How can you explain this?

[ForeverTheKing]

This maybe can be a stupid thread but that's something I've always asked myself and I'd like to know you're opinion

I'm listening to the album Promised Land, one of my favourites with a lot of beautiful songs and I've started thinkg to this: I've heard many times rock 'n roll and Elvis Presley were both OVER the day Elvis went to the army.

Sure when he came back it wasn't the same for rock 'n roll and Elvis wanted to try new kind of songs...opera, gospel (something that in reality he had already inside himself).

But when people ask to his fans what period of his career they prefer, the most part of them (and I'm one of these) answer SEVENTIES

The question is this...why others (not fans) don't see what we see in Elvis in this period?
I can understand that the quality of his music was law in the hollywood period (even though many songs are underrated to me) but what about the seventies? He had a powerful voice and his interpretations in studio and in live performances are amazing.

No more rock n' roll but to me Elvis gave his best in the seventies and he communicated the most in that period

I would like people stop saying Elvis music died in 1958

What do you think?

[sasha]

I personally,have always liked the 70's.

[debtdbruno]

I love the 70's

However you can see how the jumpsuit image could overtake the seriousness of the music (re:- R&R)

[ForeverTheKing]

Yes...this is something I've always heard about the seventies...how Elvis was ridiculous with those jumpsuits

I know WE LOVE the SEVENTIES...but why critics and other people don't see the same? Maybe early rock 'n roll was over but not Elvis

[Diane]

Yes...this is somthing I've always heard about the seventies...how Elvis was ridiculous with those jumpsuits

I know WE LOVE the SEVENTIES...but why critics and other people don't see the same? Maybe early rock 'n roll was over but not Elvis

Because they never really "looked" at Elvis nor really listened!

Diane

[ForeverTheKing]

Because they never really "looked" at Elvis nor really listened!

Diane

Yes and this is a real shame I know Elvis has seen as the KING OF ROCK 'N ROLL but I think they should discover the late Elvis and separate him from the early rock 'n roll

[malc07]

I Personally LOVE the 70's and todays show will feature the Spotlight section on Elvis 77
Hope you can join us

[john carpenter]

Even non-fans say the 50's Elvis was betterBelieve me i've heard it all Things like..Elvis was an overrated lounge singer who wore ugly jumpsuits & sang opera like songs. They do not understand that Elvis practically invented Rock & Roll I like Elvis in all the decades ..the 50's, 60's & 70's

[monk37]

because Elvis as the rebel world changing rocker was over when he entered the army,

but what people don't realize is that it was by design - as the rebel rocker Elvis had a more limited audience than Elvis the all round entertainer

by moving to movies that the whole family could watch, Elvis was reaching a three generation audience

he couldn't have come out of the army and picked up where he left off

He was older, his fans were older and moving into new phases of life beyond teenagers.

Entertainers who stick with one thing, tend to be called one hit wonders

but, the 70's are underrated and Elvis was still doing rock then, but what was rock in the 70's was different than 50s - and Elvis, unlike his 50's peers, was never a nostalgia tour

He was still recording and continuously touring from 69 to 77

as for the jumpsuits - the biggest teen idols of the 70s did too to copy Elvis - David Cassidy, Donny Osmond and Leif Garret occasionally

people act like Elvis was the only one in bellbottom pants


heck, most SciFi shows use jumpsuits for uniforms

[Tommy]

If you listen to his music from 1956, and the distinct sound he had, that no one had ever heard before, which started a entirely new sound of music which was named Rock&Roll, and you will not hear that sound again, after he came out of the Army.

What happened to him I don't know, but he changed his style of singing. Don't misunderstand me, I love all of his music, but that ('56) sound was just an awesome sound, that you don't hear now or then, nobody else had that sound but Elvis.

Even listening to the 1956 songs today, still brings back that great part of Elvis. Haunting melodies, like Blue Moon, First In Line, I'm Counting On You, I'm Playing for Keeps, How's The World Treating You, etc. Groundbreaking stuff.

Raw, rough, exciting songs, like Trying To Get To You, Good Rockin' Tonight, One-Sided Love Affair, Lawdy, Miss Clawdy, Shake, Rattle and Roll, Ready Teddy, Jailhouse Rock, I'm Left, Your Right, She's Gone, I Got A Women, Rip It Up, must I go on.

I always wondered what would have happend to his style of singing if he had never gone into the Army.

[shelley.m.]

Elvis had to appeal to a wider audience after he came out of the Army.Even other rock and roll singers changed their styles of singing too.

[ForeverTheKing]

because Elvis as the rebel world changing rocker was over when he entered the army,

but what people don't realize is that it was by design - as the rebel rocker Elvis had a more limited audience than Elvis the all round entertainer

by moving to movies that the whole family could watch, Elvis was reaching a three generation audience

he couldn't have come out of the army and picked up where he left off

He was older, his fans were older and moving into new phases of life beyond teenagers.

Entertainers who stick with one thing, tend to be called one hit wonders

but, the 70's are underrated and Elvis was still doing rock then, but what was rock in the 70's was different than 50s - and Elvis, unlike his 50's peers, was never a nostalgia tour

He was still recording and continuously touring from 69 to 77

as for the jumpsuits - the biggest teen idols of the 70s did too to copy Elvis - David Cassidy, Donny Osmond and Leif Garret occasionally

people act like Elvis was the only one in bellbottom pants


heck, most SciFi shows use jumpsuits for uniforms

I completely agree

[ForeverTheKing]

If you listen to his music from 1956, and the distinct sound he had, that no one had ever heard before, which started a entirely new sound of music which was named Rock&Roll, and you will not hear that sound again, after he came out of the Army.

What happened to him I don't know, but he changed his style of singing. Don't misunderstand me, I love all of his music, but that ('56) sound was just an awesome sound, that you don't hear now or then, nobody else had that sound but Elvis.

Even listening to the 1956 songs today, still brings back that great part of Elvis. Haunting melodies, like Blue Moon, First In Line, I'm Counting On You, I'm Playing for Keeps, How's The World Treating You, etc. Groundbreaking stuff.

Raw, rough, exciting songs, like Trying To Get To You, Good Rockin' Tonight, One-Sided Love Affair, Lawdy, Miss Clawdy, Shake, Rattle and Roll, Ready Teddy, Jailhouse Rock, I'm Left, Your Right, She's Gone, I Got A Women, Rip It Up, must I go on.

I always wondered what would have happend to his style of singing if he had never gone into the Army.

I wonder the same...sure he couldn't sing rock 'n roll forever and he would have grown up musically all the same

Anyway I can understand what you mean...yesterday I was listening to his first sessions, especially the Sun years and I can imagine how much innovation Elvis could have brought. My feet can't stand still listening those songs...there's so much energy. His voice is immature but it's like a bomb
I've grown up with rock music and it's hard to imagine a world without it...as it was in the 40's and early 50's.
Music started to belong to young people, not only to adult...he was the first one to have such numbers of crazy fans..

Anyway, after the army, with much maturity he managed to reach a new audience...not only teenagers but adults too, that started to appreciate and not to fight him as they did before

What I don't understand is why people don't recognize that Elvis was great in all the 3 decades, maybe in a different way

When I watch his live concerts in the seventies and see children, teenagers and adults of every age I see his biggest SUCCESS...reach everyone with his music, just because it came from his heart

[sasha]

because Elvis as the rebel world changing rocker was over when he entered the army,

but what people don't realize is that it was by design - as the rebel rocker Elvis had a more limited audience than Elvis the all round entertainer

by moving to movies that the whole family could watch, Elvis was reaching a three generation audience

he couldn't have come out of the army and picked up where he left off

He was older, his fans were older and moving into new phases of life beyond teenagers.

Entertainers who stick with one thing, tend to be called one hit wonders

but, the 70's are underrated and Elvis was still doing rock then, but what was rock in the 70's was different than 50s - and Elvis, unlike his 50's peers, was never a nostalgia tour

He was still recording and continuously touring from 69 to 77

as for the jumpsuits - the biggest teen idols of the 70s did too to copy Elvis - David Cassidy, Donny Osmond and Leif Garret occasionally

people act like Elvis was the only one in bellbottom pants


heck, most SciFi shows use jumpsuits for uniforms

I agree with this too. It's just the stories & snide remarks that's been made.
We can & I do point this out. Especially the "jumpsuits." So many teen idols started wearing them, not just Elvis.

[rickb]

The 70s produced some of Elvis' greatest music, right up to the final session. The jumpsuits were fine for the time and looked great up till 1975

[LuckyJackson]

The jumpsuits get blamed for Elvis being ridiculed, when in fact, its the IMPS who wear the jumpsuits that have turned them into a joke.

[debtdbruno]

The jumpsuits get blamed for Elvis being ridiculed, when in fact, its the IMPS who wear the jumpsuits that have turned them into a joke.

very true. So many artists wore jumpsuits in the 70's, but it's Elvis that gets condemned for it.
Such a pity he didn't stick to the suits that he wore in 72.........he looked fantastic in them!!!!

[elvisia]

When I talk to people, my feeling is that the older generation likes the early stuff best while the younger gereration likes the later stuff better....but ofcause we(Fans) mostly like "it ALL" the best, (at least I do)maybe because we listen to EVERYTHING Elvis and therefor finds something for everybody in it all somehow.......

I`m sure that IF all people would sit down for days like we do, and listen to Everything Elvis, everybody would find something they like from each decade......

[Elizasong]

My opinion, Elvis's music had to change and evolve whether he went in the army or not.
The 50's he was the raw new rock n roll that everyone was getting into. When he got out of the army the times changed and so did he. He mellowed coming out of the army and I read that the army training toned him down somewhat and he matured. Taking out all the goofy movie songs, look at the 60's music. It's brilliant and really shows the quality of his voice! Moving on the the 70's he was really singing songs that were personal experiences in his life and again showed the quality of his voice. he still had some rockers like Way Down and Burning Love. They were just rocking songs for that time period. Only ignorant non-fans focus on his jumpsuit and turn him into joke. True Elvis fans know his music is the most important thing and Elvis fans who have seen him live experienced the energy he gave no matter what he was wearing!

[Elizasong]

Ok, not to bash all the movie songs he did have some great movie songs too.