TCOP Playlist--A Tribute To The King Of Rock And Roll - The Cultute of Pop, DVD, Movie, TV, Pop Culture Review

TCOP Playlist--A Tribute To The King Of Rock And Roll

Posted: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 8:37:42 PST

Happy Birthday, Elvis: Why He Still Matters

Earlier this week while pursuing links on Twitter, my eyes came across a blurb from one Jim Fusilli, rock critic for the Wall Street Journal's web site, author of an article called “A Question For Those Who Say The King Lives On”.

Being a huge fan of the Tupelo boy made good from my boyhood days onward, I clicked the link to pursue.From the first line onward (“Does Elvis Presley still matter?”), it was plainly obvious that Fusilli had no clue as to Presley's ongoing influence in popular culture.

Using the release of a massive limited edition 30 disc collection entitled The Complete Elvis Presley Masters from RCA/Legacy as a backdrop, Fusilli considers the set to be nothing more than “another piece of ephemera.” In other words, placing it in the same league as tacky merchandise sold across the street from Graceland, Presley's Memphis home turned tourist attraction.

As one for whom the music has always mattered more, I have a bit of a problem with Mr. Fusilli's opinion. While I agree with the fact that a 30 disc set may be overkill for anyone other than the hard core Presleyologist, the King of Rock and Roll didn't stop making great music after 1958. In fact, the singer's 1969 sessions in Memphis are equally good if not better than those he did at Sun Records in his salad days with his early 1960's recordings done at Nashville's famed Studio B running not far behind creatively.

True, a lot of Presley's film soundtracks were filled with dross, but there are gems to found for those patient enough..and in between the obligatory oldies for the faithful, the singer could do wonders on cover material on numerous live albums. Using his gift for interpretation, Presley made songs like Bridge Over Troubled Water, For The Good Times and Unchained Melody his own, sublime moments far from “joyless” as Fusilli would have you believe.

Then, there are the sorely undervalued gospel recordings that gave the singer his only Grammy Awards during his lifetime, material that deserves more exposure outside the genre's confines. Though Presley only released three such albums during his lifetime, they are remarkable in their diversity ranging from traditional hymns to Southern Gospel and even gospel rock.

So in honor of the 76^th anniversary of Elvis birth, I offer an ultimate playlist of 100 songs covering all eras of his career as both tribute and testament. It's a potentially controversial compilation in which I've dared to leave out certain songs or original renditions in favor of more obscure material or sublime live versions. But from top to bottom, the material listed below are works of a performer that despite personal problems, creative setbacks and enormous pressure could always summon up the means to make music that did..and will always...matter..

J.R.

Shake Rattle and Roll (Live On Stageshow)

Hound Dog

Don't Be Cruel

Love Me

Ready Teddy (Live on The Ed Sullivan Show)