Discovering Elvis

[The Curmudgeon]

I've always been a fan of discovering older more established acts by myself, and with the likes of iTunes and the internet it's never been easier. So the Beatles, Bowie, the Kinks, Dylan.. I've educated myself.

But never Elvis.

And I don't know why. I just.. I can't really shake that this music is not for me. That it's TOO much ingrained in the past and with my parents etc that I just don't want to hear it. Maybe it's the fact that unlike Bowie and Dylan Elvis never wrote one of his own songs. Not fucking one. And it seems preposterous to lump him in with 100 other popstars who didn't write their own songs, but is it such a leap? Only because the songs are SO iconic and so beloved it seems insulting to class him as a mere popstar, but.. well, isn't he?

The thing with Elvis as well is, when you think of world famous artists they all have signature records where even the artwork is legendary; Bowie has Ziggy Stardust and Aladin Sane, Beatles have Sgt Peppers and Abbey Road, Dylan has Freewheelin' and Blood on the Tracks.. what does Elvis have?

He's obviously got famous songs and world conquering hits, but I think it's fair to say he was never an "album" kind of singer, and I don't know if that's because Elvis' heyday was before the album format really took off as an artform more than just a collection of songs.

But, I'm willing to reserve judgement and so my next Amazon purchase is going to be three disc Best of, with number one hits on one, choice other singles on the other and a selection of other material on the third. If that doesn't give me a love for the guy, nothing will.

Am I wrong about Elvis here? Am I missing out?

[trashcanman]

Very wrong. Elvis wasn't A pop star. He was THE pop star. And he did write some of his songs. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_Elvis_Presley

Not an impressive list when put up against the liked of Dylan and the Beatles, but it's something. As a vocalist and performer, he earned every lick of praise, though. You don't become that iconic by accident.

[The Curmudgeon]

See, this is what I figured. So I have taken your advice on board Trash and I've now got a 3CD boxset of Elvis coming my way. I'll let you know what I think.

[trashcanman]

You really can't fault the music. No, he wasn't a massive creative entity. Yes, he basically just took what black artists were already doing and made it palatable for the white people of the time. But damn it, the music is just great, his persona and performing abilities were just larger than life and timeless, his voice was as iconic as they come, and his catalog is as much an essential part of 50s, 60s, and 70s rock n roll as anybody's is. I wouldn't want to live in a world without songs like Burning Love, Suspicious Minds, and Devil in Disguise.