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[QUOTE=belinda;142011]Do you?
I have to say that my mother was a fervent believer and tried hard to indoctrinate me during my childhood, but I seemed to be totally resistant...
...Spinal Tap visting Graceland, and Jim Jarmusch's film 'Mystery Train', made me question my beliefs...
Today I'd say that I'm an agnostic..I could go with the pre-army Elvis and his early work, and I enjoy kitsch Elvis memorabilia, but that's all...
Though, I have been known recently for posting Mystery Train on Facebook..
so who knows what the future might hold ?
Personally, I've always tended towards the theory that Johnny Cash was the
Real Deal, and Elvis a prophet ?
Last edited by Rubyretro; 07-30-2010, 02:01 PM. -
He didn't really die, of course..
It gives alot of food for thought..
my thoughts are : if you're going to write a Ripper book, then be sure to contact Simon & Schuster..Last edited by Rubyretro; 07-30-2010, 02:23 PM.Comment
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Can't say I ever got into the Elvis gospel.Some of the very early work was Ok,but all those god-awful films made me see the light and I sold my soul to the Rolling Stones.Comment
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Hi all,
Of course "The King" didn't die taking a crap like they said! That was an Elvis impersonator called Sebastion H.... Oh no, I said too much!!!
Check out the movie "Bubba Ho-Tep" its available on DVD. Bruce Campbell is brilliant as the elderly Elvis and Ossie Davies, in what would sadly turn out to his final film, is a riot as an elderly, BLACK, JFK!!!
When the other residents of their twilight rest home start to fall victim to a 3000 year old, soul-sucking, Egyptian Mummy with a taste for cowboy outfits, well... "Ask not what your rest home can do for you. Ask what you can do for your rest home!"
I love this movie, nevers fails to make me laugh out loud, or, indeed, cry like a baby at the end. If ever you get the chance, give it a watch.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bIhU...eature=related
Thank you very much....
Zodiac has left the building!
And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.Comment
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Brummie: "Some of the very early work was OK..." Dear me! I mean dear me! That's like saying Usain Bolt can run a bit or Hitler probably wasn't very nice!
There would not have been a Rolling Stones without Elvis. I suggest you try to buy your soul back and sell it to someone more deserving e.g. Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf or - yes I am serious - Elvis.
And Zodiac: I agree "Bubba Ho-Tep" is great fun.
Best wishes,
Steve.Comment
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Hi Steve,Originally posted by Steven Russell View Post
Yep, its a great, fun, movie. The 1930's Nazi German Newsreel pastiche, at the beginning, all about the discovery of the mummy, was worth the price of admission on its own! "Coming soon, to a museum near you"!!!
Best wishes,
Zodiac.And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.Comment
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Remember every time you say no an Elvis dies
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Its kind of hard to imagine that there would have been NO musical development without Elvis.To suggest that any individual musician was responsible for every thing that follows is frankly bizarre and a little discourteuos to musicians with far more talent than Elvis, like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and yes Muddy Waters.Of course Elvis had Tom Parker to guide his career in much the same way as Epstein built the Beatles into a global phenomenon so perhaps we should all be on our knees before Tom Parker?Originally posted by Steven Russell View Post
For me I'll stick with the Stones and Hendrix as my musical deitiesComment
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Dear Brummie,
I think you're being a bit naughty here. I did not say that there would have been NO musical development without Elvis. That would indeed be bizarre and discourteous, not to mention downright idiotic.
It is true that Elvis was decidedly average on guitar and piano and had nowhere near the skill of, say, Holly, Berry, or Waters as an instrumentalist. Nor did he write songs so here again he fails to score compared to the three you mentioned.
I believe Elvis was special because a) he had a superb voice, b) he was a superb singer which is not the same thing, and c) he was a natural, instinctive musician. This last seems a little weak and possibly even apologetic so let me try to explain what I mean. It seems that Elvis's brain was bursting with music. Whether it was Bill Monroe, Big Boy Crudup, The Soul Stirrers or Mario Lanza, he would listen to and borrow from them all if he enjoyed the music. He was clearly not very interested in classifying music by genre or (very importantly) race.
The best of Elvis's early recordings show him fusing musical styles to create a new, exciting sound. You can often tell that he is enjoying himself immensely, messing around with vocal tricks and mannerisms and developing his own style while at the same time doffing his cap to his heroes. If you are a musician yourself, you will know what I mean when I say that when everything is going right and you're in the right mood, you can lapse into a sort of trance-like almost ecstatic state which frees you to bring your performance to a higher level. That, to me, is apparent in a lot of Elvis's early work - in stark contrast to, say, most of his 60s movie soundtracks where he is just going trough the motions and trading on former glories.
There were, of course, other reasons for Elvis's meteoric rise (why do we say this - meteors don't rise at all do they?) e.g. right time, right place; great backing musicians; Sam Phillips; good looks; highly sexualised and at the time scandalous stage act; personal magnetism; shrewd management etc. etc. But none of this detracts from his undeniable, enormous to the point of weirdness talent.
One effect that Elvis's early popularity had was that it opened the eyes and ears of huge numbers of white people to black music and performers. Only right and proper of course since Elvis was massively influenced by black performers and rock 'n' roll is more or less rhythm 'n' blues. So, whatever your opinion of the man or his work, it cannot be denied that superb artists such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Bo Diddley would not have had the level of success they did without the Presley phenomenon.
All of which means that, directly or indirectly, Elvis had a huge influence on rock musicians who followed and this is why I contend that there would be no Rolling Stones without Elvis.
Sorry that this is such a rambling diatribe.
Best wishes,
Steve.Comment
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.Sorry that this is such a rambling diatribe
Don't apologise, Steve -it's an excellent reply !
I too prefer musicians like the Stones -but your reply gives a very good perspective on things.Comment
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Viva Las Vegas!!!
Hi everyone,
Hope that you enjoy the links.
Best wishes,
Zodiac.And thus I clothe my naked villainy
With old odd ends, stol'n forth of holy writ;
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.Comment
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I would certainly agree that Elvis was primarily responsible for popularising what, at the time was primarily a black style of music with the whites in America particularly white teenagers and opening doors for other artists.for that we owe him a great debt.I guess its difficult for someone looking back from these modern times to appreciate just how big a deal that was in 50's America.
His voice was certainly suited to the early rock n roll records but I never really took to it in the ballards,but thats just a personal opinion. And those appalling films, which even Elvis admitted he didn't like, are unforgivable and for me at least, ruined any reputation since that was the time when I was developing my musical tastes and going down a different route.Comment
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This is like debating who the most beautiful woman in the world is. No person's preference is better than another persons.I like Heavy Metal music, Frank Frazetta and Bob Timberlake paintings,Christopher Pike novels. But if you don't thats your choice. Everyone has different tastes in art, music, literature
JordanComment
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