"Last train to Memphis" by Peter Guralnick

On to another music genius and another strong biography.
I remember Peter Guralnick for many years now, his writing about American popular music in its various forms and the guy was always great, however back in 2004 when first volume of his celebrated biography of Elvis Presley was published, I found it too cumbersome and overweight with far too many details. You see, Guralnick took a task to write down a definitive portrait of Presley's rise and fall and a mind-boggling amount of research work sometimes works against the book - the informations about where exactly Presley parked his car on that particular day, before he entered bar and what drink he had ordered don't make for very interesting reading - too many sentences like this just make me yawn. This is what I thought when I first read it a decade ago and now, upon a second reading I have not changed my mind.

I might be just slightly more sympathetic towards Guralnick now, since I know his biography of Sam Cooke and understand what he probably intended to do - not only a portrait of a certain musician but a picture of an era - however, where with Cooke he did excellent and inspired job, following a black, gospel performer who went pop and mainstream, with Presley he might have just went slightly overboard. I am still reading a book, second time around and "Colonel Parker" had just entered the scene but to be honest, again I feel that same old yawning impulse - if details about early impoverished childhood and growing up as insecure, shy teenager fully aware of his low social status where illuminating, once when Presley (almost accidentally) starts working professionally as musician, the sheer number of details of his concerts, roads driven and color of the car just bogs the story down. It came to the point that I approach the book more like a task than out of interest or pleasure, like previously with Bob Dylan where I couldn't wait my job to finish so I could return to the book - when I open the Guralick book, I already know he will hit me over the head with so many details that I will have difficult time staying awake. I do have to admit that I read it from slightly different perspective today than previously, probably because I am more familiar with music now and I do look somewhat affectionately on this young guy so eager to please everybody. File under "reading right now".