Soon after Linde is joined by a percussive almost steroid driven organ and, for the first time on an Elvis studio side, a furious drum roll from Ronnie Tutt. Kicking off with a crunching electric guitar lick, overdubbed by the song’s composer Dennis Linde, the record immediately grabs your attention. What’s amazing about “Burning Love” is that we’re already excited and it still knocks us on our heels. In many ways, the record can be seen as an up tempo variation of Roy Orbison’s pop bolero format where a performer gradually builds the energy level until a sudden violent burst of emotion is let loose in the final seconds often knocking the listener back. This contradiction makes it something of a rare piece in that it offers both seduction and consummation. Yet for most of its playing time, the record is a seductive tease offering innuendo about the dangerous urges below its surface but extremely careful not to lay them out bare. When folks think of “Burning Love” today they think of that ending, one of the great payoff hooks in all of pop music. Whatever the reason, the record doesn’t quite have its steam anymore it’s a shame because “Burning Love” is, even 34 years later, one of the great pop singles- sexy, funny and subversive. Latter day critics have dismissed it as self-parody and even fans have called it overrated, preferring to lavish praise on Elvis’ generally worthy ballad work of the period. It’s been omitted from some ‘70s oriented radio formats. The record seldom makes lists of great singles. Oddly enough, as the reputation of Elvis’ 70s work has increased with fans, his most famous late period work has fallen into the background. Casual fans knew it and when it hit the streets in ’72 it was greeted with almost unanimous praise from critics including Robert Christgau who picked it as one of the ten best singles of the year. Once upon a time, this ’72 classic was the only consensus late period Elvis pick. Was 'Burning Love' a classic subversive rock'n'roll single deserving of being Number 1, or was it just an over-rated hunka-hunka self-parody?Įlvis expert Harley Payette explores the excitement & seduction of Elvis' March 1972 recording 'Burning Love'.įor some reason or another, “Burning Love” Elvis’ last Top Ten Billboard US Pop Hit (#1 Cashbox) and his last Top Five Pop Hit on any chart has fallen out of favor amongst Elvis’ fans and pop critics. "Elvis, the musician, is largely a relic belonging to the baby boomer generation.Elvis, the icon, is arguably one of the most potent symbols of popular culture" but social, political and cultural history" producing.no propelling.an unstoppable, fundamental and primordial shift in not only musical. "There were rock 'n' roll records before Heartbreak Hotel, but this was the one that didn't just open the door…it literally blasted the door off its rusted, rotten, anachronistic hinges…. "I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother.there'll never be another like that soul brother" "No-one, but no-one, is his equal, or ever will be. I was actually stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something" (Elvis Presley, Madison Square Garden press conference, 1972) "The image is one thing and the human being is 's very hard to live up to an image" ".especially in the South, they talk about Elvis and Jesus in the same breath" (Mark Feeney on the 'Elvis meets Nixon' meeting) "Absolute id crashed into absolute superego.as the uptightset man in America shook hands with just about the loosest." "History has him as this good old country boy, Elvis is about as country as Bono!" "For a dead man, Elvis Presley is awfully noisy." "If you're an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary If you're not an Elvis fan, no explanation is possible."
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