Elvis Has Left The Building
Growing up …
I spent many of my years of youth living in Tennessee,
On the same side of the state as Memphis,
And about 80 miles away from the city of setting for this movie (which is a story we were told in the second grade during library hour on Halloween and to this day still scares the krap out of me).
In fact,
I was in Tennessee when Elvis died,
And heck,
I even like peanut butter and bananas.
But here’s the thing …
I’m really not an Elvis fan.
I basically like two Elvis songs,
Suspicious Minds, and …
Kentucky Rain.
Beyond that …
I Feel So Bad about saying this,
But I really never got the Elvis Presley thing.
Seriously,
Elvis and J-Lo both got a career making benefit from the untimely death of another, more-talented performer,
(Ahem, that would be Buddy Holly and Selena, respectively.)
Anyways,
None of the performers really got me All Shook Up.
Though A Little Less Conversation from the judges sure was nice. 🙂
Oh well …
Taylor: First song he was drunk again, second song he was solid.
Chris: He didn’t bang the first song as hard as I thought he could, I didn’t feel the emotion. Second song was light too. Probably his worst night yet.
Katherine: She lost the lyrics in the first song, ’nuff said. Second song I thought she brought it home, despite being pitchy in the end. Her second weak night in a row.
Elliot: Not being an Elvis fan, I didn’t even know the song If I Can nor recognized Trouble, however, I thought kicked but in both. Maybe it’s my fondness for the underdog, or those with dental challenges, butt anyways … Elliot got my votes this week.
Bottom Two: Taylor is safe because of his fanbase plus he’s also the Vote For The Worst candidate now that Kellie is gone. I think Elliot vaulted himself to the top two this week. Bottom two then are Chris and Katharine.
Going Home: Paris is going home tonight, no wait, scratch that … I have to come up with something new this week !!! 
It’s close between Katharine and Chris … I think Chris was forgettable last night and has lost some of his luster, I think that Katherine has a great voice, but is weak when it comes to performance. My guess … Chris lost too many votes to Elliot this week, sadly, he’s going home.
The history of Rock is littered with great talents who died young. I remember the times. I remember the day the music died. I wasn’t a teen and it didn’t upset me the way it did the teens I knew, but I do remember it.)
Holly and the Crickets were important, but only one of many influential groups and individual talents. Elvis was singular. Elvis brought previously black music to whitebread teens. That doesn’t take anything away from Holly. My previous point was Elvis wasn’t beholden to Holly. If anything, it was the other way around.
Great comment Yodette, but……
We can’t discount what Elvis did to rock and roll, but let’s remember what Holly did for rock and roll while he was alive and after his death. Holly’s influence on many bands and artists can be seen decades after his death. Bands like the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Rush, Grateful Dead and artists like Lennon,McCartney, Ronstadt,Springsteen ; just to name a few, used Holly’s inspiration to mold their musical paths. Elvis might have pushed Holly from bluegrass to rock and roll (thank God), but Holly was never like Elvis.
Better to be considered one of the founding fathers of rock ‘n roll and one of its most influential instead of being impersonated in Las Vegas on a mamoth scale like Elvis.
Well, I certainly wasn’t the only one prognosticating Chris’ demise … he seemed to peak early and Tuesday night, two slow songs can almost always be a killer and you’re absolutely right, he kind of phoned in his performance … I will miss Chris though.
Katharine really bugs me, but I think she’s probably the most likely to win now. Taylor has a fighting chance, Elliot is the longshot.
Amy, your post predicting Chris’ departure was an amazingly perfect analysis. Every year there seems to be be a shocker like this and I think it happens when fans get lax. But really, despite everything cool he has done, Chris didn’t go out and work for the votes on Tuesday.
Elliot, on the other, hand…wow. He worked his way from near certain elimination and into the top two. Bravo. He second song was the best he’s done. There is nothing like the blues for getting across emotion.
Now you know that when Taylor auditioned, he got my attention and I thought, “This guy could win.” But it’s weird. He’s in the top 3 now, but not so much for the reasons I thought he could be there. His likable goofiness and grey hair seems to have taken him further than the voice and feeling that grabbed me in the audition. It’s weird.
I like all 3 left, but I think I’m pulling for Elliot now. Katherine bugged me last night by so clearly wearing her concerns on her sleeve.
I agree TL … though for now, I’m cheering for Elliot.
I was completely shocked last night. Chris should not have been sent home. Unfortunately out of the three left, Katherine will probably win.
You’re right, Elvis was part of The Great Shift in Rock and Roll. I didn’t realize Elvis was Holly’s inspiration, that’s interesting. I think my not getting it has more to do with the fact I really don’t remember him at all and haven’t been exposed to him much. I do like his voice on some of his songs.
Although I liked Buddy Holly better than Elvis, Elvis was a much bigger star. It’s hard to imagine how influential he was in the fifties. He was a phenomonon for several years when Holly was still playing bluegrass music. It was seeing Elvis on tour in Lubbock that turned Holly to rock and roll in about 1957. Elvis only cooled a little when he was drafted. But when he finished his hitch he became a bigger star than ever, expanding into film. Sure they were vapid films, but they made money and made Elvis an even bigger star.
Elvis brough sex to rock and roll and arguably started the cultural rift. I was too young to “get” it, but I watched how the teenagers reacted. The older generation and rural conservatives hated him and blamed him for the decline in morality and rise in teenage deliquency. The teens idolized him and treated him as a god. Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly and the rest wanted to be like Elvis.
Elvis was THE paradism shift.
Wow … I’m bummed. I really liked Chris. I should have voted for him too.
Oh wait … I also like “This Time The Girl Is Going To Stay” … “Burning Love” … “Love Me Tender” … 🙂