How do you rate Elvis Presley?

Last week was Elvis Week - apparently. That got me to thinking about Elvis Presley; about what he means in this day and age. I've always thought it odd that people write him off as being a marionette rock'n'roller - the token white guy used to represent songs from black guys.

There's no denying that some of that is true. His producer, Sam Phillips, famously said "if I could find me a white guy that sounds like a black guy I'd make me a million dollars". And he did. And then he did.

But Elvis wasn't a puppet. He brought a lot to the table. Right?

I mean - I think so. But do you?

The version of Elvis that we know today is either the comical, bloated, late-career Elvis that has been so often parodied the parodies are now caricatures of a satire. Or we know the early rock'n'roll songs and we think so what? Dime a dozen.

But Elvis was an extraordinary performer - and before the jumpsuits were stretched to breaking point and could only ooze sweat, seeping through stitches, a virtually limitless charisma issued forth when he stood on stage, when he approached a microphone. Whether it be silly karate chops, a snarling pout, a brooding look - it was all part of the show.

You don't believe me? Check out Elvis: That's the Way It Is. He puts a new spin, as it were, on being a whirling dervish; a physical embodiment of each and every song - playing a character to suit. And in the behind-the-scenes footage you can see that however technically limited he may have been as a musician, Elvis cared about every song and knew every part of every song. He not only surrounded himself with great musicians - he was a band leader, encouraging and driving the performance, aware of where everyone on his stage was and where they were with regard to each song. He was deeply aware of and involved with the arrangements, with the order, with the flow of the show. He lived the role.

And you will get that in some of the earlier performance footage too. And of course in the '68 Comeback Special. But I've always preferred the material, two years on, from That's The Way It Is. The triple-CD soundtrack is a must-have, I reckon. Check out this version of Bridge over Troubled Water. A phenomenal reading.

I guess I just want to ask your opinon of Elvis Presley, his standing - the value of his music and contribution. You see, growing up, I was aware of him, of course, but I didn't think much of him at all. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I really started to hear the magic in his voice; in the selection of songs - the amount of ground he covered. And of course his impact as a performer, as a cultural icon.

The best thing I've ever read about Elvis is Greil Marcus's essay at the end of Mystery Train (a great book). I think it provides the right context for an understanding of his worth.

That and the concert/documentary Elvis: That's The Way It Is.

But things like Elvis Week, like the various cartoonish Elvis impersonators and the rather fascinating but freaky documentary Altered by Elvis (worth a watch, but purely for amusement) do not convey the magic. They parade the weirdness; they make a mockery of the spectacle by trying to celebrate it. They insult the intelligence of music fans by reducing it to the basics: a handsome ham with big chops, a slick head of hair, some jumpsuits and action-figure swivel-hip action. That's fine - but that was only part of it.

Elvis was the real deal. An incredible performer with superb instincts - making the best of his voice, channelling it through country, gospel, white-guy soul and of course its early rockabilly, rock'n'roll and near-blues croon.

He traded on looks, sure, or was encouraged to. He netted movie roles and received a level of unprecedented fandom, both scary and influential.

But at the end of the day - and before all of that - he was a great singer, a great performer, a great song-stylist and the early embodiment of rock'n'roll. Right? Or maybe you see it differently.

So do tell.

Do you rate Elvis: The King? Do you listen to his music these days? Did you grow up with it - or discover it later in life? Could you never see the fuss? Are you an Elvis-Psycho, all over Elvis Week? Or do you think Elvis was weak? What do you think of Elvis Presley? And is the legacy enhanced or tarnished by the ongoing jokes, sightings, impersonations, remixes and repackaging? Do you have favourite songs, albums or concerts? Do you have a particular era you like relating to Elvis? And if you really don't like him at all, don't see him as any kind of talent please say why.

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