ekenee wrote:Yes, and don't forget he loved "For the good times".
And its rumored that he rehearsed, "Loving her was easier", and "Sunday morning coming down" .
Kris was one of those country artists like others, that he listened to during the 70's.
To me though, Kris is like Dylan, in that he was a genious song writer, but as a singer, really tries my patience.
Kris may not be much of a real singer BUT BOB IS! I guess you do not have enough of his fabulous performabces to make this outmoded claim. {harumph}
rjm
"And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God." Aeschylus
"Treat me mean and cruel, treat me like a fool, but love me!"
Cash's rendition of Help Me from the later years has been mentioned, but it is also an integral part of his Gospel Road film and double album, cut up and repeated at various points. For example, here at around 4.12 in the clip.
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Cash also incorporated Why Me Lord into his live act for a short time in 1973 - and may well have included his version on a TV appearance or two. If Presley happened to catch one of these performances, it may well have suggested the idea of JD singing the verse in his own rendition. This later live performance shows just how similar Cash's live version of the song sounds to Presley's, especially with Cash's bass plumbing the depths of his range during the verse.
As much as I enjoy other versions, to me, this is the ultimate version of Why Me Lord. Conway would close his shows with this song followed by a verse of It's Only Make Believe, then leave the stage to another standing ovation.
Rob wrote:As much as I enjoy other versions, to me, this is the ultimate version of Why Me Lord. Conway would close his shows with this song followed by a verse of It's Only Make Believe, then leave the stage to another standing ovation.
This was always Conway's show-stopper.
Sorry, J.D. Love ya, but no comparison.
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Sorry Rob, but Elvis and JD beat Conway on that. It was hardly show-stopping. JD may not be exactly to everybody's taste and I agree that I would've preferred Elvis singing it straight, but I kind of like the effect it gives, because it makes the chorus that bit more special when Elvis and all the backing singers create a lovely wall of sound effect. At the end of the day, Elvis' live output in the 1970s may have gone very differently than we'd have liked but one cannot deny that when he and his whole on-stage entourage focused on a particular song like this, they could do it like no other.
I love the Memphis '74 performance and think the whole song was executed beautifully. It's got one of those magical little Elvis moments in it where the whole feeling of the song with the band, the backing singers and Elvis is building up to a wonderful crescendo and you can tell he's just lost in the moment at about 2:07 in, when Elvis shouts "Oh Yeah!". Still sends a tingle down my spine.
I'm sorry, i really don't get the whole Conway Twitty thing in general - I find him very bland. Sorry. But what I do find interesting is that the meaning seems to be changed in Elvis's version (at least the serious attempts). In Twitty's hands, the song is simply a religious one - if you don't believe, you don't get much out of it. In Presley's version(and to some extent Cash's), the plea of "why me Lord" is not just to God, but to anyone who wants to listen. In other words, the lyrics somehow become meaningful even to someone who has no faith; they become universal. I have no idea how or why this happens, but it's interesting nonetheless.
poormadpeter wrote:I'm sorry, i really don't get the whole Conway Twitty thing in general - I find him very bland. Sorry. But what I do find interesting is that the meaning seems to be changed in Elvis's version (at least the serious attempts). In Twitty's hands, the song is simply a religious one - if you don't believe, you don't get much out of it. In Presley's version(and to some extent Cash's), the plea of "why me Lord" is not just to God, but to anyone who wants to listen. In other words, the lyrics somehow become meaningful even to someone who has no faith; they become universal. I have no idea how or why this happens, but it's interesting nonetheless.
I understand what you mean. It's because people like Cash and Presley had been so blessed in their lives, they'd both come from very, very humble backgrounds and became two of the most iconic American music stars of all time. So the lyrics fit themselves to their own personal stories even more so than most. To further explain my point, I could be the best singer in the world and be the most religious guy and sing that song - but it could never surpass the emotion of a man singing who'd experienced the kind of life Elvis had from childhood, to what he now had with his fame.
Rob wrote:To each his own, fellows. That's why I said "to me."
My opinion will not change.
Thanks Rob, for posting Conway's version - to me he's simply The High Priest Of Country Music and The Best Friend A Song Ever Had.
I also love his '75 studio recording, released on his "Linda On My Mind" album - just check out the ending, this gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it - it's such a desperate plea, a very emotional cry for help:
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Sorry for the bad sound quality, the source comes from an old, scratchy vinyl and has been compressed to death. It's not my upload.
When the evening shadows fall
And you're wondering who to call
For a little company
There's always me
