Title: Complete Recording Sessions - A Life in Music, The (published in 1998)

Language: English

Number of pages: 454

Contents: Information on Elvis' sessions, incl. master take numbers and the first release sources

Review: "...Focuses the reader on the one thing that truly matters in the Presley saga - the music - and it belongs on every rock fan's bookshelf." (Billboard). That is the truth. Elvis' private life may be discussed as often as people want to, but the most important thing in Elvis' life (at least, for the fans) was music, and here we have a great book, full of information on it. Too bad that it was printed in 1998, though. There are several songs listed as unreleased, but they were released after the book's coming out.

But anyway, it is probably the only minus in the book. Inside you will find some unreleased photos, but about half of them are well known. That doesn't matter anyway, it ain't a photo album: it is a fantastic guide to Elvis' music, including not only complete information on Elvis' sessions, but also the author's (critical) views on most of them, with the exception of the sessions for Soundtrack recordings of Roustabout, Girl Happy, Harum Scarum, Frankie and Johnny, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Spinout, about which the author only writes a few words, not the best ones, as one might guess. Usually he is very detailed, even with the facts, that are not really useful. On every song Ernst serves us with information about the first release place. At the end of the book you can find the whole album information, and single information from 1954 till 1977, and the most important and interesting releases from the 1977-1997 period, which ends with the "Platinum: A Life In Music".

C Elvis-related books index