Elvis: Caught in a Trap

Author: Arjan Deelen, Laurens van Houten


Publisher: Rock Legends Publications


ISBN: 87-988844-0-9




I am not great lover of Elvis photo books and certainly not of Elvis concert photo 

books, nor am I a "jumpsuit junkie." "Elvis: Caught in a Trap" should, then not 

appeal to me and, indeed, when I heard about this title, I thought it would be yet 

another collection of previously published concert photos with limited commentary 

and a high price-tag -- another attempt to suck the Elvis fan dry, in other words. I

am pleased to admit that I was very wrong!


"Elvis: Caught in a Trap" is a collection of photographs made by a Dutch 

photographer by the name of Laurens van Houten, who has photographed numerous big 

names in the pop scene, including John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. 

Laurens was not an Elvis fan when he was asked to take photos of Elvis in concert 

during a trip to Las Vegas with a group of European fans in September 1973. 

Nevertheless, Laurens accepted the assignment and, in his own amusing and 

interesting preface, explains how he went about taking the photographs, when 

photography was strictly prohibited, having to smuggle the parts of his camera into 

the showroom, use bribery to obtain a good position, and rely on the cooperation of 

other fans to prevent his activities from being spotted. He also gives some insight 

into the excitement of the fans in the group, and his own gradual realisation that 

Elvis was more than just another singer.


Of course, the major part of the book is reserved for the photographs that Laurens 

took during the course of three of Elvis's performances. And they really are 

excellent photographs! Over some 100 pages, the photographs, apparently in 

chronological order, in both black and white and full colour, show Elvis both having

fun on stage and belting out for all he's worth. One sequence of pages of almost 

full-length close-ups are shots taken rapidly one after the other and give an 

excellent idea of Elvis in full flow. Most of the photographs are without comment --

all that really needs to be said with the collection is included in the foreword and 

preface -- but a few are accompanied by insightful remarks quoted from associates of

Elvis, including Ronnie Tutt, Shaun Nielsen and Glen Hardin (who also provides an 

introduction). A few contemporary newspaper clips about the shows, and a couple of 

pages showing the use of Laurens van Houten's Elvis photos on the covers of Dutch 

magazines complete the book.


"Elvis: Caught in a Trap" oozes quality: it is excellently bound, with illustrated 

boards and saddle stitching; the photographs are printed on equally excellent paper 

and the text is well written. The title, incidentally, refers to Elvis's 

professional plight at the time the photographs were taken and is very well 

explained by Arjan Deelen in his own foreword, that provides a superb idea of 

Elvis's struggle at the time.


It is likely that a great many Elvis-related titles will be published this year, the

25th anniversary of Elvis's death; many of them, I have no doubt, will be pretty 

terrible -- "Elvis: Caught in a Trap" will probably stand head and shoulders above 

most of them and should occupy a place in every fan's library.





David Neale

copyright May 2002

Return to previous page