Can we stop with Elvis being “King” of Rock and Roll

[IpMan]

How Great thou Art, Elvis's gospel album form 67' is IMO one of his best works with what I would consider some of his best vocals recorded. Don't be fooled by the fact these are gospel songs, they rhythm section he uses is rock solid and relentless and the arrangements are perfect.

Whenever anyone asks how good of a singer Elvis was I whip out this baby.

[the-ocean87]

Ridiculous to even question Elivs' impact on the music culture.

Elvis was an interpreter, who took other songs and made them better. This is a talent itself. The way he sang, the way he moved while performing... This hadn't been there before. At least not on a nation-wide TV broadcast.

You don't have to be a composer in order to be the best at something in a musical context. Take classical musicans for example. Does the best violinist have to write his own tunes in order to be the best?

Chuck Berry wrote great song, that is for sure. However, I never thought of him as a "great" guitar player. Good ideas, but weak execution. There were much better players at the time.

[IpMan]

6 hours ago, the-ocean87 said:

Ridiculous to even question Elivs' impact on the music culture.

Elvis was an interpreter, who took other songs and made them better. This is a talent itself. The way he sang, the way he moved while performing... This hadn't been there before. At least not on a nation-wide TV broadcast.

You don't have to be a composer in order to be the best at something in a musical context. Take classical musicans for example. Does the best violinist have to write his own tunes in order to be the best?

Chuck Berry wrote great song, that is for sure. However, I never thought of him as a "great" guitar player. Good ideas, but weak execution. There were much better players at the time.

True dat! Les Paul and Bill Haley, just to name two, could play circles around Berry.

Now y'all...don't be cruel and go step-in on my blue suede shoes. I may be a hound dog but the fact is baby, let's play house.

[gibsonfan159]

6 hours ago, the-ocean87 said:

 

Chuck Berry wrote great song, that is for sure. However, I never thought of him as a "great" guitar player. Good ideas, but weak execution. There were much better players at the time.

You're using this example to prove what? Elvis was a better guitar player? There were other guitar players at the time who put down a more solid foundation for the "rock and roll" sound? Please give examples.

[gibsonfan159]

Once again, Elvis's impact and what Elvis actually was are two different things. Being the "king" of something involves more than just provocative marketing. 

Elvis- A good singer and performer who was a poster boy for many genres.

[SteveAJones]

1 hour ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Once again, Elvis's impact and what Elvis actually was are two different things. Being the "king" of something involves more than just provocative marketing. 

Elvis- A good singer and performer who was a poster boy for many genres.

"Good singer" + "poster boy" = idiotic, uninformed opinion. 

You keep harping on how Elvis was "marketed", failing - again - to grasp there was no mainstream rock market before Elvis Presley came along.

[Walter]

10 minutes ago, SteveAJones said:

"Good singer" + "poster boy" = idiotic, uninformed opinion. 

You keep harping on how Elvis was "marketed", failing - again - to grasp there was no mainstream rock market before Elvis Presley came along.

Your exactly correct. He was fighting the establishment who didn’t want greased hair, sexuality on display, and the rebel attitude. Couldn’t gyrate his hips on the Ed Sullivan Show without being censored from the waist down. He established rock n’ roll to the masses. He had a tremendous voice. He was an iconic figure in American artistic history and still is today. He was without a doubt, and still is, The King of Rock ‘N Roll.  

[gibsonfan159]

10 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

 

You keep harping on how Elvis was "marketed", failing - again - to grasp there was no mainstream rock market before Elvis Presley came along.

That's because he was the poster boy who was marketed for it. You actually made my point by trying to argue against it, in the same sentence.

Elvis did nothing new musically and what he did do was all written for him. The attitude already existed. The only thing that didn't exist was getting all the suburban white kids to jump on, which is what Elvis was pushed to do. If you wanna call someone the "king" of something just because they were more successfully marketed and were the first to bring it to the mainstream, that's fine. I'll just sit here and call Led Zeppelin the Kings of heavy metal. But we all know that's bullshit.

[gibsonfan159]

10 hours ago, Walter said:

Your exactly correct. He was fighting the establishment who didn’t want greased hair, sexuality on display, and the rebel attitude. Couldn’t gyrate his hips on the Ed Sullivan Show without being censored from the waist down. He established rock n’ roll to the masses. He had a tremendous voice. He was an iconic figure in American artistic history and still is today. He was without a doubt, and still is, The King of Rock ‘N Roll.  

The "establishment" didn't want it, but a lot of teenage kids did and that's what Sam Phillips knew.

 

[SteveAJones]

3 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

That's because he was the poster boy who was marketed for it. You actually made my point by trying to argue against it, in the same sentence.

Elvis did nothing new musically and what he did do was all written for him. The attitude already existed. The only thing that didn't exist was getting all the suburban white kids to jump on, which is what Elvis was pushed to do. If you wanna call someone the "king" of something just because they were more successfully marketed and were the first to bring it to the mainstream, that's fine. I'll just sit here and call Led Zeppelin the Kings of heavy metal. But we all know that's bullshit.

You are a housefly at best.

gibsonfan159 <permanent ignore> click 

Edited May 8, 2018 by SteveAJones

[mknopfler]

Can we just stop with the SJW threads ? This is sickening. Elvis is The King. No bullshit from wanna be SJW idiots lying about the past and trying to change it to fit their idiotic agenda is ever gonna change that.

Edited May 8, 2018 by mknopfler

[gibsonfan159]

1 hour ago, mknopfler said:

Can we just stop with the SJW threads ? This is sickening. Elvis is The King. No bullshit from wanna be SJW idiots lying about the past and trying to change it to fit their idiotic agenda is ever gonna change that.

You're way off base and obviously trying to turn this into something it isn't. Go watch Fox news or something.

[gibsonfan159]

1 hour ago, SteveAJones said:

You are a housefly at best.

gibsonfan159 <permanent ignore> click 

Apology accepted.

[paplbojo]

5 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Elvis was pushed to do.

No one pushed him to do it. He did it on his own merit. Individuals can be great without corporate boogymen behind the scenes.

[mknopfler]

49 minutes ago, gibsonfan159 said:

You're way off base and obviously trying to turn this into something it isn't. Go watch Fox news or something.

I don't watch TV thank you, go back to your studies of "white privilege" and SJW tactics. You low IQ types need something to do.

[Bong-Man]

Well Gibby....you did manage to accomplish one thing.  At a place where no one can agree on just about any opinion on anything, you managed to pretty much unite everyone against yours.  That's no small feat on this board.  Touche...and well played !     

[Strider]

I guess things got slow on the Nitpicking Page thread. Crikey, how in the hell does 'SJW' and Fox News get entered into a discussion about Elvis Presley? You guys really got off the rails.

[Badgeholder Still]

13 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

That's because he was the poster boy who was marketed for it. You actually made my point by trying to argue against it, in the same sentence.

Elvis did nothing new musically and what he did do was all written for him. The attitude already existed. The only thing that didn't exist was getting all the suburban white kids to jump on, which is what Elvis was pushed to do. If you wanna call someone the "king" of something just because they were more successfully marketed and were the first to bring it to the mainstream, that's fine. I'll just sit here and call Led Zeppelin the Kings of heavy metal. But we all know that's bullshit.

Seriously? 

Scotty Moore described their first session, resulting in the recording of "That's Alright Mama":

We were taking a break and, all of sudden, Elvis started singing this song, jumping around and acting the fool. Then Bill Black picked up his bass and began acting the fool too, and I started playing with them. Sam had the door to the control room open, and stuck his head out and said, 'What are you doing?' We said, 'We don't know'. He said, 'Well, back up. Try to find a place to start, and do it again'. So we kinda talked it over and figured out a little bit what we were doin'. We ran it again, and of course Sam is listenin'. 'Bout the third or fourth time through, we just cut it. It was basically a rhythm record. It wasn't any great thing. It wasn't Sam tellin' him what to do. Elvis was joking around, just doing what come naturally, what he felt.

This is old news and well documented history.

Basically, you're calling all Elvis Presley fans since 1954 (including Led Zeppelin?) chumps who can't see through a phony. I can see through a phony. 

Counting missed notes in Led Zeppelin concert recordings is your thing. Stick to that.

[redrum]

13 hours ago, Strider said:

I guess things got slow on the Nitpicking Page thread. Crikey, how in the hell does 'SJW' and Fox News get entered into a discussion about Elvis Presley? You guys really got off the rails.

Elvis is about ready to shoot this TV set.

[redrum]

[Strider]

8 hours ago, redrum said:

Elvis is about ready to shoot this TV set.

Don't mess with the Memphis Mafia.

[chef free]

No one can deny that Elvis was the first "Rock Star".  (And the biggest of his generation too.)

Of course there were better singers at the time, and better guitar players than Scotty Moore but being a Rock Star is not about technical ability, some of it is about ATTITUDE, and Elvis had "IT"!

[SuperDave]

4 hours ago, Strider said:

Don't mess with the Memphis Mafia.

Very true Strider!

 

I actually had the pleasure of meeting and shaking hands with the Memphis Mafia's Joe Esposito in Las Vegas.  It was at an Elvis auction at the MGM Grand.  Lots of big items were auctioned off including a number of his cars and I do remember a cool looking golf cart as well.

[the-ocean87]

On 5/8/2018 at 3:40 AM, SteveAJones said:

"Good singer" + "poster boy" = idiotic, uninformed opinion. 

You keep harping on how Elvis was "marketed", failing - again - to grasp there was no mainstream rock market before Elvis Presley came along.

This.

[The Pagemeister]

If it weren't for Elvis, there would be no Beatles or Led Zeppelin.

Elvis shall remain the 👑King of Rock and Roll 👑