With this article, I can finally fulfil a little dream: to write something about Elvis. For age reasons, I have not fully experienced the era of the King, but his music has always been an integral part of my cultural background. Let’s just say that Elvis was a great country singer. Everybody knows him for being the undisputed King of rock ‘n’ roll, the legendary voice, for his light-hearted films set in the Hawaiian paradise and for the vibrant shows in Las Vegas. In fact, Elvis recorded a good number of country songs. As with any recording made by this American icon, what he sang was not really important, but it was the way he sang it. Take for example the album “Elvis Country (I’m 10,000 Years Old).” Just looking at the cover you understand that it is clearly a return to the roots. Published in 1971, Elvis Country meanders through 12 songs drawn from an American tradition of country, bluegrass and gospel music. As I have already said, what is striking, is the way in which these songs are performed. The songs are undoubtedly country but the feeling, the dynamics, the use of his voice and arrangements make them unique and not just simply a nostalgic exercise. Someone once wrote: “Elvis has never sung better.” Another important record which is fundamental in discovering the country side of Elvis is ”Elvis In Nashville 1956/1971.” It is a sort of compilation of songs recorded by “The King” in Nashville, above all during the 60’s. Even in this case, Elvis’ style comes out in a powerful way.
In the CD version, there are 14 tracks ranging from “I Got a Woman” (Ray Charles song that will become a mega success of Elvis) to “Where No One Stands Alone” by Merle Haggard and Mosie Lester, from “Little Cabin Home On The Hill” ( Lester Flatt, John Hartford and Bill Monroe) to “Just Call Me Lonesome” by Rex Griffin. But it is with the song “Early Mornin’ Rain” that we can see this feeling Elvis had with country music. It is not so much the song itself which is incredible, but it is the way in which Elvis sings it which makes it a masterpiece. The rock ‘n’ roll voice and country sound create a chemistry that only Elvis is able to convey. Traditional but modern at the same time, “Early Mornin’ Rain” becomes, thanks to Presley, a classic, which hides within itself all the history of American music. (Gianluca Sitta)
