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Reconsider Baby. Elvis Presley: A Listener's Guide
Elvis Presley made over 700 recordings during his life. This book examines all of them.
Session by session, song by song, Reconsider Baby takes the reader on a journey from Elvis’s first recordings in 1953 through to his last performances in 1977. This significantly expanded and revised edition of 2014’s Elvis Presley: A Listener’s Guide provides a commentary on Elvis’s vast and varied body of work, while also examining in detail how Elvis and his recordings and performances were discussed in newspapers, magazines, and trade publications from the 1950s through to the 1970s. The text draws on over 500 contemporary articles and reviews, telling for the first time the story of how Elvis and his career played out in the printed media, and often forcing us to question our understanding of how Elvis’s work was received at the time of release.
Session by session, song by song, Reconsider Baby takes the reader on a journey from Elvis’s first recordings in 1953 through to his last performances in 1977. This significantly expanded and revised edition of 2014’s Elvis Presley: A Listener’s Guide provides a commentary on Elvis’s vast and varied body of work, while also examining in detail how Elvis and his recordings and performances were discussed in newspapers, magazines, and trade publications from the 1950s through to the 1970s. The text draws on over 500 contemporary articles and reviews, telling for the first time the story of how Elvis and his career played out in the printed media, and often forcing us to question our understanding of how Elvis’s work was received at the time of release.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2017
68 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Shane Brown
26 books13 followersShane Brown has a PhD in Film, Television and Media from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK, with his thesis about representations of male queerness in silent and early sound film. His book on the same subject will be published in September 2016. In 2013, Shane published his young adult novel, Breaking Point, dealing with the subject of homophobic bullying in schools. To date, it has had over 7000 Kindle downloads. A new edition was published in 2019, along with a sequel, Breaking Down. His 2016 novel, The Lookout, is an adult ghost story set on the Norfolk coast. He has also published song-by-song guides to the music of Elvis Presley and Bobby Darin.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 27, 2020
Quite a ride through Elvis and his music
This was an interesting synopsis of Elvis’s songs. When and how good or bad they were. I agree with many of the authors assessment but also disagree with others. A very helpful read not only for die hard Elvis fans but for new fans of a new generation just getting to know the magic of Elvis Presley but realizing why he was known as the king and yet how very human he was. Elvis sang with true emotions. He sang lonely & mournful songs from his heart so that it reaches ones soul and can bring one to tears. As so when he was playful & upbeat with his music when he felt well and they are a delight to hear being very uplifting to the soul. I guess that’s his magic. To emote what he was feeling, even when he was tired and sick. One can tell this through his music. A rarity in today’s music. That’s why his fans are so protective of him. He’s not here to explain or argue points for himself, which is the saddest part of all. Great book if you love to cling to all he encompassed during his short but fully lived life. That is what is so interesting
With both such superior music & the sound of tragedy as the end came. But, he never gave up, even when he was sick and exhausted until his beautiful Gospel music seemed to pull him into what we all hope is the beauty of the hereafter. This dichotomy we can’t seem to get enough of This is what encompasses the man called Elvis.
This was an interesting synopsis of Elvis’s songs. When and how good or bad they were. I agree with many of the authors assessment but also disagree with others. A very helpful read not only for die hard Elvis fans but for new fans of a new generation just getting to know the magic of Elvis Presley but realizing why he was known as the king and yet how very human he was. Elvis sang with true emotions. He sang lonely & mournful songs from his heart so that it reaches ones soul and can bring one to tears. As so when he was playful & upbeat with his music when he felt well and they are a delight to hear being very uplifting to the soul. I guess that’s his magic. To emote what he was feeling, even when he was tired and sick. One can tell this through his music. A rarity in today’s music. That’s why his fans are so protective of him. He’s not here to explain or argue points for himself, which is the saddest part of all. Great book if you love to cling to all he encompassed during his short but fully lived life. That is what is so interesting
With both such superior music & the sound of tragedy as the end came. But, he never gave up, even when he was sick and exhausted until his beautiful Gospel music seemed to pull him into what we all hope is the beauty of the hereafter. This dichotomy we can’t seem to get enough of This is what encompasses the man called Elvis.
March 5, 2022
A fascinating review of all of the music recorded by Elvis Presley . Good to listen afresh to a massive back catalogue through a different pair of ears . Do not agree with all of the analysis , but that can only be expected on such a subjective subject . Played songs I have not heard in years an enjoyable experience reading and listening at the same time . Flags many missed classics hidden away on Elvis LP's/CD's .Recommended read
April 18, 2019
Great read
January 7, 2026
The book’s title sounds like a song by song detail of recording and stats, it’s not. It’s chaptered by music sessions or private sessions or live recordings. I get who wrote most songs but it takes a sentence or two in the description before that happens. There aren’t details or session players or inspiration.
The writer rates each song and performance.
Overall I didn’t learn anything but it was an enjoyable read.
The writer rates each song and performance.
Overall I didn’t learn anything but it was an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews