by Morrissey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a Smiths devotee of long standing, I was always going to read this book. As the reviews point out, it's a self-serving, self-aggrandising exercise in points-scoring, but what autobiography isn't?

The young Morrissey is outed as good at sports, well-travelled and popular with girls; the transition to awkward, solitary "Morrisseyness" seems horrifyingly seamless. The tale is told via relationships with friends, enemies, and family members, memorable moments described with relish and/or horror, song titles littering the text as befits an artist who sings his life. The style is florid to the point of purpleness, constantly flipping between the present and past tense.

The court case which disfigured relations between himself and his former bandmates is obsessively, excessively detailed - drummer Mike Joyce will presumably not be party to any Smiths reunion. The portrait of guitar hero Johnny Marr is one of many touching love stories contained herein.

"Autobiography" is a vivid, witty tale of despair and triumph, full of profound insights. It surely ranks alongside Dylan's "Chronicles" and Stephen Fry's "Moab Is My Washpot" as one of the great modern autobiographies.



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Trailer for Generic Kindle Bestseller

"Smoked"

"Smoked" from OTHNIEL SMITH on Vimeo.

A new, extended, N.S.F.W. trailer for the novella "Sons Of Nervous Lovers."

"Oliviaville" - new trailer

Trailer for "Oliviaville". A novella set in the Old West.

Available here and here.

My e-Book Trailers on Youtube

"The True Story Of My Alien Abductions: by Adrian Longton" - E-Book Trailer

Available in the Amazon Kindle Store.