Which part of Elvis career do you like best?

50's Elvis: Raw and young

Late 60's early 70's Elvis: Mature and older and not quite screwed up yet

Gotta be his semi-good performance in "It Happened At The Fair", filmed on site of the Century 21 World's Fair in Seattle (1962). He was simply at the top of his game at this point. (Even though his music career had started to fade, his movie career was in full swing)

At the opposite, (and sad), extreme, was a performance I remember seeing during his last years. Not sure where, but he was bloated, fat, probably on some sort of chemicals, and the audience still loved him! Can't find that vid anymore...perhaps they've all been destroyed!

decent movie..wasn't that kid that kicked Elvis a young Kurt Russell? The reason for the overall question regarding big E is that it seems that in movies that bring him up and print etc...they always seem to show the Vegas years visual of Elvis(International hotel etc..)as opposed to the 50's Elvis...Kentucky Rain- probably my all time fave E song.

Agreed about 1970's Kentucky Rain! Absolutely fantastic melodies from the King...And as I recall, I think Glenn Campbell, former opening act for Elvis in Vegas, once said that song inspired him to record a similar sound. It worked for Glenn, unfortunately, Elvis didn't really have another big crossover hit except for "Burnin' Love", in '72, but that was about it.

Oh, and don't get me going about Glenn Campbell. "Wichita Lineman", "By Time I Get To Phoenix",and "Galveston" were three of the most under-rated crossover songs of the early 70's IMHO! But back to the King...

Gotta go for the (and beautifully-named, Sly) "late-60's-early-70's-mature-older-and-not quite-screwed-up-yet" Elvis. Saw EP at the Cow Palace in SF in Aug of '76 and he was entering the "twilight".... still with it but bloating.

My all-time fave album would be "Live From Hawaii Via Satellite"... great augmented big band and the full vocal backings (JD Sumner & The Stamps, The Sweet Inspirations)... lots of high-caliber glitz. That's how I choose to remember EP.

If memory serves, his last crossover hit was in 1977, with "Way Down" from the "Moody Blue" album... it spent some time on the pop charts and reached (I believe) #1 on the C&W charts.

Early Elvis is the ONLY Elvis it is like John Lennon said on hearing of presleys death "he died the day he entered the Army"

Early Elvis is the ONLY Elvis it is like John Lennon said on hearing of presleys death "he died the day he entered the Army"

oh yeah, John Lennon was the authority.... I forgot.

is there a better authority than Lennon? Dick Clark maybe? I think not.

Yes there is...how about Lennon's major influence: Buddy Holly. Holly said of Elvis: "Without Elvis..none of us would have made it". You can hear Holly's influence on all early Beatles recordings.

geez,just think about it for a minute after elvis was released from the service he just started making movies and all those shitty soundtracks,nothing worth listening to,and that is correct "without elvis none of us would have made it" these people such as holly the beatles,springsteen where all influenced by early elvis not that tub of shit from later on.......my theory elvis twin brother jesse did not die at birth he survived, the real elvis died in the service and that was jesse you put out all that crap

I agree, although we're splitting hairs, Buddy Holly is a better authority on Elvis than Lennon. Lennon & Holly, RIP.

mikekolb ...the one, the only ,authority on elvis

sort of a slow Sunday for you there, pal? hmmm maybe you could take a hike?

yeah, that's it.... take a hike.

Hey Mike...maybe you could be the one doin' the walking:

"These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you."

I agree it is the early Elvis that had the most influence but..let's not totally disregard "the tub of shit" Elvis from the 70's...the fact that he was still on the road and selling out arena after arena night after night cannot be denied..even in his messed up condition(Hello Colonel Parker)! The very one solid thing he had that never changed all the way up till the day he croaked: His Voice...the King could sing!