Customer Reviews

Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I gave this five stars because, having read Nash's earlier "Memphis Mafia" book, I feel she has grown exponentially as a writer and as a journalist. In BLPH, Nash doesn't rely on one source for the retelling of certain events (such as how Elvis and Priscilla met), but presents opposing recounts from key witnesses and ultimately lets the reader decide whom to believe. This is a far leap forward from Peter Guralnick's dry and myopic two-volume "biography" of Elvis, and I learned some shocking things in the process. Some so outrageous I wonder how she legally got them into print. (No spoilers here--I won't go into detail.)

Ultimately, she has the benefit of much research and multiple interviews to pull from, and she does so freely. Unfortunately, she consistently returns to a single psychologist for repetitive views on Elvis's "twinless twin" obsession as a motivator/syndrome throughout his life. No doubt the Jessie Garon connection had an effect, but this book pushes it into every area of Elvis's psyche, and it's too much. Same with his connection to Gladys: every woman was his mother, etc. I find that simple and dismissive, but it doesn't detract from the overall presentation of material here. Given the state of book publishing these days, Nash had to find a "hook" upon which to build this book, so she has chosen to focus on his relationships with women as a backdrop to his life story. I have no problem with that; in fact, she does it rather well.

The downside for me was that, while there are numerous areas which explore a different side of Elvis the person, the book simply reiterates the age-old and, for my money, erroneous ideas regarding his career in the 1960s: the movies were all stupid, the music was terrible, Elvis hated doing them, he could have been a great actor, etc. On the surface, some of this is true, but a deeper exploration might have found a more believable answer. Nash repeatedly remarks how miserable Elvis was making these movies, and then reports (via quotes from co-stars) how happy and eager he seemed on the set. Listen to the outtakes from soundtrack recording sessions and you won't hear a miserable singer--you'll hear a vibrant personality having fun with songs like "You Can't Say No In Acapulco."

Personally, I don't believe Elvis hated these movies or these songs. So many of them influenced his personal style: how he dressed after "It Happened at the World's Fair" or enjoying the darker make-up he wore for "Harum Scarum." Nash also reports that he enjoyed stronger ballads after leaving the army (i.e. "It's Now or Never"). And many of the songs on his soundtracks reflect that style of music. Neither were they all bad. "They Remind Me Too Much of You" is eerily reminiscent of "These Foolish Things."

Bottom line is the 1960s weren't the 1950s. Nash quotes Raquel Welch asking why "they" had cleaned up this rebel so much? But even the Beatles appeared on TV in suits and ties. Marlon Brando made several classic films in the 50s, then dreck until "The Godfather" in the early 70s. I fully believe Elvis enjoyed only having to work for three weeks total on a movie while earning somewhere between $1 and $2 million on profit sharing and record royalties. He was young, he was gorgeous, and he was a star. Of course, I'm sure he hated the "bad" years, 1964-1968 ("Kissin' Cousins" to "Easy Come, Easy Go") when they movies became unwatchable and worse, unlistenable.

In any case, opinions aside, BLPH is a fascinating, well-rounded biography of Elvis with as much source material and information as you could hope to get. Painstakingly researched and documented, and all of it interwoven in a fine, mature writing style. Until someone else comes along to question the standard, status quo perception of his career, this will do just fine.

For many years I would not speak with anyone or give my life story due to people making accusations regarding our relationship and the age difference. But, knowing the good reputation of Alanna Nash (this fabulous author) & knowing that this was a Labor of Love made me want to share just a little of my story and the special way this man Elvis touched my life. The way Alanna portrayed his life and the women who were touched by his life was so beautiful & heartfelt! It really opened up a lot of emotions & precious special memories for me. For many years I just couldn't quit understand why Elvis wanted to be with me so much but, after reading Alanna's book It became such an enlightment more and more as to why Elvis wanted to be with me so much at such a young age. Yes, you might look at him and judge him for how he lived his life but, if you could have looked into his life just for a moment and could have seen all that he was going through then you might understand why this man lived the life that he lived. I was the last fourteen year old before his life ended and I just want to say that I appreciate him treating me with the utmost respect and for being the true southern gentlemen that he was by never taking advantage of me whatsoever! Elvis never knowing what women really wanted from him was always a fear but, I realized that all this man ever really wanted was to love and just be loved...

Reeca Smith Gossan

Just when I thought that all of the Elvis books had been written--along comes "BABY LET'S PLAY HOUSE--The Women Who Loved Elvis." Boy, I thought that I knew it "all" about him; however, the thorough research and actual interviews with the women involved (including myself) were stunningly revelatory! Nash is "beyond thorough" in her tedious research...tracking down every "live" specimen of a woman who had an association and/or relationship with lover boy Elvis. The book really tells a lot about what made Elvis "tick" when it came to women; however, in the final analysis it reveals--to the absolute delight of all his fans who love him--that "THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL" IN HIS LIFE WAS HIS FANS--AND THE AFFAIR IS STILL GOING ON! We just can't help falling in love with Elvis even after all this time; I guess there is nothing any sexier on the planet (and maybe never will be) than Elvis singing "Hunk of Burning Love" in a white leather, fringed jumpsuit. Whew! Yes, and most all the lucky gals who knew Elvis "close up" still cherish the experience and can't quite "wipe that smile off their faces" when reflecting on their up close and personal experiences with him. Alanna Nash's book has captured in enthralling, sexy detail their wonderful stories and present day reflective memories--all a marvelous, important part of the "mystery of Elvis." This book is a treasure and a "must have" for every true Elvis fan and I'm delighted to have been featured in it (Kay Wheeler). She told my story exactly per our interviews in complete accuracy. Like the great screen idol, "Valentino" of days gone by, Elvis' loves are intriguing and fascinating beyond measure. Real Elvis fans need to know EVERYTHING about him! Now we can all imagine and even almost believe that we are the "woman" that he needed; because obviously he never found her!Don't miss this incredible book! KAY WHEELER --[google it)

I've just finished reading a wonderful book, "Elvis, Let's Play House - Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him", by Alanna Nash. I finished the 600+pages book in three nights.
Just when I thought I'd read every conceivable approach to, and dissection of, the essence of Elvis (and I've read well over two hundred of them), Nash's new book brings a refreshing and enlightening angle to an already crowded field of writings about the King of Rock & Roll. It's a book that presents, in exquisite and well-researched detail, a view of Elvis from the many lives and loves of the women lucky enough to have shared a very private part of his life.
Unlike many of the dry and lifeless portraits already written about Elvis, this book grabbed me and kept me spellbound as I turned each page, never failing to hold my attention as it methodically transitions nicely from one girlfriend's account to the next; all this while, at the same time, enlightening the reader as to the very complex relationship between these women and Elvis, Gladys, and his stillborn twin, Jessie.
I thought I knew about every girl he dated from the numerous books I've read, but I learned so much more from this one. Another nice touch is the selection of pictures used throughout, some of which I'd never seen, making it easy to pair the names with the faces.
I was particularly struck by the easy, straightforward way the author has pulled so many complex stories of the intimate, while at the same time revealing, accounts of the women and their insights into those lucky enough to have loved (and made love to) Elvis Presley - the mingling of the "plain jane" types interspersed with some of the world's greatest beauties. This book details them all and does it in such an entertaining way that you'll find it hard to put down once you've started reading it.
I'd rate this book more than five stars if I could. Don't miss it.

Alanna Nash's new book "Baby Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him" should be titled "Baby Let's Make Money: Elvis Presley and the People Who Profit Off Him - Myself Included." This is the same Nash whose 2003 biography of Tom Parker entitled "The Colonel" suggested he committed murder. While I believe that Parker was a mercenary con-artist whose destruction of Elvis' film career was only one of his many sins against Elvis, it takes more proof than Nash provides to label him a murderer - but he was dead so she could write anything. It is this same legal literary license which allows her to slander Elvis and sully his memory. Nash did this previously with her 1995 book "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia," which was based upon the alleged recollections (fabrications?) of three cronies who sponged off Elvis while he was alive. The emphasis in that earlier book was on drugs while in this new book it is on sex. This book is typical of the type that sells today - yellow journalism containing some truth tainted by allegations, rumors and lies. The book is devoid of serious journalistic research and rambles along from one spicy claim to another while revealing the author's tabloid perspective and pedantic writing ability.

Nash apparently thinks that she has the uncanny ability to burrow into Elvis' mind; during an interview in the Fifties in which Elvis states, in response to why he shakes when he sings, that he is not trying to be vulgar but just enjoys what he is doing, Nash states omnisciently that he was lying (she uses the word "fib") and writes that Elvis's actions were deliberately sexual. This sexual theme pervades the book and since squalid sex sells, she exploits sensationalism. For instance, to include some particularly salacious passages, she gives credibility to ersatz celebrity and former Playboy bunny Sheila Ryan who probably hopes that her explicit sexual accounts (more fabrications?) of her trysts with Elvis will bring her back into the limelight she enjoyed decades ago due to her associations with famous men. Not coincidentally, Nash cites Playboy magazine and the pathetic Byron Raphael, whom she describes as "Elvis's pimp," as valid sources for a scurrilous rumor that accuses Elvis of lewd and illicit behavior at a 1957 concert. Though this has been proven to be a lie, Nash repeats it in all of its vulgarity and has the gall to use Albert Goldman's infamously sleazy biography of Elvis to support the falsehood (Goldman made a fortune from his book, a fact not unknown to Nash.) Another dubious source is former Elvis "friend" - now known as turncoat - Lamar Fike (he is one of three people in whose name the copyright to Goldman's book is registered) to explain Elvis' alleged "hypersexuality." And then there is Maxine Brown who should be ashamed of herself for the quote attributed to her.

If it isn't already clear, this is not a biography of Elvis from the female perspective, which is what it is publicized to be, but instead is a distasteful collection of raunchy tales spread liberally throughout the book, though their veracity is questionable. Nash's writing is frequently - and shamefully - so graphic that the question has to be raised as to whether she was aiming to gratify readers who vicariously salivate over such passages or whether she was doing her own salivating. To attempt to offset such coarseness and give her book some significance, she cites psychologist Peter Whitman, author of the book "Inner Elvis" (which he called a "psychological biography") to support her "psycho-sexual" biography. Whitman, who is called an "expert on twinless twins," uses every tired cliché to claim that Elvis was guilty of satyriasis, a condition marked by an "abnormal and uncontrollable sexual desire." He also "wanted to be infantilized" and, due to the death of his twin brother and his relationship with his mother, was incapable of normal development. Nash (who perhaps believes that she is a psychiatrist, at one point "diagnosing" Elvis as paranoid and delusional) concludes that the loss of Elvis' twin and the loss of his mother "with whom he had been lethally enmeshed since childhood" caused his lifelong suffering and his inability to have a lasting relationship with a woman. Such psychobabble is supposed to legitimize the foul odor that permeates almost every page of this fetid book but it doesn't work. The book ultimately emerges as worthless trash, though it probably will be enjoyed by Elvis-haters and consumers of sleaze.

In contrast to this rubbish, among the best biographical studies of Elvis are Peter Guralnick's "Last Train to Memphis" and "Careless Love," Jerry Hopkins' "Elvis" and "Elvis: The Final Years," Patsy Guy Hammontree's "Elvis Presley: a Bio-Bibliography," Elaine Dundy's "Elvis and Gladys" and Dave Marsh's "Elvis." As testaments to his musical genius, you can't top Robert Mathew-Walker's "Elvis Presley: A Study in Music," Ernst Jorgensen's "Elvis Presley: A Life in Music" and Jorgensen and Guralnick's "Elvis: Day By Day."

I am a writer and someone who is deeply interested in the life of this American icon. I see this work by Alanna Nash as essential in understanding the complexity of this enigmatic musician. I am in total opposition to those other reviewers who complain about Nash's work as being "sensational" or too "psychoanalytic." On the first account, Elvis was, indeed, a sensational figure and the book, understandably, reflects this quality of his life. With respect to psychological matters, Nash's theories are in line with current medical practice. In fact the documented comments and actions by Elvis clearly demonstrate that this was a man whose personality revealed profound discrepancies with what could be called "normal behavior." Again, Nash's central viewpoint (that he was life-obsessed with his mother and the pre-mature death of his twin) is hardly earth shaking. Women were, in fact, central to this man's life and this work covers a variety of descriptions of many of those who played a part in his all-too-brief journey. A few of the sexual descriptions are graphic but not prurient. In fact the somewhat abnormal sexuality of Elvis could not be fairly treated without some of these descriptions. I still believe that the Peter Guralnick two-volume biography should be the starting point for anyone who really wants to understand Elvis, but this work by Nash most certianly provides us with an inside view that allows us to see how he lived day to day. If you enjoy reading about Elvis Presley, get this book. You will be informed and entertained.

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Of all the hundreds of books about Elvis that have appeared over the years, there's only a handful that I consider significant, reflecting honestly and insightfully the Elvis I knew. Alanna Nash's new book "Baby Let's Play House" is definitely one of that small number. It's beautifully written in a style that is as accessible as it is meaningful. Alanna has artfully, through meticulous research and her unique talent as a lucid writer, tackled and conquered a very complex subject - the women who loved Elvis. Filled with poignant and memorable anecdotes, intimate and private relationships, this book is fascinating and should be required reading for anyone interested in a three-dimensional look at Elvis' life.

"Baby, Let's Play House" is the freshest perspective on Elvis Presley in years, and Alanna Nash is the only author who could have written this book.

Nash is, in my humble opinion, the best Presley biographer bar none. Her previous efforts on the Memphis Mafia and Colonel Tom Parker are permanent fixtures on my library shelf.

Why is she so good? First and foremost, she is an extraordinarily talented writer and manages to mix entertainment with information with ease, making for a delightful read. Second, she is an ace researcher and her hard work shows on every page.

In this new effort, Nash writes Presley's story (with an assist from psychologist Peter Whitmer, author of the excellent "The Inner Elvis") through the eyes of the women who loved "The King of Rock 'n' Roll."

This is more than just a book...it's a seminal work.

Alanna Nash has done it again; she has captivated readers with tales of a man that many see as more than a mere mortal.

You don't have to be a fan of Elvis Presley to be mesmerized by this book. Ms Nash as managed to paint a picture of a man flawed and love-struck; much like you and I. The in-depth expose of Elvis' love life will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly...feel.

For years, people have looked up to Elvis as a demigod...someone who was far ahead of his time, and seen as a larger than life character. His womanizing, his hidden fetishes, and his desperate need of approval are all in these pages, brilliantly brought to life by a woman who eats, sleeps, and breathes Elvis Presley.

Let's face it...there are a lot of Elvis books out there. Some are biased. Some are written by Presley's third cousin, twice removed. What separates Ms. Nash from the hundreds of other writers is that she CARES about Elvis. She isn't out to capitalize on some strained relationship she had with him, nor is she looking to make a quick buck on his tragic life and subsequent death. She is a fan first and foremost.

Don't get me wrong...you don't have to be a fan of Elvis' music to like this book. At the core of this sometimes disturbing expose is the story of an all-too human man looking to find acceptance in a world that saw him as someone he often times wasn't. Just like a great work of fiction...this book with sweep you off your feet and take you back in time. To a time where Elvis was king, taboos were being experimented with, and love was something not found in a drug store check-out line rack.

I highly recommend picking this up and giving it a whirl...and if this is your first Nash book, be sure to pick up "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia" along with it. Kick back, relax, and prepare to embark on a journey into the tormented soul of the man, myth, and legend.

This book by Allanah Nash is the first of it's kind. An intensely researched work seen from the eyes of those who lived around Elvis instead of the view of one 'insider'. Allanah interviews, quotes, and describes in very intense detail that Elvis was insaciable regarding women. He was never without one, or two, or three from the time he was in 4th grade in Tupelo. In his Vegas years, lovers would be on opposite moving-walkways at the airport, his timing was so cunning. For someone who believed there was Dixie Locke and then Priscilla... and then a few rebound chicks after his divorce, this book undisputably reveals that Elvis had a unique and bizzare need to have constant female companionship... especially after the death of his beloved mother. There must be 30 pages of indexed references, so many of the women Elvis loved. Allanah has a very gentle and compelling style of telling the story of a humble southern gentleman who never lost that charm with women and was always playful, gentle and affectionate with each woman he embraced. When there was also another side to Elvis; a self-indulged control freak who truly was the king of his world and his subjects adored and obeyed him. Hard to believe one individual could possess such magnetism. Something 'not of this world' carried Elvis through life. Amazing rendition.