Graceland/Memphis Observations
Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:12 pm
Hello again, guys and gals! Just returned from my Graceland wedding/vacation thingie. The wedding went great--no problems. The only concern we had all day was the weather, as the skies opened up early on Friday and drizzle prevailed the better part of the day, until about 3pm. It then stopped, and the skies cleared a few hours prior to our 5pm wedding. If the rain had continued, we might have been shut out of getting pics at the mansion; fortunately, that didn't happen. they allowed us a ton of access to the front of the mansion, and we took a pile of pictures--many of which I'll post on the Off-Topic or Pictures sections.
Two days prior to our wedding, Sirius Satellite held the first-ever wedding from the Chapel in the Woods. The minister of our wedding asked me if I had heard it (I hadn't because we were just arriving in Memphis at the time), and he said it was awful. He said that if you heard it, it sounded like the most podunk, redneck thing you'd ever heard. Mentions of tattoos, toenail polish, and all these references which were, in his opinion, a bit unseemly for a wedding anywhere, much less at Graceland.
I was pleasantly surprised at the crowd sizes while we were there. I expected it to be down, but it was a pretty good attendance, I thought, even during the weekdays. I do think that there are too many people touring at one time. We were bouncing off of each other from room to room, which got to be a bit cumbersome. I have never been a big fan of the audio tours, either. They're not bad if you're going solo, but if you're with someone, the tendency is to want to talk, and that messes up the audio tour.
Other observations: Took a ride out to Audobon Drive to see the house. The carport light was on, but no mention of the house being for sale...Baptist Hospital is a pile of rubble downtown...The Sun Studio tour was crowded as heck. One young kid kept asking the tour guide, "When are you gonna talk about Johnny Cash?"...Overton Park looks much the same as it did 50 years ago...The gift shops down Elvis Presley Boulevard had very few customers the entire time we were there, while the ones in the plaza were more crowded...The "Elvis After Dark" exhibit is OK, but nothing special, in my opinion. Same goes for the "Sincerely Elvis" exhibit, which is focusing attention on 1956.
That's a thumbnail sketch of our experience last week. Suffice it to say, it was a huge thrill to have been there again................
Two days prior to our wedding, Sirius Satellite held the first-ever wedding from the Chapel in the Woods. The minister of our wedding asked me if I had heard it (I hadn't because we were just arriving in Memphis at the time), and he said it was awful. He said that if you heard it, it sounded like the most podunk, redneck thing you'd ever heard. Mentions of tattoos, toenail polish, and all these references which were, in his opinion, a bit unseemly for a wedding anywhere, much less at Graceland.
I was pleasantly surprised at the crowd sizes while we were there. I expected it to be down, but it was a pretty good attendance, I thought, even during the weekdays. I do think that there are too many people touring at one time. We were bouncing off of each other from room to room, which got to be a bit cumbersome. I have never been a big fan of the audio tours, either. They're not bad if you're going solo, but if you're with someone, the tendency is to want to talk, and that messes up the audio tour.
Other observations: Took a ride out to Audobon Drive to see the house. The carport light was on, but no mention of the house being for sale...Baptist Hospital is a pile of rubble downtown...The Sun Studio tour was crowded as heck. One young kid kept asking the tour guide, "When are you gonna talk about Johnny Cash?"...Overton Park looks much the same as it did 50 years ago...The gift shops down Elvis Presley Boulevard had very few customers the entire time we were there, while the ones in the plaza were more crowded...The "Elvis After Dark" exhibit is OK, but nothing special, in my opinion. Same goes for the "Sincerely Elvis" exhibit, which is focusing attention on 1956.
That's a thumbnail sketch of our experience last week. Suffice it to say, it was a huge thrill to have been there again................
Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:42 pm
Newly married Brother KHoots, welcome home, son!
Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:54 pm
You are da man!
Thanks for the lovely write-up. Looking forward to the pictures.
And it's true. A lot of people my age have never listened to JC, but ever since they saw WTL they are addicted to his music and appreciate the legacy.
Thanks for the lovely write-up. Looking forward to the pictures.
And it's true. A lot of people my age have never listened to JC, but ever since they saw WTL they are addicted to his music and appreciate the legacy.
Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:58 pm
Congrats, KHoots! 
C´mon, it´s Elvis!
O.S.
C´mon, it´s Elvis!
O.S.
Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:47 pm
Congratulations from an unusually sunny Manchester. All the best for the future.
Geoff
Geoff
Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:51 pm
For any of you who ever visit Memphis, do all the Elvis stuff you can, but please, don't leave Memphis until you have visited the Rock n Soul Museum.
It's one thing to be an Elvis fan for all his charisma, talent, looks etc.
But after you visit the Rock n Soul museum and you are exposed to the history of music in Memphis and the surrounding area, you will realize how significant the impact of Elvis actually was. It's one thing to read about it, but to experience it in its original form is spellbinding. In bringing all those sounds together he gets a lot of credit for being the King of Rock n Roll, but I don't think he gets enough credit for "hearing" those songs in the way that he would interpet and eventually record them.
The other day I was in a restaurant that plays "Blues" music all the time and I heard the original recording of CC Rider by Big Bill Bronzy. It was amazing. In fact in my mind, I could almost hear Elvis performing that in an arrangement similar to "Steamroller Blues"
Intrigued, I did some research and learned that the term CC Rider in "blues speak" was the guitar slung over the back of a travelling bluesman.
Sorry, for the rant KHOOTS, congratulations.
It's one thing to be an Elvis fan for all his charisma, talent, looks etc.
But after you visit the Rock n Soul museum and you are exposed to the history of music in Memphis and the surrounding area, you will realize how significant the impact of Elvis actually was. It's one thing to read about it, but to experience it in its original form is spellbinding. In bringing all those sounds together he gets a lot of credit for being the King of Rock n Roll, but I don't think he gets enough credit for "hearing" those songs in the way that he would interpet and eventually record them.
The other day I was in a restaurant that plays "Blues" music all the time and I heard the original recording of CC Rider by Big Bill Bronzy. It was amazing. In fact in my mind, I could almost hear Elvis performing that in an arrangement similar to "Steamroller Blues"
Intrigued, I did some research and learned that the term CC Rider in "blues speak" was the guitar slung over the back of a travelling bluesman.
Sorry, for the rant KHOOTS, congratulations.
Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:48 am
Jay33 wrote:I am not a Cash fan, never was. But he did contribute to the legacy of Sun so it is appropriate to include him as a music legend. But he will never have the impact on pop culture the way E did and does today. Keep in mind that E wore black long before Cash. LOL
U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-E-A-B-L-E
Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:30 pm
InMemphis wrote:For any of you who ever visit Memphis, do all the Elvis stuff you can, but please, don't leave Memphis until you have visited the Rock n Soul Museum.
Sorry, for the rant KHOOTS, congratulations.
Thanks for that...and, no apology necessary. I was happy to read your assessment of that museum. Honestly, it irritates me, too, because I was standing outside the building on Saturday wondering if I should tour the place. I decided not to. Now, I wish I had! Oh, well. Next trip, I guess....
Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:45 pm
Wow, Congratulations, Hoots!!! I had no idea you were planning to marry but am so happy for you both!
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