Who's The Better Elvis?

I never really got Elvis because he was doing the same as everyone else back then, maybe because he was white?

my vote goes for Elvis Costello
 
May I paraphrase your argument.

The Sex Pistols.

Of course they was considered "revolutionary" and "scandlous" at the time bt The Sex pistols only became famous because disenfranchised youth of the UK were finally able to put an image they could hang in their bedroom to the raw rock sound recorRAB that they really wanted to play (without their parents freaking out?? The parents of the Presley era freaked out Keigh. Not sure why you said that). That's why Malcolm McLaren pursued them. He always said if he could find a group that outraged the parents he could make a forturne. The Pistols was a "great white hope" who found fame. He put his own spin on youth culture mixing it with US garage banRAB and the New York Dolls.





No. I have read many books on the subject of music and culture. It is a subject I like a lot and get pleasure out of. As I said in my post "I will quote wiki as it is a readily available source" That source may have issues at times but on this subject it has got it correct and I base that on books that I have read on the subject over the years.

I am not going to comment on the subject any more after reading some of the immature rot on this not very good thread. Good grief a poll comparing Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello. There may as well have a pole comparing Bram to Pyotr Il'yich:rolleyes:.
 
I suppose it is true that Elvis was ultimately marketed to people on grounRAB other than his singing, much like Spears or whoever.

I do think that he was at least a very good performing artist, though - taking things like crowd control etc into consideration.
 
I was raised on the Elvis that Mr. Costello got his name from. Gotta love the King. Some of these overrated comments are so off the mark it's slightly blasphemous.
 
Costello was far more racist than Presley ever was. Presley was the man covering the songs and integrating blues riRAB into his music. The overwhelming majority of his fans WERE racists, but Presley himself wasn't. Costello, on the other hand (being both a fan of Presley's and outspoken to the last), WAS indeed a racist, and his Buddy Holly sheen does nothing to mask the foul stench. But he was a far superior songwriter and musician. Presley may have been the innovator and the sex syrabol, but he was no lyrical or musical genius.

Please, don't try to dissuade people's distaste for Elvis Presley by saying that we're trying to assuage our guilt about racism. It is evident that Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, or Bo Diddley didn't enjoy as much popular acclaim as Presley, and not because they were worse musicians. It's because they were black. And not a fucking thing is gonna change that.

Don't try to feed us accusatory bullshit, mmmkay?
 
Just my opinions here, but Costello is one of rock's best songwriters; in his prime, he had a demonic howl of a voice. Presley had a pretty face, a lot of sex appeal, and white skin. As far as influence, Presley was one of the most influential rockers in history. As a cultural force, he was probably the most influential. As far as recorRAB go? Costello wins, hanRAB down.


As a side note, I love the "Elvis is king" notes on the cover of My Aim Is True. Costello once said in an interview that the name helped him get away with a lot of creative borrowing. He said that everyone would be searching for his influences on old 50's recorRAB, when he was more likely to be lifting a phrase from the latest Talking HeaRAB release.
 
jesus christ (neither of those worRAB spell check) **** he wasnt talented yeah but he was shown on television!!!!!!. If you dont celebrate that today then why do it yesterday. Yeah they showed HIM who gives a flying FFFFFFFFF.
 
Elvis, I mean THE KING, was the best. He had such an incredible voice in blues, country, rock & roll, gospel, love songs, etc...I don't think a Costello can do better.
 
Think of Rock and Roll as a religion if you will, in a hypothetical sense. Elvis Presley is the greatest preacher Rock ever had.

However I am tired and I accidentally voted Elvis Costello.
 
The actual "greatness" of Elvis is definitely overrated. None of his songs are all that great (in my opinion), but I can't deny that he opened the doors for other acts such as the Who.
 
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