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Elvis Costello chronicles life in new memoir and companion soundtrack

by Jay Gabler

October 17, 2015

Elvis Costello 1977
British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello on stage with Richard Carpenter (right) during a 1977 performance in Stockholm.
Keystone/Getty Images

What's a memoir without music? Not much, if you're Elvis Costello. That's why the storied singer-songwriter decided to pair his memoir with a two-disc "soundtrack album" that includes some of his greatest hits as well as rarities, an early recording, and two previously unreleased songs. The Current is giving away pairs of the complete Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink package including the book as well as the CDs, with one lucky grand prize winner receiving an autographed copy of the book.

Unsurprisingly for such a famously literary singer-songwriter, Costello is winning rave reviews for his memoir, which traces Costello's life – from a Liverpool/London childhood as the son of a dancehall trumpeter through his breakthrough success in the '70s and then on to a long and dynamic career that's skipped across genres. Costello recounts tours and collaborations with the likes of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and the Roots; and he shares unforgettable stories about his peers like the Clash and the Specials.

Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink is a must-read for any Elvis Costello fan, and a book you'll want on your shelf if you're curious about how musicians of the Baby Boom generation broke the mold for how meaningful music is made. You'll be left with new understandings of songs like "Accidents Will Happen," "Watching the Detectives," and "Veronica." With the companion CDs, you can hear those classic songs—and many more—in the versions that mean most to the guy who wrote and performed them. Enter for your chance to win using the form below!

Watch program director Jim McGuinn share his thoughts on why Elvis Costello is one of The Current's Musicheads Essential Artists.

This giveaway has closed.

Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello's new memoir is titled Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink
Penguin