Friday Musicians of Note

So I'm sorry I'm late with this, I was busy playing Rock Band with friends yesterday and never got around to writing this. So I'll write it today and everyone will be happy. I'll be happy that I continued my weekly column, Mary will be happy that I'm posting on the weekend, and the rest of you will be happy to have something meaningful to read.

This week I'm going to focus on someone very well-known but not so well-listened to. Considering he died 33 years ago, that's sorta understandable. I am of course, talking about Elvis.

Now you all know him, but have you ever listened to his music? Holy crap does he have some good songs. There are the old standards you all sorta know, "Jailhouse Rock," "Love Me Tender," "Viva Las Vegas," etc. But let's break things down a bit, let's talk about why Elvis is a) so good and b) so inspirational to other musicians.

Nowadays, you kids today with your rap music, with the hipping and the hopping, don't know what the rock used to be all about! That is, musicians today cross over so many platforms and interchange so many styles that we forget that used to never happen. You know who the famous white singers were in the 50s? Sinatra, Bennett, etc. Standards singers who didn't doo-wop but croon. They sang slowly and meaningfully, but kids liked faster music. Elvis incorporated all different types of music into his act; blues, gospel, rockabilly, rythym and blues, he MADE rock and roll. It's because of Elvis that Timberlake was willing to co-operate with Timbaland, why the Beatles were able to play the rock songs they created. And the other nice thing about Elvis was that he wasn't a racist. He not only acknowledged his debt to the singers he took from, but he also was pretty anti-segregation. That's another big part of why white parents hated him, which consequently made kids love him.

But enough about what came about because of him; let's talk about what he created. I'm sure everyone vaguely knows Elvis, but there's so many good songs that it's hard to limit myself to a few paragraphs. If you want some of his faster rock and roll tunes, with driving beats and a great bassline, then I recommend "Don't Be Cruel," "All Shook Up," "Jailhouse Rock," "I Got Stung," or "Bossa Nova Baby." And if you want crooning and caring from someone who understands the sadness or emotions you're feeling, then go for "Love Me Tender," "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," "In the Ghetto," or "Can't Help Falling in Love." And if you want something hilarious to listen to, try "Teddy Bear," "Surrender," "Little Sister," (which other than the vocals sounds Beatlesish), "Return to Sender," "Little Less Conversation," or "Devil in Disguise."

The good thing about Elvis dying so long ago is that he's mostly lost the label of "big fat joke" that he had at the time of his death. Michael Jackson is currently going through that now, as people remember how kickass Thriller and Bad actually are. 20 years from now, it'll just be another part of his character that people mention in passing and don't care too much about as they focus on the music. Elvis at the time of his death had ballooned out to be huge, but nowadays most people just remember the good parts of Elvis and the great music such as the following songs.



If I Can Dream, a song that showed what side Elvis was on in the civil rights struggle while also being really peaceful.



I wish I could be that cool in jail. I would probably be crying more often than leading a dance number.



Viva Las Vegas, which I did not get to viva when I went to Las Vegas. Don't go when you're 20, you can't gamble. The family part of the vacation was fun though, and I did get a nice hat, so there is that. But no gambling.



Burning Love, one of my favorites. Because it's fun and passionate, and quite right for dancing to and all that. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and all