Re: OT: Elvis Presley
Posted by:
JamesBurton
()
Date: February 14, 2005 23:30
Elvis is undoubtedly the King and symbolizes an era, if not the entire genre.
Jan, I believe you need to hit the books, or at least the record store. I recommend starting with some Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran and Ricky Nelson before you move even further back to the deeper roots of rock: gospel, Appalachian folk music, country/western, blues, and yes, even swing and jazz. Then come back to Elvis; its all there and then some.
Elvis may have not written much of his own material (remember the industry was entirely different back then), but he was a remarkable performer with an even more remarkable voice who had an inborn ability to interpret material. He crystalized, commercialized, and stretched the boundaries and definition of what at the time was evolving in to rock and roll.
Moreover, he was just a likeable guy, the epitome of the American Dream. Of course people love to joke about Elvis and food, his lack of home decorating savy (ever been to Graceland?!?), and the quality of some of his material, but rarely will you find someone so naiive to attack the man himself. He used to sit at his desk every month writing out checks to help people pay for their groceries, heating, or a few missed payments on their mortgage, acts that until recently were entirely private. On that note alone the man is King is my book!
No doubt the Stones, Beatles, Dylan, and Zeppelin were revolutionary too...no argument there.