Elvis

[Jazz Kat]

My mom was watching American Idol last night. They had to sing Elvins tunes. Everyone was saying how great he was. I remeber a George Benson interview from Jazz Improv, where he talked about how important the guitar was, and that Elvis just had it to make him look like a rock star, but that he couldn't even play "one note." Can anyone confirm if he knew how to play, or was it just an act? just wondering...

[Alexander]

My understanding (after reading both volumes of Guralnick's bio) is that Elvis played enough to get by on rhythm guitar, but that after he got out of the army he seldom played (in public) at all. He certainly could play more than "one note," however.

As for Elvis's importance, it's undeniable. He was a great, great vocalist. If last night's Idol proved anything it's that the songs Elvis sang were more challenging than he made it look. Chris's lifeless walk through "A Little Less Conversation" made that abudently clear...

[AllenLowe]

Elvis was great, but he was no Katherine Harris -

[GregK]

Elvis is great if you're talking about the Costello kind!

[Quincy]

Once the '70s rolled around (if not a bit before) he was very self-deprecating about his lack of proficiency. In fact, the more pills in him the more likely he was to slur jokes about how he couldn't play. It was cool to wear one for a few songs, just not all as there was karate moves to do. I've heard at least one show from later in his career where he jokes that he only knows one chord and how he's been foolin y'all for all this time. Criticizing Elvis's guitarmanship seems really silly though. Kinda missing the point of who he was.

[Alexander]

Elvis is great if you're talking about the Costello kind!

Me, I go for both the Costello and Presley varieties...