An Accidentally Good Elvis Budget Compilation

Thank you for that, but all the quotes in the world do not negate the aural evidence on record. The evidence is there; we can choose to address it or ignore it. So I stand by my original statement.

 

You're "in no way a fan of Elvis by any stretch" yet you've sat through ALL of his films. I find that slightly odd.

 

I'm sure that many Enrico Caruso fans back in the day said in so many words that Frank Sinatra had pitch problems with his "blue notes" and understood zero about phrasing with his offbeat rubato. Yes, Frank broke some established rules, but in so doing he virtually invented pop song phrasing.

 

I like exploitation cinema, and I enjoy those films on that level.

 

Very likely. But I've never met a classical singer who found fault with his breath control. He is an acknowledged master of breath control. Elvis, by contrast, frequently takes breaths in the middle of a two-syllable word.

 

The Flaming Star album was quite good too. Great version of Chuck's "Too Much Monkey Business," plus "Tiger Man" from the TV special and some of the more rocking movie leftovers.

 

Can you list some specific examples of songs that demonstrate Elvis' shortcomings as you perceive them? It might help your opponents understand your position and/or provide an opportunity for discussion, and possibly allow you to understand why so many do not see it the way you do.

Frankly, the concept of Elvis as a "poor" singer astounds me.

 

That would require me having to endure the records!

Seriously, I don't have time right now, and I own so little of his stuff. My observations are based on things I've heard on the radio and in the films through the decades. When I have time, I will see what I can find on the intertubes and post examples.

 

Anyone know why Almost In Love has two different covers? Same picture but different colors. There is the tan one as seen in post 41 and the one I have which is all white.

 

Elvis' most stunning vocal is "Thrill Of Your Love" from the best album, vocally, of his career, "Elvis Is Back" from 1960. I have been collecting Elvis since 1962, have all of his albums and studio bootlegs plus
the Complete Masters set. Anyone who listens to this performance, and can't admit it's one of the
greatest vocals in pop music either hasn't listened to all that much music or is incredibly biased against
pop music in general. The performance speaks for itself.

 

The white is the Pickwick reissue.

 

But that's because he's feeling it. You know? He's rocking. Otherwise it would sound quite boring.

 

No, it is poor breath control and/or poor phrasing.

 

I had all the Camden albums. The local 7-11 had a small record rack by the cash registered and that is where my mom purchased most of them. Pickwick made the tacky album art worse by adding borders etc. AiL was one of the better ones.

 

So what you're saying is that Elvis was a rock singer, not a classically trained vocalist. Brilliant deduction, Holmes!

 

There are numerous criteria by which we can judge the relative merits (or lack thereof) of any artist or entertainer. Some may be more important to you, others may be more important to me.

I am saying simply that on a number of criteria that for me constitute a great singer, Elvis falls short. Classical training has nothing to do with it. There are numerous singers in the genres of pop, R&b, soul, gospel, and country whom I believe to be technically better singers than Elvis.

I do not deny Elvis's influence as a pop entertainer, but I simply do not find him to be a great singer.

This is only my opinion. If you like Elvis, keep on listening to him. I am not a fan, although this budget album I found surprised me in terms of variety of material, if not execution.

 

The UK version had a completely different cover photo altogether.

 

This is a good album. And I'm glad the OP mentioned "Edge Of Reality" - a real favorite Elvis psych song of mine!

 

Elvis singing poorly?!? You can criticize him on several levels but, really, "por phrasing" is not one of them. It just makes no sense.

 

This is hilarious! Elvis is the greatest single singing Icon ever... but he has "poor breath control and poor phrasing", LOL!

Seriously, my girlfriend is a professional singer and she tells me nonsense about other singers, all the time. " 'So and So' can't sing...", she says. I tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about, and that it's not about "pitch", or "singing in some text book manner"; it's about making sounds in ways that appeal to the ears of millions of fans -- period.

 

Interesting. In the case of Almost in Love, there are songs on there that were poorly recorded, such as Long Legged Girl from the ultra hissy and sometimes tinny Double Trouble soundtrack, and the title track Almost in Love sounds a bit muddy. The rest were well recorded, IIRC. Maybe this Lp enhances the sound of those tracks, I don't know. The C'mon Everybody and I Got Lucky albums sounded horrid (the CDs are stereo, and remastered), not because they were all mono, but maybe they were directly transferred from the EPs on which they were originally released. I can see Flaming Star sounding good, except for the sonically limited and mono Tiger Man, but the energy makes up for the lack of fidelity. Even She's A Machine, from the pretty poor sounding Easy Come Easy Go soundtrack sessions, sounded good compared to the terrible sounding songs that were actually in the movie. At the time, it was the only song from that movie released in stereo.

 

His vocal on Judy, from '61, is amazing.

 

Also, I think we discussed that Burning Love on the Camden LP of that name sounded the best of all pressings. It certainly sounds great on the CD I have of that album.