Present Books To Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Original Title: | Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley |
ISBN: | 0316332259 (ISBN13: 9780316332255) |
Series: | Elvis #1 |
Peter Guralnick
Paperback | Pages: 576 pages Rating: 4.3 | 5541 Users | 367 Reviews
Define Containing Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Title | : | Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1) |
Author | : | Peter Guralnick |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 576 pages |
Published | : | September 1st 1995 by Back Bay Books (first published March 1st 1994) |
Categories | : | Music. Biography. Nonfiction. History |
Representaion Supposing Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
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 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, it traces the evolution not just of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elvis and his world. This volume tracks the first twenty-four years of Elvis' life, covering his childhood, the stunning first recordings at Sun Records ("That's All Right," "Mystery Train"), and the early RCA hits ("Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel"). These were the years of his improbable self-invention and unprecedented triumphs, when it seemed that everything that Elvis tried succeeded wildly. There was scarcely a cloud in sight through this period until, in 1958, he was drafted into the army and his mother died shortly thereafter. The book closes on that somber and poignant note. Last Train to Memphis takes us deep inside Elvis' life, exploring his lifelong passion for music of every sort (from blues and gospel to Bing Crosby and Mario Lanza), his compelling affection for his family, and his intimate relationships with girlfriends, mentors, band members, professional associates, and friends. It shows us the loneliness, the trustfulness, the voracious appetite for experience, and above all the unshakable, almost mystical faith that Elvis had in himself and his music. Drawing frequently on Elvis' own words and on the recollections of those closest to him, the book offers an emotional, complex portrait of young Elvis Presley with a depth and dimension that for the first time allow his extraordinary accomplishments to ring true. Peter Guralnick has given us a previously unseen world, a rich panoply of people and events that illuminate an achievement, a place, and a time as never revealed before. Written with grace, humor, and affection, Last Train to Memphis has been hailed as the definitive biography of Elvis Presley. It is the first to set aside the myths and focus on Elvis' humanity in a way that has yet to be duplicated.Rating Containing Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Ratings: 4.3 From 5541 Users | 367 ReviewsWrite Up Containing Books Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (Elvis #1)
Peter Guralnick's books on American R&B, Soul, Country, Blues and Rock and Roll are all heartfelt, deeply researched, and written nearly entirely in the third person, and that last bit separates him from the self aggrandizing that mars the writing of so many other music writers covering the same ground. If he has a fault it is his reverence for his subjects. Accordingly, this first volume of his two volume biography of Elvis Presley will set you aglow with the excitement, innocence andthe Elvis book left me speechless and amazed. Dreaming about hillbilly forevers. Sentimental on a Sun Recording bender that nearly drove the neighbors to nail my windows shut to save them from the pain of the thousandth play of "Its all Alright Momma" at full volume. Have you ever seen "Jesus Camp?" It was kinda like that but with Elvis instead of Jesus and I only cried when Gladiolus died near the end. To say Elvis is iconic from Tokyo to Mobile and cult like for many that hide in Dixie caves
I listened to the audiobook of this, narrated by Kevin Stillwell, and while I thought the narration was good, I thought the actual content could have been considerably condensed. There was a lot of rambling on which was unnecessary.
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley is beautifully written portrait of Presley's early years -- his impoverished childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi, the move to Memphis in his teenage years, and the amazingly rich and complex soup of musical influences that city offered to a shy, sensitive boy with a huge love of singing and music of all kinds.The Elvis you meet in this book is not the troubled, larger-than life, jumpsuit-wearing star of the Vegas years that may first spring to mind
Meh. Im not really sure why all the high marks on this one. I really felt it was detailed in all the wrong places, ended in a weird spot, and just lacked an overall interesting quality. Im sure its taste but the stories that sounded interesting to me, got very little write up. Then others seemed to ramble on with just constantly flowing facts and nothing other than it was In Elvis world to tie it all together. Maybe thats all it needed. But I wanted more.
This enormous biography takes Elvis from his birth in 1935, through his gradual rise to stardom and on to the death of his beloved mother. The author meticulously lists every live concert date, every record and every film made, but that is not all the book is about. As well as explaining how and why Elvis became the huge star he became, it explains who he was. The gentle boy who loved his mother and who never seemed to be anything other than caring (if a little fickle) with his many girlfriends,
The writing is so good here it makes things like the details of signing a contract with an agent into a riveting read. I thought the opening was the strongest, bringing the worlds of poverty in Memphis to life with so much empathy and detail (clothing, language, segregation, mixed neighborhoods, music styles and public housing). But I stayed fascinated throughout as Elvis start to get famous, even in the sections that were mostly a ton of names.Seeing the process of how Elvis was meticulously
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