How to review this audio book by Chris Hutchins, a former journalist and tourmanager who was there when it happened. It is published as a book, but comes as a 3 CD set.
Design
The 3 CD set comes in a cardboard sleeve with three slim line CD-cases. The cover contains pictures of both Elvis and the Beatles, but none of the famous meeting.
Content
The first disc is a real negative one. Chris Hutchens claims that Elvis, high on drugs, considered Lennon to be the Anti-Christ and should be kept out of the country or be killed. Further he claims that Elvis was spying on behalf of the FBI (Edgar Hoover) on subversive entertainers like the Beatles. Tom Jones being his "boy wonder" talking about this in Las Vegas.
Both Elvis and John Lennon were described as emotional crippled, both hanging to their mothers. The strange thing is that both men who had a kind of the same (poor) background and both made it from rags to riches could have been the best of friends but were to become the worst of enemies due to (personal) circumstances (friends, career, drugs etcetera). Besides these remarks we hear several negative claims like Elvis' mother dying of alcohol abuse and so on. We skipped the remainer of the disk, it simply wasn't a pleasant CD.
The second disc is slightly better, it tells the story of the Beatles' conquest of America and the links with Elvis. The story, again told from the Beatles point of view does put down Elvis between the lines and in favor of the Beatles.
The third disk starts with Elvis listening to "Sgt. Peppers" trying to find anti American propaganda and encoded messages on drugs ... the last tabloid kind of story we decided to listen to, so we put on an Elvis disc.
Conclusion
The author can be described a story teller. Both for the presentation of the book on a CD, but more for the tabloid like storytelling of the relation between Elvis and the Beatles. For those Beatle fans who enjoy the Elvis - Beatles duel, this can be a nice book, everyone on Elvis' hand better skip this tabloid. Too bad that a person who was present at the historic meeting between these musical greats had to go so low ...
When The Beatles Met Elvis
September 25, 2005 | Book
CD King wrote on
September 25, 2005
Chubby Checker sang in his hit song LIMBO ROCK, "How LOW can you go"...
buyep01 wrote on
September 26, 2005
There is no Elvis/Beatles duel really. The surveys have been done questions answered over and over the fact is Beatles fans are pissed because Elvis out sold them by what 900,000,000 records if you were to have an accurate count. Beatles fans move on take that shaggy headed four and admit defeat. They hated each other in the end. you Beatle fans make fun of some of the Kings output. I love that classic we all live in a yellow submarine, Elvis and his wife never layed Naked in hospital beds for anything they could think to protest. Elvis didnt climb to the top of a building and start singing. The FBI didnt need info from Elvis. Lennon turned into an absolute freak, Elvis is the King, I am 28 been a fan of the king for 20 yrs and you know Elvis seems to keep getting more popular amoung younger people each year. The Beatles are Dying out, they came along at the right time the fifties era rock was dying out, Elvis was tied up in the movie contracts There was a lot of good songs in the sixties from the king, but the people say the Beatles didnt sing as long as Elvis are wrong. Elvis really concentrated on music 56-58 after the army He was a money maker no matter how much artistic value was missing from the movies in the 1960's and soundtrack alblums were released he was then predominately a motion picture star until 1968-1977. The Best part Elvis Mopped the Floor with the shaggy headed four and their fans are sore losers. The Beatles early music has an enjoyable beat however one on one or one on four , Elvis presley was the greatest vocalist who ever lived and sorry but none of the Beatles were really good singers they played their instruments well wrote some decent music enjoyed Beatle mania in the 60's and now they are no more. Besides a king shouldnt have beatles crawling around in his home any way.
Sean Ryan wrote on
October 04, 2005
buyep01: your comments are so wrong and the beatles dont deserve to be written about like that.i dont get into the 'who is better' arguement cause its just so pointless.obviously im gonna choose elvis but the beatles deserve to be shown abit more respect than you give them credit for.imagine a beatles fan putting down elvis like you have about the beatles.
cathyreno wrote on
October 19, 2005
buyep01 your comments are straight to the point its obivious how much you love Elvis like me. Is there anything in this Beatles/Elvis sparring? Elvis always said there is room for everyone. Your man here (author) is trying to make a buck off all of us who are still plugging for EP to be the best. Its a if we have to prove to everyone why we are EP fans why EP deserves the praise and adulation. I suppose the Beatles fell the same way. Hit Chris H were it hurts folks don't buy the CD Let bygones be bygones. T C B