www.worldwidereview.com

Elvis may have left the building in 1977 but he still lives on in my heart. Today would have been his birthday. Here is my Top Ten Elvis songs...
10) Love Me
9) Guitar Man
8) Love Letters
7) Suspicious Minds
6) Love Me Tender
5) Mystery Train
4) Tryin' To get To You
3) Don't
2) Always On My Mind
1) Now And Then There's A Fool Such As I

So no 'Do The Clam' or 'Rock-a-Hula'?

I quite like Rock a Hula. Have you ever heard The Shrimp song? I think it's on the Girls, Girls, Girls soundtrack album.

Elvis was entertaining right to the very end.
Anyone seen this: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... ncert&aq=2
It was his last concert from June 1977. He looks pretty ill but his voice is still beautiful.

Actually I'm more of an E. Costello fan, circa 1978. Saw his first London gig at the Greyhound (?)

Too bad Declan didn't expire of burger excess sometime in the mid 80s.

But hey that song Alison!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Do you suppose he meant Alison Jacques?

Alison is a great song. I like the whole "It's so funny to be seeing you after so long..." intro. I've only got four of his records and a compilation so I'm no expert but I think his aim is still true it's just that (like Paul McCartney) there's no one who can say to Costello: "Sorry. You can do better than that." I saw Costello at Glasto once and he sang a medley of Alison and Suspicious Minds. It was a nice idea but it didn't work and he looked very old

I haven't even got that many, I guess we split pretty early - 'musical differences' as usual. I went hard core, Declan went camp sophisto. Marrying that Kraal lady... The spectre of jazzzz... (cue old Fast Show skit)

Recently I saw his chat show which was all terribly grown up and earnest with people like Julian Schnabel in the audience joining old neighbour Lou Reed to patronise the swottish Elvis C. The whole thing was kind of bowel-churning really.

But to get back to Elvishnu P - It's interesting Astrid's list contains so many late songs from his repertoire. First generation fans usually insist on prominence for It's Now or Never - which apparently was sort of his first 'cross-over' hit - from being just a Sun Records White Trash Rockabilly, to a mainstream Pop Star. I'm more of a second generationer - I remember going to see all those terrible early 60s movies like Roustabout as just a kid in a little country town, near a big big air base (where my dad was stationed). They really were awful - much worse than the Beatles' movies (which I also saw there). And I quickly realised the guy was a sell out. Only confirmed when I heard the first Sun recordings, saw footage of his early concerts. So that's what all the excitement was about!. Looks like that stint in the army killed the rebel in him. Too bad.

I'm only in it for the rebels.

John Lennon said that "Elvis died when he went in the army" - it's such a daft thing to say as there were so many great recordings in the later years. I've always loved Presley and I've loved Tom Jones: the Welsh Elvis too. Is that unusual?

I prefer the Welsh Elvis (Tom Jones) to Mr Costello. Is that unusual?

Kitty wrote:I prefer the Welsh Elvis (Tom Jones) to Mr Costello. Is that unusual?

No Kitty, it's not unusual.
I've played my Elvis at Sun records millions of times. Sometimes I go through phases where I over do it with records. For example I playerd Big Star too many times and had to leave it alone for a few years so I could enjoy it again. I guess it's the same with friends.
Oh no - I've just admitted I see my record collection as my friends