how haunting can be beautiful

i read about this clip in rolling stone magazine of elvis presley singing "unchained melody" in concert and, i gotta say, it's utterly jawdropping.

it's elvis' rendition of that sad song, with him playing the piano and singing as the jordaniares stand quiety beside him, and there's heartache in every word he presents, dripping with the pain from every syllable. his craft as a singer was never finer, never more sharp, never more incisive. and he makes it his, all his.

it's haunting.

and it's moving to watch, as this is the fat elvis, hopped up on drugs, completely out of his mind, sweat laden, and yet he's able to hit that higher octave right at the end. you see his physical condition completely demolished, and yet his voice is completely intact, an absolutely amazing performance by an absolutely amazing singer.

and again, haunting, as this was just eight weeks before his death.

put your volume all the way up.