I cracked this tome after sinking into a deliciously steaming bubble bath, and before I had finished the introduction, my initial thought was this: What the hell is this guy talking about? First was a page of lyrics and quotes, then ten pages of babble regarding the connection between the presidential election of 1992 and Elvis Presley, specifically the parallels between Bill Clinton and The So-Called King of Rock and Roll. Not only was I confused, I was also dreading the remaining two-hundred pages of prose.

Double Trouble is a collection of essays written from 1992 through the fall of 2000, and covers topics as diverse as Bob Dylan, Nirvana, the deaths of Mario Savio and Allen Ginsburg, Andy Warhol, PJ Harvey, and oh yes, Elvis and Bill Clinton. Although his tone can be light-hearted, the majority of his theses are not conducive to stress-reducing soaks. I found myself closing the book after completing many of the articles, just to allow the significance of the points contained within to settle. Agreement with Mr. Marcus' premises is not mandatory, but critical thought most certainly is.

I was most struck by "Elvis and Hermes, Together Again At Last", penned in 1994 regarding an Elvis Presley exhibition at the Doe Library at Berkeley. Aside from the incongruence of a display in such a "severe, elegant place, with walls of gleaming gray marble", he focused on the comments left in the visitor's notebook. They ranged from the inane "Elvis is Dead!" and "Elvis is more alive than you'll ever be", to "I need a job" and "The King will lead me to do well on this exam - at least I will pass".

More importantly, charges of racism, wife beating, and dope addiction reared their heads repeatedly, as well as disgust with the University's hypocrisy for allowing such a display on the campus. I was intrigued that this undergraduate student population is the same that mourns the loss of Kurt Cobain, despite the fact he was a suicidal, mentally ill, drug addict who left his daughter to grow up without a father. I wonder if their children will react as harshly to a Nirvana exhibit on their college campus twenty years from now?

Marcus' last essay is his glimpse into the future after the 2000 Presidential election. He offers a prediction of each candidate's presidency, not to mention the possible fate of the Clinton's themselves. I read each scenario with a smirk, contemplating the court-involved embarrassment, not to mention world joke, that the election actually became. Did Greil manage to funnel his opinions through his seemingly favorite subject and answer the question "What would Elvis say?" or did he compose a theory regarding the musical generation gap between George W. and his daughters? Either way, I'm sure it's a fascinating read.