Elvis Presley: Classic Or Dud?

But that's just the intro---now dig this:

To celebrate FTD's 20th Anniversary, from FTD the release of 'Elvis: American Sound 1969' a 5-CD set that's part of FTD's new 'Sessions' series, includes a 28-page booklet with rare photos and memorabilia.

Elvis' pivotal Year of 1969 celebrated with Elvis: American Sound 1969 featuring over 90 tracks of rare and unreleased material from Elvis' 1969 legendary American Sound Studio sessions, including 'In The Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds'.

IIRC, Follow That Dream is a label administered by the Dutch Fan Club, who've basically been given the keys to the vault and have been way ahead of the industry curve re: Full Session releases and copyright dumps. RCA uses them as kind of a farm team, frequently cherry-picking FTD releases for their own less-exhaustive, later in the day archive collections.

#Elvis the movie is lots of fun & has to be seen on the big screen. Perfect match of director & subject. Too long & thematically weird of course -- but beautiful cast, music, spectacle, design; genius in all depts. Does what cinema should: improve on reality. https://t.co/wkN0konj1w

— Whit Stillman (@WhitStillman) July 3, 2022

I agree with Whit that the music and design elements were boffo. The exterior Vegas shots for instance.

Does 'boffo' mean good?

In that case I disagree, because I thought the 'modernisation' of the music was, on balance, a bad thing (if predictable from this director).

I enjoyed the music, even the modernized parts. I can understand why he did it, he didn't want this to seem like a dusty period piece. I thought the use of hip hop production touches for instance was not overused.

It just seems insane to make a movie about Elvis while also implicitly saying that you don’t think Elvis’ music holds up without sweetening (not even for an audience that paid to see an Elvis movie.) It’s Elvis ffs it’s loud sexual rock music with guitars, it’s not some confusing obscurity that audiences need to have it explained to them why people found it exciting.

Elvis's biggest hit in the last 40 years = a 'dance remix' of 'A Little Less Conversation', so I can see why they also went down that route for the movie. Also think One Eye Open is, sadly, wildly over-estimating the public tolerance for ANY pop music that's getting on for 70 years old.

Elvis's biggest hit in the last 40 years

tbf he has had some health setbacks that have prevented him from releasing much new material

I like that version. I believe it became a big gigantic hit because it was used for a sneaker ad during the World Cup or Euro. I have mixed feelings about all the songs being truncated and/or modernized. I don't really care for it but sort of see why they did it.

If Elvis was still alive, he totally would have done a duo album w/Jay-Z under the name 'El Prez' in the 2000s.

"I got 99 problems, but a hound dog ain't one, babe"

re the music for the movie i think it also has a lot to do w Elvis’ estate being deeply fixated on making elvis “current” and Baz is kinda up for anything in that regard

Thumbs up: the "Suspicious Minds" goofy-adlib makes it to the screen
Thumbs down: Bones Howe but no Chips Moman? Guess they couldn't afford the screentime to go to that "funky, funky studio."

I agree with poster One Eye Open.

If the argument is "yes, but that wouldn't be so popular or commercial" - sure, I can agree. But I think that One Eye Open and I think it would be, on balance, a better film about Elvis.

What really would have gotten my goat is if they had done "Sweet Caroline" with the recently interpolated baseball stadium chant.

Isn't ludicrous overstatement Luhrmann's trademark?

RIght. Which is somewhat at cross-purposes with Elvis's perfectly orchestrated overstatement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEpUx6uIeXI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGQytB3wQMs

Just noticed the backing singers (Is it the Sweet Inspirations here?) trying to follow what he is doing in the beginning. So cool.

At about 1:56.

Sweet Inspirations plus Kathy Westmoreland.

Considering he looks tired and off his face, and he's reading from a piece of paper, that's a spectacularly good lead vocal too

Yes, exactly.

The movie ends with a more extreme version of that, which I think was discussed upthread already.

Wait, one of the Sweet Inspirations was married to Jerry Schilling? Where was that in the movie?

At times I thought - is this the recorded vocal? They're very similar!

Is that thing punched in or sweetened at all? It’s kind of amazing.

Also, is it really in fact the first live performance? That tour started two weeks prior.

"We're going to spring a new song on you. We don't know it too well but... if we goof it up just bear with us we'll get it right. It may take a little while but we'll get it right."

Guralnick says he didn't even want to record it!

Bonus points if someone can tell me what artist released a version before Elvis did.

"That's new and we've never done it on stage before so if we goof it up, I'm sorry."

Even if he is fudging a bit because he is embarrassed about reading off the paper and it is not actually the very first performance it’s still amazing.

Bonus points if someone can tell me what artist released a version before Elvis did.

Arthur Alexander!

I know him as June.

another example of how Elvis had some of the greatest drummers in the biz

Elvis himself was kind of a virtual drummer.

You know who had the most fun with Elvis on stage?

Elvis.

Skinny, fat, little or full-size?

Yes.

He always carried a wiggle.

Is it because of what happens on the road?

Thumbs up: “Beatles and Beards”
Thumbs down: no Dewey Phillips

I mean we were thrilled about Elvis, but it wasn’t like doing Neil Diamond.

Thumbs down: no Dewey Phillips

They did show a DJ playing two records at once though, didn't they?

Right, now I remember. And that was when we heard “Viva Las Vegas” turn into Vanilla Ice saying “check out my hook while my DJ revolves it.”

Or was it a certain sample from Beck’s “Where It’s At.”

Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it.