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In
this space we want to include all the opinions about the book,
from single
person, websites or professional
writers........
We
think is a good idea to have a more large idea about the book
and in the
same time to open our mind
in
the path to follow with the second volume .
We
post any comment in time order without any censorship.
We
hope you can appreciate it.
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From
Roland, Vienna May 18
though I have this
one at the side of my bed, on a staple called *soon to read*
for a few month now, I haven´t made it that far.
there are still stories to read and still routes to follow..
when I first held it in hands, the first thing that came to
my mind was *whoa, it´s heavy!*
and going through the first half of pages, I recognized that
this was not only about it´s weight.
even I´m not that big fan of elvis´ career in the 50ies, I
couldn´t let this release pass by .. you don´t get a
hand-numbered book that often :-)
So I pretended to read about the anger of his mother when he
went out on the long road to stardom, I expected to read
stories about his first manager, about the relationship
between him and the boys.
but what I´ve got at last was a mile-per-mile tourbook of
the first half of 1956. realizing that, I was caught to it.
how many miles they did have to spent from A to B, then
playing a show for a coke and a burger and then drove even
further to the next club in the next town.
and with every page red I wish that someday we´ll get a
book like this one for each year of elvis´ career.
luckily, the author doesn´t put in too much if his own
thougths, how it could´ve been there, what could´ve been
then.
most of all, he lets the articles do the storytelling.. and
that´s the most interesting thing for me.
here we don´t have a journalist, listening to old tapes,
writing down what he´s hearing now, 50 years later.. no! we
have to chance to read how it was back then!
so, all have right now is hope.
the hope, that volume 1 will sell well enough to make volume
2 reality.
and if the people on the message boards look close enough
behind lines like *cheap paper*, *dark and un-sharp pictures*
and phrases like that, I´m pretty sure it will :-)
March 18
Reviewed by Amber Smith
(with Nigel Patterson), 18 March 2009
from www.elvisinfonet.com
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Recently
released in
Italy
is Teenagers’ Hero by Steve
Rino. A self-published effort, Teenagers’
Hero is the result of a mammoth effort and the result
shows……..
400+ pages……..445 photos…….50 concert newspaper ads……..90
newspaper & magazine clips…….and all on one of the
most important years of Elvis’ amazing career…..…1956!
The book
sequentially chronicles Elvis during the first half of his
most powerful and important year (at least in the 50s).
All of the hundreds
of photographs are in black & white. This reflects
photography at the time. What gives Teenagers’
Hero its bang for a buck (it isn’t cheap) is its
chronological compendium of facts, photos, newspaper
articles, reviews and pot pourii of tit bits from Elvis’
electrifying 1956. From 1 January to mid 1956, the reader
becomes immersed in the undying phenomenon of Elvismania at
its deafening peak.
There have been few books to focus on Elvis in 1956.
Brian Petersen’s excellent 1994 published The Atomic
Powered Singer is the most notable. Other books
including Early Elvis: The Sun Years (Bill E. Burk)
and Howard DeWitt’s Elvis: The Sun Years, are in
their own way, equally impressive, but both cover a time
span beyond just 1956.
Both
the Rino and DeWitt books have electric merit thanks to
their proliferation of primary archival material which
vividly brings to life the excitement and potency that the
Hillbilly Cat exuded at the peak of his rocking’ powers. Teenager's
Hero stands proudly alongside these earlier
releases.
Beatlemania
has been very well chronicled and preserved.
Elvismania, as powerful, sadly, less so, and books like Teenagers’
Hero help redress that skewed imbalance.
There
is a potent urgency to the material presented by Steve Rino,
one that perfectly showcases the raw energy of the most
sexual and idolised performer the world has ever seen.
Rino's book presents a vivid picture of the young King of
Rock 'n' Roll as he struts and swaggers and gyrates his
pelvis right into the shocked faces of conservative
mainstream America. This is indeed, rock 'n' roll heaven.
I am dumbstruck by the negative
comments on Teenagers’ Hero,
much of which come from several well known people in the
Elvis world.
Let’s look at the
negative comments, one by one:
The
paper used is too thin - Hey guys………Teenagers’
Hero is a big book! With over 400 pages and the
exorbitantly high costs of publishing a book in the
noughties, selecting a slightly thinner paper stock is a
good compromise in getting a book to print. And it’s
not like the pages are flimsy and falling apart. They
are a respectable 150gm glossy stock! This is a well
produced, perfect cloth bound release.
It may lack the
quality glossy pages we sometimes get from US,
Japan
and
UK
releases, but those books usually only have around 100 pages.
I would suggest this allowed the authors to select a heavier
page for their book. Looking back at early Ger Rijff
books, they were no where near the quality of his later
glossy, hardback “classics”. And Mr Rijff, on the
FECC forum, has regularly commented on the problems, costs
and lack of demand for 1950s Elvis books today!
The photos are too dark - Here
I have to agree. There is a dark tone to the book due
to too much black background, at times making it difficult
to read the words.
Most of the photos aren't previously
unpublished - OK, Steve Rino says most of the photos
are previously unpublished, but we recognise most of the
visuals. Despite this, it has to be said there are so, so
many great photos and archival reproductions, as well as
several rare photos in Teenagers'
Hero, and importantly, they all delight!
Steve Rino is forgiven here for his unnecessary hyperbole.
Teenagers’Hero
is a scrapbook - Hello?? What is your point?
Since when is publishing a scrapbook type book a crime?
There are many Elvis books in a similar format. Is the
format redundant or something? I don’t think so.
If anything, it works really well in presenting the vibrancy
of the first half of the Hillbilly Cat’s most potent and
important year in his rock ‘n’ roll defining decade.
Much of what still exists from 1956 is newspaper articles
which are perfectly suited to the scrapbook format.
When we buy a book
there are a few questions we need to ask to decide if our
purchase has been a good one:
- Does the book add to our
knowledge of the Elvis story?
- Is the archival material good?
- Is the book well designed?
- Are there previously unpublished
photos?
- Is the book good value for
money?
In the case of Teenagers'
Hero, the answer to all of these questions is YES!!!
EIN recently showed Teenagers’
Hero to a group of 7 fans. Not one found the
book to be one they wouldn’t want in their collection!
Teenagers’
Hero is hoped to be the first in a series by the
author. Fingers crossed sales are healthy enough to
see further volumes.
V
erdict: Don’t believe the
nay sayers, Teenagers’ Hero
is a great book. Coming from a country (
Italy
) not renowned for Elvis publications, Teenagers’
Hero is different from most other recent Elvis books
and with its focus on the most important year for the young
Hillbilly Cat it is a goldmine of photographic, narrative
and archival information. Shame on those who have to
criticise………their motivation does not appear to based
on objective reasons! |
March 18
BY
Simone from www.lamette.it
Steve Rino – Elvis
Presley – Teenagers’ Hero (Teenagers’ Hero, 2009)
Steve Rino è forse il
più grande fan e collezionista di Elvis Presley
che ci sia al mondo, e se non è il numero uno, occupa
comunque un posto d’onore nella top ten. Teenagers’
Hero, per farla breve, è l’autoproduzione più
corposa che io abbia mai visto in vita mia, sul grande
Elvis e non solo, e sono orgoglioso di ospitare nella mia
biblioteca casalinga la copia n° 504 di 1000 di questo
imperdibile ed enciclopedico volume. In sintesi:
“Teenagers’ Hero” raccoglie qualsiasi tipo di
testimonianza cartacea documenti l’attività e la vita
privata di Elvis nel corso dei primi 6 mesi del 1956; 444
foto, 50 concerti, 90 articoli tratti da giornali e
magazine dell’epoca, 130 giorni documentati di 181
totali. Va detto, inoltre, che buona parte del materiale
è assolutamente hard to find – in quanto apparso
in precedenza soltanto nel contesto stampa originario –
o addirittura inedito.
Altra precisazione di Rino: dal momento che il book
– stampato in Italia! – è per il 95% fotografico (il
desiderio dell’autore è quello di lasciar parlare
direttamente la Leggenda), gli scatti sono stati tutti
rigorosamente restaurati secondo un principio di massima
fedeltà al negativo originale. Ogni ulteriore commento
sarebbe superfluo.
Un prezzo non elevato (considerata la mole spaventosa del
book) per un pezzo da collezione che documenta il boom del
Re del Rock in piena “Heartbreak Hotel” era.
Si vocifera che Rino abbia intenzione di proseguire –
anno per anno, libro per libro – fino al fatale 1977.
Sarà vero? Ci riuscirà? Un buon motivo in più per
ordinare il mastodontico, potenziale primo capitolo.
Steve Rino – Teenagers’ Hero – The dawn of a new
world: 1956, the first six months, Teenagers’ Hero,
2009, 413 pag., 42 €
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Andrei February 24
A new
book. Title is a real definition for Elvis. I have to judge
this book as all other serious fans did, thinking at my own
experience I reached in last 20 years, a great period when I
steped hardly from a poor fan to a serious one. All time I
was looking for real informations, especially in my case
about music, films and later pictures and real facts.
I read many books in my country case, many only between rows,
because their contents belongs to simple romantic books or
using same small and incomplete biography rows, but not as
simple related facts. Now i know exactly witch titles offer
us what any fan need. For 56 year, Steve Rino let fans knows,
by his biographic page from Teaneger's Hero book.
I learnt that not too many, but serious authors, most of all,
Elvis' fans, put a hard work in their lifes to make possible
great photo books, to produce them and offer to other fans a
REAL ELVIS.
It is a big problem between our Elvis' fans world. Not too
many cares about reality. Large public believe in mass media
lies, they buy lies and believe them. But from Elvis' fans I
have a condition, they must chose reality and share it
unchanged with other fans.
For a beginner fan, this last book, it is maybe the last
chance to have pictures, articles and reviews, details about
songs, shows, all in one book, simple to find and discover
how bussy was Elvis only in that half of 56 year. And all as
a day by day cronology. Great ideea, about how much Elvis
traveled from city to city, noticed on maps.
Elvis himself put a lot of hard work, especially between
54-57 years and later in same way between 69-77.
Thinking at all other books, a few i didn't find yet, from
biographic page, I realize that Teaneger's Hero with another
work of 2 years as author said, belongs to same kind of
quality. I always looking for real contents, I never judged
an original produce with and about Elvis, much more by
quality of colours against real content.
This last book it is really a new and maybe last chance for
fans to discover what Elvis really did, only in that half of
year. Fans, it is clear. Those who cares, don't miss such a
great book. It is an oportunity.
I like to thank to Steve Rino, from what i know, he's also a
serious fan. Same time i like to thanks to all other authors
without such books are impossible to be done, without real
Elvis' details witch remain in time only incomplete or much
worse, lies for large public.
TCB
Diana February 4
I
Got
the book in no time at all and I really enjoy it.
The way you've put it together really makes
the reader experience the frenzy and energy of those times.
And such wonderful photos to bring everything to life.
Extraordinary.
And your writing in English lends authenticity to the
crescendo of international mania that's about to build. Wonderful
book
Harald January 17
Normally
I be a 100% fan of Elvis in the years 1969 - 1977, but also the
beginning of elvis fantastic career is very, very important - so I
have many items also from the 50's and 60's and I have all important
books for the 50's years called: Reflections 1956 / The Atomic Powered
Singer / Did Elvis Sing In Your Town (50's) / All Ger Rjiff boosk from
the 50's-periode / Elvis at 21 De-Luxe-Box from USA - about 7 kg
weight!!! / Elvis mit 21 Jahren - German-release of the books.... and
so on.
What
I say to you for the first seeing the book is with one word:
Absolutely fantastic - so many photos, infos and text only for a first
half month on 1956 in a book of about 400 sides is unbelieveable and
amazing. Your book volume 1 is a milestone of books-publishing in all
of the elvis years since 1953 - Fantastic work by you and your team -
congratulations. This book is a real collectors item and a must of
each really elvis-fan and collector -and what to be important is: the
book is very limited of only 1000 books - I'm sure, that you sold all
1000 books and get questions to print a second edition...
For
me it's a great book, but only a little, little fault - is only
paperback and by so a very heavy book I think it's better to make a
hardback book - but this is my own opinion.
So
Steve - you are a great fan and collector and a great publisher of a
amazing book. Thanks for this book. I hope you make more in future. On
which day came out volume 2 of teenager's hero?
Melanie
January 8
<<Hi Steve,
I received the book today. I
looked through some of it and I love it! You did an AMAZING
job on it! I love the newspaper
clipping and photos.
If you're looking for a beautiful and informative book about Elvis, you
will love this book! It's packed with beautiful
photos and a lot of information about Elvis in the first half of
1956. It's a treat to read, and it's a lot of fun to look
through.>>
Peter
January 7
<<HI
Steve got the Teenager`s book!
It is a stunning, great book and was a great surprise for me!
I like this book; please produce the seconds volume soon!
Personally I`d like to give my opinion to some details!
The best contents of this book are:
- song listing of many of the concerts (where did you get them??)
- views and historical descriptions of the concert halls and
auditoriums
- local maps, containing all the cities, where Elvis had performed
live
- special comments and stories, such as "Jackie Gleason liked
Elvis...,
the story of the concert on the ship Mount Vermount.... stories
about
the 50` Vegas Concerts...
- newspaper articles and press comments
- other opinions of people connected with Elvis
- overall excitement side by side, creating a "live atmosphere"
as
being in the fifties
What I missed a little bit are:
- the quality of the concert photos
- more unreleased photos
- comments of Tom Parker concerning the concerts
- background stories about the 56 period from Scotty Moore
or D.J. Fontana
Anyway - great work; good luck for the next volume!!!>>
Ron
January 6
<<Hi
Steve
Still have not finished your book, only got half way, but I LOVE IT....great
to have so many 'new' photos of Elvis, on stage,
from his best years (
my opinion ).You feel 'You are There', following the maps and
pictures of the tours and venues, from the start of his career.
Also nice was the other artists whose details you gave us, Buddy
Holley,Carl Perkins etc.,
It is a Wonderful book and you can be very proud of yourself,
for all the research and hard work that has gone into it.
Your book is, like Elvis Presley a life in music by Ernst Jorgensen,
(my all time favorite Elvis Book) one
that i shall go back to, time an time again
Once Again Well Done>>
Erik 4 January
have
not yet been through the extensive information, but find this a great
document for Elvis live in 1956.
The systematic way of giving all the concert dates with pictures and
newspaper articles are very fine.
This
is an excellent way of preserving history. I will recommend this book
strongly to all of my friends.
Thanks for a great work done
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