An Album/Song A Week: "Fool" - Elvis Presley

My Dad had a very small album/8-track collection.  Most of it was bought while we lived in Germany from 1971-75.  I lived a Military family life until he retired in 1977.  Elvis Presley was his favorite singer.  He had more records by him than any other singer.  He also loved Country music as well.  But he had a real soft spot for Pop singers.  Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Johnny Mathis, Neil Diamond, Shirley Bassey.  All took up space with his Country albums in a little cabinet next to the stereo which was located in the living room.  

While I always knew who Elvis Presley was,  even as a small kid, the Elvis I heard the most was not from the 50's, but his post-68 comeback phase.  "In The Ghetto" being the first song from him that I remember. 

So, the 70's Elvis is what was lodged in my brain for the longest time.  Buy 1973 Elvis wasn't rocking much anymore.  His albums were mostly Pop, Country, Gospel.  And his albums were becoming a patchwork of live cuts, leftovers and a few new cuts.  But his popularity was still high.  In January he did a charity concert called Aloha from Hawaii.  It was broadcast live in Asia, then shown on tape in Europe.  Oddly, the concert didn't air here in the states until April.  But it was a ratings hit when it aired.  And the album went to #1 in the States.  The last album by Elvis to appear at #1.  

But there were problems at home.  In October '73 he divorced Priscilla.  And there were issues even before that date.

"Fool" is an original song from one of those patchwork albums called Elvis.  In the U.S. it was the B-side to the Aloha cover of James Taylor's "Steamroller Blues".  In England the sides were flipped.  Listen to this song, one of his saddest, and it pretty much tells the tale of Elvis' broken marriage.  Being the lead cut on the Elvis album may have had something to do with why I heard the song so much.  Chartwise "Fool" peaked at #15 in England.  "Steamroller Blues" got to #17 in the States.  While "Fool" peaked at #12 on the AC chart.  

I think it's one of his best ballads of the 70's.  And I still hear it quite often, more than "Steamroller Blues" on the SiriusXM Elvis Channel.  But it also reminds me of my Dad.  Those weekends where he would be relaxing in the living room playing his albums.  He always would say Elvis was "the man" and he was right.  But my Dad will always rank higher than any other man.