King & Eye

Residents | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Restless Records
• ASIN: B000003BI2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #543,983 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Blue Suede Shoes

2. The Baby King, Pt. 1

3. Don't Be Cruel

4. Heartbreak Hotel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HAIL TO THE KING,BABY!, February 9, 2002

By 

Harvey J.Satan "Harvey J.Satan" (Among The Garden Gnome,Friar Park) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King & Eye (Audio CD)

If you've ever been tempted to listen to something by The Residents,this album of Elvis covers,is a good place to start.

I would not recommend this to Elvis purists,but I would recommend it to Elvis fans with a sense of humour,and a love of techno/gothy sounds.

The Residents present the story of the rise and fall of America's true King,as told to children by their grandfather. ( You really had to see the stage show for the full visual effect.)

A nice twist to all this,since most early rock and roll was considered "devil music",is that nearly all the songs have been turned into hellish dirges,giving us HELLVIS™! For example:"His Latest Flame" goes from simple love lost song to stalker haunted by memories of old girlfriend. "Return To Sender" goes from disappointed boyfriend to man living in total denial of all reality. This is not to say the songs all come off as sad and gruesome,you'll actually find yourself laughing and singing along.

The story is told with humour,and sympathy,even when the British invasion happens. ( In the form of sampling,while the King tries to sing "Love Me Tender",and is eventually drowned out! )

Definitely one of The Residents best releases,and easily one of the most accessable.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Presley in a different light, February 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: King & Eye (Audio CD)

The fact that the Residents decided to make an entire album consisting of Elvis Presley covers should not be surprising considering how this bizarre group of anonymous musicians have done just about everything you could (or couldn't) imagine in their long career. The most surprising thing about King & Eye is just how successful they are in creating a record that has forced me to rethink my personal tastes in music. The whole idea of a baby wanting to (and believing that he should) become "king," coupled with the way these songs, which lyrically suggest predominantly light subject matter, are performed in a generally manic and often desperate tone, seem to paint Presley in an awkward light. Personally, I find it to be very entertaining and thought-provoking. Nowhere is this more evident than on the brilliant "Viva Las Vegas," where the singer seems to pathetically impersonate a rambling, maniacal Presley proclaiming "how I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day" because "there's blackjack, poker and roulette waiting!" I can just visualize "the King" spending countless drug-induced hours in Las Vegas gambling away his pain. Quite different from the image you get when you hear Presley's energetic, up-tempo version that tends to glorify all the glitz and glamor of the show-business lifestyle that Presley was so accustomed to. The fact that the Residents were able to accomplish this without changing one original lyric is amazing to me. The five "Baby King" interludes are great, although I was disappointed to learn that the "kids" that the story is being told to are actually adults pretending to be children. The conclusion of the album is the almost unlistenable "Don't Be Cruel" with the singer pitifully begging and mumbling "don't be cruel." What a wonderful way to end this classic album. Other highlights include "All Shook Up" and "Return To Sender."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Undercover Covers Uncovered, December 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: King & Eye (Audio CD)

For a while this one was hard to find; I'd long suspected it was a copyright issue keeping this delightfully devlish album from mass release. My LP copy is pretty worn, which is especially painful when I try to listen to "The Baby King," told in five parts to actual children who are unwittingly absorbing a parable about Elvis. My kids love these versions, and are surprised when they hear the originals on the radio. Their favorites, and mine, are "Blue Suede Shoes," "Teddy Bear," "Return to Sender" and "Heartbreak Hotel." My only complaint with the album is that it starts to sag near the end, where the band seems a little less inspired and the concept grows a little tired. But the Residents should be hailed for presenting us with an Elvis many of us suspect is closer to the true item than any other biography, and certainly any Elvis movie.