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Raised on Rock

Rating:
3.8 / 5

Words & Music: Mark James

I remember as a child I used to hear
Music that they played Lord with a feel'
Some call it folk, some call it soul
People let me tell you it was rock and roll

I was raised on rock, I got rhythm in my soul
Every day when I got home I turned on my radio

Listening to the music that my idols made
I knew every single record the DJ's played
A honky tonk a Hound Dog, a Johnny B. Goode
Chain Gang, Love Is Strange, Knock On Wood

I was raised on rock, I got rhythm in my soul
I was born to love the beat I was made for rock and roll

I thought it was a fad, thought that it would pass
But the younger generation knew it would last
Time's gone by, the beat goes on
But every time I hear it Lord it takes me home

I was raised on rock, I got rhythm in my soul
Every day when I got home I turned on my radio

Mother played recordings of Beethoven's Fifth
Mozart's sonatas down the classical Liszt
My papa loved to listen to his country songs
While I was in the back room rockin' on

I was raised on rock, I got rhythm in my soul
I was born to love the beat I was made for rock and roll

I was raised on rock, I got rhythm in my soul
I was born to love the beat I was made for rock and roll
I was raised on rock, I got rhythm in my soul

Recordingdate: 1973/07/23, first released on: single (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Raised on Rock:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)

Availability

Find available albums with Raised on Rock.

old shep wrote on May 02, 2008
A poor recording and a terrible choice for a single release,then again that was RCA for you.
Steve V wrote on January 27, 2009
When I bought this, the title excited me. When I heard it, I just scratched my head. Here was the biggest pioneer in Rock & Roll singing about being raised up on Hound Dog, etc? I didn't get this song at all and neither did the public. It tanked.
Matthias Kuenzer wrote on January 28, 2009
The best rock song of Elvis in the 70s, with a catchy arrangement. In fact, Elvis heard Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton, resp. Freddy Bell in Vegas) and Johnny B. Goode, and turned them into hits himself. The sixties soul songs are not bad either, not exactly what he grew up with, but what the heck. His papa loved to listen to country songs, and his mama makes an appearance in the lyrics, too. So Elvis could resonate with it.
NONE000000 wrote on January 28, 2009
A fairly typical Elvis 1970s rock song. Not exactly great, but not terrible. Just kind of there. I'd love to see if someone could do a remix or something that might bring it to life--not necessarily a radical dance remix like Little Less Conversation, but maybe just a new backing track. Like a lot of Elvis' 70s stuff, I think the production sucks.
JLpResLey wrote on January 28, 2009
When I first heard it, I didn´t like it at all. I like it a little better by now but it will never be a great recording. A pity Elvis recorded this kind of stuff after the success with Aloha.
Pedro Nuno wrote on January 28, 2009
I Like it. Yes i do. As i like the "Raised on Rock" album. Yes i do know that it is pointed as a bad album, by critics and fans... but i like it. And the only live version os this track is not that bad either.
JerryNodak wrote on January 28, 2009
I think that given the lyrical content it was a strange song for Elvis to do. Not great, but not terrible either. I don't mind listening to it. Helen Reddy did a decent version later on one of her albums.
dgirl wrote on January 28, 2009
Expectations were very high after Aloha and Elvis delivered very low. This song and album being one of them. A song he just sleepwalks through. A terrible disappointmnet.
ger wrote on January 28, 2009
A bad track from a bad album not Even a remix could save .
Natha wrote on January 28, 2009
A nice Rocker, though Elvis had better RnR like songs in the seventies.
bluesboy wrote on January 28, 2009
Unworthy of the king of rock 'n' roll. He sounds like he couldn't care less. There ought to be a law against this.
derekd wrote on January 28, 2009
Yes, a poor recording of what could have been a great song / release. Elvis just did'nt get any arrangement from the recording, no feel, should have gone back and tried it again & again until it was right. He had done this before during his career, remember 'His lastest flame'
JerryNodak wrote on January 28, 2009
The one thing I've noticed about a lot of fans who populate message boards is thy're quick to blame the Colonel and/or RCA whenever results were subpar. Time to take your blinders off and start putting at least some of the blame on the artist. Of course he sleepwalked through this. Easy to do when you're taking pills by the handful. Perhaps things would have turned out better if he had shown up with his head on straight.
MJB63 wrote on April 04, 2009
...should never have recorded this song.Somebody like Elton John or Bruce Springsteen even Tom Jones could have done it.Elvis was raised on country,R&B and pop-not rock.
shoesuedeblues wrote on January 14, 2010
A desperate choice for a single record at the time, album material maybe.
Deano1 wrote on March 06, 2010
A great title for an album, especially after the "Aloha" special. Unfortunately, RCA got greedy and released a subpar album titled "Elvis" in the summer of 73 using leftovers and then Elvis turned in one of his few lackluster recording sessions in July and RCA rushed an LP to market from that session. Enough with the drugs and the speculation, you simply had an uninspired artist being forced to live up to a stupid three LP a year deal. With as much as he gave RCA, why didn't they respect the artist? The "Aloha" LP stayed on the charts for a year. They could have released a fifth album in the gold record series to have something to release and taken the best material from the July and Dec 73 recording sessions on a great LP to kick of 1974. This song is not bad, but it wasn't a great choice for a 45 and "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" should have been the Oct single release. An album titled "Raised On Rock" that opens with "Promised Land" with "Promised Land being the first single of '74 would have been great. ROR would have been a solid LP cut or B-side. 3 stars maybe 3 1/2
derekd wrote on March 04, 2011
Having played this track a few times of late, I believe, done correctly, there is an Market here for a remix. Give the recording a heavier upbeat backing, could be interesting. The words to the song are okay, just the orginal backing seems a big letdown.
Cruiser621 wrote on March 04, 2011
This song stinks to put it bluntly. A bottom dweller. Should have been re-done.
Jesse Garon Presley wrote on March 04, 2011
Great song,nothing wrong with it
Marty_TCE wrote on March 04, 2011
This is a catchy number and well delivered. Always been a favourite of mine and I believe this to be a stand out track on the album.
Steve V wrote on March 04, 2011
Poor song, poorly delivered, poorly written(for Elvis to sing) & poorly arranged. Only good thing about it ,it wasn't a cover of someone else which was so typical of Elvis in the 70's. He was so hard pressed for a 'rock' song this was the best he could do?
jeremytcb wrote on March 04, 2011
As many have said, very uninspired - "best rock song of Elvis in the 70's...far, far from it. Elvis was in a "who gives a..." mood and the quality of what he delivered reflects that. I actually like a number of the songs on the Raised on Rock album...just wish Elvis would have shown more effort. But, there is always Burning Love, Steamroller Blues, Promised Land, Way Down, and so, so many other great 70's songs...I forgive him...=)
ElvisSacramento wrote on October 26, 2012
This isn't a great song and it isn't a bad song either. It's just an okay song. In my opinion, "Raised On Rock" is the worst Elvis album from the 1970's. This album was a missed opportunity for the "King Of Rock 'N' Roll". An album titled "Raised On Rock" should have been a great and iconic album, but it's so very far from being a great or iconic album.
sugartummy wrote on April 26, 2013
Great drumming by either Tutt ot Carrigan. Stupid lyrics for the King to sing, but it rocks. Too bad the whole album didn't rock. He could've recorded songs by Led Zeppelin (rock 'n' roll), The Doors (light my fire), Jimi Hendrix (purple haze), Cream (I'm glad ) and many others. Wishful thinking. It'll never happen, no matter how hard I dream.
shawnrw wrote on December 12, 2013
Better than average song but not among the all-time greats either, although Ronnie Tutt is mythic on this one.
Gorse wrote on August 14, 2015
Although it perhaps does not live fully up to its title and is a medium pacer, I find it a great track and listen to it regularly. I find the 1973 studio output makes a great playlist.
Jim Davidson wrote on October 06, 2015
"Raised on Rock" is similar to "Three Corn Patches" in that it is almost spoken rather than sung. A lot of the Stax recordings are great (e.g. If You Talk in Your Sleep, Promised Land, My Boy). Raised on Rock is not one of them.
TheMemphisFan wrote on October 06, 2015
I think the best way to enjoy this song is by cranking up the volume on the "rough mix" version from the 2007 FTD set. The same applies for "Three Corn Patches".
FM wrote on August 23, 2016
I am sorry to say this but all you nay sayers should go and have your ears cleaned, this is a great tune, the Raised on Rock album has some really good tracks, for some and I won't mention names who said that Elvis was not Rock, he invented Rock. Overall a very good Rock track, the outtake I find are stronger than the official release but still and 4 star release.
TheMemphisFan wrote on August 24, 2016
There's no "outtake" of this song available, but as I wrote last year -- The best way to enjoy this song is by cranking up the volume on the "rough mix" of the master recording from the 2007 FTD set... imo.
TheMemphisFan wrote on August 24, 2016
The above lyrics aren't exactly right, but they're close.
bajo wrote on August 24, 2016
I've actually always liked the Raised On Rock album. The title tune and Girl Of Mine were the only ones I felt a bit weak. But, the title track has actually grown on me over the years and I have to admit I like it much better today than I ever did. With the FTD I felt the album got a new life, so to speak.
Dazman wrote on August 25, 2016
To me it's OK, but it lacks the drive and funk of Promised Land, Burning Love and T-R-O-U-B-L-E. The lyrics are a bit too simplistic for me. Overall there's too much inferior fillers like Three Corn Patches, Girl Of Mine. There's no real standout on the album, though bajo is right with FTD breathing new life into the album, especially with the rough mix of the title track. However Elvis' mood and dry vocals during these recordings did make this album a major disappointment.
Miknik7077 wrote on August 17, 2020
A good idea for a song for Elvis that just misses for me. This could have been great if the lyrics were a little different and the music was a little harder.
Milky White Way wrote on May 20, 2022
The album is rushed, that’s the only problem with it. As Deano1 said, RCA wanted three albums a year and no other artist had that pressure. 73 was a tough year for Elvis after the hights of Aloha. The best thing he did was sack the colonel, the worst thing he did was re hire him. Most songs benefit from a little overdub but this song and album had few except the stand out Sweet Angeline. It’s not terrible but just 3 stars
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