Quote:
Originally Posted by elle
but Elvis is a musical legend in his own right. it is also doubtful that either Elvis or Tom Jones (who btw is Welsh) had any real political influence, whether or not they had any personal petty feelings towards John. Tom Jones, as you said, has a great voice, which he unfortunately may have not used as good as he could have, but it is undeniable that both these people, while not songwriters, were extremely talented. calling them names like overrated loosers and mobsters on the basis of a sensationalistic article without knowing what in it is true i don't think is appropriate, and reading these comments from people who love John just made me sad.  |
Elle, please don't infer that I have any real vitriol towards Elvis or Tom Jones. I can't deny Elvis' incredible influence, as I did say, and I really do believe he had talent. He just never inspired anything more than some head bops and nods from me- which is perfectly fine. His legacy and his endurance as one of the key figures in the formation of rock and roll as a mainstream art is sealed.
What did upset me about the article was the so-called quotes from Elvis and Tom. They seemed incredibly ignorant and quite aggressive. I don't agree 100% with everything John stood for, but I always felt passionately that his role as a pop star campaigning for peace at a time when it was neither cool nor heard of that famous millionaire rock stars would go out of their way to promote peace was simply extraordinary. This article belittles all the beautiful things John did with his art, his time, and the overall message he tried to present through almost every medium he encountered. It upset me because John's peace activism was a magnificent facet of his persona, and it's being boiled down to naivete, or "stupid, idiotic drugged-up hippy talk."
So I got worked up about that, as well as the fact that Elvis played such a large role in trying to have John deported from the United States. This was one of the most horrible, stressful moments in John's life. His deportation trial prevented him from visiting England and seeing his friends and the family who he adored and who adored him. I mean...as a John fan and having watched "LennonNYC" and realizing that he was being surveilled by the US Government to such an extent, I can't help but feel some anger towards the key players in all of this. After all, John only had a few more years left in his life and that entire process certainly caused him years of worry that really should have been spent in more of a happy light.
But nonetheless, you are correct. It isn't at all worth it to focus on these negatives or to lambast Presley over something he may have not even been that passionately involved with in the first place. Since we have been celebrating John this past year I think it's right to look at all the incredible accomplishments he had over such a short lifetime. I think I read the other day a quote from someone- a casual music fan- who mentioned that very few artists, if any, can even dream of creating half of what John did in 40 years in their WHOLE lifetime.
So I apologize for saying mean things about Elvis. I still dislike Tom Jones, but I will laugh at him in good humor from now on. Thanks Elle.
