Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt2 The Sixties

Catching up a bit here, but the first four tracks are - at best - mediocre to me. I had the Pickwick LP of this back in, what, 1976, and was disappointed even as a kid (and to make matters worse, that release cut off three songs... well considering the quality of this material, maybe that was a blessing). Poor sound quality mars this release like Harum Scarum. At this point, it's my least-favorite Elvis album.

 

Yep, this is the one-two gut punch of the two worst tracks on the record. They are obviously attempts to write show tunes, and while that is not a genre I'm really qualified to critique in depth, I'm guessing they are not very good show tunes (in the intervening 50+ years, it's notable that no one has been inspired to do a broadway production of F&J). Certainly these types of songs are the very opposite of what Elvis wanted to be singing and should have been singing to best showcase his talents. And I'll be the first to make the obvious comment... Ann-Margret can't sing on an Elvis record, but Donna Douglas can?

 

No offense Dirk, but me beginning to think you am from bizarro earth. I guess I do admire your ability to see something good in even the worst things. Here's a serious question though... what would you say are Elvis' five worst recordings? Are there any Elvis tracks you really hate? You're such a "glass half full" person I am curious.

 

For me, I don't really hate any Elvis songs, I don't think ....... but there are certainly a few in this mid sixties period, that if it wasn't for all the other great work he has done, I wouldn't be interested in them at all.

 

"Hate" is a rather strong word to use when describing how we feel about any song sung by the glorious voice of Elvis Presley, but I have to say that Yoga Is As Yoga Does, definitely crosses that threshold for me.

 

I think I'm yet to hear it lol ... Like I said "I think" I don't hate any of his songs lol ...

 

Oh boy you are in for a treat. Then there is Dominic.

 

Well I think I listened to all the albums in the rca box .... but I didn't do it in order, and I did balk at a couple, so I may not have. I know I listened to these last two (Frankie - Harum) because I was underwhelmed ... I don't hate them, just underwhelmed would be the correct definer.
So we'll see. It was a lot to digest in six or seven months

 

Yeah well even though most people put Paradise Hawaiian Style in the same category as these two, I say it is a incremental step up. And then it gets better on average for quite a while after this.

 

I'm kind of excited and distracted at the moment anyhow.
I just booked the Elvis Experience + planes, with a room in the guesthouse at Graceland for Saturday night. I have no idea what to expect.
Just a spur of the moment thing because we're going to be in Memphis for a concert on Saturday.

 

I'm jealous. It has been a long time since I have been to Graceland. I usually stayed at The Peabody which of course is downtown. I stayed at the Heartbreak Hotel as well, but actually preferred The Peabody, even though it is a a little bit of a drive to Graceland. I am curious to check out The Guess House at Graceland as well. Please let us know about your whole visit upon your return.

 

For sure mate.
I really don't know what it actually is .... four hour tour and a museum and airplanes .... but I'll find out Saturday I guess lol

 

The cool part about the tour of the actual house was that you could basically take as long as you want as I recall. I do not really remember anybody rushing you along. I hope it is still that way.

 

I actively dislike a decent number of Elvis songs. Off the top of my head, I find all of these to be a chore to sit through, and many are just unlistenable. I'm sure I could come up with more if I put more time into it. For the sake of simplicity, I didn't include live performances.

And I Love You So
Beginner's Luck
Blue Hawaii
Britches
C'mon Everybody
Confidence
Girls! Girls! Girls!
Hawaiian Sunset
Hard Luck
He Touched Me
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Hey Little Girl
Hot Dog
I Will Be Home Again
Island Of Love
Just A Little Bit
Life
Lonesome Cowboy
Love Me Tender
Loving You
Mama Liked The Roses
My Wish Came True
Old Shep
Please Don't Stop Loving Me
Scratch My Back
Steadfast, Loyal, & True
There Goes My Everything
This Is My Heaven
This Is Our Dance
Tomorrow Night (Elvis For Everyone version)
True Love
What'd I Say
Wheels On My Heels
White Christmas
Woman Without Love

 

I am also not a fan of Love Me Tender, but I DO like the version sung on the TV Special a lot. (his joking around notwithstanding).

 

I really like most of those lol

 

Wow, what an eclectic mix. So it's not that your tastes are undiscriminating, but that they are idiosyncratic. Cool. My opinion on the tracks in the above list runs the gamut. There's stuff I think is great, stuff that's pretty good, stuff that's mediocre, and a few that I agree with you are downright bad.

 

Love Me Tender is an odd one, because I actually enjoy the live versions (or at least the parts where he actually sings). I agree that the Comeback Special version is particularly good. It's just the studio master that bores me to tears.

That just about sums it up. My list of "desert island Elvis songs" would probably look even stranger.

 

I think the version on the 68 Comeback Special blows the original right out of the water. Elvis's ability to sing a ballad had grown by leaps and bounds over the course of the decade. His heart was in it too, despite the nervous joking around thrown into the lyrics.

 

This is what is so amazing about the Elvis fandom; His versatility was so great and his eclectic mix of song styles so broad that there is no way Elvis fans are ever going to come close to agreeing on what songs are great or even mediocre in his vast catalogue, let alone which ones are terrible. There is simply a fair amount of songs to even the most ardent Elvis fan that fall into all three categories, well especially the first two. I can hardly wait to get the similar reaction to what Dirk is getting when I defend some of Elvis's 70's recordings, many of which are among my favorite recordings of his career.

 

I know when this thread reaches its conclusion, I will be going into withdrawal.

 

There's a long way to go yet ....
I am thinking after the regular albums, if everybody is still interested, we can go through some ftd stuff and soundboards also.
But that's still a way off.
I'm really looking forward to the seventies albums, because I'm loving them

 

Does anybody have "Petunia" or "Chesay" in their Top Ten....



Songs you never ever want to hear again?

 

It would definitely be fun to cover all the posthumous albums. That would probably last us another five years at the rate we are going...