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Rock Reads: Counting Down Elvis: His 100 Finest Songs by Mark Duffett

Reviewed by Kevin Wierzbicki

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Note that Duffett is counting down Elvis Presley's 100 "finest" songs here, not Duffett's personal favorites or Presley's biggest sellers, although undoubtedly there are plenty of each on the list. The bottom line is that the essay that goes along with each cut has something to say about Presley's impact on music and society in general, something that you may have never thought, especially if you are in the younger generation and a relative newcomer to Presley fandom. The mind-opening entries are not focused exclusively on Presley; Duffett's dissection of "Big Boss Man" from The Complete '68 Comeback Special album is as focused on songwriter Jimmy Reed as it is on Elvis. And it is all of the similar detours throughout that sets this book apart from all the books about Presley that preceded it. A nice treat for any Elvis fan.


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