ITT: I review Elvis' discography

[straf]

Because I'm piss-bored and I have so much time on my hands.

(Titles are links)

--Table of Contents--
Elvis Presley

I'm not going to grade too strict as I don't have the patience to do so. So expect a 10 or three, as heinous as that may seem.

[Soup567]

A 10 or three? So it's either going to be really good or really bad? O:

[straf]

<__<

[SMAP]

Having Fun With Elvis On Stage should be interesting.

[straf]

Introductory Note:

Though Elvis Presley is a bonafide legend the immediate problem with actually reviewing him is that he had no original songs. All of his recorded material were either covers of already popular songs or were written for him, without exception. How is the King's "Tutti Frutti" any different from Little Richard's? Not to mention he didn't do very much instrument-wise either. This is another reason for my more lax criteria. Elvis is a performer, not a musician. This is more of a "well it sounds good..." type of thing, though I will try to keep as much objectivity as I can without giving ratings that would be unfair/insulting/unrepresentative to/of his albums.

Elvis Presley (1956)

Track Listing
Blue Suede Shoes
I'm Counting On You
I Got A Woman
One-Sided Love Affair
I Love You Because
Just Because
Tutti Frutti
Tryin' To Get To You
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)
I'll Never Let You Go
Blue Moon
Money Honey


It would be lying to say that I don't have some sort of bias towards this album, for this is the album that I have undoubtedly played more than any other and have, in time, picked up every lyric and have heard every detail -- every nuance -- that most casual listeners will not. Elvis fan I am not, but that does not keep me from indulging in what is most likely the most significant album of the late 50's and what is an undeniably good, fun record. Indeed, there is nothing particularly special about this album or even Elvis aside from is race-defying voice, but there is an almost inexplicable charm to this album, a charm which started this guy's prolific career.

The first track is "Blue Suede Shoes", which -- if I recall -- is his signature song. It differs slightly from the Carl Perkins original, insofar as that it has a quicker tempo and doesn't have the pauses in the opening "countdown" -- pauses that now, after hearing Elvis' so much, sound slightly awkward. It is perhaps things like this, the slight altercations to songs and the slightly better performances by the studio musicians (granted, I haven't heard all of the original songs if there were any) that made this album so unique and so above other rock and roll acts.

Or maybe it was his voice that was the selling point. It's good, yes, but it wasn't at its prime in 1956 when the two sessions that make up this album were recorded. No. It's easy to see too, especially if you listen to, say, "I'm Counting On You" and then immediately to something much later like "Kentucky Rain". What I think is that it was the mixing and clashing of genres that was on the album. It's a rock and roll album, yes, but you can hear the rockabilly and the black music [not racist] as well, and it's all very good. Elvis isn't the only person who had hits that blended genres. Buddy Holly used African rhythms and it worked out quite well for him.

If you couldn't tell by now, I'm really at a loss as to what to say. I'm out of the reviewing groove, and it's already hard enough to talk about performer's music as opposed to artist's music (Pink Floyd or Amon Dueuel II for example). I don't like not being thorough, but there's not much to say. To sum it up, though, this is excellent music, as "mundane" as it is, and I dare you to find fault with it.

10/10

[Soup567]

Why did I read that as Elysia's discography originally? I was thinking you were going to view the stuff she listened to. Silly me.