Exposing Myself - To New (Actually Old) Things
While in the office, I have been listening to Christmas music via Youtube. After finally getting my fill of Bing, Frank and Deano, I began to branch out into yuletide offerings by other performing artists. Eventually, after recalling how much I like the song "Blue Christmas", I decided to search for an Elvis Presley Christmas album, and several iterations/versions popped up. This actually rather surprised me; I had assumed the Presley estate would rigorously sweep Youtube clean of any copyright infringements, but I won't pretend to be an expert on such matters.
I selected an album titled "Elvis Presley - Christmas & Peace", a double album with the first half constituted of pure Christmas music, and the second half of gospel songs and fairly traditional church standards that I suppose must be rather commonly sung in the South. I'll be honest, while I have acknowledged that he had a couple of good solid songs, I don't think I've ever sat down and listened to an Elvis Presley album all the way through. When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's, my generation regarded him as something that old people (i.e., our parents) listened to, and his larger than life presence, persona that bordered on self-parody and the manner of his demise made him ripe for mockery. I remember the local television station running commercials for various "Best of" Elvis compilation albums during the daytime, the type that lists all the tracks in a vertical scroll very quickly, and says, "But wait - there's more!" and helpfully concludes with the P.O. Box number for your "check or money order" and that you can get cassette OR 8-track! As the inevitable clip of him crooning some ballad played I would think to myself, "who the hell would spend money on this tripe?" And naturally, I eschewed all the broadcasts of his cheesy 60's movies, where he was a fishing guide, boxer or race car driver or whatever preposterously contrived occupation the threadbare script called for.
Well, that was then. I have to confess, while some of that unique style of his wore on me after a while, the gospel songs struck a chord deep within me. In particular, "I Believe" and "It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)" really stood out and resonated. He sang them simultaneously with such power and sensitivity; he was really selling it. And while I am not a believer myself, I was completely certain that HE was - there was no way he could fake those sentiments. He had to have been a man of strong faith - why would a bona fide rock star even bother to release albums of gospel music otherwise? He murmered, he belted, the lyrics swelled to a crescendo that almost evoked tears. There is no questioning the richness of his voice and the immense control of it that he wielded. I was moved, and a bit humbled. So, a reassessment is in order - to the doubters out there: Elvis was the Real Deal. The man had chops. And soul.
I guess my generation has Madonna, at least. Ugh.
I selected an album titled "Elvis Presley - Christmas & Peace", a double album with the first half constituted of pure Christmas music, and the second half of gospel songs and fairly traditional church standards that I suppose must be rather commonly sung in the South. I'll be honest, while I have acknowledged that he had a couple of good solid songs, I don't think I've ever sat down and listened to an Elvis Presley album all the way through. When I was a kid in the 70's and 80's, my generation regarded him as something that old people (i.e., our parents) listened to, and his larger than life presence, persona that bordered on self-parody and the manner of his demise made him ripe for mockery. I remember the local television station running commercials for various "Best of" Elvis compilation albums during the daytime, the type that lists all the tracks in a vertical scroll very quickly, and says, "But wait - there's more!" and helpfully concludes with the P.O. Box number for your "check or money order" and that you can get cassette OR 8-track! As the inevitable clip of him crooning some ballad played I would think to myself, "who the hell would spend money on this tripe?" And naturally, I eschewed all the broadcasts of his cheesy 60's movies, where he was a fishing guide, boxer or race car driver or whatever preposterously contrived occupation the threadbare script called for.
Well, that was then. I have to confess, while some of that unique style of his wore on me after a while, the gospel songs struck a chord deep within me. In particular, "I Believe" and "It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)" really stood out and resonated. He sang them simultaneously with such power and sensitivity; he was really selling it. And while I am not a believer myself, I was completely certain that HE was - there was no way he could fake those sentiments. He had to have been a man of strong faith - why would a bona fide rock star even bother to release albums of gospel music otherwise? He murmered, he belted, the lyrics swelled to a crescendo that almost evoked tears. There is no questioning the richness of his voice and the immense control of it that he wielded. I was moved, and a bit humbled. So, a reassessment is in order - to the doubters out there: Elvis was the Real Deal. The man had chops. And soul.
I guess my generation has Madonna, at least. Ugh.