Elvis Presley: Classic Or Dud?

Some excellent points. "I didn’t love Elvis. But I didn’t hate it" was my reaction too; nevertheless, it's the first film Lurhmann made where he married his affection for the subject with his commensurate approach. This often means dreary montages in which I waited for him to settle down and let a scene play -- only to regret it when the scene involves Priscilla vs Elvis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vu6Yi-6g_s
Always On My Mind (Rehearsal)

"Nah, shit. Sooner we can get it over with the better"

if you haven't heard it, i highly recommend the first post-army album, 'elvis is back!' it's a little uneven, but there's some killer moments -- 'reconsider baby' is as good as anything he ever did.

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Friday, April 26, 2013 1:48 PM (nine years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Heard his cover of “reconsider baby” for the first time. Recorded in 1960 and just fantastic.

tarfumes otm - never been to spain is a great example of the power he had by then

Let’s of other covers out there besides his it seems.

Let’s? Lots

At the risk of stating the obvious, when he sings the high part there is still so much bottom in it, whereas with other singers it might sound thin, nasal, screechy, shouty, screamy, etc. Which sometimes is the desired effect but stuff.

But still.

(Can I type a single sentence without substituting one word for another? Let’s see)

Just be glad you didn't throw an extra 't' on that word before 'stuff'.

Heh, you forgot to add #onethread

Not to be cliched, but it’s an example of what made him so great, is even in material that had been done by other artists, he could find the emotional connection to a) make it his own & suit his voice, and b) convey that emotional connection to the listener

it’s a lot of what ppl don’t like about him, that he comes in too hot with all these big ~feelings~ but it’s just so fuckin essential to the apprecation of him, to just let yourself feel what he’s giving and not be embarrassed by it

plus his version SLAPS, it has such a swing to it

Right. The thing is, even with the big voice and big emotions, he usually seems to be in pretty much in total control of his singing, it’s not full tilt from beginning to end 24/7.

one bad opinion I used to have as a teenager was that the last generation holding so tightly onto the memory of Elvis was kinda pathetic. but now I see there will never be another one like him

xpost yeah exactly, the control & modulation is key to drawing you in

frogbs, there’s some truth to your teenage opinion tbh, it’s not like all those people were listening to his version of “Hurt,” for example. For many he was still some cool good-looking dude they crushed on when they were teens who reminded them of their youth.

he comes in too hot with all these big ~feelings~ but it’s just so fuckin essential to the apprecation of him, to just let yourself feel what he’s giving and not be embarrassed by it

I did not expect to like the movie, but I liked it very much. The final scene, recreating "Unchained Melody" down to the cups of Pepsi on the piano, really gets to this source of his power, illustrating his introverted and emotionally sophisticated core that will connect with you if you let him. No matter what heaps of glory or trash surround him.

^boom

Right. The thing is, even with the big voice and big emotions, he usually seems to be in pretty much in total control of his singing, it’s not full tilt from beginning to end 24/7.

― Meet Me in the Z'Ha'Dum (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, November 20, 2022 10:28 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

xpost yeah exactly, the control & modulation is key to drawing you in

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, November 20, 2022 10:39 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

OTM. I was just listening to the live version of "How Great Thou Art" from the Amazing Grace set, and...holy hell, the degree of control he has at the absolute top of his range, where most singers would start to falter, is astounding. And that's just on the technical level: the fact that he was also able to sustain the drama and elevate the HUGENESS of it all...and do it TWICE, because he reprises the final section...just blows my mind. And he did that every night.

FWIW, the Museum of the Moving image is screening Elvis on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 7pm and Baz Luhrmann will be there to do a post-screening discussion.

And it's FREE!

https://movingimage.us/event/elvis/

this cover is good and incorporates george harrison's wa wa :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-FC177E8zI

Yes! Was thinking of posting that myself.

Oh, NEXT Tuesday is the screening

Starting to think this guy totally knew what he was doing every time he opened his mouth to sing.

What was he thinking when he sang “The Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce” in the film Girl Happy” (1965)?

Ha, I actually like that one too!

I guess he was just a civic minded guy

Not saying he elevates that kind of material or everybody needs to listen to it, but his vocal performance of its own accord is fine.

Tbh I like that song myself, I’ve spent a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale and I’m glad someone sang a song about it

A few days ago I listened to his cover of “What’d I Say,” which I think is also from a movie, don’t know which. Does it really need to exist? I dunno. But given that it exists, it sounds pretty damned good.

Ah, it’s in Viva Las Vegas, which I never saw properly. Love the title track and some of the dancing though.

Ugh, looking at some of this soundtrack stuff, kind of want to take it back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbWBG0lS4Is

Ha, maybe you already knew about this thread: Elvis' Weirdest Songs

Tbh I like that song myself, I’ve spent a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale and I’m glad someone sang a song about it

― Josefa,

!!

Of course, Motley Crue gave a shout out to Fort Lauderdale in "Girls Girls Girls," and Jaco Pastorius died there.

Forgot all about that and was imagining he had died in that apartment on Jones Street.

Oh hey. Just walked by MoMI and…

Popped in, thought about approaching Baz to show off my new Elvis karaoke chops, but security gave me the stink-eye so I thought better of it.

Listening to the new Elvis On Tour box: four complete concerts from April 1972, the movie on Blu-Ray, and two discs of outtakes and rehearsals and whatnot. These live discs are insane. He only plays for an hour, but does between 20 and 25 songs — it's a positively Ramones-esque pace. The set list is mostly the same from night to night, with a few changes. And the band absolutely destroys, of course.

finally watched the movie, was taken aback by how wall-to-wall insane it was, felt like a good 60% of it was just insane montages and transitions

Tom Hanks in a fat suit was really weird to watch. he reminds me of Malkovich as Teddy KGB in Rounders. that accent he uses is so over the top, I just can't believe an actual human being sounded like that. he talks like he's a big cartoon rat or something. that said I haven't actually heard Tom Parker talk, so...

he talks like he's a big cartoon rat or something.

ahahahaha that is totally it!

lol otm

Yeah, that's a fantastic description, and dead on.

Hahaha yes!

The whole thing is so garish and episodic and hard to digest in one sitting I think of it as Elvis: The CD-ROM

I liked it in the theater but don't know if I could sit through it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJFojCn6m74

Forgot about this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCFNB1XNFRQ