PSA: Elvis P: The Searcher doc HBO Sun 3/25

[GhostOfTomJoad 9483]

First of 2 part, 3 hour doc on Elvis starts tonight at 8PM on HBO. Premiered at SXSW a few weeks ago. Bonus, Tom Petty was one of the many people interviewed by the director, Thom Zimmy.

[The Dude 1257]

Hmm. My guide says Apr 14

[GhostOfTomJoad 9483]

Delete thread. Ban user.

[Paul Wesley 3313]

Was about to start a thread, but I saw this one already exists.

I just happened to catch this on HBO last week, and it was one of the better music documentaries I've seen in a while.  Very highly recommended.  It really humanizes Elvis in a way that is rarely seen.  He's just become this icon known for being a fat drug addict doing Vegas-style schlocky nonsense that is devoid of artistic merit.  

But this doc does a great job of exploring his musical roots, the genres he was exposed to as a kid, the gospel, country, and black artists who influenced him, etc.  Part 2 looks at Elvis in Hollywood, and his complete isolation from the musical revolutions of the 60's.  

I don't think I've ever bought anything Elvis recorded, but I really enjoyed this documentary.  And yeah, Tom Petty narrates a lot of it, and you can tell that Petty really knows and understands Elvis's music.  

[Paul Wesley 3313]

Oh, and there were some eyebrow-raising revelations for me.  Like Priscilla talking about seeing him onstage around 1969 and mentioning that it was the first time she had ever seen him perform live, and her being stunned at how good he was.  

Which seems crazy considering that they had met in 1959 and been a couple since around 1962.  Makes you realize how his entire post-army career was pissed away by a manager who used him like a carnival barker would use a medical freak in a sideshow.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Paul Wesley

[stc 1496]

i also watched it a couple weeks ago. was familiar with his music but didn't know his whole story. was pretty shocking how badly those movies fucked him up, music wise. it also didn't really address why he never told col. parker to fuck off. seems like he was pretty content with those movie paychecks rolling in. the little jam session for the 1968 special with him and his band sitting in a circle was good. 

[SHOOTER12 8883]

Probably should be shot for even thinking this way, but there have been so many EP documentaries and specials the last few months I could not even garner enough interest to even check it out.  Sounds like I missed a good one.

[Chad Fuck 18092]

2 hours ago, stc said:

i also watched it a couple weeks ago. was familiar with his music but didn't know his whole story. was pretty shocking how badly those movies fucked him up, music wise. it also didn't really address why he never told col. parker to fuck off. seems like he was pretty content with those movie paychecks rolling in. the little jam session for the 1968 special with him and his band sitting in a circle was good. 

My sense of it is that the short answer to why he never told Col. Parker to fuck off was, why would he?  He was a poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi who made good in a way that was inconceivable to everyone then alive.  There was no playbook for that kind of fame.  In short, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Elvis may've had some inkling that it was broken, deep inside. But he had scads of people around him telling him things were just dandy.  And why wouldn't they?  He had a giant (for the time) house, cars, scads of admiring fans, etc., etc.  I think it would be hard to mess with that formula.  Even if deep down you knew that there was something off kilter about it.

But it was sad seeing him in one of his later interviews, looking pretty weary, say he wanted to go play in Europe, as he'd never been there but for the Army.  I felt sorry for him.  

 

On another topic, I was astonished by the number of dates he played in the later years.  I knew he'd kept active, but jeebus.  That guy was never at home.   No wonder he was unhappy and taking a bag full of drugs.  He had no stability.