Almanac Music: The best of Elvis

 

 

When Elvis Presley died in 1977 I was fourteen at the time and I vividly remember hearing his music blasting from various houses in our street.

 

I didn’t understand the fuss at the time. My only reference point for Elvis were the cheesy midday movies that we were forced to watch on a rare wet Saturday in WA.

 

All that changed with the 2018 documentary The Searcher. It explored in detail Elvis’s deep love of blues and gospel music and it gave me a deep appreciation of this man’s unquestionable talent.

 

Then came Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 drama Elvis which focussed on Elvis’s relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker then shortly after came the 2023 Sofia Coppola film, Priscilla which addressed the darker side of Elvis from his wife’s perspective.

 

Now Baz Luhrmann is back with one of the best films of the year, his ultimate tribute to The King, Epic, an absolutely cracking documentary.

 

The film is devoid of commentary and input from acquaintances of Elvis and instead uses the most extraordinary never before seen footage taken during his Las Vegas period between 1969 and 1977.

 

Elvis has returned from two years military service, made a few more rubbish films but is missing performing to live audiences. He completes the brilliant ’68 Comeback Special then sells out Las Vegas night after night doing a minimum of two shows a day, sometimes three.

 

Over the eight years in Las Vegas he completed over 1100 shows so combined with his poor diet and addiction to pills it was no wonder the world lost him at the age of forty two.

 

What this film highlights is just how gifted Elvis was. He sang over 150 songs during his week with a first class band, backing singers and orchestra.  The adoration from his team is evident and we see a playful, self-deprecating Elvis both on stage and in rehearsals.

 

Elvis is dripping in charisma on stage. The women in the crowd are going out of their minds and at one stage Elvis does a lap of the crowd kissing hordes of women who are in delirium.

 

I couldn’t believe how well he sang. Zero errors, beautiful tone and interesting interpretations of other artist’s songs such as The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and a ripper version of Tony Joe White’s, Poke Salad Annie.

 

The band are tight as a drum and its testament to Elvis and his ability to bring the musicians together. He was in total control and you can see how the band are glued to his every word.

 

The footage is truly remarkable. I don’t where Luhrmann got it or how much he had to pay, but it is high resolution and extremely intimate. You honestly feel like you are in the front row or sitting a few feet from Elvis in rehearsal.

 

This is a happy Elvis and it jumps off the screen with raw power. It is a must for any music lover. If you have kids or grandchildren you could take them to see Epic as a historical journey into the life of one of the 2oth Century’s greatest icons. 9/10

 

This was a premiere so it will be released shortly. For book lovers, the two part biography by Peter Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love are considered the definitive Elvis story.

 

 

 

 

To read more by Ian Wilson click HERE.

 

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