Product Description

Last Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, received unprecedented accolades. This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis's life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time. Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unraveling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis's relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It's a breathtaking drama that places the events of a too often mistold tale in a fresh, believable, and understandable context. This is the quintessential American story, encompassing race, class, wealth, sex, music, religion, and personal transformation. Written with grace, sensitivity, and passion, Careless Love is a unique contribution to our understanding of American popular culture and the nature of success, giving us true insight at last into one of the most misunderstood public figures of our times.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123724 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 782 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Until Peter Guralnick came out with Last Train to Memphis in 1994, most biographies of Elvis Presley--especially those written by people with varying degrees of access to his "inner circle"--were filled with starstruck adulation, and those that weren't in awe of their subject invariably went out of their way to take potshots at the rock & roll pioneer (with Albert Goldman's 1981 Elvis reaching now-legendary levels of bile and condescension). Guralnick's exploration of Elvis's childhood and rise to fame was notable for its factual rigorousness and its intimate appreciation of Presley's musical agenda.

Picking up where the first volume left off, Guralnick sees Elvis through his tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Germany, where he first met--and was captivated by--a 14-year-old girl named Priscilla Beaulieu. We may think we know the story from this point: the return to America, the near-decade of B-movies, eventual marriage to Priscilla, a brief flash of glory with the '68 comeback, and the surrealism of "fat Elvis" decked out in bejewelled white jumpsuits, culminating in a bathroom death scene.

While that summary isn't exactly false, Guralnick's account shows what little perspective we've had on Elvis's life until now; how a gross caricature of the final years has come to stand for the life itself. He treats every aspect of Presley's life--including forays into spiritual mysticism and the growing dependency on prescription drugs--with dignity and critical distance. More importantly, Careless Love continues to show that Guralnick "gets" what Presley was trying to do as an artist: "I see him in the same way that I think he saw himself from the start," the introduction states, "as someone whose ambition it was to encompass every strand of the American musical tradition." From rock to blues to country to gospel, Guralnick discusses how, at his finest moments, Elvis was able to fulfill that dream. - -Ron Hogan

Review
'beautifully written and refreshingly sincere, sets new high standards' -DAILY MAIL 'Homeric in its play of beauty and folly, this is a monumental work' - INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

RODDY DOYLE
"Wonderful...Guralnick deserves to live in Graceland"

Customer Reviews

Kings are human too
Peter Guralnick paints a picture of Elvis unlike any other literature I've read on the entertainer. For the first time when reading of Presley I don't feel as if the subject is 'The King'. Instead, I am turning pages which describe Elvis Presley: citizen; tax payer; friend; husband; father; lover; and most importantly, singer.

Guralnick is able to scrape away the seemingly endless layers of myth surrounding his subject. He doesn't take the easy route by dwelling on events which are now 'folklore', such as the meeting with the Beatles. There is no dramatic telling of how the drug habit began. Rather, information on it is presented as any vice presents itself. Something which is part of the day-to-day life of the person and over time grows to control them. There is no judgement made here by the author, simply an account of events. When presented as a myth Elvis comes across as kitsch, a joke. Yet when presented as a homosapien by Guralnick he is absolutely fascinating. Pages float by regardless of the fact that we know the tragic ending. We are reading of a life like any other, filled with joy, sorrow, betrayal, dissappointment, triumph and death.

It is the passages recalling recording sessions and performances, however, where Guralnick's book truly comes to life. It is obvious the author not only loves, but believes in the music he is describing. Here we discover the true professional at peace with the artist. No 'good' song was complete unless Elvis was happy with the performance he gave. Recording sessions would go into the wee small hours with no guarantee of a successful result. The mood of the studio was of utmost importance and we learn of various producer's attempts to create an atmosphere where the singer could 'get into' a session and then hopefully 'lose himself' in the song. A common theme coming from these sections is that this is the only time the subject truly offered himself up for public consumption/scrutiny. Otherwise he kept a closed circle.

The detail, though necessary, can be overwhelming and one must have a determined thirst for Elvis and/or his music to see their way through. Guralnick delves into detail on subjects that, for people who play Presely's Greatest Hits while doing the housework, may seem like a waste of paper. People such as Colonel Parker, who has long appeared as nothing more than a greedy and manipulative manager, is given a fair hearing courtesy of the author's remarkably extensive research. The 'Memphis Mafia'(Presley's entourage), its members and their relationships with each other are examined and give another demension to a group which has previously been written off as simply a bunch of 'Yes Men' scavengers. These tangents however are the key to the book as by learning more about the people Preseley surrounded himself with we learn a tremendous amount about the man himself. Insecure, lonely, temperamental, dangerous, egotistical, unreasonable, hypocritical, immature, gifted, respectful, quiet, generous, loyal, loving, professional, inspirational - human.

Elvis explained
Mr Guralnick second part of Elvis' biography rehabilitates much of Elvis fat and decadent image without denying it.The book is well written, well researched and never loses its objective grip. It clearly describes the slow, but defintite slide downwards of a desperate Elvis. Elvis, it seems, feels trapped, lonely and often bored. It is really revealing how Elvis is ruined artistically in the 60's by the Colonol and his own entourage. No one seems to believe or understand the true greatness of Elvis as a singer - he remains the lucky Kid to most of them.
Apart from a brief (and often ignored) artistic renaissance in 1968 - 1973, Elvis never rises to his olde highs - though he himself seems despearte to do so. Often he hates his own movies and crappy songs - but remains loyal to the Colonel's deals. "The Colonel always has done him well" being the reason.
In the end Elvis is heading for selfdestruction, often wrestling with his own selfesteem, but caring less and less. What remains to end though is his love of singing. Sad, but classical reading into the pressures of stardom even if you're not an Elvis fan. It is all about the rise and fall of a superstar with Elvis being a great template for many examples.

If you think Elvis was crap ever since the 60's & never bothered to be interested - this book explains why and why not you'd be right without getting gossippy or taking sides. I'll bet you go out and try some of his 70's records, probably a live one.

A great book to read on a great subject.

The heartbreaking story of the private man and iconic artist
A truly compelling work by rock biographer Peter Guralnick, Careless Love charts the life and career of Elvis Presley from his service with the US Army in Germany to his untimely death in 1977. Guralnick presents the King in all his contradictions, and both the private man, surrounded by his Memphis Mafia, and the iconic artist, adored by millions, are treated with exceptional skill. The facts of the story are surely well-known, though here they seem more striking than at any time since Elvis' death. The result is an emotionally-exhausting book that will leave the reader with an almost tangible sense of loss.