Black Cat Bone

The King. Whatever. It was a bought crown. But he certainly was a fine singer and an essential figure.

I'd have to say that the RCA eponymous debut would be my favorite, but the version I have has eighteen tracks with six bonuses that have been added in in a way that makes it unclear what the original album was like. It starts with the "Heartbreak Hotel" single, so I don't get a real sense of what the album was like, but I do prefer this material a bit to the Sun recordings.

My favorite track of his is definitely "My Baby Left Me" which has all the cool and excitement that the Elvis legend is supposed to have. Those drums beatin' a command to open up at the start. You can hear the country and blues gettin' it on, the rock and roll baby getting conceived. This vocal delivery was the essence of the sexual threat the man posed. To be in such insouciant control, then let little moments of abandon loose just plays with the audience. He can claim he's depressed with those lyrics, but with that stride the music and vocal envokes, he's ready to pick up a new baby. In a song ostensibly about being dumped, it's clear that it's her loss, not his.

Favorite Album - Elvis Presley

Favorite Song - "My Baby Left Me"

Song: Mystery Train

Album: That's the Way it Is (The 3CD box)


That's as of 17:13 on 11/7/06 of course

I think my favourite Elvis period is the late-sixties/early seventies Elvis – just after silly movie-Elvis, and just before Pagliacci-Elvis. His voice was more sonorous and lived in, a little less scrappy maybe, but a more commanding voice, more authoritative. I think also, he was at the height of his powers as a performer, a truly magnetic stage presence that seemed to exude (dare I say it?) charisma and and almost sexual confidence. He briefly broke away from the Machiavellian clutches of the Colonel around this time. It’s too bad that things soon reverted back to indentured servitude. I believe that this, among other things, is what killed him – well, the fried lardburgers probably didn’t help either!

Favourite album – On Stage February 1970

Favourite Song – a tough call, but I’m going to say “Amercian Trilogy”

It's all good, but then I'm as biased as it's possible to be I guess...

He's responsible for more great recordings than most anyone else. Literally hundreds of them. Like Spector said he could sing anything and make it great. The single most important American figure in rock 'n' roll.

Album : "Suspicious Minds" 2CD set, featuring all the Memphis 68 material and alternates.

Track : "If I Can Dream"

Matt Wilson wrote:It's all good.

Matt Wilson wrote:He's responsible for more great recordings than most anyone else.

Matt Wilson wrote:The single most important American figure in rock 'n' roll.

I agree with all of it!

Single: ...it has to be Mystery Train. By a mile.

LP: Having Fun With Elvis On Stage
... o-ho ho. Mine's the RCA debut.

Surprises me 'cos his stuff, to me, is simply out of date. 50 years have passed - it's now very old music. Almost music hall in its irrelevance. I can't get into it at all. What is the appeal of 'Heartbreak Hotel'? There's dust on it, it creaks and groans. It's like dry biscuits. We moved on. It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

Hey Pep! wrote:Surprises me 'cos his stuff, to me, is simply out of date. 50 years have passed - it's now very old music. Almost music hall in its irrelevance. I can't get into it at all. What is the appeal of 'Heartbreak Hotel'? There's dust on it, it creaks and groans. It's like dry biscuits. We moved on. It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

I kind of have that problem with a lot of 50's rock n' roll if I'm honest so i know what you're saying. Still it's impossible not to love some Elvis I think, there is just a charisma in the way he interprets certain songs.

Love Me Tender or Suspicious Minds would me my choice, his albums don't really interest me though so no comment there.

Hey Pep! wrote: It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

No.

And speaking of "eternal," they'll still be talking about Elvis in 500 years. Long after the name Mark E. Smith has been forgotten.

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote: It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

No.

And speaking of "eternal," they'll still be talking about Elvis in 500 years. Long after the name Mark E. Smith has been forgotten.

Quite probably. And?

Hey Pep! wrote:

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote: It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

No.

And speaking of "eternal," they'll still be talking about Elvis in 500 years. Long after the name Mark E. Smith has been forgotten.

Quite probably. And?

So it proves you're full of shit.

Not that proof was needed.

Just thinking about his entire career leaves me speechless. More worthy of iconic status and respect than any other artist in American musical history (except maybe Hank Williams) and possibly popular music in general. What he did and represented can't really be calculated or assessed properly because I don't think many music fans have heard more than 10% of his output. It's a damn shame and the constant reissue, repackaging and raping of his catalog doesn't help either. He never set out to really make a proper album too so in this rockist universe, that is one major strike against him.

Favorite album: Second RCA record

Song: I Lost You, Trying To Get To You, I'm Movin' On, Never Been To Spain, Loving Arms, etc.... it really is a bottomless pit of awsome.

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote:

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote: It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

No.

And speaking of "eternal," they'll still be talking about Elvis in 500 years. Long after the name Mark E. Smith has been forgotten.

Quite probably. And?

So it proves you're full of shit.

Not that proof was needed.

Wonderful. You're disappointed in what you wrote - I opened your eyes to the flaw there. And that frustration manifests itself in you posting cheap and pointless abuse.

Why bother?

Hey Pep! wrote:

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote:

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote: It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

No.

And speaking of "eternal," they'll still be talking about Elvis in 500 years. Long after the name Mark E. Smith has been forgotten.

Quite probably. And?

So it proves you're full of shit.

Not that proof was needed.

Wonderful. You're disappointed in what you wrote - I opened your eyes to the flaw there. And that frustration manifests itself in you posting cheap and pointless abuse.

Why bother?

Your original statement isn't all that compelling John, to be fair.

If anyone can't "get into" Elvis I recommend you go to Memphis Tennessee and stand in Sun Studios and hold his microphone while recordings and out-takes play in the studio...

If you don't have a special feeling then I agree you can't "get into" Elvis...

I almost forgot about Love Me! Both the studio version and his sweltering performance for the Comeback Special are just amazing slices of his charisma and vocal theatrics that make me stop in my tracks every single time.

Clippernolan wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote:

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote:

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote: It isn't 'eternal youth' or powerful, or whatever. To me, anyway. No?

No.

And speaking of "eternal," they'll still be talking about Elvis in 500 years. Long after the name Mark E. Smith has been forgotten.

Quite probably. And?

So it proves you're full of shit.

Not that proof was needed.

Wonderful. You're disappointed in what you wrote - I opened your eyes to the flaw there. And that frustration manifests itself in you posting cheap and pointless abuse.

Why bother?

Your original statement isn't all that compelling John, to be fair.

It wasn't too stridently put. It was almost apologetic, for me!

And so I'm 'full of shit', according to Mr. Rolling Stone.

Hey Pep! wrote: Wonderful. You're disappointed in what you wrote - I opened your eyes to the flaw there. And that frustration manifests itself in you posting cheap and pointless abuse.

Why bother?

Why am I dissapointed in what I wrote?
And the flaw in your logic was pointed out by me. Elvis is eternal, but then so is Dylan--whom they will also remember (along with the Beatles and precious few others).

And the irony of a guy who told me to fuck off in gigantic font yesterday saying I'm throwing 'cheap and pointless abuse' at him today is... well, let's just say it's typical of you, Coan.

Matt Wilson wrote:

Hey Pep! wrote: Wonderful. You're disappointed in what you wrote - I opened your eyes to the flaw there. And that frustration manifests itself in you posting cheap and pointless abuse.

Why bother?

Why am I dissapointed in what I wrote?
And the flaw in your logic was pointed out by me. Elvis is eternal, but then so it Dylan--whom they will also remember (along with the Beatles and precious few others).

And the irony of a guy who told me to fuck off in gigantic font yesterday saying I'm throwing 'cheap and pointless abuse' at him today is... well, let's just say it's typical of you, Coan.

I pity the poor fucker who has the afternoon meetings with you today Matt.

Chill, bro', chill.