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5.0 out of 5 stars
Elvis Presley and other rock greats on "Ed Sullivan", June 23, 2003
This review is from: Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics, Vol. 4 - Elvis & Other Rock Greats (DVD)
"The Ed Sullivan Show" was an American television institution that was on every Sunday night from 1948 to 1971. For an hour a homely newspaper columnist with awkward gestures and an idiosyncratic way of speaking that everyone in the country could imitate brought an incredible array of entertainment into the living rooms of the nation. Within a single broadcast we would see classical ballet and Broadway showgirls, slapstick comedy and scenes from Shakespeare, and grand opera along with rock 'n' roll. That last one is the focus of "Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics," the fourth volume of which focuses on Elvis Presley and a couple of other rock star from the 1960s.
This DVD has two parts. First, "Elvis Presley" starts with the King making his first appearance on the show from Los Angeles (introduced by Charles Laughton). Presley eventually made three appearances on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and a half-dozen of his performances are collected here: "Don't Be Cruel," "Ready Teddy," "Hound Dog," "Too Much," "When My Blue Moon Turns to Told Again," and "Peace in the Valley." Of course, everything is in black & white but the historical value here is watching Elvis trying to keep his pelvis from gyrating too much and Sullivan having a good word to say about the lad as he heads off to military service. Remember, that Elvis was one of the few legendary performers NOT to make his television debut on "Ed Sullivan" (he actually appeared first on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's "Stage Show").
The second part of the DVD is "Move to the Music," which offers a variety of "rock" stars. The clips include the Beatles doing "Twist and Shout," Jerry Lee Lewis ripping through "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On," Martha & The Vandellas covering "Dancing' in the Streets," Jackie Wilson singing "That's Why," the pretty much forgotten Jay & The Technicians doing "Keep the Ball Rolling," the frenetic energy of "Freddie & the Dreams" bouncing around to "Do the Freddie," and a fairly low key version of the classic "Dance to the Music" by Sly & The Family Stone. The Beatles and "Do the Freddie" are the chief attractions here.
Obviously the chief attraction here is the historical value of live performances by Elvis, the Beatles and the rest, preserved from those dim dark days before MTV and the birth of the music video. The only substantial extra here is a trivia track that runs a constant stream of information across the screen during the songs if you set it up. For Elvis fans this is one way of getting complete versions of the songs the King sang on this landmark show.
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