Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Other King of Rock n' Roll

The Elvis Presley Sound of Ral Donner

If you dig deep into the musty annals of music history; taking time to explore every worn nook and creaky cranny - you might find mention of Ral Donner. Mr. Donner's primary claim to fame was rather uncanny physical and vocal resemblance to Elvis Presley. But in the end, there was only room for one King of Rock n' Roll, and Ral's died never earning the title of “world's most famous bloated corpse”.

After revisiting the Ral Donner catalog, it quickly becomes apparent that he was no mere Elvis imitator. Ral was a very fine artist in his own right, whose music holds up surprisingly well over half a century later. No one can really compete with Elvis, because he was a less a man than a mythology – a living breathing velvet painting sent from the heavens to bestow us with the miracle of polyester. Ral's mistake was that he ever tried. But in the end, you can't deny that he was a damn fine early rocker who possessed some rather nice musical flourishes of his very own.

“Love Isn't Like That” is one of the more intriguing Ral tunes. It possess a cheeky self-awareness that was somewhat ahead of its time. It would not sound out of place as a product of 1970s Rockabilly revival. It holds up very well to multiple listening, and brings us one step closer to uncovering the true essence of Ral. 
Enjoy!

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