No. Just, no. And did I mention, NO?

[annathepiper]

So according to this article, apparently the Elvis Presley estate has decided it would be a good idea to take a bunch of current country artists, whip out some fancy shiny mixing equipment, and build an album full of these people duetting it up with Elvis. My WTF, let me show you it!

I mean, don't get me wrong--I'm not necessarily opposed to remixing Elvis Presley in general. The remix version of "A Little Less Conversation"? Awesome from the first note to the last. But that's a situation where you started with a halfway decent song and elevated it to greatness.

"Blue Christmas" on the other hand does not, repeat, NOT, repeat, NOT need any alteration. Like unto the original edition of Star Wars, it was RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Also, the whole idea of just wedging other people into Elvis songs just weirds me out, kind of like taking footage of dead movie stars and using it for commercials. Just... no.

And, before anybody thinks to ask--yes, an evil little corner of my brain has already asked, "But Anna, what if they mixed Great Big Sea vocals into an Elvis song?" Yes, I have already whimpered, weak-kneed, at the mere thought of the blending of that particular set of voices.

But even for that, I must put my foot down. Even if Alan Doyle Himself were to hand me a freshly minted CD of such a recording, on a velvet pillow with a chocolate truffle on top, I would have to refuse.

Just, no.

I would, however, take the truffle.

Comments

[howlinhobbit.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

Ah. But would you eat the truffle before or after grabbing Monsieur Doyle and giving him the big, messy smoochie?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[annathepiper]

Dude, if Alan Doyle gave me a chocolate truffle, I wouldn't have to smooch him and in fact probably shouldn't. Especially if it were a Dilettante Gran Marnier truffle. Because I'd already be wobbly-kneed from both his proximity and the chocolate, and I'm fairly sure that a smooch would make me spontaneously combust. Then he'd have fangirl particles all over him, and do you know how difficult that is to get out of gigwear?

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Yikes, zombie duets! Didn't they do that with Frank Sinatra? And Natalie Cole did a posthumous duet with Nat King Cole.

[annathepiper]

I think I heard of both of those cases, yeah. Oddly enough, those don't bother me nearly as much as it does when ELVIS is involved. ;)

[kairee.livejournal.com]

Mmm, truffles...

[annathepiper]

In-DEED. Mmmmm, truffles!

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

If it ain't broke....

[annathepiper]

Exactly!

No, just n...well, maybe.

[zeekar.livejournal.com]

The "duet with someone who doesn't know he's doing a duet with you on account of he died before you were born" thing is a little creepy, but I can still imagine some awesome might come out of it. I'm not ready to dismiss an entire technique-qua-subgenre out of hand on the assumption that my personal squick factor is illustrative of anything larger. That would seem to be recapitulating the roots of homophobia et sim, even if on a much smaller and sillier subject.

Heck, even the Altered Edition of Star Wars had some improvements. I liked the new sfx, esp on the landspeeder and the battle of Yavin; I like the restored Jabba scene (even if it's awfully déjà vu-inducing due to the dialogue that had migrated to Greedo when the Jabba scene was cut...). Maybe none of the improvements are enough to make up for the Greedo-shooting-first thing, but even there, at least we got some good fanwank fodder (http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/programs/polisci/faculty/rexb/greedo.html) out of it.

Also: once you've got squee all over you, the fangirl particles don't really make it that much harder to clean. Just FYI.

Re: No, just n...well, maybe.

[annathepiper]

I'm not ready to dismiss an entire technique-qua-subgenre out of hand on the assumption that my personal squick factor is illustrative of anything larger. That would seem to be recapitulating the roots of homophobia et sim, even if on a much smaller and sillier subject.

Well, like I said, I'm not necessarily opposed to remixing Elvis Presley in general--c.f. "A Little Less Conversation".

However, messing with "Blue Christmas"? BLASPHEMY, I tell you. ;)

And, har! I daresay the B'ys of Great Big Sea actually like getting squee all over them. There are reasons, after all, that the vast majority of fans right near the stage at any GBS concert are girls!

Re: No, just n...well, maybe.

[zeekar.livejournal.com]

I meant the decedent-duet thing, not remixing in general...

And "Blue Christmas" is in desperate need of being somehow merged into the Bing/Bowie "Little Drummer Boy"/"Peace on Earth" as a third track. The ultimate Christmas Mashup!

(Please don't hit me...)

Re: No, just n...well, maybe.

[annathepiper]

I meant the decedent-duet thing, not remixing in general...

Sure. And I fully support your freedom to check out the fruits of such labors if they interest you, for the record. It's just not for me. They're treading too close to sacred ground for me here. :)

As for that last comment, all I have to say is *snerk*. :)