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Does Elvis suck? A no talent media sensation?


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I'm not really an Elvis fan. I like some of his music. But to call him no talent is, I believe, completely unfair. My opinion is Elvis sang in tune, had an interesting voice and an interesting vocal style, and whether he or the Colonel picked them, many songs he chose to sing and record were exceptional. (I'm sure many sucked, as well.) Was he a product of black music sung by a charismatic white man? Sure. So what? That makes him no better or worse than black singers of the same time who ALSO learned their craft from listening to black musicians. It also makes him no better or worse than SRV, who greatly increased the popularity of the Blues. It only means the record companies pandered to white audiences and discriminated against blacks. Does that make Elvis untalented, or just lucky to have been a white entertainer in 1950's America? No talent is a term best left to Milli Vanilli and a few other "faces" who were sold as singers, but couldn't sing.

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it's simplistic to say that he copied black music...Blue Moon of Kentucky pre-Elvis wasn't 'black'. The thing that's impossible to measure is what would have happened to Jerry Lee, Buddy, Carl Perkins etc if Elvis hadn't created the market for them.
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Y'all jes don't know talent when ya hear it. Innyboddy that says Elvis sucks kin go ta hail as far as Ah'm concerned. Hail, even th' aliens know that. When Ah was up yonder in that spaceship, the whole thang was WALLPAPERED with velvet Elvises. Him and Dale Earnhardt, God rest their souls.
"If it ain't country, it ain't music."
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Even if you're not an Elvis vocal fan, you have to recognize Elvis' brilliance as a performer with loads of charisma. Certainly, one of the best of all time. And, as popmusic said, he influenced many others in rock and blues, some of whom then influenced us! Never an Elvis basher... lz
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fantasticsound, that was a fantastic post. people need to get off of Elvis's back. I'm so sick of people trying to make him pay for the descrimination of all black people in music, the m/f is dead and still you've got rappers talkin shit about him in songs, it's like get a life and the same people are always talkin about their the black Elvis or black Brittany Spears. This black music white music crap has gone on for far too long from day one. Elvis was talented, and I don't care if he wore an afro wig and dated Big Mama Thorton he would still be talented.
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He was a modest talent with a big media machine behind him. I like to think of him as the beginning of mediocrity in America (an exaggeration to be sure, he was certainly not the beginning) There have certainly been more talented, but then again, nobody is complaining about/ worshiping them long after they have died.
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Thing about it, talent or not, he was exciting and charismatic. Girls swooned at his heels, and when the guys saw that the girls went nuts, the guys wanted to be as much like him as possible. Sure, you could say that he was of medium talent if you wish. But, someone with more "talent" may have been less "exciting". He had the right combination of talent, charisma, and looks to do what he did. He inspired a generation...helped legitimize black music to a white audience as well as roots white music to a middle class white audience (which were listening to Pat Boone and Doris Day). You really can't assess his contribution properly through the eyes of 2002. You need to look through the segregated eyes of the south in the late 50s to fully appreciate what was accomplished. Would someone else have done a better job? Perhaps. But, history isn't ours to rewrite. Thankyouverrymu-uch...
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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Elvis was not a modest talent. Elvis had an exceptional talent for singing and showmanship. Elvis haters are just jealous.

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis

maintain their neutrality."

 

[Dante Alighieri] (1265-1321)

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I don't get it. (Comments in this thread.) Elvis was mediocre? At what? Singing? Good gawd, ya'll, that mofo could SING. Fantastic! At showmanship and stage presence? Good gawd, ya'll, who ya kiddin'? That mofo had more than anyone ever born. Dance moves? Good gawd, ya'll, that mofo had it goin' on. He was actually born in the Congo and moved to Memphis when he was five. AND HE HIT THE SCENE IN 1954! He was a friggin' visionary. Acting? He sucked.

> > > [ Live! ] < < <

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Elvis could sing. I can say that even though I was never a fan. I don't like N-Sync, but those boys carry a tune far better than most. He was an excellent showman for a group of people who at that time had NO IDEA what a show was. No, he couldn't "dance" for shit, but how he moved to the music made his show work. And, no disrespect to LIVEMUSIC, but visionary, he was not. We all know why, no need to jerk a soft, well-spent, raw dick. So did he suck at WHAT HE DID? Hell no. Did he LACK in ARTISTRY, well, debatable but definately a quantifiable "NO." But his (lack of) ORIGINALITY, well that was the biggest minus on his resume. And though he couldn't act, I HAD to watch his flicks when I was a kid just for the chicks. Between those movies on Sunday afternoons in Detroit, and "Get Christy Love," my 6-7 year old hormones were raging.
Flo' Dolo
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  • 11 months later...
PELVIS was a great songster and sanger with sensitvelike tendencies. he could play pianner well and sang with conviction and emotion. the problem was this. the PELVIC THRUSTING and lip-curlifacation and the ENORMOUS buzz generated from said antics LED to "THE ELVINATOR" being VIEWED primarily as a SHEEP with GOLDEN FLEECE. MR. thank,yuh' thankyuh'very much was then sheared till he began to bleed . he was not allowed to heal and grow before he was then sheared closer still. "the Kings'" wounds were beginning to take their toll as evidenced by his subsequent behavior from the obvious serfdom to "the Colonel". THEY began to shave bone and he went bonkers from the pain and got M.J. syndrome. THEY allowed him to slide slowly down the toilet. literally... :mad: :mad:

Frank Ranklin and the Ranktones

 

WARP SPEED ONLY STREAM

FRANKIE RANKLIN (Stanky Franks) <<<

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I, for one, respect what Elvis Presley did for black music. He helped give many of his influences the recognition they deserve. I really don't understand the animosty people have towards him. He really was a talented fellow, despite his bad habits. Also a decent actor, not the greatest, but still interesting enough to watch. I'm not the biggest fan, but there's a lot to be learned from his music, and the emotion behind it.
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I'm not a huge Elvis fan but compared to Brittney, Christine and Justin Timberlake, he's an honary Beatle.
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." - Banky Edwards.
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I think there is a tendency to bash the stars... I 've been known to do it my self once or twice. ;) Do I own any Elvis records? No.. not one! But there is no doubt the guy had talent before he ever walked onto a stage. He just had the right combination of talent, good looks, charisma etc. A marketers pot of gold! But inspite of the sizzle factor he did have what it took and that's why he endured. Unfortunately things eventually caught up with him... probably no thanks to some of those who surrounded him. I've seen several Elvis documentaries and although one can only surmise he 'appeared' to be a genuinely 'nice' guy considering all the attention and hype that surrounded him. It's been said that was in the main due to his unbringing in which his parents taught him to always respects others. Whether or not he was arrogant or difficult behind the scenes... who knows. But inspite of his fame he often came across as almost modest, even referring to reporters as... "Sir"! There's no doubt that everyone wanted a piece of Elvis and that's what probably killed him in the end.
"WARNING!" - this artificial fruit juice may contain traces of REAL FRUIT!!
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I liked the earlier stuff in the '50s that he did, and I also liked Scotty Moore's playing - an overlooked player. Not a huge Elvis fan, but he was charismatic, a good singer, great performer (certainly in his prime)...to call him talentless is silly. Now, some of those films are pretty bad...okay, most of them. Awright, I can't think of a single one that's good...
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Elvis Presley is the King Of Rock And Roll, then, now, and forever. That's my opinion. As for the rest of it, here's an original source. "I don't think it was an overstatement at all when they tagged him 'The King'. - B.B. King

"I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it."

 

Les Paul

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