george harrison on elvis....unfair?

When people get older, they lose the attitude, at least those that mature!

Yes, I know, Joe.

But the fans [like George Harrison & me] were younger than Elvis.

He matured before we did, & we felt a bit let down....

elvis was 42 when he died he was 30 in 65 thats hardly old. i am 38 i still play football and still feel young and i have not changed.

elvis was 42 when he died he was 30 in 65 thats hardly old. i am 38 i still play football and still feel young and i have not changed.

Maybe your attitude towards sports hasn't changed, but I would bet your attitude toward the establishment has changed over the years. Mentally and physically, we're not frozen in time, we get older, thus we change, whether we like to admit it or not. We want our hero's to remain as we remember them when we were young, cause most times that was when they were at their peak as well.

your right joe i would have loved it if elvis was more like he was in the 50s & early 60s when he was at his peak and i guess he just lost his way.as much as i like ttwii/eot/aloha the big band and backing groups took away a bit from elvis he sure did not need them as the 68 comeback proved.

your right joe i would have loved it if elvis was more like he was in the 50s & early 60s when he was at his peak and i guess he just lost his way.as much as i like ttwii/eot/aloha the big band and backing groups took away a bit from elvis he sure did not need them as the 68 comeback proved.

While I can except EP changing, it's much easier for me then other people because I wasn't around in the fifties. I agree with a lot of what you said in your last post, Elvis could have survived easily without the orchestra, but he was the boss so that took care of that.

Interestingly, I find all the traits that everyone finds fault with existed in the 1950s but everyone ignores them because Elvis was never and cool and more physically beautiful (Although he was arguably handsomer circa 1970.) Look at the Gold lame' suit. Look at the jokes breaking up the performance of "Love Me" on the Ed Sullivan show. He loved ballads just as much. You could say Elvis delivered the early classics live with more mustard then but those songs were fresh out of the oven then not 15 years old.

You what?

The way Elvis "broke up" his performances in the 50's was inspired -- even when he made mistakes, he was able to spin those occasions to his advantage, toying with himself and the audience. That explains some of his innate appeal. And nothing is sexier to the fairer sex than a man who exudes confidence, is serious about what he does, yet can still laugh at himself and make it seem as if he's doing it all for you. That is animal magnetism, baby ... and the 50's Elvis had it in spades.

George was just wishing for a different Elvis...many years after the 70's style has moved on...

...I am reminded of George's Concert for Bangladesh.

bpd

He still did those same things in the 1970s. The only difference was that the songs he was singing were now 15-20 years old.

George was just wishing for a different Elvis...many years after the 70's style has moved on...

...I am reminded of George's Concert for Bangladesh.

bpd

I need to reword...I mean George in the 90's was wishing for a different Elvis in the 70's. Since by the 90's the 70's style was thought of much differently.

Also, I question that George had the same thoughts in 1972, since his stage show had many of the same components...

I myself wish that Evis moved away from the white jump suits by 1974ish...I think they were out of style by 1977 but then again, disco was in then and the jump suit went well with that...so what do I know...

bpd

I myself wish that Evis moved away from the white jump suits by 1974ish...I think they were out of style by 1977 but then again, disco was in then and the jump suit went well with that...so what do I know...

EP stagnated in 1973. After Aloha ... what was left? His commitment to recording in a studio and performing on a stage when right down. As did his personal style and happiness. It got so bad that he almost killed himself in October. He fell long and hard. That's when the jumpsuits, song selections, laconic performances, drugs, self contempt and general monotony of life all outstayed their welcome. There was little wrong with EP in 1972. The cracks had already formed, especially in his personal life, but one should be careful how much criticism they dish out for that year. He did some great shows and was really into performing. On the whole. He was still quite the lean, mean machine, and though it was all slipping away, there was still a lot of good to disguise the bad.

George Harrison adored Elvis -- there's just no question of that. His quoted comments reveal the depth of his passion. But he was misguided to slate Elvis in the way he did. Elvis had a rich sound that he used to his advantage more often than not from 1970-early 1973. It's true that the stripped down, gutsy rockabilly sound of the 50's, which temporarily resurfaced like fresh leather in 1968, was and is the epitome of cool, and Elvis should have taken time out and tried to sort his life out, hopefully reintroducing that musical fire and vigour in the process, but to slate the very presence of the orchestra and The Sweet Inspirations -- particularly in the crude way that Harrison purportedly said it (is that quote accurate?) -- is wrong. IMO. The orchestra and backing singers added a lot of kick to towering numbers like "Suspicious Minds", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", "Polk Salad Annie", "Steamroller Blues" and "An American Trilogy", not to mention the countless ballads that Elvis performed to a high standard in this period. What I think EP really needed was to find a way to use both: to have all those people for the big numbers that required a big sound AND to keep it spare and loose, but oh-so-primal, for the rockier selections, perhaps even switching to an electric guitar himself, as he did in '68. The shows should have doubled in length and halved in quantity. And the quality needed to return. But the desire to do any of that wasn't there. We know why.

your right joe i would have loved it if elvis was more like he was in the 50s & early 60s when he was at his peak and i guess he just lost his way.as much as i like ttwii/eot/aloha the big band and backing groups took away a bit from elvis he sure did not need them as the 68 comeback proved.

How can Elvis have "lost his way" if TTWII, EOT, Aloha was the direction deliberately chosen by him? What's being implied with the "lost his way" comment is that Elvis the rocker is a greater artist than Elvis the pop singer or Elvis the adult-contemporary performer. But this is a rock-centrist viewpoint. Elvis made his greatest impact as a rock & roll performer, but as an artist his greatness was manifest in a number of musical genres. He's a great artist on Mystery Train; Love Me; Jailhouse Rock; Are You Lonesome Tonight?; How Great Thou Art; Reconsider Baby; American Trilogy; I Just Can't Help Believin'; My Way.

I myself wish that Evis moved away from the white jump suits by 1974ish...I think they were out of style by 1977 but then again, disco was in then and the jump suit went well with that...so what do I know...

EP stagnated in 1973. After Aloha ... what was left? His commitment to recording in a studio and performing on a stage when right down. As did his personal style and happiness. It got so bad that he almost killed himself in October. He fell long and hard. That's when the jumpsuits, song selections, laconic performances, drugs, self contempt and general monotony of life all outstayed their welcome. There was little wrong with EP in 1972. The cracks had already formed, especially in his personal life, but one should be careful how much criticism they dish out for that year. He did some great shows and was really into performing. On the whole. He was still quite the lean, mean machine, and though it was all slipping away, there was still a lot of good to disguise the bad.

George Harrison adored Elvis -- there's just no question of that. His quoted comments reveal the depth of his passion. But he was misguided to slate Elvis in the way he did. Elvis had a rich sound that he used to his advantage more often than not from 1970-early 1973. It's true that the stripped down, gutsy rockabilly sound of the 50's, which temporarily resurfaced like fresh leather in 1968, was and is the epitome of cool, and Elvis should have taken time out and tried to sort his life out, hopefully reintroducing that musical fire and vigour in the process, but to slate the very presence of the orchestra and The Sweet Inspirations -- particularly in the crude way that Harrison purportedly said it (is that quote accurate?) -- is wrong. IMO. The orchestra and backing singers added a lot of kick to towering numbers like "Suspicious Minds", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", "Polk Salad Annie", "Steamroller Blues" and "An American Trilogy", not to mention the countless ballads that Elvis performed to a high standard in this period. What I think EP really needed was to find a way to use both: to have all those people for the big numbers that required a big sound AND to keep it spare and loose, but oh-so-primal, for the rockier selections, perhaps even switching to an electric guitar himself, as he did in '68. The shows should have doubled in length and halved in quantity. And the quality needed to return. But the desire to do any of that wasn't there. We know why.

Amen and thank you...what you said is nwhat I feel...

bpd

your right joe i would have loved it if elvis was more like he was in the 50s & early 60s when he was at his peak and i guess he just lost his way.as much as i like ttwii/eot/aloha the big band and backing groups took away a bit from elvis he sure did not need them as the 68 comeback proved.

How can Elvis have "lost his way" if TTWII, EOT, Aloha was the direction deliberately chosen by him? What's being implied with the "lost his way" comment is that Elvis the rocker is a greater artist than Elvis the pop singer or Elvis the adult-contemporary performer. But this is a rock-centrist viewpoint. Elvis made his greatest impact as a rock & roll performer, but as an artist his greatness was manifest in a number of musical genres. He's a great artist on Mystery Train; Love Me; Jailhouse Rock; Are You Lonesome Tonight?; How Great Thou Art; Reconsider Baby; American Trilogy; I Just Can't Help Believin'; My Way.

Well said Pete! The man could sing anything, and great.

You tell 'em Pete.

elvis lost his way after TTWII, EOT, Aloha pete i did not say before. yes elvis sounded great before 76 and could sing anything i never said he could not i just said he did not need all that backing.

Gosh I wish those Beatles would have gone back to their moptops and matching suits and "yeahs yeahs yeahs" instead of all that ornate later stuff.

elvis was 42 when he died he was 30 in 65 thats hardly old. i am 38 i still play football and still feel young and i have not changed.

Hi i'm also 38 but feel quite young. However these days 40 is the new 30. Back in Elvis' day 40 was considered quite old. Remember that guy in King Creole with the white as snow hair? He is talking to Danny's sister and says, "What does a 40year old say to a 20 year old girl." These days 60 year olds look the way he did in that movie.
Also even if Elvis forgot about his age , he was always reminded about it by the media ie fat and 40 articles in the magazines and even before that at MSG when someone asks him if you can sing rock music after 30 years of age.
I love the Beatles but their hypocrisy when it comes to Elvis amazes me. Didn't John Lennon say that he did not want to be still singing I Want To Hold Your Hand at 30? His killer Chapman mentioned he had sold out and changed. Of course he had, he was happier and had a new baby that was now the centre of his life.
Elvis was not a song writer but mostly picked songs that were relevant to his life at the time just as a song writer writes songs that reflect their life.
Elvis was from the south and had old fashioned attitudes in certain things such as acting your age and being dignified.

When people get older, they lose the attitude, at least those that mature!

Yes, I know, Joe.

But the fans [like George Harrison & me] were younger than Elvis.

He matured before we did, & we felt a bit let down....

I can understand that Colin. You know who is kind of taking a similar route as EP did in the mid-sixties, is comedian Eddie Murphy. Not that he changed the world, but in the eighties his stage work was brilliant and cutting edge. He has since had children and changed his life around to the point where he didn't want his old standup shows released on DVD do to there vulgarity and his movies the past several years have been clean wholesome fun. This I believe has been going on for awhile now, but as of a month ago, he has agreed to release either Delirious or Raw, not sure which one Tom mentioned. Perhaps he will return with a renewed vigor, it will be interesting to see.

great post abbi well said.its funny when i was a younger fan elvis could do no wrong but when you get older you start to pick some faults and of course we all have faults but some times i think elvis could have been even bigger and it gets to me i know he is the greatest artist of all time but it is scary to think he could have been even bigger if he had changed things around after aloha . its amazing the things you think about but i guess it does not matter anymore its history.i hope people dont think i am just trying to take our idol down im not but like i said before i think our man could have been even better now thats saying something lol.

elvis was 42 when he died he was 30 in 65 thats hardly old. i am 38 i still play football and still feel young and i have not changed.

Hi i'm also 38 but feel quite young. However these days 40 is the new 30. Back in Elvis' day 40 was considered quite old. Remember that guy in King Creole with the white as snow hair? He is talking to Danny's sister and says, "What does a 40year old say to a 20 year old girl." These days 60 year olds look the way he did in that movie.
Also even if Elvis forgot about his age , he was always reminded about it by the media ie fat and 40 articles in the magazines and even before that at MSG when someone asks him if you can sing rock music after 30 years of age.
I love the Beatles but their hypocrisy when it comes to Elvis amazes me. Didn't John Lennon say that he did not want to be still singing I Want To Hold Your Hand at 30? His killer Chapman mentioned he had sold out and changed. Of course he had, he was happier and had a new baby that was now the centre of his life.
Elvis was not a song writer but mostly picked songs that were relevant to his life at the time just as a song writer writes songs that reflect their life.
Elvis was from the south and had old fashioned attitudes in certain things such as acting your age and being dignified.

Well said Abbi!