DR Essential Songs #1: That's All Right (Mama) - Elvis Presley
 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=srv1qVbJKSo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RAonlWEWYF8&NR=1




Given the general album-centrism of most of the 'Essentials' threads, I thought I'd start a series dedicated to classic singles.

A song that, upon recording it inspired Elvis' band to worry that they'd be 'run out of town' were it played on the radio and one which remains iconic as arguably the first 'Rock n Roll' record (Rolling Stone 2004). Whether it was or not there's definitely a sense of 'something' new taking place here.

According to Greil Marcus, if the Blues and (to a lesser extent Country) was all about fear and sin, 'It's All Right (Mama)' is a leap into unbridled hedonism - a white trash demand to live life as though every day were a Saturday night. "A world without limits or consequences." (And it doesn't even have any drums on it!)

And anyway, regardless of the single's actual historical significance there are few things more utterly exciting (to my ears at least) than Scotty Moore's guitar solo midway through. A real 'fuck you, I'm here' moment that seems never to get old.

If I could rep you again, I would.

It's funny, I had recently thought about doing a sub-NR Essentials for singles as well. This is awesome man. Great choice.

Great idea. You deserve rep though I dunno if I could give you it.

Capital choice - it's worth mentioning that his version of Blue Moon of Kentucky (b-side) is pretty superlative. It's all in the voice... the solos are amazing (I suspect it's an underplayed influence on a lot of 70s/ 80s African pop) but... that voice...

Excellent choice. The only Elvis worth listening to was recorded at Sun Studios.

I can't do Elvis. Maybe it's just a mental thing, because of how over-hyped he is. I mean, sure, I can see how at the time he would be big, but only because of what he was doing and how he was changing music. I don't feel like his music was really so great to have such longevity.

It reminds me of the time I was in Brazil and I was with the unkle of my girlfriend at the time, and we stopped by this old lady's house for something, and she hardly spoke any English. Paul told her I was from America, and in her limited English, she asked me a couple of times "You like Elvis? Elvis?" I figured she was trying to relate with me, since I was from America and Elvis is such a huge American icon, so I just went along and said "sure." Little did I know that this little old Brazillian woman had about every Elvis record imaginable. She took me into a room and I swear, this woman had to have a copy of every release of every Elvis album ever made; the shelves were just full of them. It blew me away.

There's this thing with Elvis where he's a mythic character. There's a point for a lot of people where the characture of 'the King' has usurped who he was - a handsome swine with a great voice and great tunes. His ghost hangs over so much of music, but unlike a lot of the overlords of 20th-century rock n' roll, there's not really been that many serious imitators of Elvis. Certainly not the early era, that form of rock n' roll died sometime int he mid-60s. I'm not saying that Elvis' music is entirely unique (much of it is very much derivative) but there really isn't anyone who does what he does the way he does. That's a vague statement, but personally I'd take Elvis over the overwhelming majority of early rock n' roll.

Yes.

Afterthefact: I know how you feel, and I think we've talked about this before. If you take away all the baggage that comes with the mentioning of Elvis' name and just focus on the music, just the early music, then, its easier to see how it is considered and how it actually is good. Some of the most talented young black musicians of the time said 'hey, whiteboy, take these tunes and make them something'. So, he did and we have those early singles from the Sun era that still stand the test of time.

The fact is the guy had a good voice, a decent backing band and picked good songs to cover. The reason he became huge was only partially thanks to the former, most of it was due to his appearance and charm towards the ladies. if Elvis had looked like Dave Van Ronk or Leonard Cohen, I doubt America's masses would have swallowed his act with such eagerness.

I believe all of that is true, and I believe that is greatly why he is so big. But another part of why I don't like it I guess is that I simply don't like it. I'm not knocking those who do, but it's just not my thing.

And I know that you aren't doing this, but some people feel that the fact that old black musicians who couldn't get a shot wrote a lot of his earlier songs makes them better. I can see how that can make a deeper impact symbolicly, but I don't think any more of the actual songs just because of this.

I got you man.

And, yes I thought about that perspective from the black musicians and what not. I agree completely, my point was merely that those songs were much better than anything Elvis was writing at the time.

I know you better than that, I wouldn't ever think you to stoop so low.