0349054
03-19-2005, 07:07 AM
Young Record Buyers!
Being 20 years old, I am what people could consider a young Elvis fan. I did however, become an Elvis fan over 5 years ago when I was just 15, and I am thoroughly delighted that chose to become an Elvis fan.
What has annoyed me the most though in my five or so years in following Elvis is that reaction of my own peer group. It seemed that I had committed a crime beyond comparison to support an Idol from the 1950?s, the time of our parents, and dare we say even grandparents. But what startled me the most was the attacks that these peers made upon my music selection. They seemed to think that Elvis was not an artist, but a bloated self parody which they could endlessly mock, pick apart and defame in front of me. It was more probably there own misguided and uninformed conclusions that actually pushed me into the many books regarding Elvis? life, and it was there very own taunts regarding him, that gave me a better appreciation than ever before I had of Elvis.
Elvis was not as they seemed to presume in there ignorant bliss a self-parody, he was in fact one of the most instrumental figures ever in popular music. Aside from this, the all conquering Beatles, who I had better never say anything against, as my age group think these guys are marvelous and infallible, were inspired by Elvis, and openly admit to the fact, the other one that is often forgotten is that Elvis was there before the Beatles and after the Beatles.
Eventually though I managed to persuade a few of my peers to take a listen to Elvis. That raw, uncut 50?s rebel that just oozed talent. It was nearly as quickly as I had moved them away from Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes, to songs like Ready Teddy that I first started to notice them begin to pay attention. Hound Dog is all very well, but it is nearly too well known to make any sort of an impact upon a young person who seems to need to be inspired and challenged by Elvis, seeing as they just presume they know what his catalogue actually is.
It is this question then that I pose, for Elvis? artistic longevity; I think it is essential for people to be introduced to an array of Elvis? songs instead of churning out the same old chart toppers year after year. People need to hear Elvis? passion in songs in which they never even knew existed. One Night of Sin for example, maybe in the 50?s it needed to be changed, but today, no need. Of course BMG really couldn?t care less as long as Elvis continues to make money for them, but maybe projects such as this EU Sun Box Set could set the tone for future releases regarding Elvis and regarding his future. I would by lying if I said that I was happy with Elvis? catalogue slowly becoming public domain in Europe. To be honest I am very apprehensive of it. The cringe worthy releases are already circling in my thoughts, from tacky newspaper cd?s to those awful budget CD releases in back alley record shops. Elvis deserves more than that. He also deserves more respect than BMG is paying to him, although they certainly are going down the right lines with the FTD series, but we really need well promoted imaginative, well designed ( may I highlight this enough! Well designed artwork for Elvis? releases! ) as some of BMG UK?s artwork on releases in the last few years has been atrocious. If this EU Sun Boxset sets the tone the right way, then maybe, maybe just Elvis will start to get the respect he deserves from these vultures that are waiting to sweep down on his catalogue the second it becomes public domain.
Young Fans will respond to a tastefully designed well put together package on Elvis? time at Sun. They will not respond to countless racks of Budget Sun CD?s. At the moment among my age group, Johnny Cash is garnering more respect than Elvis. I am a Johnny Cash Fan, but the way that Rick Rubin and Johnny marketed and presented his last few albums, is exactly what BMG and other record companies are going to have to do with Elvis. Don?t get me wrong, I have been delighted with the success of Elvis 30(1) No.1 Hits, Elvis Second to None and the singles re-issues. I guess what I?m getting at, is to get that dangerous edge back to Elvis? releases. The same danger that catapulted him into the charts in the 50?s and that continues to reverberate world wide. All I?m saying is give it another little push, because I?m sure that a whole new generation of Elvis fans can be born from it. Things like Lilo and Stitch, while great for Elvis, is not going to help teenagers or young adults gravitate towards him. They need the danger, the raw explicit Elvis that originally drew people to him, not a marketed clean cut family Elvis. I?m not suggesting for one minute that, that type of image of Elvis is wrong, on the contrary it has sold him many millions of records, and I?m just suggesting that the other side of Elvis? character is re-invented to attract the younger audience to him again.
Being 20 years old, I am what people could consider a young Elvis fan. I did however, become an Elvis fan over 5 years ago when I was just 15, and I am thoroughly delighted that chose to become an Elvis fan.
What has annoyed me the most though in my five or so years in following Elvis is that reaction of my own peer group. It seemed that I had committed a crime beyond comparison to support an Idol from the 1950?s, the time of our parents, and dare we say even grandparents. But what startled me the most was the attacks that these peers made upon my music selection. They seemed to think that Elvis was not an artist, but a bloated self parody which they could endlessly mock, pick apart and defame in front of me. It was more probably there own misguided and uninformed conclusions that actually pushed me into the many books regarding Elvis? life, and it was there very own taunts regarding him, that gave me a better appreciation than ever before I had of Elvis.
Elvis was not as they seemed to presume in there ignorant bliss a self-parody, he was in fact one of the most instrumental figures ever in popular music. Aside from this, the all conquering Beatles, who I had better never say anything against, as my age group think these guys are marvelous and infallible, were inspired by Elvis, and openly admit to the fact, the other one that is often forgotten is that Elvis was there before the Beatles and after the Beatles.
Eventually though I managed to persuade a few of my peers to take a listen to Elvis. That raw, uncut 50?s rebel that just oozed talent. It was nearly as quickly as I had moved them away from Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes, to songs like Ready Teddy that I first started to notice them begin to pay attention. Hound Dog is all very well, but it is nearly too well known to make any sort of an impact upon a young person who seems to need to be inspired and challenged by Elvis, seeing as they just presume they know what his catalogue actually is.
It is this question then that I pose, for Elvis? artistic longevity; I think it is essential for people to be introduced to an array of Elvis? songs instead of churning out the same old chart toppers year after year. People need to hear Elvis? passion in songs in which they never even knew existed. One Night of Sin for example, maybe in the 50?s it needed to be changed, but today, no need. Of course BMG really couldn?t care less as long as Elvis continues to make money for them, but maybe projects such as this EU Sun Box Set could set the tone for future releases regarding Elvis and regarding his future. I would by lying if I said that I was happy with Elvis? catalogue slowly becoming public domain in Europe. To be honest I am very apprehensive of it. The cringe worthy releases are already circling in my thoughts, from tacky newspaper cd?s to those awful budget CD releases in back alley record shops. Elvis deserves more than that. He also deserves more respect than BMG is paying to him, although they certainly are going down the right lines with the FTD series, but we really need well promoted imaginative, well designed ( may I highlight this enough! Well designed artwork for Elvis? releases! ) as some of BMG UK?s artwork on releases in the last few years has been atrocious. If this EU Sun Boxset sets the tone the right way, then maybe, maybe just Elvis will start to get the respect he deserves from these vultures that are waiting to sweep down on his catalogue the second it becomes public domain.
Young Fans will respond to a tastefully designed well put together package on Elvis? time at Sun. They will not respond to countless racks of Budget Sun CD?s. At the moment among my age group, Johnny Cash is garnering more respect than Elvis. I am a Johnny Cash Fan, but the way that Rick Rubin and Johnny marketed and presented his last few albums, is exactly what BMG and other record companies are going to have to do with Elvis. Don?t get me wrong, I have been delighted with the success of Elvis 30(1) No.1 Hits, Elvis Second to None and the singles re-issues. I guess what I?m getting at, is to get that dangerous edge back to Elvis? releases. The same danger that catapulted him into the charts in the 50?s and that continues to reverberate world wide. All I?m saying is give it another little push, because I?m sure that a whole new generation of Elvis fans can be born from it. Things like Lilo and Stitch, while great for Elvis, is not going to help teenagers or young adults gravitate towards him. They need the danger, the raw explicit Elvis that originally drew people to him, not a marketed clean cut family Elvis. I?m not suggesting for one minute that, that type of image of Elvis is wrong, on the contrary it has sold him many millions of records, and I?m just suggesting that the other side of Elvis? character is re-invented to attract the younger audience to him again.