DVD: "Elvis, the king of rock'n'roll"

/ ARTIST: Elvis Presley / TITLE: "Elvis, the king of rock'n'roll" / GENRÉ: Musical film / FORMAT: DVD /

This wonderful DVD has been in my collection for a while, but I haven't watched it until now.

What you get on this disc is a collection of TV performances and parts of his movie acting career where he sings. This means that some of his best stuff, the stuff he did at Sun records, before he got a chance to be on the telly, stuff like my all time fave Elvis tune, Mystery train, isn't included. That's a pity, I'd love to see someone unearth old amateur films of his performances from the mid-50's, if they exist.

There are 30 numbers apart from two bonus material-press conferences on this disc. Most of the stuff is from his hey-day, the 50's TV performances and his many films from the 60's. This fact means that you get a lot of material which harks back to the days when the establishment tried to tame him and make "safe" numbers about teddy bears, but, sure enough, Hound dog and Heartbreak hotel are included.

You also get a few cuts from his comeback in 1968, as well as some of his 70's stuff. Now, I like the schmalzy side of Elvis too, his ballads and his teddy bears, but there is something wrong when he performs with a big band. Rock'n'roll was meant to be played with guitars, bass and drums. Not, as I said, with a big band and a million background singers. Most of the stuff made by the king in the 70's is just the antithesis to what one appreciates in Elvis. The one big exception vein Suspicious minds, of course. You can try to tame Elvis and give him a rhinestone jacket, but in the end, a rebel remains a rebel and Elvis was, as top UK punk band What A Riot put it, "born a rebel".

When Elvis performs Suspicious minds, a tune that will go down in music history as one of the best tunes ever made by any human being, you can glimpse a bit of 50's Elvis, dancing, singing and joking. Top quality! It doesn't get much better than this!

Apart from the "true" numbers, you get some of the most joked about Elvis tunes too, like Are you lonesome tonight?, which I won't comment and In the ghetto.

The ghetto tune has been ridiculed, but I don't find that funny. Sure, Elvis was rich and famous by the 70's, but he had a background in deep poverty and knew what he was singing about. I appreciate Elvis, cos he was very much an antithesis to the pot-smoking hippies at the time (sorry, Willie Nelson, you still rule!) who didn't know what they were singing about, but trying to make a stance as radical as possible. The fact that Elvis, icon of another generation, takes his time to write a protest song, which he pulls off with full credibility in my book, speaks more to his favor more than any MC5 tune.

If you're an Elvis fan, you're gonna like this. True, there's a zillion Elvis clips on youtube, but this a movie and well worth the investment. Any Elvis fan should have it in his or hers collection.

A great DVD like this naturally get's a high rate of satisfaction, 96,7%, to be precise!

Film: "G.I. Blues"

/ TITLE: "G.I. Blues" / GENRÉ: Drama / FORMAT: DVD /

For starters, this film was made with full cooperation with the US Armed forces and at times it feels like a recruitment film more obvious than the Rihanna flick. Some might have a problem with this and to some extent, I agree with that worrying, cos war is no funny stuff. Still, I respect anyone willing to lay down his life for his friends and family, as the gospel says, no one has bigger love than anyone willing to do so.

The other thing, as this is an Elvis film, is that it's full of music and at times, you feel like watching a Bollywood movie. I don't mind, though, together with Hank Williams sr, Townes van Zandt and to some extent Wille Nelson, Elvis remains one of the best musicians ever and in his genré, he's still the king. No one has ever made better rock & roll than he did. In fact, the reason I bought DVD was not cos of the plot, but cos of the chance to hear him sing.

The plot, then?

Well, Elvis plays a young southern army man stationed in Germany and goes under the name "Tulsa 'Tulse' MacLean" and together with a few mates of his, he plans to start a night club in Oklahoma when he returns back home from European service. Only problem is that they need money to do so and they decide to make a bet.

In Frankfurt am Main, there is a place called Café Europa, where a young and stunning redhead dancer called "Lili" performs. She is sexy as feck, but cold like an iceberg on the inside. No man has ever taken her home. Our heroes raise 300 dollars to bet that Tulse can get lonely with her for a full night. At first, Tulse refuses, but he's talked in to it and after performing a song at Café Europa, he starts to melt Lili's heart and follow her home, but it gets an abrupt end when he discovers she has a room mate.

Anyway, they go on a date the next day and feelings start to arise. I'm sure you can guess what happens later. Tulse gets a bad conscience for seducing a woman he starts to fall in love with and things get complicated.

To be honest, most of the acting isn't that good and to today's audience, I'm sure it stands out as a bit schmalzy. Still, it's a decent flick and it's packed with good music. The funny thing is that according to the film makers, German gals are crazy about US troops, but there is no indecency, no filth and Lili never strips.

As I said, a good flick, not the best Elvis film I've ever seen, but decent. I'll give it 68,4% in rate of satisfaction.

Film: "King Creole"

/TITLE: King Creole / GENRE: Drama / FORMAT: DVD /

There is plenty of bs going on concerning films starring Elvis Presley. They're bad. He can't act. He sings all the time. I haven't seen many Elvis films, but I think the criticism is a bit unfair.

Sure, there's a lot of singing going on, but who sists down to watch an Elvis film without expecting him to sing? And as for his acting, hardly any oscar-winning skills, but he ain't THAT bad either and as for the film's qualities, I think there are some. It's a good story, actually, far better than many modern Hollywood flicks.

The story takes place in New Orleans. Elvis plays a guy called Danny Fisher, who lives with his sister and father, a father who can't seem to keep a job, which means Danny has to work as a bus boy in gents clubs owned by a guy called "Maxi", who owns every club in the red light district cept a place called King Creole.

One morning, Danny saves one of the girls from a beating by a drunk customer and comes too late to the last day in school which means he can't get his diploma. Instead of studying yet another semester, he drops out of school and ends up working with petty criminals led by a geezer called "Shark". They start shoplifting in a warehouse where Danny is the decoy, he goes into the shop singing, while the other lot nick jewlery. In this shop he meets a young girl called Nellie, whom he starts to date.

Through out the film, Danny is torn between the two women, the good christian girl Nellie and the girl he saved from a beating in Maxi's club, "Ronnie".

Anyway, words gets out that Danny can sing and he lands a job at King Creole. He is an instant smash and Maxi wants Danny back to one of his clubs, where he wants him to sing. Meanwhile, Shark has started to work for Maxi and when the two of them plan a robbery involving someone dear to Danny, the stage is set for conflict...

I liked this movie and I would recommend it to all Elvis fans. If for no other reason, then for the fact that it's full of classic Elvis tunes. And, as I said, the acting isn't really that bad and the storyline is good.

All in all, a good movie with good music, it gets a definite 82,7% in rate of satisfaction!

Elvis Presley, "Christmas with Elvis"

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.