Quicklists XCIX: Top Five Elvis Songs

[Smitty]

I ain't got power, but...

1. Mystery Train/Blue Suede Shoes
2. Suspicious Minds
3. American Trilogy
4. Kentucky Rain
5.Blue Moon of Kentucky

[Tequila Cowboy]

Suspicious Minds
Jailhouse Rock
That's Alright
Mystery Train
Little Sister

[Cubfan06]

1) Always on My Mind (his version)
2) That's Alright Mama
3) Suspicious Minds
4) Bridge Over Troubled Water (his version)
5) All Shook Up

[scotto]

Trying to Get To You
Mystery Train
Stuck On You
Like a Baby
That's Alright Mama

[Slipkid42]

His Latest Flame
Suspicious Minds
Return To Sender
Don't Be Cruel
Love Me Tender

[Smitty]

honorable mention: In The Ghetto

[dee dee]

Suspicious Minds
Can't Help Falling In Love
In the Ghetto
Kentucky Rain
Love Me Tender

[drtpants]

Mystery Train
That's All Right
Tomorrow Night
I'm Left, You're Right
Good Rockin' Tonight

There's cool post-Sun shit i guess but I never find myself wanting to hear it. Regardless, Mystery Train has got to be numero uno. Might be the quintessential Rock-n-roll song, period. The Scotty Moore solo kills me every time. It simply doesn't get any better.

[RevMatt]

Suspicious Minds
Mystery Train
That's Alright
Little Sister
Blue Suede Shoes

[beantownbubba]

Mystery Train
Dont Be Cruel
Heartbreak Hotel (somebody had to mention it!)
Suspicious Minds
That's Alright Mama
Bonus cause i gotta have a ballad: Cant Help Falling in Love

Special mention for the remix version of A Little Less Conversation. I love that song!!

IMO, In the Ghetto has not aged well.

[drtpants]

In the Ghetto is only good for laughs. I defy anyone to defend the artistic merits of that song. To my ears it only has value for being the schlocky piece of shit that it is. NWA should've covered it

[beantownbubba]

In the Ghetto is only good for laughs. I defy anyone to defend the artistic merits of that song. To my ears it only has value for being the schlocky piece of shit that it is. NWA should've covered it

Now THERE's an idea! Seriously, that has the potential to change the fucking world, musical division at least. Of course, it could also go completely south, but damn that would be worth a shot. You should try to sell that one drt, or at least make an "in the style of" youtube of it.

[Penny Lane]

1. In the Ghetto
2. Kentucky Rain
3. Burning Love
4. Clean up your own backyard
5. You gave me a mountain (not his but performed on Aloha from Hawaii concert) **gives me chills

[Penny Lane]

In the Ghetto is only good for laughs. I defy anyone to defend the artistic merits of that song. To my ears it only has value for being the schlocky piece of shit that it is. NWA should've covered it

Now THERE's an idea! Seriously, that has the potential to change the fucking world, musical division at least. Of course, it could also go completely south, but damn that would be worth a shot. You should try to sell that one drt, or at least make an "in the style of" youtube of it.

this should be in the blasphemy thread

[drtpants]

BTB: If you come to Athens, I'll have a bunch of video cameras on hand. Maybe we could spend Friday afternoon working something up.

[Smitty]

In the Ghetto is only good for laughs. I defy anyone to defend the artistic merits of that song. To my ears it only has value for being the schlocky piece of shit that it is. NWA should've covered it

Now THERE's an idea! Seriously, that has the potential to change the fucking world, musical division at least. Of course, it could also go completely south, but damn that would be worth a shot. You should try to sell that one drt, or at least make an "in the style of" youtube of it.

this should be in the blasphemy thread

I'm with Penny.
Schlocky? yeah

[Zip City]

I'm gonna sit this one out

[drtpants]

why In the Ghetto blows:

1)does not 'rock' by any reasonable definition
2) is nauseatingly maudlin
3)from a certain standpoint is racist
4)written by Mac Davis (who himself blows)
5) shitty, dated production
6) shitty, dated arrangment
7) turned out to be the harbinger of the bloated, unitard-wearing, doughnut munching,pathetic Elvis to come

[Smitty]

1) not all songs are supposed to "rock"
2) ok, it is pretty sentimental & dramatic
3) disagree wholeheartedly - it's an extremely sympathetic song, maybe it a maudlin way but it is blaming the plight that the impoverished black kids have to endure is ignored by "you & me"
4) love the Texas in My Rearview Mirror album - don't know much about him beyond that (you're talkin to a C&W guy here)
5&6) a lot of songs fall in that category, doesn't necessarily mean they "blow"
7) don't see how that falls on the song

Never thought I'd be defending "In The Ghetto"

[Tequila Cowboy]

Never thought I'd be defending "In The Ghetto"

Let Cartman help.

[drtpants]

I think Cartman is helping my case much more than Smitty's.

When I said that the song is racist on a certain level, I meant that it is not a stretch for one to interpret the tone of that song to be someone patronizing.

When I'm listening to the King of Rock, I want him to, uh, rock. I'm crazy like that.

The background vocals are cringe inducing. Every time this song finds me, I find it nearly impossible not to mock them...In the ghettooooooe...awful.

Love your posts, Smitty. The breadth of your tastes and knowledge would be impressive even if you were my age, and is more so because you are much younger. I respect your opinions. But trying to propagate the idea that this song is serious art rather than a dated piece of dung good only for drunken guffaws is, quite frankly, the Mount Everest of musical debate positions. However it's nice that someone around here is as argumentative as I am

[4sooner]

Heartbreak Hotel
Hound Dog
Suspicious Minds
Jailhouse Rock
If I Can Dream

[Zip City]

We used to play In the Ghetto every week on our college radio show because we thought it was so hilarious

[dime in the gutter]

american trilogy
that's alright
mystery train
love me tender
one night
blue xmas
return to sender
burning love
little sister


fat, drug addled, sweaty, lyric forgetting, jump suit wearing elvis rocks balls. that elvis transcended music and became something spiritual.....sad and lonely and tragic and excessive and human and proud and uplifting and depressing and honest.


long live the king.

[Smitty]

I think Cartman is helping my case much more than Smitty's.

When I said that the song is racist on a certain level, I meant that it is not a stretch for one to interpret the tone of that song to be someone patronizing.

When I'm listening to the King of Rock, I want him to, uh, rock. I'm crazy like that.

The background vocals are cringe inducing. Every time this song finds me, I find it nearly impossible not to mock them...In the ghettooooooe...awful.

Love your posts, Smitty. The breadth of your tastes and knowledge would be impressive even if you were my age, and is more so because you are much younger. I respect your opinions. But trying to propagate the idea that this song is serious art rather than a dated piece of dung good only for drunken guffaws is, quite frankly, the Mount Everest of musical debate positions. However it's nice that someone around here is as argumentative as I am

I try, I try hard.
I'm just partial to the fucking song. I like certain Hallmark movies as well.

[Clams]

What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding
Alison
Mystery Dance
Oliver's Army
Pump it Up

[Gator McKlusky]

What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding
Alison
Mystery Dance
Oliver's Army
Pump it Up

Nice one Clams! That is my Elvis! I would substitute Mystery Dance for Watching The Detectives though.

[Smitty]

[beantownbubba]

Well done, Smitty. As has been happening all too much lately (it's not good for my back, or my ego), I bow in your general direction.

[Smitty]

original. w/o the background singers
that's the great jerry reed on guitar too