Oh, he was great (or should I say, is great? I do think he's dead, though. Like the original Paul McCartney). But this anniversary thing is interesting- it's an anti-controversial kitsch-fest, when he really is a bit more than that, whether it's the "evil appropriator of and profiteer from black music" or "greatest singer ever". I'm up for a bit of both.

Also, I loved this thing (http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=lm&itemid=103667) lm posted about Elvis as a pagan deity.