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Last Train to Memphis The Rise of Elvis Presley Peter Guralnick 9780316332255 Books

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Last Train to Memphis The Rise of Elvis Presley Peter Guralnick 9780316332255 Books

Extremely interesting and informative. I can't recall how I decided to make a study of Presley, but indeed I did. I read this book, followed by CARELESS LOVE and then proceeded to a few other books about Elvis. I also recall reading a scathing biography by a man named GOLDBURG I believe, that came out soon after Elvis died. GURALNICK is by far the best written, most objective, and the most informative and interesting read. It isn't dry at all. I found the information about Tom Parker and the way in which he handled the "Elvis industry" very enlightening and unique, but not necessarily as exploitive as others have suggested. Parker kept Elvis's career alive far longer and more lucratively than any of the early rock and rollers. Perhaps they understood how fundamentally flawed and interdependent they both were and neither one seemed to do anything to intervene in each other's self destructive conduct.

After reading this followed by Careless Love, I came to the conclusion that no one could have saved Elvis from himself. This is much more than a "price of fame" story though I had to wonder what kind of life Elvis would have led if his gift had never been discovered. Michael Jackson said he never had a childhood. Elvis never had an adulthood. But despite everything that did and did not happen in his life, he seemed like such a simple, decent guy. And no one yet has begun to analyze or attempt to explain the magic and singularity of his appeal. I was 12 or 13 when I saw Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show. I remember that moment as vividly at the day that JF Kennedy was murdered. There was something about Elvis that no other performer has ever matched.


Tags : Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley [Peter Guralnick] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. From the moment that he first shook up the world in the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley has been one of the most vivid and enduring myths of American culture. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley</i> is the first biography to go past that myth and present an Elvis beyond the legend. Based on hundreds of interviews and nearly a decade of research,Peter Guralnick,Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley,Back Bay Books,0316332259,Composers & Musicians - General,Presley, Elvis - Childhood and youth,Rock music;Biography.,Rock musicians - United States,Rock musicians - United States - Biography,Rock musicians;United States;Biography.,1935-1977,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Entertainment & Performing Arts,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Music,Biography,Biography & Autobiography,Biography & AutobiographyHistorical,Biography & AutobiographyMusic,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: arts & entertainment,Celebrities; Musicians; Rock singers; Country singers; Rock music; Country music; 1950s culture,Childhood and youth,Entertainment & Performing Arts - General,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,MUSIC General,Non-Fiction,Presley, Elvis,Presley, Elvis,,ROCK MUSIC,Rock musicians,Rock musicians - United States,Rock musicians - United States - Biography,Rock musicians;United States;Biography.,United States,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Entertainment & Performing Arts,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Music,Biography & AutobiographyHistorical,Biography & AutobiographyMusic,Entertainment & Performing Arts - General,Historical - General,MUSIC General,Biography Autobiography,1935-1977,Biography,Childhood and youth,Presley, Elvis,Presley, Elvis,,Rock musicians,United States,Rock Music,Biography & Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Biography: arts & entertainment

Last Train to Memphis The Rise of Elvis Presley Peter Guralnick 9780316332255 Books Reviews

By the time I was old enough as a kid to be interested in popular music, Elvis Presley’s best days were behind him. I never did like his music, but for some reason, I have always been fascinated by him as a character. After visiting Graceland, his Memphis, TN home last year, I wanted to read more about the King of Rock and Roll. A friend told me that the only biography worth reading about Elvis is by Peter Guralnick. And so I tackled book one, Last Train to Memphis The Rise of Elvis Presley. Last Train covers Presley’s birth until he departs for Germany while in the army, and this truly is a masterwork.

Most of Presley’s past is well documented. He was born in Tupelo, MS to poor parents in a two room shack with no running water or indoor plumbing. His twin brother was stillborn. Presley’s rise to fame is just an incredible story of hard work, perseverance and some being in the right place at the right time. Guralnick so expertly shows the contradictions between the “real” Elvis and the “celebrity” Elvis. For instance, Elvis was a loner during his childhood, yet had to always be surrounded by his Memphis Mafia as an adult. He was considered the King of Rock and Roll, but crossed almost all genres from blues to R & B to country. And yet, probably his favorite music to sing was gospel. His was considered a sex icon, yet had some strange sexual hang-ups. Many considered Elvis to be an ignorant country bumpkin, yet he had a genius for remembering songs, writers, performers, and lyrics. Born poor, he became one of the richest performers in the U.S. Yet, he had way more money than sense or good taste. He also squandered much of his money through his generosity to his friends and family. And while he was identified as a bad influence on teens and young adults, he was humble, well-mannered, and loved his mama.

One thing I really enjoyed reading about was the Memphis of Presley’s youth. So much about Memphis contributed to his success. Growing up, there were venues to showcase your talent, singing contests, recording studios, the musicians from Beale Street, and even disk jockeys who would play a song by a local artist 20 times in a row. It was almost like the perfect storm for Presley’s success. My one minor complaint is that there is an awful lot of information about Presley’s recording sessions, the musicians who played with him, his tours, etc. But for someone who is a die-hard Elvis-fan, they will eat up every word. Also, Guralnick is a music critic, so he is writing what he knows. I can’t knock him for that.

I happened to buy the version, and was pleasantly surprised at the special features at the end, including three videos and three audio interviews. I have the second book, Careless Love The Unmaking of Elvis Presley to complete this 2-part biography.
For some reason I started listening to Elvis when I was in my mid/late twenties, around 1995. With no provocation, I simply picked up a copy of the Complete Sun Recordings and tried to imagine what it must have been like back in the mid/late fifties to hear this coming across the radio. Tried to put myself in the place of a listener back then. Before the Beatles and the Stones and Zeppelin and all the rest. I then bought more albums, the early RCA albums, the two gospel records, the later records like From Memphis and Elvis Country, simply because I liked the music and his voice. I just read the two volume bio by Guralnick and I really enjoyed how Guralnick, in an non-pretentious way, made Elvis seem real to me. The first volume is a little easier to stomach just because of the subject matter. The invention of rock and how it grew organically from humble beginnings in Memphis and then grew into a national and then global phenomenon is exciting to behold-and Elvis seemed truly on fire. The second volume is sometimes tough to read as Elvis seems to become, well, sort of unlikable. Womanizer, boastful, manipulative, ego driven, self pitying, messianic, and then ultimately miserable. Its almost as if the two books are about two different people in a way. And for this, I credit the author. There is no reason to judge Elvis. Its hard to feel sorry for someone as successful as he was; yet, I found myself pitying him. It seems as if he started with all the best intentions, and then got put onto a train that he couldn't control, couldn't stop, until his body stopped it for him. Sad stuff. But, I think ultimately what Guralnick conveys is a very human Elvis, and a very talented Elvis, who really did try to bring beauty and light into the world and entertain people. Guralnick makes a very complicated person as legible as can be reasonably expected. I don't sense an "agenda" here, just a really well researched, straightforward telling of the man's life. I would say that ultimately, the best way to appreciate Elvis is to listen to the music that he made. His voice tells the whole story. But this was a great read and it has enhanced my knowledge of the man and his music.
Extremely interesting and informative. I can't recall how I decided to make a study of Presley, but indeed I did. I read this book, followed by CARELESS LOVE and then proceeded to a few other books about Elvis. I also recall reading a scathing biography by a man named GOLDBURG I believe, that came out soon after Elvis died. GURALNICK is by far the best written, most objective, and the most informative and interesting read. It isn't dry at all. I found the information about Tom Parker and the way in which he handled the "Elvis industry" very enlightening and unique, but not necessarily as exploitive as others have suggested. Parker kept Elvis's career alive far longer and more lucratively than any of the early rock and rollers. Perhaps they understood how fundamentally flawed and interdependent they both were and neither one seemed to do anything to intervene in each other's self destructive conduct.

After reading this followed by Careless Love, I came to the conclusion that no one could have saved Elvis from himself. This is much more than a "price of fame" story though I had to wonder what kind of life Elvis would have led if his gift had never been discovered. Michael Jackson said he never had a childhood. Elvis never had an adulthood. But despite everything that did and did not happen in his life, he seemed like such a simple, decent guy. And no one yet has begun to analyze or attempt to explain the magic and singularity of his appeal. I was 12 or 13 when I saw Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show. I remember that moment as vividly at the day that JF Kennedy was murdered. There was something about Elvis that no other performer has ever matched.