Earlier this year FTD/ Flaming Star released Rebel With A Cause ’56 from the same duo, David English & Pål Granlund, I loved it! Is this one as good?
Design
Again a great looking product, with a good balance in the layout. Sometimes is the text a bit hard to read because of the choice of text color. Obviously they listened to me, since there are hardly any split photos in this book. ;)
Content
The Wild One ’56 starts where the first book stopped, late September 1956. It brings you in the same format, almost a diary going from September 28 to November 15. Parts of interviews, original newspaper reviews, transcriptions of interviews with Elvis forms the well researched textual context of the period.
To most the pictures will be more important and those people are treated very nicely! Mainly black and white pictures (of course), but there are also some great full colour shots included in the book. I have been thumbing forwards and backward over and over again in the part of the San Antonio shows, both afternoon and evening shows are covered with some awesome shots.
About a third of the book is dedicated to the 2nd Ed Sullivan show, you’ll have to get ready for some marvelous (‘new’) photos of both the rehearsals and the actual show and in between an entertaining series of Elvis receiving a polio shot.
Between the photos of the short Texas-tour and the Sullivan shows there were some pics from Memphis, when June Juanico visited Elvis. After the New York trip it’s Natalie Wood’s turn to show up, before the final pages brings us to Las Vegas, when Elvis met Liberace.
CD
The CD contains the evening Tupelo show, not exactly a relaxed listen because of the sound quality, the Love Me Tender soundtrack, the Ed Sullivan show (October 29, ‘56) and The Truth About Me.
Conclusion
The people that liked the before mentioned FTD/ Flaming Star release will love this one too, I for one did!
