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Monday, January 17, 2022

HIS MIDDLE

NAME WAS AARON.

a pick six

by Hunter Jon

The Beatles. That’s my answer to the age-old question: Elvis or The Beatles?

However, I’m still a casual fan of the former. Enough to know that his middle name was Aaron, which I think sufficiently sums up my level of fandom. It begins and ends at those depths. And, as a hair-above-average fan of the guy, I naturally have a very specific list of favourite tunes.

Liking Elvis is tricky business. For one, the rabbit hole has no finish line if you decide to descend down it. To step into the ring as a true Elvis fan is a big, overwhelming commitment (his Wikipedia page alone is exhausting). Lots of people literally dedicate their lives to loving and/or celebrating the man. So one must tread lightly when saying the words, “I’m a big Elvis fan” or “Yeah, I love Elvis”. You better be able to back it up by whipping out your commemorative snow-globe… or, at the very least, know his middle name.

Then there’s the whole “Elvis stole Black music” argument, which is both an oversimplification and rooted in truth. In no way do I disregard the facts (and that’s indeed what they are - facts) but there’s another one that can’t be ignored: the fact that Elvis was an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime performer. He was exceptionally talented. This in no way excuses his behaviour, but should be acknowledged.

Also, full disclosure: I haven’t even come close to hearing everything this man released during his prolific career. Understand that going into this list. I know what I know and nothing more. Having said that…

Here are my favourite songs sung by Elvis Aaron Presley.

(I’ve included the appropriate amount of honourable mentions)

written (mostly) by Thomas A. Dorsey and found on Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957)

Sure, better versions of this song are out there. But, if you ask me, Presley’s is pretty darn great. And you don’t have to believe in God to be moved by his rendition, I find. He has enough faith for the both of you. A lot of popular singers are impatient when it comes to these kinds of covers and speed through them. Elvis wisely takes his time, feeling the meaning of every word. It’s a fine example of his versatility.

written by Billy Hayes & Jay W. Johnson and found on Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957)

Now, here’s an example of Elvis doing it better than anybody. This is the definitive version in my books. His wavy vocal delivery (backed by The Jordanaires and Millie Kirkham) is especially fun here, making it easy to gleefully tap your toes along with what is actually a very sad song.

written by Dennis Linde and found on Good Times (1974)

Welcome to the 70s, baby. Elvis covered a lot of genre ground in this decade, even dabbling in disco. This is by far my favourite track to come out of that dalliance. It gets a grooviness going in my bones. Perhaps the funkiest song about the Lord ever recorded? While listening, you can’t help but picture the King performing it in a cape that would make Liberace blush.

written by Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett and found on the

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) soundtrack

Elvis sings this delightful tune as he tangos around a living room with Laurel Goodwin in “Girls! Girls! Girls!” - which also starred the great Stella Stevens! This is the first song appearing on my list from this soundtrack but not the last, meaning it must be my favourite that the Elvis flicks offered. Which is ironic, ‘cause I don’t care for the actual movie much.

written by Baker Knight and found on On Stage (1970)

Recored live in Vegas on February 19th, 1970, this encapsulates that whole period of his career splendidly. The back-up singers, the big band sound and rousing finish followed by applause - just classic. Someone once said something to the effect of, “The only thing extraordinary about Elvis’ music is Elvis himself.” If that’s true, let this be exhibit A. What is this song? What’s it even about? It is profound? Beautifully written? Who cares! Elvis performs it perfectly, leaving you wholly satisfied. He even outshines the brief guitar solo by merely going “ah ha ha ha” in the background.

written by Otis Blackwell & Winfield Scott and found on the

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) soundtrack

This track from “Girls! Girls! Girls!” is too much fun. I think it’s actually best enjoyed on its own though, as the accompanying scene in the movie is pretty flat and uninspired. Still, Elvis sings it with gusto and his gaiety is infectious. He’s leaning into being Elvis here, using the swagger of his persona to his advantage. It’s short but sweet, sweet, sweet. And that tapping that starts off the song (mimicking the chug of a boat motor) is so unique - I love it! Further proof that Presley can make the most out of any little thing.

written by Otis Blackwell & Winfield Scott and found on the

Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) soundtrack

Another “Girls! Girls! Girls!” tune. Elvis sings it in a nightclub scene sporting the greatest thing he ever wore on screen: a super simple, jet-black-as-his-hair suit, which was designed by Edith Head (she outdoes herself with the matching black dress Stella Stevens wears in the same scene). Yes, the lyrics tell a cute, little story. But it’s awfully mundane. Y’know what’s not mundane? Elvis’ delivery. He makes the plain phrase “address unknown” sound epic.

written by Mac Davis & Billy Strange and found on the

Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) soundtrack

For a long time I thought I liked Junkie XL’s remix of this better than the original and therefore favoured it for years. Then I revisited the original and realized you just can’t beat it, no matter how fun “Elvis vs. JXL” is. Here’s an example of a song that’s fantastic to begin with and then heighten to the stratosphere by Elvis’ abilities. It’s originally from the movie “Live a Little, Love a Little”, which I’ve never seen, but was also famously used to perfection in Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven”.

written by Bob Dylan and found on the Spinout (1966) soundtrack

Elvis may not have been a songwriter himself, but he sure knew a well written song when he heard one. There’s a twangy-ness to this that makes me wanna be atop a horse as it wanders the West in a montage full of dissolves. It’s slow and long, which is unusual for Elvis. Yet he calmly steps up to the plate with his usual confidence and knocks it out of the park. It’s great to hear him do so on such a ‘singer/songwriter’ track. Apparently Dylan himself was as big a fan of this cover as I am, deeming it “the one recording I treasure the most”.

written by Gordon Lightfoot and found on Elvis Now (1972)

This is likely one of the greatest songs ever written and nearly everyone and their brother has taken a crack at it. But leave it to Presley to do it better than everyone except ol’ Gord himself. Maybe it’s because he could relate to it better than anyone. You can tell when he connects with a song. He covers “Hey Jude” on this same album and it’s awful. But this tune fits the King like a glove. There are a few of his recordings of it out there. Some alternate takes and a live one. But I like this best. It’s a prime example of how clean and steady he was vocally. Even during this later era, when he himself was anything but.

written by Mark James and initially released as a single in 1969

Growing up, this was easily my number one favourite. It’s just too good. It’s got everything you could ever ask for in an Elvis song. Or in any song. It’s a marriage of fabulous music and lyrics and then brought to life by a man with maybe more charisma than anyone else on the planet. For anyone who wonders, “Why Elvis?” and is generally perplexed by the phenomenon that is his legacy… well, simply listen to this a few times in a row and you begin to understand. Even people who don’t care for the guy bob their heads along to this one. Sure, credit needs to go to Chips Moman and Felton Jarvis (I didn’t make those names up) for the perfect production of this song. But, c’mon - do you want to listen to an instrumental version of this? I don’t. What the fuck would be the point of that? With this, Elvis continued to prove that it’s not just about having a good voice. It’s about having heart. That’s what makes a star… and things like this song so very special.

written by Fred Wise & Ben Weisman and found on the King Creole (1958) soundtrack

First of all: Kitty White. Now that you’ve Googled her and that’s out of the way - this song… boy, do I love this song! It opens the movie “King Creole”, which is directed by Michael Curtiz, co-stars Carolyn Jones and is by far my favourite Elvis picture. It sounds like no other song of his I’ve heard. Yet it’s the only one that sounds as cool as Elvis was, if that makes sense. And its call-and-response structure allows him a rare chance to display some pretty playful chemistry. I could get all didactic and claim this song is a profound metaphor - maybe even a racial one. But I honestly think it’s just about crawfish. Which is even better. The fact that something this incredible is celebrating something that random and petty puts a big goofy grin on my face. “Craaaaaaawfish!”

Fun fact: Joe Strummer and I have the same favourite Elvis song.

Sunday, January 16, 2022

COWLMAN SQUARED.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

ON IN THE BACKGROUND.

a pick six

by Hunter Jon

Very few movies are designed to be watched casually. In fact, I’d argue one never has been. But some can be. Watched casually, that is. I would recommend giving your full attention to any movie you’re watching… however, certain movies don’t necessarily need it, especially beyond that first viewing. Some movies (and trust me - the list is small) almost work better as background movies, so to speak. Their narratives allow you to take a break from them without hitting pause and when you return, while you’ll certainly have missed something, it’s kind of… just… okay. Whether your attention wanders or you’re physically stepping away for a moment, you’re safe to jump back in at any given moment. So if you’re looking to throw something on in the background to keep you company as you go about some other business, simply want to watch something that you can miss bits of and not feel guilty about it or are even just looking for snippets to watch online without committing to a full viewing, here’s a list of my go-to ‘casual movies’.

(I've included an inappropriate amount of honourable mentions)

GOOD TIMES (1967)

Sonny & Cher bounce around spoofing various classic Hollywood scenes in this variety movie directed by William Friedkin (he was young). It’s an absolutely terrible movie, so proceed with caution. If the above screen shot gives you a headache - stay away. But if you’re a fan of these two and have never seen this - give it a whirl.

CHELSEA GIRLS (1966)

I think everyone wishes this was better than it is. It’s directed by Andy Warhol. It’s over three hours long. It’s presented entirely in split screen, exhibiting two scenes of no relation next to each other. The ‘scenes’ in question are, uh, experimental to say the least. But it’s consistently fascinating, even when not working very well. Look up the poster, though - it’s more impressive than the movie it’s promoting.

MONDO CANE (1962)

This "shock-umentary", which takes you around the world and shows off various bizarre, strange rituals of all cultures, rocked the world upon its release. It’s one hell of a macabre mosaic and not only spawned countless rip-offs that worked ‘Mondo’ into their titles, but an entire Mondo sub-genre of guerrilla filmmaking. Not for the faint of heart... or anyone with taste.

HOTEL MONTEREY (1973)

A few movies directed by Chantal Akerman could be on this list, but this one fits best. It’s a series of soundless shots taken inside a hotel. That’s it. That might sound boring, but with Chantal at the helm nothing ever is. It’s a profound study in everything from human nature to geometry. You enter a sort of hypnotic state watching this thing - great for visual meditation.

THE TRIP (2010)

Continuing to blur the line between fiction and reality, director Michael Winterbottom and co. follow Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as they drive around England on a tour of restaurants. But rather than food, the focus becomes the comedic bits and bickering - all improvised. This was a TV series in the UK but edited down and released as a movie everywhere else, and became the first in an unlikely franchise. They worked more fictional melodrama into the saga with every entry, which I personally believe wasn’t the best idea. So go back to the beginning with this one, when all that was stitching the thin plot together were battling Michael Caine impressions.

HOW TO IRRITATE PEOPLE (1969)

Long before Christopher Guest and friends popularized the concept, John Cleese and Graham Chapman delivered this “mock-umentary”, which, as the title suggests, explores irritation. It aired the same year that “… Flying Circus” debuted. So if you want a break from the same old Python sketches but desire comfort-food-viewing with a similar flavour, munch on this.

ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS (2007)

Basically “Robot Chicken” in general could have made the list, but TV shows don’t qualify. However, this double sized, one-off special does. It was made when these gents were in their prime and features some of their absolute best bits. They really impress when satirizing things they genuinely love, so all the “Star Wars” material they churned out in the early days was particularly strong (and hilarious). And if you don’t like a sketch, just wait a few seconds (literally) and you’re onto an entirely new one. What other program can you say that about? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the “Palpatine on the phone” sequence (shown above). It holds up over ten years later.

WAKING LIFE (2001)

The IMDb summary of this movie is: “A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.” I think that sums it up pretty well. I like the description of him “shuffling” through the dream as opposed to simply walking. My two cents: it’s like a cinematic kaleidoscope of all things Richard Linklater; a kind of animated companion/ode to “Slacker”, complete with a reprise of Hawke and Delpy as Jesse & Celine before the “Before…” series was even a series.

THE ARISTOCRATS (2005)

Literally one hundred comedians tell the infamous “Aristocrats” joke, which has the potential to be the filthiest joke ever told and has been a backstage tradition since vaudeville, allegedly. The movie itself is a cool look at different sensibilities and styles tackling similar material, as they’re all basically telling the same joke - but one that leaves plenty of room for each to make it their own. And the style of this documentary is inadvertently ahead of its time; each telling resembles the haphazard, phone-captured viral videos of today, encapsulating the same energy/urgency.

JACKASS NUMBER TWO (2006)

People think the stunts are the appeal. That watching people get hurt is funny and that’s why these things are popular. To believe that is to seriously minimize what “Jackass” offers. The main draw here is, and always has been, the camaraderie. It’s infectious. Even better - the raw format of this franchise makes you feel like you’re a part of it, like you’re one of the gang. There is profound healing power in knowing you’re not alone. And even more power in laughter… especially when sharing it. That’s why these guys are popular. Dare I say it? Alright, I will: they are my generation’s Python. Jonze being Gilliam, naturally. If you ask me, this movie is the highlight of their cinematic career… so far. They worked out all the kinks and upped the ante. Plus it's bookended beautifully.

SAMSARA (2011)

Ron Fricke directed this. He also directed “Baraka” and was the cinematographer on “Koyaanisqatsi”, directed by Godfrey Reggio. This movie is very much in the same vein as those seminal works. It’s essentially a montage of overwhelmingly beautiful and/or profound footage, shot all over the world in glorious 70mm. Some critics said the visuals made up for the narrative flaws, but to presume this movie has any narrative aspirations to begin with is pretentious and entirely missing the point. The point is: awe inspires. Seeing this on the big screen might change your life. But, in the meantime, just leave it on in your living room as a favour to your soul.

THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE (1977)

John Landis, Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams all went on to bigger things. But first they gave this rolodex of rude. It’s probably the closest a movie’s ever come to equating an issue of MAD or Cracked. The ‘comprised-of-crude-sketches’ formula had been tried before with movies like “The Groove Tube and “Tunnel Vision” and many times after with “Loose Shoes”, “Jokes My Folks Never Told Me”, etc. And by the time Landis circled back around with “Amazon Women of the Moon” the idea had pretty much run its course. But this is the golden goose of the flock, if you ask me. Perfect for pick-n-choose viewing.

AN EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH (2002)

Long before podcasts, Kevin Smith found an outlet for skillfully spinning epic yarns in college campus Q&As. Even people who don’t like the man’s movies seem to get something out of this. Smith managed to build a whole second career for himself as a general raconteur on the shoulders of this one DVD release - it’s that strong. And it’s over three and half hours long. So throw it on and spend a whole afternoon with the guy. I’ve done so many times myself and always come out the other side feeling better, because if laughter is the best medicine than this is like running a marathon.