Elvis Costello

Dai Griffiths joined the Department of Music at Oxford Brookes University in 1990 and left as Head of Department in 2020. Between 2006 and 2011 he was also Chair of the Board of Oxford Contemporary Music. His published works include our book on Elvis Costello and a book on Radiohead with Bloomsbury.

• Table of ContentsList of Tables and Appendices vii – viiiPreface ix – xi1. Past2. Music 28 – 983. Words 99 – 1524. Criticism 153 – 185Notes 186 – 203Bibliography 204 – 211Album Discography 212 – 212Websites 213 – 213Index 214 – 220

As part of the "Icons of Pop Music" series, this book looks at what madeCostello such an icon. Griffiths (Oxford Brookes Univ., UK) documents Costello'srise to popularity since he emerged in the 1970s alternative pop/punk scene inLondon. To illustrate how Costello is unique among iconic musicians, the authorlooks in particular at how artists in prior decades influenced Costello's music andlyrical content. Griffiths analyzes Costello's music in a variety of ways: forexample, he looks at Costello's approach to music, his vocal style, the crossover toclassical music, his harmonics, and his poetic accomplishments (for the last, heuses a method created by Larry David Smith). Griffiths also considers Costello'slyrics, both the political and the romantic, and even inspects his liner notes onhis own albums years after their initial release. Last, Griffiths scrutinizes thosewho have written about Costello's music, including prominent critics Nick Kent, Greil Marcus, and Robert Christgau. Sum