Elvis

[Vincent Vega]

I'm not one of those Elvis nuts or anything but I have to say he made some good songs. My little niece, she's 9, is crazy about him and thinks there's ''no one better than Elvis'' and says he shouldn't have died. Any particular forum Elvis favorites?

[FunkyMonk]

That's cool that she loves Elvis, what a great start to loving music.

I really like Elvis' music, there are some really really great songs out there. I haven't ventured further than a few "best of" albums, but there's enough there to last me I think. I don't really expect him to have really good albums, but rather great songs if you know what I mean? But I wouldn't know.

Did he write many of his own songs? I hope he did. I think it sort of, takes away from his credibility if he was just a singer (albeit a great one), rather than someone who crafts their own songs.

[axlrose15]

elvis rocks! wooooo! check out the song 'if i could dream' its amazing!

[Lithium]

His studio album debut is probably the best album of the 50s.

[Guest Satanisk_Slakt]

Never really got into him. Like a few songs, but that's it.

[Axlin08]

Love E. He's the king.

I want his live version of "My Way" played at my eulogy. The dude is awesome.

[JAC185]

Downloaded his 50 Greatest Hits just this mornign actually.

Smashing stuff.

[Powerage5]

Never cared too much for Elvis, I'm more of a Chuck Berry type of guy.

[krissirge]

well I like a couple of his songs

[Axlin08]

Never cared too much for Elvis, I'm more of a Chuck Berry type of guy.

Berry is GOD too. Love 'em both.

[bax]

That's cool that she loves Elvis, what a great start to loving music.

I really like Elvis' music, there are some really really great songs out there. I haven't ventured further than a few "best of" albums, but there's enough there to last me I think. I don't really expect him to have really good albums, but rather great songs if you know what I mean? But I wouldn't know.

Did he write many of his own songs? I hope he did. I think it sort of, takes away from his credibility if he was just a singer (albeit a great one), rather than someone who crafts their own songs.

Elvis never wrote a song in his life, but he still kicks ass. I always thought he was kind of cheesy-and the vast majority of his stuff is-but check out the Sun Sessions album and you'll hear him in his raw, rocking state before the Col castrated him.

[Axlin08]

Yeah, Elvis was a performer & entertainer. Not a writer. He also did a shit load of covers.

Still doesn't take anything away from him.

[GUNSNROSES513]

Dont like him. But Respect him though

[F*ck Fear]

I like Elvis. Not all of his stuff, but alot of it.

I also perfer Chuck Berry though to be honest.

[artfromtex]

Elvis' catalog is really scattered nowadays. it's hard to find original albums, all you can get are compilations.

these are the important 'sessions' that you want.

the sun sessions

the 1956 RCA sessions

the post army session in Nashville that produced the "Elvis Is Back" lp and great singles like "It's Now Or Never", etc

the "How Great Thou Art" gospel album is fantastic.

the 1969 memphis sessions that produced the "From "Elvis In Memphis" album and songs like "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain", etc

the 70's are an underrated era. alot of good live albums, alot of good songs that are scattered about many lp's.

Edited May 26, 2008 by artfromtex

[Axlin08]

I ain't into gospel at all, and the "How Great Thou Art" album is one of my favorite music albums - ever.

It's just amazing.

[FunkyMonk]

artists back in ELvis' day didn't write their own songs simply.

That's crap. So he was just like any other manufactured pop-star that doens't write their own music (exagerrated opinion of course)? Doesn't that take away any of his 'magic' for anyone else?

Edited May 26, 2008 by FunkyMonk

[highvoltage]

artists back in ELvis' day didn't write their own songs simply.

That's crap. So he was just like any other manufactured pop-star that doens't write their own music (exagerrated opinion of course)? Doesn't that take away any of his 'magic' for anyone else?

Not really

"Presley’s comprehensive musical knowledge and talent also surprised and impressed songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller... [They] considered Presley to be an 'idiot savant' because he knew so many songs. His knowledge of the blues especially impressed them. Leiber remembers that Presley "could imitate anything he heard. He had a perfect ear," and he also described Elvis’s ear as "uncanny." In addition, Presley could sing and/or play a song on the piano after hearing it only once or twice. His natural ear for music, ability to play by ear, and to improvise were well known to his friends and musical associates."

He was still immensely talented.

[FunkyMonk]

See, that's the reassurance I like to hear. I don't want his music to be ruined for myself...by myself.

[W.A.R.4ever]

artists back in ELvis' day didn't write their own songs simply.

That's crap. So he was just like any other manufactured pop-star that doens't write their own music (exagerrated opinion of course)? Doesn't that take away any of his 'magic' for anyone else?

He may have not wrote his own music, but he took alot of risks and did things his way. That opened up alot of peopleto do the same. He was thought of too sexually and for his music for being "too hard" back in the day. Instead of changing he basically said he was doing his way or now way. That deserves respect regardless of how much you like his music, he was a rebel in his day.

[Axlin08]

artists back in ELvis' day didn't write their own songs simply.

That's crap. So he was just like any other manufactured pop-star that doens't write their own music (exagerrated opinion of course)? Doesn't that take away any of his 'magic' for anyone else?

That's actually not true. Quite a few didn't write their own material, and there was a certain attitude inside the music business that music was just that - a business.

Singers should sing. Writers should write, and never should they cross. Only later did the business discover that singers also could be writers of their own material, and be great, sometimes better. Now it's expected alot of the time, if not all the time.

But as with any "manufactured" artist... Elvis was not manufactured in the traditional sense. Elvis, along with the people he was with at the time, were major risk takers incorporating some of the very first blues-influenced sound they were doing, that later became known as 'rock'.

Typically the mold of a manufactured artist, is that of a refined & streamlined stock image, that is marketed by the company. This was impossible for Elvis, seeing how he INVENTED the image. It was a creation more than a manufacturing in sense.

If that makes any sense.

But at the end of the day, it's about talent, showmanship, and likeablilty. The reason alot of today's manufactured artists are met with mixed reactions is because alot of them are talentless hacks, and in alot of cases piss poor singers who's sound is mostly created by a mixing board.

Elvis was not that guy.

[ffrankwhite]

Elvis Elvis Elvis, what the fuck can one say about the King? he gets a fucking raw deal of late but fuck em, he is the King. racist? pfft! didnt write his shit? so whaaatt...end of the day he started it, rock n roll, he made it what it is and you can say all you want about injustice and black people and Little Richard and Chuck Berry and none of that shit is to be ignored but the fact is, here in the real world, Elvis was the man that bought the shit home, theres no getting away from that. Whether it is the result of injustice (that he had the fortune or misfortune to be born white ) is just totally fuckin irrelevant. he didnt JUST make it cuz he was white and pretty he was the whole fucking package, the look, the attitude, the range as a singer, the fuckin...AHHH, shit, Elvis was fucking everything.

Elvis's problem is that he's so much a part of history and an icon and all of that ol' shit that people lose sight of whats important, of the music basically. everytime i start to forget a little what the fuss is about i throw on Thats Alright Mama and that voice just fucking cuts right through me, its like a rush of blood to the head, listen to that recording, his voice just fucking smothers it. its a pretty understated guitar track anyway, aint like overdub city but the motherfuckers voice just soars. He could do it all, from the get-go, just listen to Elvis 56, its all there in the pudding.

he was/is/will always be, like it or not, like HIM or not, the absolute King of rock n roll. on every level.

[Morten..]

I have loved Elvis music all my life. It was the first music i ever liked along with

the Beatles and a few Danish bands/singers.

One of my fav albums with him is his other Gospel album "His hand in mine"

IMO it's much better than "How Great Thou Art" but that's just me.

Also the soundtrack to the movie Blue Hawaii is great. And all his earlie stuff is amazing!!

Gonna listen to him right now!!