I was never a great fan of Elvis Presley

[OAITW r.2.0]

Except for this moment in 1968. Elvis was pretty much out of the musical picture after his string of bimbo, Col. Parker movies. But this show, which I watched live, really impressed me. Later, Elvis took his schtick to the Kung-Fu extreme and then it ended.

But this show, was pretty goddam impressive. Considering he hadn't been in front of a live music audience in 6 or 7 years....he was a pretty good acoustic and electrical guitarist. I was surprised. It's like the real Elvis emerged that night.

https://music.

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[SuzyandPuffpuff]

1. Nice

I saw this a few years ago and had the same feeling. Always nice to b surprised

[Silent Type]

2. That was the musician in him. Never a huge fan, but my parents had a few 45s and one can't deny his popularity.

Lots of my favorite musicians list him as a significant influence.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. There was the commercially produced Elvis....

then there was this. Changed my mind about him.

[moniss]

4. His list of accomplishments in

records, both singles and albums, is huge. Still to this day the people who saw him on stage before the decline talk about how powerful it was. No singer or performer before or since has had the kind of pilgrimage like Elvis of fans from around the world year after year to his home in Memphis. I'm glad to see you find a part of Elvis career that made a good impression.

I realize that much of his music isn't in the taste of everybody and that is cool but there is good reason they call him The King. He can be criticized for some things but there has never been anybody before or since who had this size or dedication in a fan base. Just a couple of stats:

101 Gold albums ( Streisand is 2nd with 52)

129 albums on the Billboard 200 (Sinatra is 2nd with 82)

57 Platinum albums is Number 1

67 cumulative weeks as Number 1 male solo artist on the Billboard 200

Still one of the most streamed artists decades after his death.

There's plenty more but I put this stuff up because sometimes we don't see the sheer magnitude of what his recording career was. The movies and stuff were sort of mindless fluff but remember that Parker did see using them as promotion for the music at a time when music videos didn't exist and live feed TV didn't really cover concerts. Elvis to his credit pulled away from that and the story of how the song "If I Can Dream" came about in such a short time frame and came out in performance so well is an absolute marvel of his talent and the musicians and songwriters around him.

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. I was born in 53. My folks were Big Band focused.

He wasn't on my radar until I saw this at 15, Whoa, this is Elvis? Good stuff.

But, I went in a different direction and he did too. Such is life.

[thucythucy]

9. His career is full of absolute gems

in the '50s, and then in the '60s and '70s once he got away from those awful sound tracks.

First track off of one of my favorite albums, released in 1969.

&list=PLpPbUIwqIPUGaF-lQPK-wz-pF0cXd76UZ

Have you read the Peter Garalnik books on Elvis? One of the best music bios ever, especially the first volume, Last Train to Memphis. Well worth the time spent reading.

[moniss]

10. Thanks for the tip on the books and

this is one of my favorite Elvis songs and sadly it doesn't get the recognition that the other songs do. Great songwriting by Dallas Frazier and A.L. Owens. Also if you haven't heard Ronnie Milsap tell the story about "Kentucky Rain" he says when they were in the studio doing takes Elvis said "More thunder on that piano Milsap."

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[thucythucy]

13. Here's another tune about a gravel road:

hope you enjoy.

&list=RDSsO04VzOW2c&start_radio=1

And thanks for that story. "More thunder"!!

Another story about Elvis I've always liked. When Elvis's version of "Blue Moon of Kentucky" came out on the flip side of "That's Alright Mama" he got all kinds of flack from purists who said he was desecrating a blue grass classic. So when, after a gig, he was told that Bill Monroe wanted to see him he got all anxious, thinking he was about to get reamed out by the songwriter. This was at the very beginning of Elvis's career, before the huge fame, and he was still nervous about how people saw him. Monroe came back stage and told Elvis how much he loved his version, and to pay no mind to the critics.

Like I say, I always liked that story.

Another of my favorites on the Memphis album is "Long Black Limosine." Just an amazing performance.

[stopdiggin]

6. I think that was well put. And pretty much on point.

The musical talent was there.
Didn't always come to the fore ... But - his choice in the end ...
And, thanks for bringing back a chapter serves to remind ... Better times ...

[progree]

7. Hallelujah - much improved acoustics IMHO

If one finds the visual part distracting or worse, just scroll down away from it

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The First Time I ever Saw Your Face

[thucythucy]

8. This is the Elvis I prefer:

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&list=RDDCP_g7X31nI&start_radio=1

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And lots more where that came from.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. I'll Agree It Was More Tolerable Than...

...almost all of his movies & everything that came after this show.
But, I have an active dislike for everything Elvis so "tolerable" is the best I can do.

[OAITW r.2.0]

12. He's a tragic. historic musical figure in out history.

I just think I saw the real Elvis Presley in this moment.

And Buddy Holly...I truly think he would have plugged in with the Stones and the Dead to play "Not Fade Away"...if only he had.