Elvis Presley... The King Of Rock N Roll Now And Forever

Elvis Presley... Now unto forever!

That's right folks, decades after the man passed away, Elvis Presley can be said to be one of the greatest musicians of all time, what with still producing albums long after his death, as well getting awards for the work that he did long after he past on!

Why is this guy so great? Well besides  the fact that his music will always be truly amazing music, that has not just adequately done well through out the decades, his music has found new audiences generation after generation, (including myself)... But the truth is, is that the reason why this guy is still considered to be one of the most famous musicians of all time, at least for me is the era in which he represents!

Now I can go in to the whole (It was a simpler time) routine... The truth is, is that Elvis Presley's era was the last gasp of a world that majorly intolerant, was a time in which there was a lot of strife in the country and the rest of the world (it was threatening to tear the world apart...)

The 1960s saw the need for great change, with the tensions in the social fabric of the United States beginning to unravel.

No, what I mean here is that Elvis Presley and his music, represented an era that had stuff like, 'The Rat Pack', 'The Mob' (I mention this, but the truth is, is I don't advocate the mob...) An era that in which our country was tearing itself apart between the traditional conformists, and the more out there, 'rebels'...

And speaking of that, another thing that Elvis and his music represent (in this case, 'the music') was almost representative of that sort of thing!

What I mean by this is the fact that when Elvis was just starting out as a musician, most of the time people were still in to Jazz, (and at this time, even, 'Jazz' had it's under ground quality.) But besides all of that, Rock 'N Roll really was in it's infancy, with Jazz and, 'Big  Band Music' as well as older types of music still being the mainstay for, 'pop music' back then!

Elvis doing his signature dance moves... These moves back when they first came out were considered (scandalous for their supposed racey intentions...)

As a matter of fact, I would say that Elvis and his music destroyed what could be the traditional, 'values' of music back the, and helped  to reconstruct them in such a way that has made it acceptable for bands like, 'AC/DC, Megadeth, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne' and the like to come to life!

And so I say folks, that with the continued popularity of Elvis Presley and his music, that Elvis from now unto forever, should and currently still is know as, 'The King Of Rock', and hopefully he always will be!

Elvis Presley: Tutti Frutti (1956) - Song Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know one of the things that I really enjoy about writing these reviews is that besides the fact that I do get to discover some new stuff, but I also get to help people to re-discover... Or discover for the first time forgotten classics and hits that were all the rage back when they were first made!
And Elvis Presley's, 'Tutti Frut' (1956) is one of those songs!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Elvis Presley doing, 'Tutti Frutti' live![/caption]

Based on the original version that had been produced back in 1955... (but with some creative differences,) this song was recorded by RCA for Elvis's first album with the label just simply titled, 'Elvis Presley', this song has a real up beat tone to it, and an energy that is just electric, and will surprise you!

The negative side... Well the truth is, is this song may also be one of the earliest songs to just be repetitious, and since it is so old it is kind of out dated, and not for everyone...

Despite that though, it is a good song, and if you have a chance, and you do happen to like older rock music, then you might give this one a try, it maybe old, but it is fun!

http://youtu.be/0etRSY9HMbw

The Continued Relevance Of Dead Superstars

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Presley hits are still being released decades after his death![/caption]

Sadly some of musics greatest most historically memorable musicians, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, most of the Beatles... Etc, etc... Have passed away...

It is one of those unfortunate situations in the music scene today... Don't get me wrong, there are still many great musicians out there, but in the case of who I am talking about are those people who were sort of trailblazers that made their specific genres what they are today!

These are the people with whom most musicians may have grown up listening to, but some of them were the inspiration behind a lot of the modern musicians that are around today!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="463"] The BEatles playing live are just one example of the trailblazers that are still relevant today, decades after they stopped making music together![/caption]

There is also another side to these guys that I thought that you guys might find to be rather interesting... The fact that sometimes decades after they stopped being able to produce music, not only are these people having regular posthumous albums being made in their names, but some of them are starting to have a high number of awards and #1 hits posthumously!

A great example of this is, Elvis Presley!

Between 1977 & 1981 10 singles from the King Of Rock were released as #1 hits... Graceland has become one of the most well visited homes in the United States (just behind, 'The White House'.) And after the King passed on, he was inducted in to four different music hall of fames, including: the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (Which he was inducted in to in 1986), the Country Music Hall Of Fame (which he was inducted in to in 1998), the Gospel Music Hall Of Fame (2001) & even the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame in 2007!

Another great example is, The Beatles... Don't get me wrong, I know that they are not all dead, but most of them are, and they have been broken up since the 1970s... But that didn't end it for these guys... You see, after the break up all four of them would continue to make music as solo artists, but not only that but they each one of them would collaborate at one time or another.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"] The Beatles & their family reuniting after the death of John Lennon in 1980.[/caption]

As a matter of fact, after John Lennon died in 1980, the remaining Beatles along with Linda McCartney would come together to make a tribute album in honor of their fallen friend!

And the most latest that I discovered is, 'Michael Jackson'... It looks like the King Of Pop will be back entertaining audiences one last time in his second posthumous album called, 'Xscape' which was recently release on May 2nd 2014!

For more information on these guys, and the music they made, please enjoy these songs that were arranged for posthumously albums: Elvis Presley, The Beatles & Michael Jackson!

http://youtu.be/Aa3ZGXRBS-Y

http://youtu.be/_0O0BkKdMx0

http://youtu.be/zqdxYJ3uXuQ

 

5 Classic Rock 'N Roll Album Covers From The 1960s

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="301"] The album cover from, 'The Beatles' 1967 classic, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'![/caption]

You know, working on twitter a lot, you find that people generally tend to post a lot of top 10 lists, and well, one of them that I have noticed that generally tends to be thrown around a lot is, 'Book Cover Illustrations', and, 'Album Covers'... And well I never thought to much about them until recently! You see, I am guilty of this, posting these top 10 lists, and well I had done one for foreign pop rock covers from the 1960s, and some one on Twitter had commented on it... And well since I so enjoy thinking outside of the box on these types of things, I thought that it might be kind of fun to do my own unique brand of this with, '5 Classic Rock 'n Roll Album Covers From The 1960s'

At number 5: Elvis Presley.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] From an EP that Elvis did in 1964![/caption]

At number 4: Santana.

[caption id="attachment_2902" align="aligncenter" width="348"] From a self titled album that Santana did in 1969![/caption]

At number 3: The Beatles.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="452"] The cover for the 1969 Beatles album, 'Abbey Road'![/caption]

At number 2: Jimi Hendrix.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="452"] This album is one that Jimi Hendrix did in 1969![/caption]

At number 1: Iron Butterfly's.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="449"] The LP for, 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' an album that was released by Iron Butterfly in 1968![/caption]

Elvis Presley: One Of The Ancestors Of The Modern Metal Musicians

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350"] The King of Rock doing one of his more hard core ballads![/caption]

That's right folks, you might not think it, but it is true... You see, in a lot of respects, in the past Heavy Metal music has tended to be offensive to those who would prefer, 'Disco' or other forms of more easier listening music...

A great example of this is there was a TV series that I was watching a few years back that had been based in the 1970s, and during the episode there is a major fight that breaks out between people that were very clearly fans of Disco, (all the way to those strange looking suits and their overly large hairdos on guys...) And the metal heads of the time (they were more defined by the more sloppy look...)

And so you might be wondering why I have added Elvis Presley songs in to the reviews for music that I have done for music since I expanded the site... Well the simple truth is that in a lot of respects you can say that the music of, 'Elvis Presley' is a direct ancestor of heavy metal music, and that a lot of the building blocks that made him the, 'King of Rock' is what helped make Heavy Metal and keeps it being so great!

[caption id="attachment_2385" align="aligncenter" width="200"] One of Elvis's controversial songs.[/caption]

A great example of this is, that with Elvis Presley when he was around and was still a sex symbol, he was regularly producing music that the older generation, (those who were almost certainly more a fan of stuff like, 'Big Band' music) just did not like it and found offensive!

Now for me it was a little bit different (Believe it or not, my mother is a metal head from way back, and my father is more of a fan of the soft rock stuff that I enjoy as well!) But to this day I have heard that a lot of the, 'Disco Generation', that are starting to head toward senior citizen life, just really don't like it!

Another great example of that the instrumentals used in Elvis Presley's more famous (yet harder), music could be said to be lighter but similar in tone to what the more darker Heavy Metal music would be!

[caption id="attachment_2386" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Elvis Presley doing, 'Jailhouse Rock' & Megadeth playing live... To different generations of music that are indirectly connected in basic style and attitude![/caption]

And one last thing that I thought that I would mention here is the themes in which Elvis would use for his more heavier songs, and the ones that are used in more modern day metal songs... Now the truth is, is Elvis's music is lighter then say, 'Disturbed's' music, but the one thing that they use a lot is alternative themes... A great example of this is Disturbed's song, 'Asylum'... A song that has to do with the problems of insanity and being forcibly institutionalized, and Elvis's 'Heartbreak Hotel' (which as I understand it, is actually based on a suicide case that the King had read about...)

In the end, if you have ever wondered where Heavy Metal music comes from... Well I can't say that Elvis is exclusively responsible, but I will say that the work that he did, was definitely an ancestor of the music that all of us metal heads have grown to love!

http://youtu.be/1K9jBL2syJ8

http://youtu.be/gj0Rz-uP4Mk

Elvis Presley: Fever (1960) - Song Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Now I have recently discovered that this song was not originally created by Elvis Presley, I thought so for the longest time... But as it turns out, Elvis recorded this song in 1960, but it was recorded by Little Willie John (All Around The World), for his 1956 album of the same name!

Well regardless though, I think Elvis did a great job with this song, you see this song is a sort of a sleek and sexy song, that I imagine had the girls at the concerts that Mr. Presley would sing this song at driving them wild... And for guys though I kind of took it to be more of an awesome song, a sort macho song... But in a way you could almost say a way to help, 'pick up chicks'.

If you haven't listened to it yet, then I would recommend checking it out, I mean this song as sung by Elvis Presley in all truth is the only version of this song that I have actually heard... And I have to admit that I really like it, but if you are not exactly a fan of the, 'King Of Rock' then check it out from one of the other people who recorded versions of this song... It is a pretty awesome one!

http://youtu.be/6n1iX7I54n4

Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock Single (1957) - Song Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

We all know who Elvis Presley is... I mean this  guy was the true King of Rock! I mean this guy is still a chart topper! What with his JXL remix for, 'A Little Less Conversation,'  hitting the U.S. and U.K.  number 1 about a decade ago... So you know if this guy is still producing mega topper hits literally decades after he passed away that his music is still pretty bad ass!

Also, I mean Elvis's discography has a list of not just classic chart toppers but truly historically valuable  legendary masterpieces such as, Blue Seude Shoes, Tutti Fruitti, Heartbreak Hotel, Shake Rattle & Roll, Hound Dog, Don't Be Cruel,  Love Me Tender, Loving You & Jailhouse Rock... to name just a few!

And speaking of Jailhouse Rock, This in my opinion maybe one of his most recognizable songs... At least, I found that to be the case...

What I mean by that is the fact that I grew up well over a decade after Mr. Presley died and to be honest, most of the people I know (including people who were old enough potentially to have been around to have listen to his music) had not really listened to his music, so I never really had the opportunity to really enjoy his music growing up! But the one song I frequently heard in movies or on TV in the background was Jailhouse Rock, and almost any time I would see one of those infomercials advertising the latest compilation of his music often times would give a segment of the famous music video that Mr. Presley did back in the 50s for this song!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Elvis Presley singing, 'Jailhouse Rock' in the music video for the song.[/caption]

Unfortunately though, I will admit that despite all of that, I didn't really get in to his music until I was watching the show, 'Las Vegas' a few years back and found that I really enjoyed the theme song to it, (which was the JXL remix of, 'A Little Less Conversation') and I gotta say that once I did I found that a lot of these ancient bands and groups were truly awesome, and I could definitely see why Elvis was in the top 10!

And once I started to really dig in to his music and started to listen to, Jailhouse Rock,  I found that I really enjoyed it! The reason for that is the fact that I found that I really enjoyed the truly classic nature of a jail  type set up that looked like it was taken straight out of the 50s... (I know that for that time that would have been considered to be modern, but I found the nature of it from my modern view point to be quite awesome!)

Also the song itself is pretty awesome! I mean from a historical stand point you could almost see how this song could be construed as the ancestor song for such songs as, 'Fuel' (From Metallica), 'Bordello Of Blood' (From Anthrax), and what I mean by that is that these song went to the extreme, and Elvis Presley was always pushing the barriers of what he could do... I think that, that may have been why he was always offending the middle class!

Anyway, the reason I mention this is because Jailhouse Rock was no different!

Another thing that made  this song so impressive is the fact that besides incorporating the obvious rock & roll overtones that are predominant through out this song, you can also get a sense of a sort of, 'Blues' influence with in the song!

And lastly... Lets just be honest... The song is just plain cool!

http://youtu.be/gj0Rz-uP4Mk