Comments on: ELVIS PRESLEY ‘ ‘A Fool Such As I’ http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/ Lollards in the high church of low culture Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:35:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: wichita lineman http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/#comment-428469 wichita lineman Mon, 26 May 2008 12:49:44 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/#comment-428469 PS We didn't get to Elvis any later than America. His first US hit, Heartbreak Hotel, got to no.2 here a few weeks after it made no.1 in '56, swiftly followed into the Top 10 by his sig tune Blue Suede Shoes which wasn't even issued as a single in the States. Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel also stalled at 2, as did Don't, King Creole (another UK only 45), and Hard Headed Woman. We latched on quick. El just had more number ones in the States in the 50s, including great singles but not 10 out 0f 10-ers like Too Much and Big Hunk Of Love. PS We didn’t get to Elvis any later than America. His first US hit, Heartbreak Hotel, got to no.2 here a few weeks after it made no.1 in ‘56, swiftly followed into the Top 10 by his sig tune Blue Suede Shoes which wasn’t even issued as a single in the States. Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel also stalled at 2, as did Don’t, King Creole (another UK only 45), and Hard Headed Woman.

We latched on quick. El just had more number ones in the States in the 50s, including great singles but not 10 out 0f 10-ers like Too Much and Big Hunk Of Love.

]]> By: wichita lineman http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/#comment-428460 wichita lineman Mon, 26 May 2008 12:37:51 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/#comment-428460 I'd say it's more subtle than Jailhouse Rock or All Shook Up but wouldn't think it's easily forgettable. I've always thought of this as one of the very best Elvis 45s. Everyone is in the pocket - the stinging guitar intro, ludicrously deep bassman, his most punishing drum sound since Hound Dog, and Elvis at his most relaxed and confident (seconds before he was packed off to Germany and his mom was taken ill). This doesn't stop the delivery from being believable. The point at which his voice soars on the last verse ("I'm a fool but I'll love you dear until the day I die") is when you realise he's masking the pain, kicking himself, but what the hell else can he do? He's made his bed, now he may as well laugh at his self-made misery. I bet this is a Morrissey favourite. I’d say it’s more subtle than Jailhouse Rock or All Shook Up but wouldn’t think it’s easily forgettable. I’ve always thought of this as one of the very best Elvis 45s. Everyone is in the pocket - the stinging guitar intro, ludicrously deep bassman, his most punishing drum sound since Hound Dog, and Elvis at his most relaxed and confident (seconds before he was packed off to Germany and his mom was taken ill). This doesn’t stop the delivery from being believable. The point at which his voice soars on the last verse (”I’m a fool but I’ll love you dear until the day I die”) is when you realise he’s masking the pain, kicking himself, but what the hell else can he do? He’s made his bed, now he may as well laugh at his self-made misery. I bet this is a Morrissey favourite.

]]> By: rosie http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/#comment-428419 rosie Mon, 26 May 2008 11:32:28 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2004/03/elvis-presley-a-fool-such-as-i/#comment-428419 Though this is still a tad before my time it still amazes me that there were Elvis number ones that I didn't remember, or remembered only vaguely, when I obtained my copy for the purposes of Popular. The more time has gone by since I added this to the collection the more there's a kind of familiarity that it always just out of reach. Perhaps it's because this is so forgettable, by Elvis standards (though he'd do things in the future that one would long to forget). But even so, there are flashes of what made Elvis himself so memorable in his earlier years, and none more so than the moment when the voice cracks open a little and soars for a moment. Though this is still a tad before my time it still amazes me that there were Elvis number ones that I didn’t remember, or remembered only vaguely, when I obtained my copy for the purposes of Popular. The more time has gone by since I added this to the collection the more there’s a kind of familiarity that it always just out of reach.

Perhaps it’s because this is so forgettable, by Elvis standards (though he’d do things in the future that one would long to forget). But even so, there are flashes of what made Elvis himself so memorable in his earlier years, and none more so than the moment when the voice cracks open a little and soars for a moment.

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