EARLIER TODAY I fielded another question on the Quora platform: “What made Elvis Presley great and was he the best rock and roll singer ever?” Rather than tax my mind trying to come up with something clever, instead I recalled to the best of my ability—keeping in mind that I may be suffering with incipient Denny Crane Syndrome—a review that was forty-six years old.
Here is my entire 43-word answer to the question as it appeared on Quora earlier today (August 12, 2018):
In 1972, one of the non-rock magazines—I think it was Stereo Review—reviewed Presley’s recently released album HE TOUCHED ME by saying (and I am paraphrasing from memory), “If you don’t get Elvis by now, you probably never will.”
That still stands . . .
Mystically liberal Virgo enjoys long walks alone in the city at night in the rain with an umbrella and a flask of 10-year-old Laphroaig who strives to live by the maxim, “It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know that just ain’t so.
I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a college dropout (twice!). Occupationally, I have been a bartender, jewelry engraver, bouncer, landscape artist, and FEMA crew chief following the Great Flood of ’72 (and that was a job that I should never, ever have left).
I am also the final author of the original O’Sullivan Woodside price guides for record collectors and the original author of the Goldmine price guides for record collectors. As such, I was often referred to as the Price Guide Guru, and—as everyone should know—it behooves one to heed the words of a guru. (Unless, of course, you’re the Beatles.)
His voice made him great and yes he was the best rock roll singer ever and also the best singer ever.By the way I loved the He Touched Me album and I am not very impressed with the re-worked album just out Where No One Stands Alone.The Kings Gospel music was always his most heartfelt and purest vocals.
D
Agreed. In fact, I would say that HE TOUCHED ME was Presley’s last fully great album. After that, we got so-so live albums and patchy ho-hum studio albums.
I don’t care for the rerecorded/reworked projects that Elvis’s music has been subjected to since the GUITAR MAN thing ages ago, so I don’t follow it and can’t comment on it.
I do understand why it’s done and if it helps reach new listeners, and maybe make Elvis some new fans, then I can’t really damn it, either.
Thanks again for reading my stuff and taking the time to post comments.
Rockahula, baby!
N