“Suspicious Minds” – Elvis Presley
(Words/music: Mark James, available on RCA Single 1969, Elvis: 30 #1 Hits, BMG 2002)

When I was young, my mom would quiz my brothers and me on the performers of songs we’d hear on the radio.  However, she really only did this with The Beatles and Elvis Presley, so after a while if she asked, one of us would guess the Beatles and one would guess Elvis.  I suppose it was her way of giving us a basic musical education, as one might make the case that Elvis and the Beatles were the two biggest forces in pop music.  This, for the most part, is the only story I have attached to Elvis Presley’s music.  I’ve admired him from afar and read about how he fits into the history of popular music – for example, “Ed Sullivan” would be my immediate free-associative response when Elvis comes up.  I’m not proud of this gap in my knowledge (and I’d appreciate any non-Greatest Hits starting suggestions if you have one). 

Somehow, either on one of those mid-ride quizzes in my parents’ minivan or on a jukebox somewhere, “Suspicious Minds” stuck with me.  This isn’t the young, rebellious Elvis most people picture when thinking of him.  Instead, this is Elvis the Pop Star, fresh off his 1968 televised comeback special, surrounded by horns, backup singers, and a jangly guitar.  Still, it’s Presley’s distinctive voice that commands the spotlight.  I especially love the way he distorts the word “love” with a couple extra syllables thrown in.  It’s appropriate, as love gets distorted by jealous feelings and accusations in the song.  Ultimately, it’s the breakdown in the middle where Presley shows off his chops as a vocalist.  The band slides into a gentle half-time feel while he belts out a couple key lines.  It’s Presley’s assertion that even if he needed to reclaim the spotlight on television, he was capable as ever this second time around.

More on Elvis Presley: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm