cadillac-elvis wrote:Mojo Filter wrote:cadillac-elvis wrote:Mojo Filter wrote:Bob wrote:This is a lovely version of the song by Perry Como (coupled with another Elvis-related song, And I Love You So).
For the people who are not fond of Perry's voice, there is also a ton of images in the video of one of the most beautiful women who ever walked the earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEkaSuoL9_I
To be perfectly honest, i've never understood Elvis' continuous need with recording so much middle of the road music and becoming too ballad heavy. Going down the Como, Jones, Sinatra and Humperdinck route seemed a little uncreative, especially when he did nothing, in most cases, to enhance the songs.
For a guy at a young age who was so drawn to the Blues, R&B, Country etc and taking the styles to another level and creating something very special and unique, ended up being an artist of less importance.
It's not that songs like "Aubrey" are particularly bad, some he chose to do were underneath his talent, its that they just seem old choices and directionless.
It reminds me of the scene in my favourite documentary "Elvis 56" when they showed the comparisons between Como's "Hot Digity" and "Baby Let's Play House". To emphasize the stark contrast in styles of music at the time and how dangerous, new, different and exciting Elvis really was and changed music forever. And yet, he ended up being a Como type singer.
If you don't understand why Elvis Presley wanted to sing ballads, then you don't understand Elvis Presley.
I understand Elvis perfectly well. How about you? Let's hear your take on it?
You contradict yourself....you say on one hand "I understand Elvis perfectly well", and on the other hand you write, "I've never understood Elvis'
continuous need with recording so much middle of the road music and becoming too ballad heavy."
I think it's pretty simple....Elvis as a young boy just loved music. He loved all kinds of music, from Dean Martin, to Patti Page,
from Arthur Crudup to Roy Hamilton, from The Blackwood brothers to the Ink Spots, from Eddy Arnold to Hank Snow.
He loved playing his guitar and singing and listening to the grand ol' opry and going to Gospel music shows.
His first demo's were all ballads. He started out at Sun singing, "Harbor Lights" and "I love you because".
He loved to sing. But given the artists that he listened to, he was not one to settle on one or two genre's.
He liked spanish flavored stuff, and he loved having fun with the fast stuff, and he loved ballads.
Even during his reign of being king of rocknroll, he would pepper his albums with tunes such as
"old shep", "Loving You", and "Don't".
He began to hone his own ballad style in which he perfected by 1960 or so, but you can hear how he
practiced those slow songs during his stay in Germany as heard on those home recordings.
A more softer more mature Elvis emerged when he departed the army.
But he could still rock when he wanted to...."Little Sister" and "Devil in desguise" prove that.
and what he did in his 1968 TV proved that as well.
But by the 1970's he didn't have anything to prove to anyone.
True, the rock songs seemed less and less, and in 1972, he said he was having trouble finding good rock songs
but if he could find them he would do them.
So, by 1975 if he wanted to sing things like "Pieces of my life" or "Pledging my love" or "and I love you so", that
was his perogotive...his choice. If he wanted to sit down at the piano and sing "Rags to Riches" or "unchained melody"
who was going to stop him? He loved to sing. When he sang "Hurt" it came from his gut. It was an old song from 1961, but
he loved singing that song. He would often do it twice in a row, and then a reprise of the last verse.
He was flexing his vocal muscles by doing that operatic ending and just plain enjoyed doing it. He was having fun.
He started out singing ballads at Sun because he loved them, (and Sam said he didn't have the heart to stop him), and
he moved more towards the ballads in the final years of his life. He was just doing his first love. I think the music we learn as
teenagers is the music we most remember throughout our life. I think it was no different with Elvis.
He simply loved singing ballads...it's as simple as that.
No, I do not contradict myself. It is you that doesn't seem to get my point....nothing usual there.
We all know Elvis liked all kinds etc.
I'm not going to bother explaining again. My post makes my point pretty clear.
Your posts just seem to drag it on and on and on and on with no real substance except to cause a headache. I'm still not sure if you do it on purpose or you just ramble.