The last great Rocker ?

[dennyelvis]

Elvis was famous for saying he would record more rockers if he could find em ! with that in mind what is ur opinion of his last truly great studio rocker ?
My guess would be BURNING LOVE, but there could be a few bubbling under that he made later ur thoughts guys ?

[debtdbruno]

a lot like Promised Land.....

I think 'Way Down' is pretty neat

[King Of The Whole World]

Good question. Like you guys said,

Those were great songs, I really like Way Down. I would add T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

[Diane]

Promise Land is one of my favorites, Burning Love and A little Less Conversation.

[Sonny]

Promised Land, and TROUBLE and Way Down are definately very good seventies rock numbers.

Maybe it's not really rock, but some of the work recorded at Stax, like f.i. If You Don't Come Back, Just A Little Bit and Three Corn Patches come very close i.m.o.

But your question was, his last rock song, I think that would be Promised Land.

[Jungleroom76]

I would have to say that Elvis' last really great rocker was PROMISED LAND!!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E is a very close second, but it has just a little too much of a country feel to it (in my opinion) to classify it as a "true" rocker. (Not to take anything away from the song itself, as it is a FANTASTIC song!!)

TCB!
Mike

[Raised on Rock]

I would have to say that Elvis' last really great rocker was PROMISED LAND!!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E is a very close second, but it has just a little too much of a country feel to it (in my opinion) to classify it as a "true" rocker. (Not to take anything away from the song itself, as it is a FANTASTIC song!!)

TCB!
Mike

T-R-O-U-B-L-E is a great, but I would rather label it country rock, yeah I agree with you. Not that there is anything wrong with it, if you think about it, some early Sun recordings where actually more country rock or R&B with a rock feel, than straight rock and roll. So also stuff like Find Out Whats Happening, Just a Little Bit, Steamroller Blues, If You Don't COme Back, SHake a Hand, Pledging My Love etc. are not that far from the very early Elvis Presley. That's to say that the argument that goes: Elvis wasn't doing straight rock music in the latter days ergo he had lost touch with his early days, its not only wrong but is actually proves he was going into his roots more and more, same for the gospel albums. Elvis first stragiht rock and roll music came until he moved to RCA, and it is until Hound Dog that he inagurates Hard Rock music.

Way Down or For The Heart, are great to, but that's more like uptempo pop songs, yes with a rock edge that is not in Moody Blue, those latter recorsd could be compared with Don't Be Cruel or Party, not really a rockers, but they build up momentum.

Elvis last great rocker to me has to be Promised Land and before that Burning Love.

Now about Elvis last great Hard Rock recording, that has to be Whole Lotta SHakin Goin' On. And before that the Trouble/Guitar Man medley from the '68 comback special, he makes Deep Purple Hush (recorded same year) sound teeny weeny.

[Jungleroom76]

T-R-O-U-B-L-E is a great, but I would rather label it country rock, yeah I agree with you. Not that there is anything wrong with it, if you think about it, some early Sun recordings where actually more country rock or R&B with a rock feel, than straight rock and roll. So also stuff like Find Out Whats Happening, Just a Little Bit, Steamroller Blues, If You Don't COme Back, SHake a Hand, Pledging My Love etc. are not that far from the very early Elvis Presley. That's to say that the argument that goes: Elvis wasn't doing straight rock music in the latter days ergo he had lost touch with his early days, its not only wrong but is actually proves he was going into his roots more and more, same for the gospel albums. Elvis first stragiht rock and roll music came until he moved to RCA, and it is until Hound Dog that he inagurates Hard Rock music.

Way Down or For The Heart, are great to, but that's more like uptempo pop songs, yes with a rock edge that is not in Moody Blue, those latter recorsd could be compared with Don't Be Cruel or Party, not really a rockers, but they build up momentum.

Elvis last great rocker to me has to be Promised Land and before that Burning Love.

Now about Elvis last great Hard Rock recording, that has to be Whole Lotta SHakin Goin' On. And before that the Trouble/Guitar Man medley from the '68 comback special, he makes Deep Purple Hush (recorded same year) sound teeny weeny.

I agree completely...there is certainly nothing wrong with labeling T-R-O-U-B-L-E more country rock than straight ahead rock n' roll! That's why I feel that PROMISED LAND is indeed the last real straight forward rock record that Elvis recorded.

Many have said WAY DOWN, and I know you mentioned FOR THE HEART as well. Again, I think we probably can put FOR THE HEART into the country rock category and in my opinion, while WAY DOWN is certainly closer to being a rock song, it has almost a disco feel to it so again I don't think we can categorize WAY DOWN as a straight forward rock song either.

TCB!
Mike

[hounddog]

In the country rock field we also have two stands outs in Let Me Be There and If You Love me let me Know. But for out right rockers I Can Help and Shake A Hand are both a bit more rock/blues than country.

And i think Way Down is more rock than country rock.

[Unchained Melody]

TROUBLE, Way Down, Promised land. in no particular order.

[dennyelvis]

Love T-R-O-U-B-L-E myself, but the release seemed to suffer from a poor mix, whats the best mix available now for this ?

[EnigmaticSun]

Way Down or For The Heart, are great too, but that's more like up-tempo pop songs, yes with a rock edge that is not in Moody Blue.

You brought up some good points and seem to understand quite a lot about what moved Elvis artistically.
"Burning Love" is a good rocker, but it would have been more credible with a gospel-text. The original lyrics are a bit silly to me.

That's why I actually prefer For the Heart. And Elvis' music is probably too soft (Promised Land? Naahh..), for those who are interested in rock bands of the 70's and 80's.

[Raised on Rock]

You brought up some good points and seem to understand quite a lot about what moved Elvis artistically.
"Burning Love" is a good rocker, but it would have been more credible with a gospel-text. The original lyrics are a bit silly to me.

That's why I actually prefer For the Heart. And Elvis' music is probably too soft (Promised Land? Naahh..), for those who are interested in rock bands of the 70's and 80's.

A lot has to do with what is your concept of a rocker. Let's go back to the 50's, where Don't Be Cruel or Teddy Bear actually rockers? some say big yes, some will say not really. Of course both tracks are classic tunes from the rock and roll era, but what is straight rock and roll? its a complicated answer.

Don't be Cruel is more of a country tune with a huge gospel infusion, so big that it almost deletes the country feel, and of course there is a bit of R&B there, and some pop sounds of the day like Do Woop, same for Teddy Bear, now by definition, the mix of those elements of course makes it rock and roll and well it is. The thing is rock music it not only about the harder, trashier, nasty sounds. So, if we can say Don't Be Cruel, Teddy Bear where rock and roll, sure thing: For the Heart, and Way Down are rock and roll too! as they are the same thing: country, gospel, a bit of R&B and pop sounds of the day.

Other 50's "rock and roll" songs where more about soul, R&B, again mixed with gospel and so on... stuff like "All Shook Up", "One Night", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", so then you got stuff in the 70's like "Burning Love" (originaly an R&B number), "Pledgin My Love", "Shake A Hand". Other 50's "rock" songs where totaly country stuff: Fools Such as I, Trying to Get to You, so there you go with T-R-O-U-B-L-E, "Talk About The Good TImes", "You Asked Me To". And the was the straight blues and funky sounding R&B: "So Glad Your Mine", "My Baby Left Me", as later was "Merry Christmas Baby", "Find Out What Happeing" Just a Little BIt" etc.

So I don't think Elvis changed that much in his choices and taste, neither in what he did with them: the way he mixed country, gospel, pop sounds of the day, R&B etc.

Now by Rocker I (and its only me) think of the harder sound inagurated with Good Rockin' Tonight, Baby Let's Play House and pointed to modernity with Hound Dog or the Jailhouse Rock, so to me that line concludes in the 70's with Whole Lotta SHaking Goin On and latter Promised Land. Not even Burning Love as to me tha belongs more to the less harsh but more mellow style inagurated with All Shook Up, I Need Your Love TOnight...

Yes rock music is actually a variety of divergent styles, so... Elvis last rocker?

[KPM]

I would say Promised Land was the last "hard rocker".

[Raised on Rock]

I would say Promised Land was the last "hard rocker".

And its a good one...

[spanish eyes]

I love the song Patch it Up, I think it rocks but maybe that song would fall into the category of a rock ballad. Im going with Burning Love.

[Raised on Rock]

I love the song Patch it Up, I think it rocks but maybe that song would fall into the category of a rock ballad. Im going with Burning Love.

The studio version of Patch it Up is one way underated rocker (pop/rock if you like) to me. Great that you remember it!

[spanish eyes]

The studio version of Patch it Up is one way underated rocker (pop/rock if you like) to me. Great that you remember it!

Thanks Raised on Rock, I remember it cos I love it

[dennyelvis]

I remember when i first heard the TTWII album [vinyl of course] Patch it up stood out as a great heart and soul number, and the first time a saw the footage as well, i loved it !

[spanish eyes]

I remember when i first heard the TTWII album [vinyl of course] Patch it up stood out as a great heart and soul number, and the first time a saw the footage as well, i loved it !

Yeah me too Denny I could listen to Patch It Up over and over again there's so much energy in that song, it rocks