Elvis: The Searcher

I just finished it. So well done, and very fair.

I loved Tom Petty’s commentary. He was dead on throughout the whole thing.

There’s so much bat shite craziness on either side of how people view Elvis, but Petty nailed it when he was talking about how so many people get caught up in “Elvis” the character that it is really a disservice to how great the artist actually was.

What could have been without Colonel Parker. That fricker was a whack job.

Petty talking about Elvis and drugs was ironic



Col Tom Parker :smh:


we shoulda build that wall a LONG time ago

I think Young 1950s Elvis would be incredible to see just because of the crowds and energy, but you're right.

Early Elvis Vegas Days had by far the best set of songs when you include Suspicious Minds, In the Ghetto, Kentucky Rain, etc.

The 68 special though might be his best single performance ever. That final number alone of "If I Can Dream" is just out of this world incredible.

It's also astounding that he, the guy who almost single handedly shaped and popularized rock n roll, could not adapt to the harder styles of Dylan, Beatles, Zeppelin, And others.

He became almost a standards singer after the movies instead of a true rock and roll artist.

I learned a bit. Growing up in the 80s I had something of a reflexive contempt for this guy who had his image plastered on velvet paintings and commemorative plates. But after watching the documentary it was hard not to enjoy a lot of his performances, empathize with his difficulties, and be wowed by the bursts of pure talent that he put into his performances.

There are a rare few artists whose charisma makes them a spectacle worth enjoying. Despite my former disdain for him (and the industry that grew up around him) I would have loved to have seen him perform and may even download some of his songs