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Any big Elvis Presley fans here?

janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
edited November 2006 in Other Music
I know this sounds odd considering I'm in my 20s but I JUST discovered my love of Elvis. I watched the 68 Comeback Special the other night on the big screen and it was incredible. I was just blown away by his ability as a musician, his strong voice and his charm. Any big fans here and any ideas about how I should start off my collection? What are the "must-haves" for Elvis fans?
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  • off_the_recordoff_the_record Posts: 843
    i wouldnt say i'm a "big" fan, but i'm a fan nonetheless. there is so much material out there its hard to say where to start. his self-titled album is one of the best albums of all time. and then theres so many greatest hits, live, compilations, etc. you could get.
    Cheat the odds that made you
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  • merkinballmerkinball Posts: 2,262
    I've got a soft spot for Elvis for sure. Love listening to live shows from him in the 70's.

    And as Neil Young wrote, He Was the King...
    "You're no help," he told the lime. This was unfair. It was only a lime; there was nothing special about it at all. It was doing the best it could.

    http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
    spotify:user:merkinball
  • Sonja_SSonja_S Posts: 444
    Not exactly a fan personally, but he has my utmost respect. I love the fucked-up version of 'Are you lonesome tonight'. In case you haven't heard it yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frXuvPGW9QU
    You can tell a man from what he has to say - Neil & Tim Finn
    They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
  • SweetHarmonicsSweetHarmonics Posts: 290
    pretty big fan

    It's hard to compete with the comeback special but 'That's The Way It Is' is a great addition to any music collection
    hate was just a legend
  • disconnecteddisconnected Posts: 2,875
    Not a real fan but I like some of his music.
  • janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
    Sonja_S wrote:
    Not exactly a fan personally, but he has my utmost respect. I love the fucked-up version of 'Are you lonesome tonight'. In case you haven't heard it yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frXuvPGW9QU

    That was awesome! Thanks so much!

    Anybody else care to weigh in? :)
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    Big fan here.

    You must absolutley, positively get the Elvis Sun Sessions.

    Some of the most beautiful, powerful, rocking, soulful, music committed to tape.

    In fact I consider it a must have in everybody's CD collection, Elvis fan or not. It is essential music, in my opinion.

    To paraphrase Jack Kerouack, its music filled with kicks, joy, and darkness.
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,772
    Not a Fan at all. Did he write any of his songs?
  • janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
    cutz wrote:
    Not a Fan at all. Did he write any of his songs?

    I don't know if your question was sincere but http://experts.about.com/q/Presley-Elvis-562/Elvis-songwriting.htm
  • janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
    Sathogwa wrote:
    Big fan here.

    You must absolutley, positively get the Elvis Sun Sessions.

    Some of the most beautiful, powerful, rocking, soulful, music committed to tape.

    In fact I consider it a must have in everybody's CD collection, Elvis fan or not. It is essential music, in my opinion.

    To paraphrase Jack Kerouack, its music filled with kicks, joy, and darkness.

    Thank you! It's on my wishlist now :)
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    he's The King for gods sake
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • fadafada Posts: 1,032
    How can you not like the king. I love one of his earliest songs called "I wanna be free".
  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Posts: 7,258
    I completed a needlepoint of him when I was 18, and it's hanging on my apartment walls 20 years later. What a voice! Man, if those hips could talk, eh?
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
  • mookie9999mookie9999 Posts: 4,677
    Not much of an Elvis fan, but I cannot get enough of Kentucky Rain!!! What a song!!
    "The leads are weak!"

    "The leads are weak? Fuckin' leads are weak? You're Weak! I've Been in this business 15 years"

    "What's your name?"

    "FUCK YOU! THAT"S MY NAME!"
  • PissBottleManPissBottleMan Posts: 4,154
    Elvis was a hero to most
    But he never meant, shit to me you see
    Straight up racist that sucker was
    Simple and plain
    Mother fuck him and John Wayne
    Cause I'm Black and I'm proud

    Chuck D...not a fan.

    PBM
    "We paced ourselves and we didn't rush through it and we tried to be as creative as our collective minds would let us be over some course of time instead of just trying to rush through a record"

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  • janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
    PissBottleMan wrote:
    Elvis was a hero to most
    But he never meant, shit to me you see
    Straight up racist that sucker was
    Simple and plain
    Mother fuck him and John Wayne
    Cause I'm Black and I'm proud

    Chuck D...not a fan.

    PBM

    I wonder what Chuck D would think of John Lennon's quote that "Before Elvis there was nothing" :p

    Eh. I'm not a Chuck D fan anyway.
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    PissBottleMan wrote:
    Elvis was a hero to most
    But he never meant, shit to me you see
    Straight up racist that sucker was
    Simple and plain
    Mother fuck him and John Wayne
    Cause I'm Black and I'm proud

    Chuck D...not a fan.

    PBM

    I have no real problem with Chuck D and Public Enemy, but I always felt that was an ignorant and unfair lyric in an otherwise awesome song.

    With a cursory look into Elvis' life and music you will realize he was anything but racist, and was musically ripping off no one. He was an original who borrowed from the full spectrum of American music--white and black--and created his own thing out of it. That is especially apparent on the Sun Sessions, which is one of the reasons why I think it is so great.
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
  • U2rocksU2rocks Posts: 89
    I can understand what Chuck D is saying...but I think it is misplaced. Personally...I don't get how a person can claim to love rock and roll and not like Elvis...that's fucking crazy if u ask me.

    Count me as a big fan!


    http://www.myspace.com/ramon1972
  • moeaholicmoeaholic Posts: 535
    i dig elvis. christ, i have to. my dad hammered him into my head as i grew up. one thing i noticed about 6 years or so ago: listen to "That's All Right, Mama" and then "My Baby Left Me" and tell me they're not the same damn songs with different words. both were written by arthur crudup. after i noticed how similar they are i told my dad and of course he laughed it off. until he played "that's all right..." one day and i sang the words to "my baby...". dad chuckled and told me to shut up.
    "PC Load Letter?! What the fuck does that mean?"
    ~Michael Bolton
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,772
    janegosford wrote:
    I don't know if your question was sincere but http://experts.about.com/q/Presley-Elvis-562/Elvis-songwriting.htm

    Yes. it was a sincere question, because thats what i read: He didn't write most(or all) of the songs he sang. I guess he was the first made POP-TART,
    just to make money. Basically a FRAUD.
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    cutz wrote:
    Yes. it was a sincere question, because thats what i read: He didn't write most(or all) of the songs he sang. I guess he was the first made POP-TART,
    just to make money. Basically a FRAUD.

    OK, I know that making bold statements like that is really cathartic and makes you feel all happy and proud of yourself, but you need to educate yourself a little on the subject before commenting.
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,772
    Sathogwa wrote:
    OK, I know that making bold statements like that is really cathartic and makes you feel all happy and proud of yourself, but you need to educate yourself a little on the subject before commenting.


    I did educate myself. He didn't write most of his songs, and he wasn't a good guitarist. That wasn't a bold statement, that was a fact, and it didn't make me feel happy or proud of myself. I just don't think he was that good, thats all.
  • gtbrown77gtbrown77 Posts: 141
    Elvis fan here. Like moeaholic, I too had Elvis pounded into my brain all my childhood. We went on a family vacation when I was in 4th grade that consisted of driving from Chicago to Florida (with a stop in Chatanooga, TN), Florida to New Orleans, N.O. to Memphis (Graceland and the whole bit), and then back to Chicago. And for every moment of the car ride, we listened to all of my dad's Elvis records that he had had a friend record to tape. You'd think I'd be sick of The King, but I still love his music. And now I get my son to listen to him every so often too (including in the car this weekend with my dad!!!)

    Kentucky Rain, In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, and some of the early stuff he had done are some of my favorite songs. And I agree....'68 Comeback Special is spectacular.
    "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
    -John Lennon
  • janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
    cutz wrote:
    Yes. it was a sincere question, because thats what i read: He didn't write most(or all) of the songs he sang. I guess he was the first made POP-TART,
    just to make money. Basically a FRAUD.

    Just like I thought. You weren't sincere. Like Sathogwa said, you're just dying for attention. It's one thing to not like the subject at hand, you just don't have to be so freakin' obnoxious about it. Thanks.
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,772
    janegosford wrote:
    Just like I thought. You weren't sincere. Like Sathogwa said, you're just dying for attention. It's one thing to not like the subject at hand, you just don't have to be so freakin' obnoxious about it. Thanks.

    I'm not dying for anything. I'm not trying to be obnoxious, and i'm sorry if you feel that way. i just don't like Elvis, and thats just my opinion, thats all. No reason to get all upset over this.
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    cutz wrote:
    he wasn't a good guitarist.

    Dude, when did anyone ever praise Elvis for his guitar chops? There are plenty of powerful artists who can only manage basic cowboy chords. That doesn't take anything away from the real focus of their work. I feel kind of silly even responding to this, because that kind statement makes me think you are probably very young, and (obviously) ill informed.

    Also, back to the subject of educating yourself. If you happened to listen to "Mystery Train" from the Sun Sessions, you would've heard for yourself how much of a rythm guitar monster Elvis was.
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
  • illegal pantsillegal pants Posts: 13,471
    big fan, in my early 20's too :)

    (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I - my fave elvis song, just a simple, nice tune
    wah
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,772
    Sathogwa wrote:
    Dude, when did anyone ever praise Elvis for his guitar chops? There are plenty of powerful artists who can only manage basic cowboy chords. That doesn't take anything away from the real focus of their work. I feel kind of silly even responding to this, because that kind statement makes me think you are probably very young, and (obviously) ill informed.

    Also, back to the subject of educating yourself. If you happened to listen to "Mystery Train" from the Sun Sessions, you would've heard for yourself how much of a rythm guitar monster Elvis was.

    I guess i'm not that uniformed(obviuosly) if Elvis was never praised for his guitar work.LOL! HEY! Music is a very subjective. Your a fan, and i'm not. I don't think it matters if you're young or old when it comes to music. You either like the music or you don't. Just because i'm not a fan of Elvis, doesn't mean i'm not educated. I've listen to plenty of Elvis, and i know what i hear, and i don't like his music.
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Posts: 12,223
    I just never "got" him, or Johnny Cash, for that matter. And it wasn't for the want of trying. I've heard all the "important" recordings, but I always found both singers too "obvious", if you know what I mean. Not subtle. However, I'll respect any Elvis or Cash fan who could successfully convert me, because whether I'm hearing Elvis's Sun Sessions or Cash live at Folsom, I'm not sold. Go on! Convert me! :)
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    cutz wrote:
    I guess i'm not that uniformed(obviuosly) if Elvis was never praised for his guitar work.LOL! HEY! Music is a very subjective. Your a fan, and i'm not. I don't think it matters if you're young or old when it comes to music. You either like the music or you don't. Just because i'm not a fan of Elvis, doesn't mean i'm not educated. I've listen to plenty of Elvis, and i know what i hear, and i don't like his music.


    Hey man, if you don't like Elvis, that's cool. Its just a few of the comments you made sounded like you weren't all that informed. Which I still don't think your are! ;)
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
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