I remember, back in the late-60s, I was at the park with my grandparents (on my mother's side) and I happened to have my transister radio with me, and an Elvis Presley song came on.
At that point in time I didn't have much interest in Presley, being that I was about 12 or 13 (or so) and being "breed on British Invasion, psychedellic, Beach Boys, Motown, Stax soul, and the Four Seasons".
When my grandfather asked me what I thought of "Elvis Presley" I just shrugged my shoulders, upon which he remarked: "Well, he's of another generation."
And it's true: I first started listening-to-the-radio on a regular basis from December 25 1963 on (a "Christmas present" from the older sister of a class-mate of mine? She "indoctrinated" me on "rock n'roll" while baby-sitting me, my brother, and baby sister at the time).
Thinking back, it's true: There was already a rock n'roll generation even before I "came-of-age" during my own childhood. At 57-years-old I am not among "the first rock n'roll era generation".
I know a lot of people take issue with Elvis Presley's title as "The King Of Rock n'Roll", being that:
a) He's not the first recording artist to ever record any of the styles associated with what was referred to as "rock n'roll"
b) Even when he was still recording for SUN records he was only one among a number of other fellow recording acts on the label, most doing essentially the same style of country/R&B-derivative pop.
I think we can all agree that, realistically, Elvis wasn't much different that most other recording/performing acts in that he was just as much a disciple as he was an-influence-on-others himself.
As they say: "There's nothing original under the sun".
...even nuclear physics: the universe beat humans to it by hundreds-of-millions of years.
At that point in time I didn't have much interest in Presley, being that I was about 12 or 13 (or so) and being "breed on British Invasion, psychedellic, Beach Boys, Motown, Stax soul, and the Four Seasons".
When my grandfather asked me what I thought of "Elvis Presley" I just shrugged my shoulders, upon which he remarked: "Well, he's of another generation."
And it's true: I first started listening-to-the-radio on a regular basis from December 25 1963 on (a "Christmas present" from the older sister of a class-mate of mine? She "indoctrinated" me on "rock n'roll" while baby-sitting me, my brother, and baby sister at the time).
Thinking back, it's true: There was already a rock n'roll generation even before I "came-of-age" during my own childhood. At 57-years-old I am not among "the first rock n'roll era generation".
I know a lot of people take issue with Elvis Presley's title as "The King Of Rock n'Roll", being that:
a) He's not the first recording artist to ever record any of the styles associated with what was referred to as "rock n'roll"
b) Even when he was still recording for SUN records he was only one among a number of other fellow recording acts on the label, most doing essentially the same style of country/R&B-derivative pop.
I think we can all agree that, realistically, Elvis wasn't much different that most other recording/performing acts in that he was just as much a disciple as he was an-influence-on-others himself.
As they say: "There's nothing original under the sun".
...even nuclear physics: the universe beat humans to it by hundreds-of-millions of years.
No comments:
Post a Comment