The content of this record might fall out of the usual scope of this blog, as Elvis, most of the times, was a rock & roll singer and not a country singer.
But, on the other hand, I think Elvis will be remembered in the future as a classical artist of the 20th century. He will, in his genre, which he helped popularise, be remembered as one of the American greats. I think he might even be remembered as a great American folk singer, if the French regard Edith Piaf as French folk, why not Elvis as American folk?
Well, enough about that. What you get here is a triffic Christmas album featuring the king. How can you go wrong with that? This is a cheap CD reissue of Elvis Christmas Album, it includes the same tracks, but also a few bonus tracks, which I could do without, as they've got nothing to do with christmas or God, but I can understand how the regular guy who might like Elvis, but who won't collect records as manically as I do, sees this as a good thing. A pair of beautiful christmas anthems coupled with some of his greatest hits.
Most songs (if you exclude the bonus tracks) are slow numbers packed with christmassy emotions and spirit. Cept for the opening track, Santa Claus is back in town, but even if some of the number ooze more 50's pop than the Presley brand of rock & roll we're used to, Elvis will be Elvis and keeps his rebel attitude in it.
He also got those background singers singing in almost country style harmonies he used on Teddy bear.
Best tunes are Silent night, Santa Claus is back town and, one of my all time fave Elvis songs, Blue Christmas.
Everyone likes Elvis, so I'll try to play this record on my family's Christmas party this year. My sis always get away with playing that heathen hippie John Lennon's socialist anthem which has nothing to do with Christmas. This year will be the year of Elvis. Move over, limey!
Last but not least. I'm a christian man, despite my flaws, and I try to go to Church on Sundays. On the one hand, this might shock some that i love God and still like Elvis, but on the second it shouldn't. Elvis was a rebel, but so was Christ and in fact, Elvis has some nice faithbased tunes on this record, which you gotta love. I can't see any contemporary singer record tunes like some of the ones on this record and if he or she would, the atheist lobby would make radio and television boycot his or hers record.
This is the perfect christmas album. Naturally, it gets 100% in rate of satisfaction. You can just ignore the bonus tracks, I did. Not that they're bad, they just got nothing to do with christmas.
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Friday 9 December 2011
Various Artists, "The stuff that dreams are made of"
This two disc compilation features rare collectibles in cajun, country, blues and pre-bluegrass, vinyl now made available on cd.
Lately, I've grown to appreciate old American folk tremendously. Sure, I like a lot of modern stuff too, but theese old records from the 20's and 30's have a quality to them like movies from that age shares as well. Just as laurel and Hardy still make you chuckle in a sense Adam Sandler won't in just ten years, theese skilled musicians (among them my fave, Dock Boggs) knock out quality tunes that makes you want to put on your dancing shoes.
There's a lot of blues on this compilation and I for one ain't all that keen on blues, sure, I can listen to it and enjoy it, it's just that I don't enjoy it as much as other genres of American folk.
There's a few instrumental tunes on the discs, as well as quite a few with singing to them and they all have that old record feel to them, none of the tunes have been processed with equaliser, the background, old vinyl, dust sound is all there.
Musically, the tunes are well more diverse than today's format. You get piano and trumpets on some tunes, instruments that are not too common on today's folk recordings.
Lyrically, you get a lot of innocense too. Country had, back in those days, often a humorous side to it that more modern country tunes (with perhaps the exception of Johnny Cash's Boy named Sue) lack. Wilmer Watts and the lonely eagles has a very funny tune on this one, that is Fightin' in the war with Spain.
The only things that I hold against this record is that there's not enough Cajun tunes, there's too much blues and that one of the tunes, Chicken don't roost too high, by The Georgia Pot Lickers, could be interpreted as a racist tune, which might have been acceptable in the 20's, but not now and even if it is a collectible, it shouldn't have been included on a record with musicians what own that much to African American traditions.
This means that this compilation is, in other words, not perfect, but pretty close. I give it 95,8% in level of satisfaction.
Lately, I've grown to appreciate old American folk tremendously. Sure, I like a lot of modern stuff too, but theese old records from the 20's and 30's have a quality to them like movies from that age shares as well. Just as laurel and Hardy still make you chuckle in a sense Adam Sandler won't in just ten years, theese skilled musicians (among them my fave, Dock Boggs) knock out quality tunes that makes you want to put on your dancing shoes.
There's a lot of blues on this compilation and I for one ain't all that keen on blues, sure, I can listen to it and enjoy it, it's just that I don't enjoy it as much as other genres of American folk.
There's a few instrumental tunes on the discs, as well as quite a few with singing to them and they all have that old record feel to them, none of the tunes have been processed with equaliser, the background, old vinyl, dust sound is all there.
Musically, the tunes are well more diverse than today's format. You get piano and trumpets on some tunes, instruments that are not too common on today's folk recordings.
Lyrically, you get a lot of innocense too. Country had, back in those days, often a humorous side to it that more modern country tunes (with perhaps the exception of Johnny Cash's Boy named Sue) lack. Wilmer Watts and the lonely eagles has a very funny tune on this one, that is Fightin' in the war with Spain.
The only things that I hold against this record is that there's not enough Cajun tunes, there's too much blues and that one of the tunes, Chicken don't roost too high, by The Georgia Pot Lickers, could be interpreted as a racist tune, which might have been acceptable in the 20's, but not now and even if it is a collectible, it shouldn't have been included on a record with musicians what own that much to African American traditions.
This means that this compilation is, in other words, not perfect, but pretty close. I give it 95,8% in level of satisfaction.
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