0wn3d By C4Parana

The final volume of Peter Guralnick’s two-part Elvis Presley biography begins and ends with two Elvis departures: the first in 1958 for a two year stint in Germany with the US Army, the second his final exit in 1977, on the floor of the bathroom of his Graceland mansion, following an overdose of barbiturates. CARELESS LOVE is a revealingly detailed, acutely written biography that lays bare the daily routines, the relationships between Presley and his inner circle, and the sometimes surreal life of this iconic figure. Guralnick charts the slow post-Army decline of the singer’s career, which neither appearances in a succession of terrible movies nor the sharp business practices of his Barnum-like manager, Colonel Tom Parker, did anything to halt. But though he had lost direction, Presley had lost none of his talent, as the author shows in vivid descriptions of mid-’60s gospel recording sessions, and his 1968 comeback TV show was a triumph. However, a vicious circle of personal setbacks, self-parodic shows, and cocktails of drugs prescribed by incompetent physicians to keep the star going contributed to his increasing physical and mental dysfunction; Guralnick’s description of his death and the chaotic scenes that followed are some of the most harrowing scenes in the book. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.