Sings Elvis

It's widely acknowledged that Glenn Danzig was one of the very best singers to emerge from hardcore punk, though in a genre where an angry, sneering bark was the order of the day, that only says so much. Still, the guy could carry a tune far better than his peers, and it was always clear that Danzig's semi-operatic howl was informed by some for-real singers, most notably Roy Orbison, Jim Morrison, and especially Elvis Presley. It's no great shock that Danzig has chosen to honor one of his greatest influences. But it was hard to know what to expect from Danzig Sings Elvis, and now that it's a real thing and not just a concept, it's safe to say not many folks would have imagined it quite like this. If you were betting that Danzig would be putting his standard-issue metal-turned-evil stamp on this music, you lost. He has gone in entirely the opposite direction, instead going for spare, minimal backings that hover quietly in the background with his vocals way out in front, with only a touch of dirty gnarl in the guitar tone to connect it to his trademark instrumental sound. Danzig's sincerity is painfully obvious, as he mimics Presley's phrasing on most of these tracks and draws up a set list leaning toward lesser-known tunes like "First in Line," "Pocket Full of Rainbows," and "Like a Baby" rather than the most obvious hits (no "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," or "Love Me Tender" here). More than anything, what we get sounds like Glenn Danzig at home late at night with his karaoke machine after a few drinks, trying to make like the King with no one around to give him pointers. While Danzig doesn't sound exactly bad here, the harder he tries to sound like Presley, the more he misses the target, and the grain of his voice and the occasional moments where he's reaching for notes he doesn't quite have make it clear he shouldn't have waited until he was 64 years old to do this, when his voice isn't nearly as nimble as Presley's in his prime. Danzig Sings Elvis is the curious product of one man's obsession with his favorite artist, and it feels like the musical equivalent of Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho: too close to the original to be a worthy reinvention, and too flawed in execution to feel like a successful homage, although this will almost certainly remain the only Elvis tribute album to include a sample from Aleister Crowley, at least until Jimmy Page gets around to making one.