Elvis

[Atticus]

I was born during the last days of 1971. My mother was a huge

Elvis fan, and I remember to this day watching his tv special with her when I was a kid. His music has been present throughout my life.

 

I'm curious what the rest of the board thinks about his music, and his performances

[uncool2pillow]

50s, superb but overrated because of his race.

60s, mostly crappy movies, comeback was good

70s, a few good singles, but good lord...

 

I wonder what would've happened had he lived. Could he have made another comeback to respectability or would have floundered further into weirdness like his former son-in-law, Michael.

[Littlebear]

I think everyone should at least have Sunrise and From Elvis in Memphis in his collection.

 

I think he was an extraordinary singer. And he was the first rock'n'roll star.

 

I love all the rock'n'roll pioneers, I think they were all geniuses. Elvis, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Bo Diddley... Wonderful stuff, always fresh, and timeless.

 

The Sun sesssions of Elvis are all gems. I could spend days trying to understand the quality of these recordings. The things that explain this quality are what's the most interesting in music (the popular one at least). Music ain't mathematics. There isn't a formula. There's the mystery of the Human soul, and life.

 

I don't care of those people laughing at Elvis or saying he was an idiot. Music isn't about being smart. I don't care of XTC nor Elvis Costello. I prefer the music of people with a sense of LIFE in it. Music that speaks to our soul, our senses and our body. Music that makes me feel living a bit more intensely, music that makes me love life.

 

Sometime we forget the taste of life, and some musics are giving this to us. That may be why we listen to music in the first place, at least from the start. We may forget it on the way. But we get back to it. That's why it's timeless.

[dondoboy]

I love Elvis. I don't think I go a day without playing at least one song. It was such a large part of my childhood that it never let go. Plus I'm continuing my happy childhood to this day.

[Analogman]

I recall exactly where I was when I heard that he died. I was eleven years old.

 

Ernst Jorgensen worked on this release:

Elvis at Sun

 

A great concert film:

Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)

 

Two movies:

Elvis Meets Nixon (1997)

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

 

A collection of short stories:

Elvis Rising: Stories on the King

[Sir Stewart]

I recall exactly where I was when I heard that he died. I was eleven years old.

 

Ernst Jorgensen worked on this release:

Elvis at Sun

 

A great concert film:

Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)

 

Two movies:

Elvis Meets Nixon (1997)

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

 

A collection of short stories:

Elvis Rising: Stories on the King

 

But what do you think of him?

 

I love Elvis. Last Train To Memphis is crucial reading.

[Moss]

I remember where I was when he died also but it was because my mom was crying. That was not something I saw often.

 

I also Love Elvis but rarely listen to him. When I do it's stuff like "Mystery Train" and "Baby let's play house" although I have been known to crank "Suspicious Minds" on occasion.

[yermom]

"Suspicious Minds"

[froggie]

his latest flame, edge of reality & in the ghetto!

[suites]

I check it out on occasion when I pass channel 13 on Sirius Radio.

 

You got to respect him for what he was.

[PopTodd]

Pretty much all of he stuff he did on Sun Records is amazing.

The rest is hit and miss.

[Smokestack Joe]

Elvis Presley, The Sun Sessions, is one of the greatest early rock n roll albums. His work with the Million Dollar Quartet is also great.

 

His time with guitarist Scotte Moore can't be beat early 50s.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Hey little girl with the red dress on there's a party tonight in Memphis town

[Analogman]

But what do you think of him?

 

I love Elvis. Last Train To Memphis is crucial reading.

 

I think without him, we would not have rock and roll as we know it today. I never really got into his music all that much, although I admire the cd and concert film I mentioned in my post. As you know, the music of the mid 60s-mid 70s is my favorite music to listen to, and he certainly was a major influence on those bands.

 

Almost every time I read an interview with the members of one of the British beat/blues bands, he is often cited as one of the main reasons they wanted to form a band and make rock and roll music.

 

I suppose his place in American culture overshadows the music he created. I think these days, people are more familiar with Elvis sightings and Elvis impersonators, than the music he created.

[DawgSong]

I am who I am because of Elvis.

 

Well, he did instill my love of live music which is still #1 in my life 34 years after

my folks took me to see Elvis at The Omni in ATL in April 1975.

 

This 10 year old kid thought Elvis coming on to 2001 Space Odd with a pack house screaming

their heads off was the coolest thing ever.

 

The Elvis '68 Comeback Special dvd gets HIGHly played at my house. LOL, enough to where

some frequent repeat guests at the house will state "No, please not Elvis again" as I go to

search a dvd to pop in.

[Analogman]

I am who I am because of Elvis.

 

Well, he did instill my love of live music which is still #1 in my life 34 years after

my folks took me to see Elvis at The Omni in ATL in April 1975.

 

This 10 year old kid thought Elvis coming on to 2001 Space Odd with a pack house screaming

their heads off was the coolest thing ever.

 

The Elvis '68 Comeback Special dvd gets HIGHly played at my house. LOL, enough to where

some frequent repeat guests at the house will state "No, please not Elvis again" as I go to

search a dvd to pop in.

 

I should have mentioned that - mainly, the jam session part.

[dondoboy]

I suppose his place in American culture overshadows the music he created. I think these days, people are more familiar with Elvis sightings and Elvis impersonators, than the music he created.

I think this is the part that disappoints me the most. If younger people, especially younger musicians, would sit down and listen to those Sun records it would blow their minds. It was dangerous music. It was sexy. Hell, it still is.

[DawgSong]

I should have mentioned that - mainly, the jam session part.

 

No doubt the best part of the special.

Still plenty of "cheese" on the special to get ya giggling late at night.

[dmait]

I had an eight track with a song called something like "Long Legged Lady With a Short Dress On." I haven't found it or heard it since I was a kid.

[jakobnicholas]

No doubt he was at his best in the earlier years.

 

But I'm amazed how great and jaw-dropping he could be late in his career when he was drugged up, fat and didn't looks so great. I-tunes has a version of "Unchained Melody" from 1977 that is unreal. I'm not sure anybody has had or will ever have the stage prescence of Elvis.

[mfwahl]

I like Andy Kaufman's version.

[Analogman]

No doubt the best part of the special.

Still plenty of "cheese" on the special to get ya giggling late at night.

 

I actually have a slight memory of seeing that the night it was on TV.

[John Smith]

I like Elvis. He had his time and place. His 50

[calvino]

I always wondered what conversations Ron Tutt had with Jerry Garcia and Elvis during the 70's, while Tutt was playing in both their bands. It must of been weird for Tutt to go from a Elvis Vegas gig to a Garcia San Fran gig. Not to mention the interesting drugs that each camp must of had.

 

My parents were teenagers during the 50's and were Elvis fans so there were plenty of Elvis records around the house. Mostly his 60's and beyond stuff. Though, now, I prefer his Sun Records stuff. Elvis as Recorded at Madison Square Garden was one of the earliest records I remember playing when I was a kid.

The 2001 intro got me every time.

 

Looking over at Allmusic I realize the show was from 1972, the year I was born. No wonder I liked playing it when young kid.

[Moss]

I can't imagine watching the 68 comeback special and not thinking Elvis was an enourmouly gifted musician. I would like to have seen more stripped down stuff from him after that but he became much more Vegas.