Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
by Peter Guralnick
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter GuralnickEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-09-01
ISBN: 0316332259
Number of pages: 576
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Book Reviews of Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
Book Review: The Best Elvis Biography, bar none, volume one
Summary: 5 Stars
Not only is Guralnick's double-volume biography of Elvis Presley the end-all and be-all of biography material on this iconic and preternaturally talented American singer, it is one of the finest musical biographies ever written. Bar none.
Period.
Full Stop.
VOLUME ONE:
Covering the Elvis' birth to his induction into the Army, volume one is a portrayal of a naturally gifted singer (more of a rarity than most people realize, especially in these days of synthesizers, mixing boards and rap recordings which are passed off as melodious and musical), and an unusuall talented arranger of music. Guralnick doesn't just cover the details of Presley's personal life (ala those tabloid type bios by the likes of Albert Goldman), he delves deeply into Presley's musical talents and stylings. As a longtime muscical critic and biographer, Guralnick recognizes what some biographers (like the innocuous and blatantly biased Goldman) as well as musical and theatrical performers still don't (I just saw a movie called "Caddilac Records" in which a one or two of the actors make such a comment about Elvis): the VERY few performers or artists are completely original. Most especially singers, since the very _act_ of singing entails "copying" something already heard (be it the song of a bird, or the voice of another singer. If one doubts this, think about how different the speaking voice of a singer is from the singing voice -- whether we're talking about an Englishman or woman -- who sings in American accent -- or just about anyone else).
Elvis' style was copied from artists as diverse as Pavarotti, ArthurBig Boy Crudup and Dean Martin (the latter especially, and you can hear it in his ballads). Gurlanick recognizes that, and recognizes the artist merit behind Presley's natural desire to synthesize both the styles of the singers he admired and the styles of songs and music he enjoyed: from soul, gospel, and rhythm & blues, to country and western, opera and romantic ballads.
LAST TRAIN... follows Elvis Presley (and Scotty Moore and Bill Black, and later, DJ Fontana) as he finds the luck (Marion, who worked at Sun Records remembered him -- if not, he might never have been "discovered") resilience (Presley endured his share of rejections, early on after perfroming in a nightclub, and then at the Grand Ol' Opry and even in Vegas), and savvy needed to become not only successful, but, eventually, iconic. From his hyper-active need to always move around (which led to the bounciness on stage) to his realization that incorporating burlesque moves in his movements would get an even greater reaction, and his natural charisma and ability to "ham it up", Elvis was a born performer. That he was gifted with a unique voice (and a fairly good range) and the sort of good looks that make most women swoon ensured his mega-success (after all, would Elvis have been as successful if he looked like Buddy Holly? Probably not).
LAST TRAIN also goes behind the scenes at recording sessions, revealing Presley's innate musical abilities (his voice, his ability to know when a particular take was the right one, and his uncanny ability to come up with arrangements -- sometimes based on recordings he'd heard in his youth, turning his ideas into a sort of pastische -- which resulted in some truly unique sounds and recordings). It also details the growth of a young, polite, and shy southern boy into a savvy, successful young man and superstar. It's no secret that Elvis Presley was very close to his mother, and that relationship isn't given short shrift in LAST TRAIN. In fact, it is shown as the driving force behind Presley's desire to become successful (he wants to make sure his mom, and his father, live out the rest of their days in comfort). So when his mother dies, shortly after he is drafted inthe US Army (something his manager, Col. Parker, allows to happen -- during a time when entertainers could get diferrments -- to prove that Elvis is a regular guy), the world of young Presley shatters, resulting in a completely different (more somber, more sad, and less innocent) individual.
(Although most people don't know it, Gurlanick's bio reveals that young Presley was one of the _few_ performers that _didn't_ do drugs and/or get addicted to booze while dealing with all of the fame and fortune -- in fact, he once lectured his mother and an early girlfriend because they decided to share a bottle of beer).
VOLUME TWO:
CARELESS LOVE shows us the Presley who was consumed by bad movies (he was making so much money that Parker convinced him to continue doing the movies, and to record less and less music -- unless it was part of one the usually awful soundtracks) and to many drugs (Presley got into drugs in the Army, when other soldiers convinced him to take uppers to stay awake during maneuvers and guard duty -- Presley found that he loved them, because of the extra energy and the "dietary" effect).
It also details the final years of the white-jumpsuited, heavily drugged out demigod who thought he could make clouds move and who flew to Washington DC on his own, and convinced President Nixon to give him a badge in order to help fight the war on drugs. In between all of that, it details Presley's continuingly astounding ability to interpet songs ("Suspiscious Minds," "True Love Travels On A Gravel Road," "Always On My Mind," "How Great Thou Art", etc.) and record music that transcended the often banal, and sometimes weird, life of the man whose voice gave them their power. From a missed opportunity to truly jam and record with the Beatles (they stopped by to say hi when he was in Hollywood), to his pioneering efforts (Presley was the first recording artist to realize the financial opportunities of pay-per-view, with his "Aloha From Hawaii" concert -- largely Col. Parker's doing, of course), to his ignoble and sad death, CARELESS LOVE, like the first volume, hits all the right notes.
Summary of Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
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.
There's no mention of sequins, drugs, or peanut butter in this understated biography of the teenaged Elvis, a serious and worthy attempt to answer the question, "Who was this guy before he was an icon, the voice of a generation, the King?" The essential clarity and honesty of Guralnick's prose clearly limns the eager, malleable boy whose immense talent changed the course of American music.
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