The Last Train to Memphis

Author: Peter Guralnick
Genre: Biograpy
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1995
Pages: 576
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: From the moment that he first shook up the world in the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley has been on 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 the 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 El
vis' 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 improbable self-invention and unprecedented triumps, 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. This 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 lonliness, the trustfulness, the voracious appetite for experience, and above all the unshakable, almost mythical 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.

Review: We decided to visit Memphis and Graceland for Spring Break. While I like some of Elvis' music and know a little about him, I wanted to be more prepared. I found Last Train to Memphis at my local library.

It was so dry. So so dry. Here is a person and a time period, AND general subject matter (music) in which I have an interest, and I felt like the book could have been a cure for insomnia.

Anyway, I made it through and actually enjoyed some of the chapters, toured Graceland, and then toured Sun Studio (also in Memphis). It's a fantastic tour and I came away from that trip, a fan.

At the end of the tour, I told the guide I had read this book and thanked him for making it come to life. I felt validated when he made a face and mentioned that this book is a touch read, very dry.

So, there you have. An expert in the field had a hard time getting into this book. It wasn't just me. It's unfortunate too because Elvis was an interesting guy, music at that time was changing, and we wouldn't have the music of today without the artists of the 1950s.