Thread: Elvis

I haven't come across any good threads about Elvis and am curious as to how others think of him. I quoted a prominent rock critic, Greil Marcus, writing about Elvis' cultural significance as it appeared to him in the 70s. For the most part I agree with him. How could he be considered the king of rock and roll if he didn't write his own music. However he demonstrated a superior understanding to the styles which make up rock and roll by choosing great songs and delivering emotional performances.

--Greil Marcus--
[. . .] How could he take it seriously? How could anyone create when all one has to do is appear? 'He looks like Elvis Presley!' cried a friend, when the Big E stormed forth in an explosion of flashbulbs and cheers. . .It is as if there is nothing Elvis could do to overshadow a performance of his myth. And so he performs from a distance, laughing at his myth, throwing it away only to see it roar back and trap him once again. . .There is great satisfaction in his performance, and great emptiness

My thoughts:

- Elvis was an extraordinarily charismatic performer, who in his early years lit a touchpaper under the firework of what became known as Rock & Roll.

- Became increasingly a showbiz caricature on his return from conscription.

- Had a wonderful voice throughout his career.

- Not particularly an innovator, but still vitally important.

- I like Elvis muchly.

I would go along with Tiggi

In addition , I think that we have to look at Elvis` time frame.At the time that Elvis arrived on the music scene there was a very docile situation..........Elvis, through his talent and innovation, brought to the mainstream public eye a raw talent and provocation that was only seen in limited areas. Much of what he brought was not his own innovation, but He was the guy who was the agent of change...............He was innovative, in that he challenged the mainstream view of what was acceptable at the time................In his early days he was a wonderful example of "The Rock and Roll Animal" ...raw and provocative , able to make music exciting and to to portray the rebel................as time went on he did find it difficult to stay at the cutting edge of all these areas but he still remained an important influence and inspiration for future generations.