The Big Wheel

I am so pleased to see this book back in print! Bruce Thomas was the bass player with Elvis Costello and the Attractions and this "fictional" work featuring characters such as The Singer, The Keyboard Player and The Drummer, contributed largely to the eventual split between Elvis and Bruce (and the disintegration of the band) when it was first published over 10 years ago.Whilst Elvis may not have approved, the book comes across to me as an honest memoir of life in a band - not always full of glamour and hot women! It's not always flattering, either to the author or to his bandmates, but real life isn't.The anecdotes in the book are sometimes amusing, sometimes poingnant, but always interesting, especially if you are a fan of the music. It largely focuses on Bruce's life in the Attractions, but there are chapters about his childhood, his family, and his work with US band Quiver amongst others. It's a little thin, and won't take you long to work through, but is a highly enjoyable read.