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Author Topic: Elvis Presley  (Read 110521 times)
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« Reply #425 on: August 04, 2023, 01:31:30 PM »

Here's another trailer:


Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback (2023) Official Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkyClDJQkE
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To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

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« Reply #426 on: August 04, 2023, 07:29:22 PM »



I really think he was a guy that lived in a very small hermetically sealed environment and that is boring-so leads to drugs. Same story of Michael Jackson and even Prince. Instead of traveling and having fun-he was just in a hotel or in Graceland with his small group-not being challenged. Even the guys knew what was up-they talked in the Guralnick book about how exciting it was to go see Jackie Wilson at a club in the 60s because Elvis  did such things so rarely.  Instead of having those experiences he isolated himself


I think you're absolutely right although I don't know if this situation led to the drugs or other circumstances (remember that it was pretty common in the 50s for musicians on the road to take amphetamines). But the man certainly lived in his own reality and judging by some of his bevahior his psyche seems to have taken damage by that.


Right…the drugs may have started with pills on the road that everyone did in those days. The Guaralnick book suggests it first became a problem around 1965-6, which was at his career low point-as the films really declined in quality and he put on weight. Still what ever problems he had at that time did not leak out to the public and he had a very clean image as late as 1971. But that is when he started to just have a hard time staying in control and people started to know occasional troubling behavior in the studio and on the road. By 72 he was becoming kind of erratic and it shows on screen in that film

I haven't read the Guralnick books yet (I know, I'm a bad diehard fan   LOL ), but I thought it was practically a fact that Elvis didn't start taking drugs until he was in the army, so around 1958?
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« Reply #427 on: August 04, 2023, 07:46:07 PM »

Right….he was given them to stay awake on maneuvers….so maybe not till 58-9.
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« Reply #428 on: August 20, 2023, 02:28:01 AM »

Reissues upgrade memorable Elvis Presley concerts well enough for aficionados
'Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden' and 'Aloha From Hawaii By Satellite' have been reissued as CD sets, and probably to the delight to Elvis collectors looking for a decent product upgrade.

https://www.goldminemag.com/reviews/reissues-upgrade-memorable-elvis-presley-concerts-well-enough-for-aficionados
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a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.

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To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

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« Reply #429 on: October 02, 2023, 09:28:23 AM »

It looks like the rumours of Baz Luhrman working on some TWII/On Tour project were true....




Source: FECC
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a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.

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To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

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« Reply #430 on: October 02, 2023, 08:16:36 PM »

That could be cool…It was so foolish that they didn’t film his first 69 engagement-that would have been incredible. That’s the way it is captures him in good form as the consummate showman but even then he was starting to treat the oldies in disposable fashion whereas in 69 he was still as energized by them as in 68. As I said a while ago, On Tour has never really grabbed me but it has its moments
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« Reply #431 on: October 20, 2023, 10:58:07 AM »

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a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.

- Lester Bangs on The Beach Boys


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To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

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« Reply #432 on: December 03, 2023, 04:02:18 PM »

A few days ago, I got the RCA Album Collection box set...wow! I've always been a fan, but I only owned about a half dozen or so of his albums and had always been a little confused and intimidated by his catalog. Now, I've got it all, and all confusion and intimidation has been eliminated. The set is very high quality, IMO. Great book, fantastic packaging. I even like how they labeled each album/disc 1-60 to keep things organized. And you'd think the box would be huge, but it doesn't take up as much space as you'd think. Anyway, I expect to become an increasingly bigger fan of his in the coming weeks and months. I listened to a bunch of early '60s soundtrack albums yesterday for the first time and they were much better than I anticipated. I'm really going to love this!
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« Reply #433 on: December 06, 2023, 01:26:19 AM »

I'm late to the party but I finally took an evening and watched both the Elvis movie and "Elvis & Nixon" as a double feature recently. It's such an expansive and loaded biopic, it's hard to comment without writing a full review. But I have to say apart from some specific scenes, I was a bit underwhelmed. The lead performance was great, yes, but I left feeling that if I were not a decades-long fan of Elvis, I would have come out with an impression of the man different than what he really was. And knowing the history and the music and the details was what I think held me back from getting lost in the movie itself. There were too many key elements and scenes, including the music itself which is obviously the co-star of any Elvis pic, that just wasn't historically accurate. I mentioned James Burton earlier in this discussion, and it really stood out this time how they missed James' signature style, which was a crucial element in Elvis' show and sound post 1970, and that to me as a guitarist is too big of a miss to let go.

I thought "Elvis & Nixon", as much of a comedy and broad parody as it may be, actually gave us a glimpse of Elvis out of the spotlight as a man that was more intriguing and even deeper than the big budget biopic. And as far as Elvis biopics go, it's hard for me to get beyond the TV series starring Michael St. Germain which focused on and captured the story of Elvis, Scotty, and Bill and the early Sun days as well as anything I've ever seen. The actor who played Scotty could have won an Emmy IMO. But the Nixon flick at its best showed Elvis the man behind all the insanity, and again even though it was parody, I came away feeling I saw more of the private Elvis in that film than I did in the big screen depiction.

What I will say about "Elvis" is that the hotel concert scene, the first one in particular, was spectacular and showed some great filmmaking, editing, and cinematography at work. Man, that was pure excitement, and the music in that case (my Burton issues aside) really captured the energy Elvis and the band brought to the stage, especially when they all had something to prove in those first debut shows. Wow is all I can say, it was electric filmmaking. I wasn't as impressed by the '68 Comeback depictions, probably because I have seen the original so many times and it felt like too much Hollywood pathos was forced into those vignettes. And they rewrote the history of how Elvis came to record "If I Can Dream", for the real story search up Bones Howe's recollections of that studio session where Elvis was stripped to the waist and went all out in the studio to cut that vocal. I wish the film showed that.

I though "Elvis" was good, but not as great as I had hoped. And "Elvis & Nixon" was a surprise sleeper of a film, with a lot of charm and perhaps unintentional emotional weight along with the comedy.

It's hard to encapsulate so much of a man's life into a 2 hour film, and that's why I still think "Love & Mercy" is one of the best artist biopics. It struck a balance that I didn't get in the Elvis movie along with being a technical achievement as a film, which the Elvis pic actually did reach especially in the live performance scenes.

And yes, the Arthur Crudup scenes and how they were intercut into later scenes were excellent.
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« Reply #434 on: December 07, 2023, 06:56:55 PM »

You're not alone. There are many people who didn't like the approach Luhrmann took. I love it, though. It's actually reminding of the way the gospels tell Jesus' story (not to be blasphemic): take certain elements, put them together in a new way to create a picture that may be not historically correct as such but realistic and accurate in it's impact. Take the sermon of the mount for example. That speech asawhole probably never took place. But the author took different sayings of Jesus that were handed down and composed this long and extraordinary homily that gets you even today and probably better shows what the teachings of Jesus were about than an actual account of every situation each part of this was said.
So in the movie, Luhrman takes the show in Memphis on July 4th 1956. The stage appearance is pretty close to what we know of an Elvis show. He lets Elvis sing "Trouble" which at this point hadn't even been recorded. Nor was it ever performed live in the 50s. But the use of the song has a meaning here: Elvis is trouble. Trouble for the white nationalists who are portraited by George Wallace and his speech that gets cross played with Elvis' show. Never happened that way of course. But what an image to show the effect Elvis and music (a blues!) had. Then the way when pandemonium eruptsand Elvis is separated in a heavy guarded police car from his parents and his band. That's what happens to you if you get as big as Elvis - not only musically but culturally. Millions of people see you as the devil while just as many people look at you as their saviour (to keep it biblically). Elvis is too big for just another re-telling of his life. It wouldn't work with another subject. Then again there hasn't been a "regular" biopic of Elvis that was worth anything.
As a Elvis fan I'm happy that we have this movie that paints the picture in a more stimulating (to me) way. As a theologian I'm fascinated how well this old way of storytelling works int his case.

That said, everyone has his own taste and that's fine. You can't force anyone to like or dislike something.





A few days ago, I got the RCA Album Collection box set...wow! I've always been a fan, but I only owned about a half dozen or so of his albums and had always been a little confused and intimidated by his catalog. Now, I've got it all, and all confusion and intimidation has been eliminated. The set is very high quality, IMO. Great book, fantastic packaging. I even like how they labeled each album/disc 1-60 to keep things organized. And you'd think the box would be huge, but it doesn't take up as much space as you'd think. Anyway, I expect to become an increasingly bigger fan of his in the coming weeks and months. I listened to a bunch of early '60s soundtrack albums yesterday for the first time and they were much better than I anticipated. I'm really going to love this!


That must be a really great box to own.
Well, even the worst of the soundtracks may have a good song here and there. Also, time has been kind to some of them. A recording like "Puppet on a String" may have sounded out of place when it was released (1965) but nowadays one can appreciate it for what it is. But there definitely is a lot of trash on those albums. The soundtracks of the early 60s (let's say 'til '64) are even great in cases. I love Fun in Acapulco and Girls,Girls,Girls.

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a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.

- Lester Bangs on The Beach Boys


PRO SHOT BEACH BOYS CONCERTS - LIST


To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

- Jack Rieley
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« Reply #435 on: January 06, 2024, 10:01:28 AM »

Well, this had to happen....   Roll Eyes


Elvis Presley AI concert announced for London


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48wWtE8wHn8
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a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.

- Lester Bangs on The Beach Boys


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To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

- Jack Rieley
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« Reply #436 on: January 07, 2024, 12:36:54 AM »

Al Presley? Where's Al Jardine? Al Jackson? Blind Al?
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« Reply #437 on: January 08, 2024, 07:54:28 PM »

THIRD MAN RECORDS ANNOUNCES VAULT PACKAGE #59: ELVIS PRESLEY AT 706 UNION AVE: THE SUN SINGLES 1954-55


https://thirdmanrecords.com/blogs/news/third-man-records-announces-vault-package-59-elvis-presley-at-706-union-ave-the-sun-singles-1954-55


Third Man Records, in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment and the Sun Label Group, is proud to announce its 59th Vault package, Elvis Presley at 706 Union Ave: The Sun Singles 1954-55. Celebrating the seventieth anniversary of these monumental recordings, this collection includes faithful reproductions of all five of Presley’s original 7-inch 45rpm singles on Sun, pressed in a hypnotic yellow and black marble colored vinyl. Additionally, a bonus 7-inch EP of four Elvis songs recorded at Sun which didn’t see release until later are collected in a prime pretty picture sleeve and pressed on yellow and black “sun ray” splattered vinyl.

To further accentuate the set, Third Man has included two linen-style postcards in the box, one depicting the classic, unassuming facade of the Sun storefront and the other showing, in glorious detail, the beauty of sound absorbing acoustic tile. Also added here is a name-tag styled patch spiritually inspired by the accoutrement of Presley’s truck-driving job at Crown Electric, extolling the titular hook of that first Elvis a-side. And finally, a substantive, milled nickel 45 adaptor, featuring the iconic rooster emblazoned on all those early singles.

Beyond that, ONE lucky customer will receive a package that contains original 1950s pressings of ALL FIVE Elvis Presley singles on Sun. Sought after by collectors for decades, these records’ value align more with precious metals than molded plastic. A true golden-ticket opportunity. Order now through January 31st at www.thirdmanrecords.com/vault. Packages begin shipping in April.
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a diseased bunch of mo'fos if there ever was one… their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons.

- Lester Bangs on The Beach Boys


PRO SHOT BEACH BOYS CONCERTS - LIST


To sum it up, they blew it, they blew it consistently, they continue to blow it, it is tragic and this pathological problem caused The Beach Boys' greatest music to be so underrated by the general public.

- Jack Rieley
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« Reply #438 on: January 10, 2024, 07:17:41 PM »

I think the reputation of a lot of Elvis’s 1960s and 70s work has improved now that it is taken out of its original context. A song like Love letters may have too mellow to make much of an impact on the 1966 charts but now it is viewed as a classic. Similarly It Hurts Me was overshadowed in the year of the Beatles invasion but now shines more brightly
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« Reply #439 on: January 12, 2024, 02:36:05 AM »

I think the reputation of a lot of Elvis’s 1960s and 70s work has improved now that it is taken out of its original context. A song like Love letters may have too mellow to make much of an impact on the 1966 charts but now it is viewed as a classic. Similarly It Hurts Me was overshadowed in the year of the Beatles invasion but now shines more brightly
I hope you are correct. For most of my life, I've been reading that nearly everything Elvis recorded after his Army stint - other than the 68 comeback special and the 69 Memphis sessions - was worthless.
There are gems to be found in every phase of Elvis' career. Even the soundtracks.
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« Reply #440 on: January 12, 2024, 06:17:44 PM »

Well…obviously many writers simply parrot what past writers stated…so it takes a fresh listen to change minds….as we’ve seen with reevaluation of the BBs 1967-1972 era
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