'Elvis - Caught in a Trap'

1973 was a pivotal year for Elvis. Priscilla had finally left, agreeing to a divorce in January, leaving Elvis feeling devastated. His emotional hurt also showed itself in early 1973 when his performances & voice were surprisingly weak. 'Caught In A Trap' captures the emotions and turmoil of his explosive August Vegas season of that year.

The Aloha special is an amazing concert, with some exceptional moments (American Trilogy) but even the biggest TV show in the world couldn't spark Elvis to pull off his very best. However by August 1973 things were turning around.

He had found a new soul mate in Linda Thompson and despite his on-going boredom with the Las Vegas scene he had just signed a new 3-year deal with the Hilton.

On Opening Night (August 6th) he kicked off with 'Trouble/Raised on Rock', sang 'Memphis Tennessee' and did astounding versions of 'My Boy' & 'How Great Thou Art'. The reviews were great - "It was a brilliant Elvis, vital & crisp. . . ".

But unfortunately Elvis still had 'A monkey on his back'. One that had a gambling addiction & one that also owed the Hilton a pile of money - a Col Tom Parker. A storm was brewing between the two that would eventually explode right after the closing show on Sept 3rd. It was then that Elvis was angry enough to actually sack his manager. This should have been the turning point.

New management would have, of course, taken Elvis touring Internationally and history could have been completely different. Elvis might have even been alive today!

This excellent photo book captures this fascinating period with 120 pages of beautifully printed photos taken at 3 concerts, the majority of which have never been published before. The quality of the photos are exquisite and you can see that Elvis' body, & indeed soul, is totally absorbed in the music.   (Left: The concentration, the rings)

Arjan Deelen sets the scene with a forward explaining Elvis' life at the time, while Dutch photographer Laurens van Houten tells us the fascinating story of his visit to Memphis and how he actually managed to take these non-authorized photos of Elvis. What takes this book ahead of the others is the inclusion of some fascinating memorabilia, as well as pointed excerpts from Deelen's interviews with the band members (Glen D. Hardin, James Burton, Jerry Scheff etc).

The comments are all fascinating and relevant with everyone showing their love for Elvis (see complete interviews on this website). Next to a gorgeous photo of Elvis singing there is a lovely quote from Ronnie Tutt - "He was trapped in the image … He wasn't even allowed to have his own hair colour! He was influenced to dye it jet-black. And his hair was snow white….. it was just beautiful…"

The series of action photos really gives you the feel of being at the concert, while his jewel encrusted jumpsuits are some of the most beautiful that he ever wore. Some images are just extraordinary…. Elvis' amazing 'Black Spanish Flowers' jumpsuit glows an unbelievable gold while he gets down to 'Suspicious Minds' (pg 36), while another shows the soulful concentration on his face as well as an remarkable profile of his hands and rings (pg 117).

There are also some exceptionally ingenious & creative black & white images where the shadows & light capture Elvis with a fascinating radiance - as shown right from page 83.

I also really like Deelen's honesty in including a poor review - "What audiences see in the flesh is a rather somnolent, lackadaisical superstar" - as well as the good ones.

However the highlight of the book is of course the photos from that famous Closing Show. Here Elvis was carried on stage by Lamar Fike and with that crazy toy monkey on his back. There are great shots of Elvis singing 'C.C Rider', playing with the monkey, obviously enjoying the joke and having a ball on stage. In fact there is a notable mischievous look on his face at all three concerts!

New management would have, of course, taken Elvis touring Internationally and history could have been completely different. Elvis might have even been alive today!

This excellent photo book captures this fascinating period with 120 pages of beautifully printed photos taken at 3 concerts, the majority of which have never been published before. The quality of the photos are exquisite and you can see that Elvis' body, & indeed soul, is totally absorbed in the music. (Right: Spanish Flowers jumpsuit)

There is also a very telling image where Elvis is looking right at the camera, clearly aware that he is being photographed. The book is impeccably edited and the quality of the printing and paper really stand out. I was delighted when I first opened the book which compared to the slight disappointment I felt at the "That's The Way It Was" photo book.

It is very odd that none of the 1973 material was included in the 'Live in Las Vegas' box-set. The Opening & Closing concerts of this engagement would make a great double FTD release - (Ernst please note!).

Sadly we are never going to see a film of these concerts so reading this book, while listening to the show, is the closest we are ever going to get to actually being there. On this 25th anniversary year there are going to be a large number of Elvis books published but sadly most of them will just be cashing in on his image.

Here however is a book that stands out as obviously being made with care and a great deal of love.

Verdict - With plenty of fascinating text as well as great high-quality photographs this is guaranteed to make you happy as it is one of the best photo books ever published. A must for every fan. As Elvis said at the closing show, "We really love to sing, play music and entertain people. As long as I can do that I'll be a happy ol' son-of-a-bitch"!!

EIN Note: Two years later in 2004 the 'Closing Night' concert was released by FTD. Combined with this book they are a fascinating combination.

The last remaining copies of the book will be sold at the ‘Original Elvis Tribute’ shows in April’12, but you can also order the book through the website merchadise - GO Here > www.elvisnews.dk

Go here for FTD 'Closing Night' CD review   Read the Anne E Nixon review of the actual Closing Night concert here. Read Elvis photographer Ed Bonja's interview about this period

Reviewed by Piers Beagley
Copyright EIN - 2002

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“ELVIS: Caught In A Trap” 10th Anniversary: In 2002, Arjan Deelen and Laurens van Houten produced the Elvis photo-book "Elvis: Caught In A Trap", which at the time set a new standard for Elvis photo publications. The book detailed Laurens’ trip to Las Vegas to photograph Elvis’ August / September 1973 shows there. The elusive Laurens van Houten has always avoided publicity and he’s always been guarded about his photos. Laurens did meet up with Arjan recently to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the book, and at that meeting he also expressed his dissatisfaction with those that use his photography without his permission, like for instance the recent “Fashion For A King” book. In a new video excerpt - Click Here - they chat about the remarkable September 3rd, 1973 Las Vegas Closing Show -- one of the most unusual shows of Elvis' career. Laurens talks about the challenges of photographing Elvis at the Las Vegas Hilton, which included having to give the hotel staff generous tips in order to get up-close. The last remaining copies of the book will be sold at the ‘Original Elvis Tribute’ shows in April ’12, but you can also order the book through the website merchadise - GO Here > www.elvisnews.dk