Return Of The King Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback, Gillian G. Gaar, Jawbone books, USA/UK, 2010, Softcover, 270 pages, Illustrated, ISBN-13: 978-1906002282

Reviewed by Nigel Patterson, July 2010

Gaar’s prose is strong and incisive.  On Elvis’ sublime studio recording of You’ll Think of Me, the author observes:

Elvis’ wistful vocal is musically complemented by Reggie Young’s sitar line, using the same instrument he’d played on The Box Top’s ‘Cry Like A Baby’ and B.J. Thomas’s ‘Hooked On A Feeling’.  “I don’t know how that came about, but it was there in my arsenal of gimmicks!” he jokes.  The mood is bittersweet, Elvis singing that even though he loves his girlfriend he must move on, due to his “heart that’s haunted,” a feeling echoed both by the mournful backing vocals, and the lyrical suggestion that while the girlfriend is destined to find a new love, the singer apparently isn’t.

The first hand accounts of events combined with the author's understanding of the bigger picture really give the book a strength not matched by most other books about the period; while Gaar's critique of Elvis' recording and performing output from 1968 is erudite and illuminating:

But the underrated gem of the session was 'A Little Less Conversation'. After a snappy drum into, the baseline sets up the funkiest groove that had yet appeared on an Elvis record. The excitement builkds as the strings and horns enter, and Elvis handles the complicated lyrics with ease.

If the '68 Comeback Special was a triumphant return for the King, so was his return to live performing in Sin City (Las Vegas):

The audience was on its feet cheering before he even began to sing, and their enthusiasm didn’t let up the entire show. “When we ended that first song, the place went crazy,” says Jerry [Scheff].  And I could see the look change on his face.  It’s like, ‘Oh God, they still love me!” From then on it was too easy for him.”

Throughout Gaar's narrative there are moments of incredible revlation such as this account from Steve Binder, Director of the '68 Comeback Special: "And so in the dark Elvis sang 'If I Can Dream'. And it was one of those unbelievable moments where nobody gets to see it except a handful of people who are sitting in the control room, looking out the glass at the big vast studio. And there's Elvis, literally on the ground in the fetal position with his hand mic, singing the song."

Elvis' sad deterioration during the final years of his life are poignantly addressed by Gaar. Symbolising her respect for Elvis and appreciation of his predicament, the opening paragraph to the penultimate chapter perhaps says it all:

The last six years of Elvis Presley's life were a slow fade; a gradual slide into what some would see as an ignomonious caricature. But Elvis's physical appearance during his later years - the frequent target of much derision - was only a sign of a greater, deeper, malaise. By the end of his life, it seemed as if Elvis had lost the most precious thing that a performer has: faith in his talent and in himself.

Return Of The King Elvis Presley's Great Comeback is illustrated with quality color and b&w visuals and comes with a sturdy soft cover.

Verdict: Gillian Gaar's excellent examination of the last deacde of Elvis' career is fascinating and enlightening reading. Highly recommended.

About the author: Gillian Gaar is author of several books about music, including She’s A Rebel: The history of Women in Rock & Roll; Green Day: Rebels With A Cause and The Rough Guide to Nirvana.  She has also contributed articles to Mojo, Rolling Stone, Record Collector and Goldmine, among others.

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