Taking Sides - early Elvis or late Elvis

He made some good music on and off throughout his career, but I don't think it touches that early music.

My mom has bunches of his old lps, so I grew up hearing his music.

It would be interesting to know what the world (esp. pop/rock music) would be like today without Elvis' influence.

Q: Song Of The Shrimp, for the "papa take my hand" line. Sad shrimp with hands = classic.

suspicious minds is one of the peaks of music history. ever. viva las vegas.

Yeah. Generally, tho, I have no use for Elvis. If pressed, I'd say his late period is better. His voice had more grit then.

(I checked this thread mostly because eMusic just got that Elvis 75 box-set, but . . . meh).

I said this in a different Elvis thread a while back, and I totally stand by it:

More people should listen to his 1970s albums, particularly Raised on Rock, Good Times and Promised Land. They're amazing collections of country, soul and rock 'n' roll songs that show a real artistic maturity. Elvis was terrible in the '60s, but starting with From Elvis in Memphis, he came back really fucking hard, in the studio at least (and some of the live albums are great, too).

I've been listening to '70s Elvis all year (and started late last year), and the shit just kills. Even some of the gooiest ballads have a country edge to 'em that redeems what could be juiceless mush in a lesser vocalist's hands.

Just started listening to the 3xCD Elvis At Stax box set which compiles the last recordings from 1973. Great stuff here

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81zvh7rywLL._SL1500_.jpg

very tempted ..
but this or the single disc ?

If you're gonna do it, go for the triple. It's totally worth it. I reviewed it for The Wire an issue or two back.

^^^^^

fair enough.
i trust the world of ilm.
on tuesday this boxset will be mine.
i love love love late era elvis ..
(the memphis material is beyond reproach ... )
so i suspect that this will totally hit the spot ..

Happy 80th birthday to the motherfucking King.

I always felt that northerners were unfair to later Elvis - that's just how music was done in the south.

Saw "Aloha from Hawaii" on TV last week and realized he was kind of sexy at that point. I do remember people making fun of him at that time. He wasn't particularly fat for that show, his bum looked nice in that jumpsuit - that must have come later.

My prescription for those who "don't get" Elvis: slide the '68 Comeback Special DVD into the player. If pressed for time, FF to "Lawdy Miss Clawdy".

Has yet to fail.

i have lots of love for young elvis and as far as late elvis goes i just think the plunge hasn't happened for me yet, though i think it will someday. i have a coworker roughly my age, maybe a little older, and she has gone in whole hog the i've done with dylan. all of it's good for her. she has some sadness re: the last concerts before his death but those are very powerful imo.

whole hog the *way* i've done with dylan

haven't heard enough of the very late material but elvis did good stuff at every stage of his career, imo. i even enjoy a lot of the corny soundtrack stuff.

Rescreening the theatrical cut of That's The Way It Is. It's such a peculiarly beautiful film: bursts of rehearsal footage of hopped up on goofballs Elvis jamming with the TCB Band interrupted with bizarre fan testimonials and industry guys talkin' Las Vegas business. I just got done with a loose soundcheck of "Polk Salad Annie" that's done split-screen style against footage from the Hotel kitchen of dozens of steaks being prepared.

Between the comeback special and the bloated ruin there was a period of glorious, unmatchable power. Late 60s/early 70s Elvis is a marvel. YouTube the shit out of it.

Footage of the last tour is tragic; he'll mumble incomprehensibly, more stoned than you or I will ever be, ramble endlessly, to the point where you can't bear to watch anymore, then rip into like "How Great Thou Art" and that VOICE, he never lost that voice, sheeeit. But the early 70s were the best. Sorry, drunk posting.

a loose soundcheck of "Polk Salad Annie" that's done split-screen style against footage from the Hotel kitchen of dozens of steaks being prepared.

the sizzle AND the steak as it were

Submitted for evidence:

http://youtu.be/KMo1csFQbB0

I had no idea there was so much Elvis stuff on YouTube, although I did watch "A Change of Habit" w. Mary Tyler Moore on there.

"Late 60s/early 70s Elvis is a marvel. YouTube the shit out of it.

― hardcore dilettante, Friday, January 9, 2015 12:57 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink"

This. I have such a soft spot for this Elvis.

I love 1969-1972 Elvis, but I feel that 1973-1977 offers a more out-of-touch, self-conscious Elvis... (stuff like "Raised on Rock," ecch). I really only know the singles though - haven't listened to that "Stax" material in depth.

The Stax albums are fucking great. I have the 2CD Follow That Dream deluxe editions of all three—Good Times, Raised On Rock and Promised Land—and they're not wall-to-wall brilliance, but they are really strong, and hearing him conduct the band on the studio outtakes, and hearing the songs gradually take shape, is a hell of a lot more fun than listening to the Stooges Fun House box.

Early Elvis.

My take on it here.

Early Elvis wins, but Moody Blue is in my top five Elvis albums.

I listen to the Elvis 75 collection a lot and I think discs 3 and 4 are way better than 1 and 2. He never did lose his voice and I dunno, not a lot of the early stuff held up for me

i used to be an early-elvis-is-the-only-elvis guy and there's certainly a special magic to all of the sun recordings that he never quite recaptured, but the RCA stuff is patchier than almost anyone remembers. apart from the singles and the stuff from the jailhouse rock soundtrack, there's a surprising amount of dreck. have been meaning to check out the stax stuff, but "from elvis in memphis" and "elvis is back!" (one of the best album titles ever btw) are both awesome.

but the RCA stuff is patchier than almost anyone remembers. apart from the singles and the stuff from the jailhouse rock soundtrack, there's a surprising amount of dreck.

This. Other than the Sun sessions and early live stuff (like the Vegas date where DJ Fontana's solo is the missing link between Max Roach and Keith Moon), my 50s box goes unlistened-to.

And not only was the TCB Band the best of his (or damn near anyone else's) career, but the depth and power of his voice grew exponentially in the 70s.

the '70s box set (walk a mile in my shoes) is straight fire all the way through.

even songs you'd expect to be dreck--like "heart of rome"--is beautifully sung and arranged.

ARE

let's listen, shall we?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EARsU2KCpOI

there was a week last year when i basically just listened to that entire box set over and over.

Not on the 70s box, but one of my favorites of his gospel recordings (R.I.P. Andrae Crouch):
http://youtu.be/XSmie_GXJoQ

lol why the fuck have i never listened to elvis? i have this greatest hits up on youtube and it's uhhh perfect for a stoned monday morning at the office lol.

this is the greatest music ever recorded.

he was hot!

oh absolutely. i've seen and heard elvis parodied so much but never had a handle on the music.

I am not a Christian, but his early '70s gospel album He Touched Me is amazing.

oh rad thanks for the tip.

that's the side i'm hearing that i'm really connecting to - the worship songs.

on the other hand his voice on more salacious songs is like .. how do i put this without being too crass. it's good d in a voice lol.

His Hand in Mine and How Great Thou Art (his other two gospel LPs) are also great

I am not a Christian, but his early '70s gospel album He Touched Me is amazing.

OTM. I have both the remastered CD and the original LP. The band sounds much better on the remastered CD. On the vinyl it sounds like the band is turned down too much relative to the vocals. I imagine the CD master is the one on streaming.

Sometimes I fantasize about some hypothetical pillow talk duets Elvis and Wanda Jackson would whisper sing to each other during their brief fling. Also hot damn, those two.

Just was listening to Wanda Jackson!

Her cover of "Riot in Cell Block #9"

Anyway my personal position on Elvis is that I went from thinking he was an out-of-touch, cheeseburger-eating fool, who lost the plot pretty early on after an initial burst of glory, to thinking he was a genius pretty much throughout his entire career, whose singing actually got better and stayed that way.

Yeah, Id subscribed to the idea that Elvis lost it once he joined the army and became all buttoned down and repackaged as an artist for the squares (daddy-o), which is true in a certain way dont get me wrong (those terrible films with the exception of King Creole) but watching the documentary series about him "The Searcher" (essential viewing), I did respect his post-army stuff like this a lot more. Just smart, thrilling pop music like the tune below. Loads of great stuff from the 70s too. And as JR pointed out, I think his voice got better even

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Bj9fQkvGo

Ty for the Searcher tip!!

yeah i’ve said this elsewhere but what i love about him in the late 60’s into 70’s is not just the quality & power in his voice, but also the control. by this time he can sing ~anything~ and when he chooses to sing what he truly loves, like gospel, it’s really special & genuinely moving imo.

I think it was unperson that recommended a reissue of the Nashville sessions he did where the overdubs were removed. It’s truly incredible. Listening to him ramp up on “washed my hands in the muddy water” is something else.