A Classic Rock book of 2020"I had to leave town for a little while--" with these words, Elvis Presley truly came home to rock and roll. A little over a month earlier he had staged rock's first and greatest comeback in a television program, forever known as "The '68 Comeback Special." With this show, he resurrected himself--at the age of 33, no less--from the ashes of a career mired in bad movies and soundtracks. So where to go from here?Like a killer returning to the scene ...

The concept album is one of popular music's most celebrated-and misunderstood-achievements. This book examines the untold history of the rock concept album, from The Beatles to Beyoncé.The roots of the concept album are nearly as old as the long-playing record itself, as recording artists began using the format to transcend a mere collection of songs into a listening experience that takes the listener on a journey through its unifying mood, theme, narrative, or und...

"I had to leave town for a little while--" with these words, Elvis Presley truly came home to rock and roll. A little over a month earlier he had staged rock’s first and greatest comeback in a television program, forever known as ""The ’68 Comeback Special."" With this show, he resurrected himself--at the age of 33, no less--from the ashes of a career mired in bad movies and soundtracks. So where to go from here?Like a killer returning to the scene of the crime, Elvis came back home...

The touching story of thirty years of friendship between George Klein and the King that “offers an insider’s view of Presley the man as opposed to Presley the singer, actor, and icon” (Associated Press).“You capture the essence of Elvis not only in dialogue, but also in giving the reader a sense of his personality, humor, and his spirit of play.”—Priscilla PresleyWhen George Klein was an eighth grader at Humes High, he couldn’t have known h...

There is only one King of Rock 'n Roll, and this Elvis Presley. The story of how a poor kid from a poor area become one of the biggest stars in history is a fascinating and extraordinary one - and you can get all the details in this revealing book. From his earliest attempts at singing in public, to his sad decline and early death, everything you need to know about Elvis is in this book. You will discover:* how Elvis's manager was both his blessing and his curse* who took mi...

Written with grace, humor, and affection, Last Train to Memphis has been hailed as the definitive biography of Elvis Presley—and the first to set aside the myths and focus on Elvis' humanity in a way that has yet to be duplicated."Elvis steps from the pages. You can feel him breathe. This book cancels out all others." —Bob DylanFrom the moment that he first shook up the world in the mid 1950s, Elvis Presley has been one of the most vivid an...

[Alanna] Nash belongs in the pantheon of great music writers, and [Baby, Let’s Play House] is a fascinating study.” —Rosanne CashJust in time for Elvis Presley’s would-be 75th birthday comes a new book by Elvis expert, journalist, and Country Music Association Media Achievement Award winner Alanna Nash. Called "by far the best study of Presley I have ever read. . . Impressively researched written—and felt" by New York Times bestselling author Philip Norman (author of John Lennon an...

Careless Love is the full, true, and mesmerizing story of Elvis Presley's last two decades, in the long-awaited second volume of Peter Guralnick's masterful two-part biography.**"A masterwork." —**Wall Street JournalLast Train to Memphis, the first part of Guralnick's two-volume life of Elvis Presley, was acclaimed by the New York Times as "a triumph of biographical art." This concluding ...

Put on your blue suede shoes and get ready for another addition to the Who Was…? series! The King could not have come from humbler origins: Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, during the Depression, he grew up with the blues music of the rural South, the gospel music of local churches, and the country-western classics. But he forged a sound all his own—and a look that was all his own, too. With curled lip, swiveling hips, and greased pompadour, Elvis changed popular music forever, ushering in the...

Gospel music was a significant part of not only who Elvis became as a man, but as an artist as well. As Elvis mania continues to consume generation after generation throughout the world, fans still crave new insights into the person of Elvis Presley. This book takes a look at his roots and the role of gospel in his foundational years, as well as the comfort, solace, and strength it offered him in the years of his meteoric rise in popularity. With the addition of "150 Little Known facts abo...

A companion book to the PBS documentary series exploring the history of the blues and its contribution to American culture and music worldwide.A companion to the groundbreaking documentary series, this volume is a unique and timeless celebration of the blues, from writers and artists as esteemed and revered as the music that moved them.Included in this stunning collection are:Essays by David Halberstam, Hilton Als, Suzan-Lori Parks, Elmore Leona...

The essential playlist of great writing about the music that rocked America, with fifty landmark pieces on Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Lez Zepplin, and other rock n’ roll legendsJonathan Lethem and Kevin Dettmar's Shake It Up invites the reader into the tumult and excitement of the rock revolution through fifty landmark pieces by a supergroup of writers on rock in all its variety, from heavy metal to disco, punk to hip-hop. Stanley Booth describes a record...