Author:Mark Tavener,Stephen Fry,John Bird
Stephen Fry and John Bird star in all four series of the BBC Radio 4 satirical comedy, plus the 2006 special episode.
Set in the Machiavellian world of modern PR, Absolute Power introduces us to London-based 'government-media relations consultancy' Prentiss McCabe, whose partners Charles Prentiss and Martin McCabe are frequently embroiled in the machinations of the British political system. Prentiss is ruthless, unscrupulous, and will go to almost any lengths to pull off a big commission, while McCabe does have a moral compass, but is too laid-back and fond of claret to use it very often.
In episodes that could have been written yesterday, the duo’s targets for makeover include the Conservative Party; The Sun; the Mayor of London; the Church of England; Radio 3; English sporting success; the elderly; prisons; the Prime Minister; the Health Service; a Big Brother star; a tennis pro; men; the BBC; ‘the notion of Nation’; healthy eating and the US Presidential Campaign.
This complete collection includes all 21 episodes of the four series, first broadcast between 2000 and 2004, plus the special 2006 episode. Stephen Fry and John Bird star as Charles Prentiss and Martin McCabe, with Tamsin Greig as rival spin doctor Gayle Shand.
Witty and compelling
—— EsquireDauntlessly comprehensive, elegantly parlayed survey of pop’s recorded history
—— MOJOa great history book, read it and stream
—— Max Bell , Record CollectorWhat Electric Shock imparts… is delight and curiosity in the music it chronicles with such pithy vivacity.
—— Neil Spenser , Guardianthis magnificent book is highly recommended for anyone with more than a passing interest in popular music over the last century or so
—— Alwyn Turner , Literary Reviewa magisterial book… a dense, thorough read, but well worth the effort
—— James Delingpole, five stars , Mail on SundayDefinitive music guide.
—— BooksellerIt’s a conversation that is well worth hearing.
—— Richard Osborne , GramophoneA lively rumination on classical music.
—— Keeley Bolger , Belfast Telegraph MorningAbsolutely on Music is an intimate and fascinating conversation between two maestros… [A] compelling, moving novel.
—— Scottish WomenMurakami’s grasp of music is frequently both astonishing and inspiring. He has incredible ears and is able to distinguish and annunciate the smallest differences in interpretations… When Murakami writes in prose, he does so with the quick charm and alluring detail that fans of his novels will relish.
—— Andrew Mellor , RhinegoldA riveting story. Mitchell, an exemplary journalist, goes deep into the political dynamics of Cold War Berlin. John Le Carré couldn’t have done it better.
A narrative full of interest and acute observation.
—— Allan Massie , The ScotsmanTense, fascinating... Mitchell delivers a gripping, blow-by-blow account.
—— Publishers WeeklyA gripping page-turner that thrills like fiction.
—— Kirkus ReviewsOne of the most gripping stories of the Cold War.
—— Omnivoracious - The Amazon Book ReviewMonstrous behaviour and vanity suffuse this oral history of Hollywood’s troubled dynasties… Tragedy lurks around the manicured lawns and marbled halls.
—— Anthony Quinn , GuardianThe anecdotes come so thick and fast it’s like being machine-gunned with marshmallows. Gradually, though, the mood darkens, the catalogue of vulgarity, cruelty and insanity takes its toll. While the Technicolor tour is relentlessly fascinating, it is reassuring to be shown in black and white that, in La-La Land at least, with the millions comes endless misery.
—— Mark Sanderson , Evening StandardJean Stein’s approach to family history is unconventional… Stein weaves them together with immense narrative skill.
—— Christopher Silvester , Spears Wealth Management SurveyThe stories are mesmerising… Great for people who want to see beyond the world of make-believe.
—— William Leith , Evening StandardA very dark oral history of Hollywood… mesmerising.
—— iWriters like Costello because he's always taken writing seriously. That's obvious to anyone who pays attention to his lyrics, and it's even more apparent to anyone who reads Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, his charming new autobiography. The book is refreshingly free of salacious gossip and needless name-dropping; it's an intelligent self-assessment from a musician who went from angry young man to elder statesman of pop ... a defiantly fun autobiography.
—— Michael Schaub , NPR BooksThis is a big book, literally, by one of the best rockers in the business. Given the singular, and eclectic, nature of his career, it is no surprise that Elvis Costello's anecdotal autobiography is an idiosyncratic journey through his music and the people and places that have inspired him ... A must for Costello fans everywhere.
—— Booklist (starred review)Costello's prose cuts with the same spiky wit and observational power as his well-known lyrics ... packed with great lines, vivid anecdotes ... a treat for his many fans.
—— Kirkus ReviewsPlenty of tales to keep the pages turning. Readers will be fascinated by Costello's stories...his book feels like a discussion between friends over a pint.
—— Publishers WeeklyOften brilliant and wholly idiosyncratic
—— David Ulin , Los Angeles TimesRevelatory, evocatively crafted, [and] highly entertaining
—— David Fricke , Rolling StoneA winningly droll and good-natured guide to his life and many works throughout
—— Clark Collis , Entertainment WeeklyPunctuated with sardonic and self-aware truths
—— PitchforkVivid ... It's not surprising that one of rock's most literate songwriters would pen such a deep, free-form memoir
—— Houston ChronicleElvis Costello delivers an impeccably detailed autobiography. He's often as brilliant at turning a phrase in prose as he is in his lyrics
—— Paste MagazineEnthralling ... This is family history as musical encyclopedia, and to listen to Costello recount his life is to be buttonholed by an enthusiastic fan. Fandom for Costello is inseparable from the compulsion to write songs and, it seems, to understand his own life ... Fortunately for the fan of Costello's music the topic of discussion is often his own songs, and he is, unsurprisingly, a witty and eloquent guide
—— Paul Grimstad , New Republic[Costello] pens books with the same clever writing that he uses in song
—— Kathy Flanigan , Milwaukee Journal-SentinelCostello['s] book is capacious, clever, and full of heart and soul
—— Dan DeLuca , Philadelphia InquirerThe story unfolds like a movie that jumps across time, more thematic than chronological, as boyhood anecdotes and obsessions intersect with mature songs and adult reckoning.... The book doubles as a selective mini-history of 20th century music, as told by a discerning guide. He addresses artists both towering (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash) and relatively unheralded (David Ackles, Robert Wyatt) with a fan's affection and music scholar's insight
—— Greg Kot , Chicago TribuneWith an encyclopedic knowledge and appreciation for, and deep love of, music, and with an expressive power and heart, Costello's memoir will take its place in the highest echelons of the genre
—— Library Journal (starred review)His book is almost essential as an idiosyncratic history of 20th-century pop music
—— ExpressStudded with entertaining anecdotes
—— Evening Standard Best Music Books of 2015