Elvis Presley | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Elvis Presley may be the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music. Not necessarily the best, and certainly not the most consistent. But no one could argue with the fact that he was the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. Viewed in cold sales figures, his impact was phenomenal. Dozens upon dozens of international smashes from the mid-50s to the mid-70s, as well as the steady sales of his catalog and reissues since his death in 1977, may make him the single highest-selling performer in history. More important from a music lovers perspective, however, are his remarkable artistic achievements. Presley was not the very first white man to sing rhythm & blues; Bill Haley pre-dated him in that regard, and there may have been others as well. Elvis was certainly the first, however, to assertively fuse country and blues music into the style known as rockabilly. While rockabilly arrangements were the foundations of his first (and possibly best) recordings, Presley could not have become a mainstream superstar without a much more varied palette that also incorporated pop, gospel, and even some bits of bluegrass and operatic schmaltz here and there. His 50s recordings established the basic language of rock & roll; his explosive and sexual stage presence set standards for the musics visual image; his vocals were incredibly powerful and versatile. Unfortunately, to much of the public, Elvis is more icon than artist. Innumerable bad Hollywood movies, increasingly caricatured records and mannerisms, and a personal life that became steadily more sheltered from real-world concerns (and steadily more bizarre speculations) gave his story a somewhat mythic status. By the time of his death, hed become more a symbol of gross Americana than of cultural innovation. The continued speculation about his incredible career has sustained interest in his life and supported a large tourist/entertainment industry that may last indefinitely, even if the fascination is fueled more by his celebrity than his music. Born to a poor Mississippi family in the heart of Depression, Elvis had moved to Memphis by his teens, where he absorbed the vibrant melting pot of Southern popular music in the form of blues, country, bluegrass, and gospel. After graduating from high school, he became a truck driver, rarely if ever singing in public. Some 1953 and 1954 demos, recorded at the emerging Sun label in Memphis primarily for Elvis own pleasure, helped stir interest on the part of Sun owner Sam Phillips. In mid-1954, Phillips, looking for a white singer with a black feel, teamed Presley with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black. Almost by accident, apparently, the trio hit upon a version of an Arthur Crudup blues tune "Thats All Right Mama," which became Elvis first single. Elvis five Sun singles pioneered the blend of R&B; and C&W; that would characterize rockabilly music. For quite a few scholars, they remain not only Elvis best singles, but the best rock & roll ever recorded. Claiming that Elvis made blues acceptable for the white market is not the whole picture; the singles usually teamed blues covers with country and pop ones, all made into rock & roll (at this point a term that barely existed) with the pulsing beat, slap-back echo, and Elvis soaring, frenetic vocals. "Thats All Right Mama," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," "Good Rockin Tonight," "Baby Lets Play House," and "Mystery Train" remain core early rock classics. The singles immediately sold well in the Memphis area, and by 1955 were starting to sell well to country audiences throughout the South. Presley, Moore, and Black hit the road with a stage show that grew ever wilder and more provocative, Elvis swiveling hips causing enormous controversy. The move to all-out rock was hastened by the addition of drums. The last Sun single, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"/"Mystery Train," hit number one on the national country charts in late 1955. Presley was obviously a performer with superstar potential, attracting the interest of both bigger labels and Colonel Tom Parker, who became Elvis manager. In need of capital to expand the Sun label, Sam Phillips sold Presleys contract to RCA in late 1955 for 35,000 dollars; a bargain when viewed in hindsight, but an astronomical sum at the time. This is the point where musical historians start to diverge in opinion. For many, the whole of his subsequent work for RCA -- encompassing over 20 years -- was a steady letdown, never recapturing the pure, primal energy that was harnessed so effectively on the handful of Sun singles. Elvis, however, was not a purist. What he wanted, more than anything, was to be successful. To do that, his material needed more of a pop feel; in any case, hed never exactly been one to disparage the mainstream, naming Dean Martin as one of his chief heroes from the get-go. At RCA, his rockabilly was leavened with enough pop flavor to make all of the charts, not just the country ones. At the beginning, at least, the results were hardly any tamer than the Sun sessions. "Heartbreak Hotel," his first single, rose to number one and, aided by some national television appearances, helped make Elvis an instant superstar. "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" was a number one follow-up; the double-sided monster "Hound Dog"/"Dont Be Cruel" was one of the biggest-selling singles the industry had ever experienced up to that point. His first two LPs, Elvis Presley and Elvis, were also chart-toppers, not just in the U.S., but throughout the world. The 1956 RCA recordings, while a bit more sophisticated in production and a bit less rootsy in orientation than his previous work, were still often magnificent, rating among the best and most influential recordings of early rock & roll. Elvis (and Colonel Parkers) aspirations were too big to be limited to records and live appearances. By late 1956, his first Hollywood movie, Love Me Tender, had been released; other screen vehicles would follow in the next few years, Jailhouse Rock being the best. The hits continued unabated, several of them ("Jailhouse Rock," "All Shook Up," "Too Much") excellent, and often benefiting from the efforts of top early rock songwriter Otis Blackwell, as well as the emerging team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Jordanaires added both pop and gospel elements with their smooth backup vocals. Yet worrisome signs were creeping in. The Dean Martin influence began rearing his head in smoky, sentimental ballads such as "Loving You"; the vocal swoops became more exaggerated and stereotypical, although the overall quality of his output remained high. And although Moore and Black continued to back Elvis on his early RCA recordings, within a few years the musicians had gone their own ways. Presleys recording and movie careers were interrupted by his induction into the Army in early 1958. There was enough material in the can to flood the charts throughout his two-year absence (during which he largely served in Germany). When he reentered civilian life in 1960, his popularity, remarkably, was at just as high a level as when he left. One couldnt, unfortunately, say the same for the quality of his music, which was not just becoming more sedate, but was starting to either repeat itself, or opt for operatic ballads that didnt have a whole lot to do with rock. Elvis rebellious, wild image had been tamed to a large degree as well, as he and Parker began designing a career built around Hollywood films. Shortly after leaving the Army, in fact, Presley gave up live performing altogether for nearly a decade to concentrate on movie-making. The films, in turn, would serve as vehicles to both promote his records and to generate maximum revenue with minimal effort. For the rest of the 60s, Presley ground out two or three movies a year that, while mostly profitable, had little going for them in the way of story, acting, or social value. While there were some quality efforts on Presleys early-60s albums, his discography was soon dominated by forgettable soundtracks, mostly featuring material that was dispensable or downright ridiculous. He became largely disinterested in devoting much time to his craft in the studio. The soundtrack LPs themselves were sometimes filled out with outtakes that had been in the can for years (and these, sadly, were often the highlights of the albums). There were some good singles in the early 60s, like "Return to Sender"; once in a while there was even a flash of superb, tough rock, like "Little Sister" or "(Maries the Name) His Latest Flame." But by 1963 or so there was little to get excited about, although he continued to sell in large quantities. The era roughly spanning 1962-1967 has generated a school of Elvis apologists, eager to wrestle any kernel of quality that emerged from his recordings during this period. They also point out that Presley was assigned poor material, and assert that Colonel Parker was largely responsible for Presleys emasculation. True to a point, but on the other hand, it could be claimed, with some validity, that Presley himself was doing little to rouse himself from his artistic stupor, letting Parker destroy his artistic credibility without much apparent protest, and holing up in his large mansion with a retinue of yes men who protected their benefactor from much day-to-day contact with a fast-changing world. The Beatles, all big Elvis fans, displaced Presley as the biggest rock act in the world in 1964. Whats more, they did so by writing their own material and playing their own instruments; something Elvis had never been capable of, or particularly aspired to do. They, and the British and American groups the Beatles influenced, were not shy about expressing their opinions, experimenting musically, and taking the reins of their artistic direction into their own hands. The net effect was to make Presley, still churning out movies in Hollywood as psychedelia and soul music became the rage, seem irrelevant, even as he managed to squeeze out an obscure Dylan cover ("Tomorrow Is a Long Time") on a 1966 soundtrack album. By 1967 and 1968, there were slight stirrings of an artistic reawakening by Elvis. Singles like "Guitar Man," "Big Boss Man," and "U.S. Male," though hardly classics, were at least genuine rock & roll that sounded better than much of what hed been turning out for years. A 1968 television special gave Presley the opportunity he needed to reinvent himself as an all-out leather-coated rocker, still capable of magnetizing an audience, and eager to revisit his blues and country roots. The 1968 album Elvis in Memphis was the first LP in nearly a decade in which Presley seemed cognizant of current trends, as he updated his sounds with contemporary compositions and touches of soul to create some reasonably gutsy late-60s pop/rock. This material, and 1969 hits like "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto," returned him to the top of the charts. Arguably, its been overrated by critics, who were so glad to have him singing rock again that they werent about to carp about the slickness of some of the production, or the mediocrity of some of the songwriting. But Elvis voice did sound good, and he returned to live performing in 1969, breaking in with weeks of shows in Las Vegas. This was followed by national tours that proved him still capable of being an excellent live entertainer, even if the exercises often reeked of show-biz extravaganza. (Elvis never did play outside of North America and Hawaii, possibly because Colonel Parker, it was later revealed, was an illegal alien who could have faced serious problems if he traveled abroad.) Hollywood was history, but studio and live albums were generated at a rapid pace, usually selling reasonably well, although Presley never had a Top Ten hit after 1972s "Burning Love." Presleys 70s recordings, like most of his 60s work, are the focus of divergent critical opinion. Some declare them to be, when Elvis was on, the equal of anything he did, especially in terms of artistic diversity. Its true that the material was pretty eclectic, running from country to blues to all-out rock to gospel (Presley periodically recorded gospel-only releases, going all the way back to 1957). At the same time, his vocal mannerisms were often stilted, and the material -- though not nearly as awful as that 60s soundtrack filler -- sometimes substandard. Those who are serious Elvis fans will usually find this late-period material to hold only a fraction of the interest of his 50s classics. Elvis final years have been the subject of a cottage industry of celebrity bios, tell-alls, and gossip screeds from those who knew him well, or (more likely) purported to know him well, but its enough to note that his behavior was becoming increasingly unstable. His weight fluctuated wildly; his marriage broke up; he became dependent upon a variety of prescription drugs. Worst of all, he became isolated from the outside world except for professional purposes (he continued to tour until the end), rarely venturing outside of his Graceland mansion in Memphis. Presley even stopped leaving his home for recording sessions, cutting sessions that would make up the bulk of his final two albums, 1976s From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee and 1977s Moody Blue, at Graceland using an RCA Records mobile recording truck. (A collection of these final home recordings appeared in 2016, titled Way Down in the Jungle Room.) Colonel Parkers financial decisions on behalf of his client have also come in for much criticism. On August 16, 1977, Presley was found dead in Graceland. The cause of death remains a subject of widespread speculation, although it seems likely that drugs played a part. An immediate cult (if cult is the way to describe millions of people) sprang up around his legacy, kept alive by the hundreds of thousands of visitors who make the pilgrimage to Graceland annually. Elvis memorabilia, much of it kitsch, is another industry in his own right. Hundreds if not thousands of singers make a comfortable living by impersonating the King in live performances. And then there are all those Elvis sightings reported in tabloids, first on a seemingly weekly basis, then less frequently as the decades went on. Although Presley had recorded a mammoth quantity of both released and unreleased material for RCA, the label didnt show much interest in repackaging it with the respect due such a pioneer. Haphazard collections of outtakes and live performances were far rarer than budget reissues and countless repackagings of the big hits. In the digital age, RCA finally began to treat the catalog with some of the reverence it deserved, at long last assembling a box set containing nearly all of the 50s recordings. This 1992 set, called The King of Rock n Roll, was the first of many serious compilations that focused on particular decades, phases, and collaborators of Presleys. These archival sets were balanced by sets from Follow That Dream, all targeted at collectors, and discs aimed at mainstream audiences. The most popular of these was the 2002 compilation Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits, which topped the charts in the U.S. and U.K. on its way to multi-platinum certification, but a pair of albums that grafted original Elvis performances to music by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra -- 2015s If I Can Dream and 2016s The Wonder of You -- went to number one in the U.K. in the mid-2010s; Christmas with Elvis, a seasonal set overdubbed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, debuted at six in the U.K. upon its 2017 release. In 2018, the two-part documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher premiered on HBO and was accompanied by two soundtracks, one a single disc and one a box set. Later that year, an overdubbed collection of gospel material was released under the title Where No One Stands Alone, as was a box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of his 68 Comeback. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 39 Title: Rock N Roll Released: 1956 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blue Suede Shoes (01:53) 2 I Got a Sweetie (I Got a Woman) (02:23) 3 Im Counting on You (02:21) 4 Im Left, Youre Right, Shes Gone (02:36) 5 Thats All Right (01:54) 6 Money Honey (02:31) 7 Mystery Train (02:25) 8 Im Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) (01:55) 9 Tryin to Get to You (02:30) 10 One Sided Love Affair (02:09) 11 Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (02:08) 12 Shake, Rattle and Roll (02:25) |
| Rock 'N' Roll : Allmusic album Review : The 1975 collection Rock N Roll rounds up 12 of Elvis 50s classic sides, leaning heavily on Sun singles -- "Im Left, Youre Right, Shes Gone," "Thats All Right," "Mystery Train" -- and adding RCA material like "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy." Everything here is great but this isnt a collection to seek out -- instead, its one to stumble upon in a garage sale. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 39 Title: Elvis Presley Released: 1956-03-23 Tracks: 71 Duration: 2:13:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blue Suede Shoes (02:01) 2 Im Counting On You (02:24) 3 I Got A Woman (02:25) 4 One-Sided Love Affair (02:11) 5 I Love You Because (02:40) 6 Just Because (02:33) 7 Tutti Frutti (01:59) 8 Trying To Get To You (02:33) 9 Im Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (02:04) 10 Ill Never Let You Go (Little Darlin) (02:25) 11 Blue Moon (02:43) 12 Money Honey (02:36) 13 Heartbreak Hotel (02:09) 14 I Was The One (02:33) 15 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (02:10) 16 Shake, Rattle & Roll (02:27) 17 My Baby Left Me (02:13) 18 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 14,17 Sp. Master) (02:44) 19 I Got A Woman (Take Unknown, Incomplete) (01:32) 20 I Got A Woman (take Unknown) (02:26) 21 Heartbreak Hotel (Take 4, Incomplete) (01:07) 22 Heartbreak Hotel (Take 5) (02:17) 23 Heartbreak Hotel (Take 6) (02:16) 24 Money Honey (Fragments) (00:08) 25 Money Honey (take 10, Incomplete) (00:24) 26 Im Counting On You (Take 1) (01:27) 27 Im Counting On You (Take Unknown, Incomplete) (02:20) 28 Im Counting On You (Take 13) (02:33) 29 Im Counting On You (Take 14, Incomplete) (02:19) 30 I Was The One (Take 1) (00:13) 31 I Was The One (Take 2, False Start) (00:11) 32 I Was The One (Take 2) (02:32) 33 I Was The One (Take 3, False Start) (00:12) 34 I Was The One (Take 3, Incomplete) (00:56) 35 I Was The One (Take 7A) (02:41) 36 I Was The One (Take Unknown, Incomplete) (01:31) 1 Im Counting On You (Take 1) (00:37) 2 Im Counting On You (Take 2, Incomplete) (01:35) 3 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 1) (02:40) 4 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 3) (02:21) 5 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 4) (02:17) 6 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 5) (02:20) 7 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 6) (02:19) 8 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 7) (01:52) 9 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 8) (00:59) 10 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 9) (02:16) 11 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 10) (02:27) 12 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 11) (00:13) 13 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Take 12) (02:20) 14 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 1) (00:38) 15 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 2) (02:34) 16 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 3) (00:19) 17 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 5) (00:47) 18 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 6) (00:34) 19 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 7) (02:41) 20 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 8) (02:34) 21 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 9) (00:20) 22 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 10) (00:12) 23 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 11) (00:14) 24 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 12) (01:41) 25 Shake, Rattle & Roll (Take 12, Undubbed, Unedited Master) (02:36) 26 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 1, Slate Only) (00:07) 27 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 3) (03:05) 28 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 4) (02:56) 29 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 5, Fragment) (00:14) 30 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 13) (02:57) 31 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 14, Incomplete) (01:50) 32 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 15) (02:55) 33 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 16) (02:54) 34 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 17) (02:49) 35 Don Davis Interviews Elvis Presley (03:53) |
 | Album: 3 of 39 Title: Elvis’ Christmas Album Released: 1957-10-15 Tracks: 12 Duration: 30:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Santa Claus Is Back in Town (02:24) 2 White Christmas (02:44) 3 Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) (01:55) 4 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (01:55) 5 Blue Christmas (02:08) 6 Santa Bring My Baby Back (to Me) (01:53) 7 Oh Little Town of Bethlehem (02:36) 8 Silent Night (02:25) 9 (There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley (for Me) (03:22) 10 I Believe (02:06) 11 Take My Hand, Precious Lord (03:18) 12 It Is No Secret (What God Can Do) (03:55) |
| Elvis’ Christmas Album : Allmusic album Review : Elvis 1957 original Christmas album is one of his most inspired early outings and the first time he tackled anything resembling a thematic concept. Split evenly between rockers and bluesy numbers like "Santa Claus Is Back in Town," "Blue Christmas," and "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me," perennials like "White Christmas," "Ill Be Home for Christmas," and "Silent Night," and straight-ahead gospel favorites like "I Believe," "Peace in the Valley" and "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," the disc revealed a different side of the rocker for the first time on a public instead conditioned to expect something outrageous. One of the Kings shining moments, this is quite simply still one of the best holiday albums available. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 39 Title: Elvis’ Golden Records Released: 1958-03-21 Tracks: 14 Duration: 33:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hound Dog (02:16) 2 Loving You (02:14) 3 All Shook Up (01:58) 4 Heartbreak Hotel (02:09) 5 Jailhouse Rock (02:27) 6 Love Me (02:44) 7 Too Much (02:32) 8 Don’t Be Cruel (02:03) 9 That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (03:23) 10 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (01:48) 11 Love Me Tender (02:44) 12 Treat Me Nice (02:12) 13 Anyway You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) (02:15) 14 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (02:40) |
| Elvis’ Golden Records : Allmusic album Review : This was rock & rolls first greatest-hits album, and it set the standard for all others to follow. As originally conceived, it was a 14-song collection of most of the Kings biggest hits up to that time, released on the eve of his start of military service -- a dearth of material being in the offing, it seemed only logical to assemble these hits. Each of the 14 songs had earned a Gold record award for a million sales, a record unequaled at that time by anyone else in rock & roll. The album wasnt intended as a history lesson, so "Hound Dog" and "Loving You" precede "Heartbreak Hotel" -- the 1997 remastering also tampers with the concept a bit, adding six bonus tracks. Elvis singing never sounded richer or more expressive, and one can fully appreciate in vivid detail the delicate nuances of his phrasing on songs like "Too Much." On the downside, the remastering has made the sound so clean on some of the harder songs that some of the raw, "dirty" ambience that characterized this stuff on the radio and the original 45s is lacking. Still, Scotty Moores groundbreaking lead guitar part on "Hound Dog" and the Jordanaires backup singing never came through more sharply or cleanly, and the all-important rhythm section is almost upfront in the mix. Those who own the first Elvis box from RCA, covering the 50s masters may hesitate to pick up this or the other parts of this latest remastered series, but the sound has been upgraded one more level, and Elvis Golden Records does give a bite-sized glimpse of where Elvis had come from and where he was going (for better or worse) musically on the eve of heading into the Army. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 39 Title: For LP Fans Only Released: 1959-02-06 Tracks: 14 Duration: 33:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 That’s All Right (01:57) 2 Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (02:10) 3 Mystery Train (02:26) 4 Playing for Keeps (02:53) 5 Poor Boy (02:17) 6 Money Honey (02:35) 7 I’m Counting on You (02:25) 8 My Baby Left Me (02:12) 9 I Was the One (02:33) 10 Shake, Rattle & Roll (02:29) 11 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (02:37) 12 You’re a Heartbreaker (02:11) 13 Trying to Get to You (02:33) 14 Blue Suede Shoes (02:00) |
| For LP Fans Only : Allmusic album Review : For LP Fans Only marks the first time RCA dipped into the Sun vaults to fill out an Elvis Presley LP. To a certain extent, their hand was forced. By January 1959, when For LP Fans Only hit the stores, Elvis was eight months into his Army stint with no end in sight, so RCA was stuck for new product and the easiest solution was to dig up Sun sessions and pair them with early RCA cuts initially released on singles or EPs. Just under half of this is devoted to Sun sides, and not only are "Thats All Right," "Mystery Train," "Im Left, Youre Right, Shes Gone" and "Youre a Heartbreaker" some of the best music Presley ever made but theyre paired with early RCA sessions that complement them perfectly: in fact, the hopping "My Baby Left Me" feels as if it couldve been recorded by Sam Phillips. Apart from the cute, charming enough "Poor Boy" -- a rare Presley co-write taken from the Love Me Tender EP that could qualify as the records only stumble -- this LP rocks hard with a serious bluesy bent: theres a carnality to his growl on "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" rivaled by his smoldering "I Was the One," then he tears it up on "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Whether RCA truly intended For LP Fans Only to be a tight, exciting record is questionable -- it was product, pure and simple; there was no way for the label to realize the blessing they were giving to Presley fans by getting the Sun sessions into circulation (this would be the only place they could be found on LP until 1976) -- but they stumbled upon one of the finest full-length rock & roll records of the 50s. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 39 Title: A Date With Elvis Released: 1959-07-24 Tracks: 10 Duration: 23:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blue Moon of Kentucky (02:04) 2 Young and Beautiful (02:10) 3 (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care (01:55) 4 Milkcow Blues Boogie (02:39) 5 Baby Let’s Play House (02:17) 6 Good Rockin’ Tonight (02:14) 7 Is It So Strange (02:31) 8 We’re Gonna Move (02:31) 9 I Want to Be Free (02:15) 10 I Forgot to Remember to Forget (02:29) |
| A Date With Elvis : Allmusic album Review : Like its companion release (For LP Fans Only), A Date with Elvis has left varying impressions on different generations of Elvis Presley fans. If you were around in 1959, the first thing you probably noticed was that it was the gatefold jacket, with lots of really cool photos inside and out of Elvis Presley in uniform. Hearing this album -- which contained not a word about where or when the music on it was recorded -- one would have been struck by just how raw and lively the music was, more exciting, in fact, than the music on his last pre-Army LP release, the King Creole soundtrack. As they had with For LP Fans Only, RCA had assembled a "new" Elvis Presley album by reaching back to five of the best of his best Sun Records sides, augmented with a few songs left over from the Love Me Tender and Jailhouse Rock soundtrack EPs. The 1954-1955 recordings of "Milkcow Blues Boogie," "Good Rockin Tonight," "Baby Lets Play House," etc., with their lean textures, frantic sound, and Scotty Moores slashing lead guitar, were a far cry from anything heard on King Creole. It was the height of irony that the two "new" Elvis albums of 1959 gave national audiences their first real chance to plunge into the sound of the "old" Elvis of 1954-1955, when he was known as "The Memphis Flash" and "The Hillbilly Cat." A few years later, during the mid- to late 60s, when some listeners started getting serious about Elvis music, and others, born too late to have been buying the records in 1956, started discovering his work for the first time, the word got out about A Date with Elvis and For LP Fans Only -- that these were the real article, at least as worthwhile as the first two RCA albums and the easiest way to get the Kings early Memphis sides. By the second half of the 60s, A Date with Elvis and its packaging had become irrelevant to 99-percent of rock listeners, but serious fans grabbed up copies -- even Rolling Stone magazine recommended A Date with Elvis and For LP Fans Only (especially their mono pressings) in the course of guiding readers through the already confusing maze of his releases. By the late 70s, when the Sun material had been gathered together in a more orderly fashion, A Date with Elvis fell out of favor once again, and it has seemed superfluous since, for the most part, in terms of musical scholarship. But listening to it decades after its release, one is still hard-put to find too many albums that are more viscerally exciting. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 39 Title: 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records, Volume 2 Released: 1959-11-13 Tracks: 10 Duration: 22:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Need Your Love Tonight (02:04) 2 Don’t (02:50) 3 Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (02:15) 4 My Wish Came True (02:37) 5 I Got Stung (01:51) 6 One Night (02:32) 7 A Big Hunk o’ Love (02:07) 8 I Beg of You (01:54) 9 (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I (02:31) 10 Doncha’ Think It’s Time (01:57) |
| 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records, Volume 2 : Allmusic album Review : The release of this album, seen in its proper historical context, is an indicator of just how bright Elvis Presleys star shone in the late 50s. His first hits collection was issued in March 1958, on the eve of his going into the Army; his second was the first "volume two" greatest-hits album ever issued on a rock & roll star, appearing weeks ahead of his leaving the Army in March 1960. Anyone who buys the notion that Elvis was "tamed" during his first years at RCA will find revelation in "A Big Hunk of Love," "I Need Your Love Tonight," and "I Got Stung," some of the greatest pieces of hard rock & roll that the King ever cut -- and all were recorded in the midst of Elvis stay in the Army, in a hastily arranged session in Nashville during June 1958. By this time, his voice was becoming one of the finest instruments in rock & roll, his idolization of Dean Martin and other popular singers paying off with a degree of control and articulation that his rivals could only envy, and its all laid out here on what are still some pretty hard-rocking sides. [The remastered edition not only improves the sound significantly, but adds eight songs to the original ten. The notes are thorough, although they reveal the stretching that the producers were engaged in by citing British releases as the justification for inclusion. But the quality of the music is undeniable.] | ||
 | Album: 8 of 39 Title: Elvis Is Back! Released: 1960-04-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Make Me Know It (02:04) 2 Fever (03:33) 3 The Girl of My Best Friend (02:23) 4 I Will Be Home Again (02:38) 5 Dirty, Dirty Feeling (01:34) 6 Thrill of Your Love (03:05) 7 Soldier Boy (03:10) 8 Such a Night (03:55) 9 It Feels So Right (02:14) 10 The Girl Next Door Went A’Walking (02:17) 11 Like a Baby (02:43) 12 Reconsider Baby (03:40) |
 | Album: 9 of 39 Title: His Hand in Mine Released: 1960-11-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 28:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 His Hand in Mine (03:20) 2 (Im) Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs (01:53) 3 In My Father’s House (02:06) 4 Milky White Way (02:15) 5 Known Only to Him (02:09) 6 I Believe in the Man in the Sky (02:14) 7 Joshua Fit the Battle (02:41) 8 He Knows Just What I Need (02:13) 9 Swing Down, Sweet Chariot (02:34) 10 Mansion Over the Hilltop (02:57) 11 If We Never Meet Again (02:00) 12 Working on the Building (01:52) |
| His Hand in Mine : Allmusic album Review : From rock & roll firebrand to pop crooner to gospel believer, Elvis career went in many directions that his earliest critics could hardly have believed. Was it heresy or conversion or commercialism that had caused Elvis the Pelvis to record a gospel EP in 1957, and then a full LP in 1960, just months after he returned from his Army stint? The answer was, of course, none of the above. What the critics didnt understand was that Elvis wasnt just a cultural phenomenon but a cultural chameleon, a vocalist who took in a range of influences -- from Big Mama Thornton to Dean Martin to the Statesmen -- without ever considering the possibility of a contradiction. The same teenager who couldnt stop listening to black R&B; was also in attendance at each one of the monthly gospel singing meetings held in Memphis during the early 50s -- and the teenage Presley was well-known to Jake Hess and the Statesmen for his exuberance and innumerable questions about the technical side of gospel quartet singing. Several years after his first rock success, during a single late-night-and-early-morning session in October, 1960, Presley recorded the material for his first full gospel LP, His Hand in Mine. Combining the spiritual force and the physical release hed experienced from the best gospel singing, Elvis revealed himself as an all-time-great gospel singer, someone who had energy to spare (hardly a surprise) but also immense reserves of control and precision (a rarer commodity among rock & roll singers). Most of the songs were standards from the Statesmen, Blackwood Brothers, and other classic quartets Elvis loved, and represent some of the best ballad singing of his career -- after all, it was recorded at the peak of his balladic powers, a time when "Its Now or Never" and "Fame and Fortune" had not yet given way to "Cant Help Falling in Love." Hes fantastic serving as the lead voice in a group vocal -- years of advice from the best had paid off -- and he shows off his excellent high-tenor singing in a range of situations (tender on "Known Only to Him," playful on "I Believe in the Man in the Sky"). His Hand in Mine isnt just one of Elvis best LPs, its one of the best (and best-recorded) gospel sessions of all time. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 39 Title: Something for Everybody Released: 1961-06-17 Tracks: 12 Duration: 26:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 There’s Always Me (02:15) 2 Give Me the Right (02:32) 3 It’s a Sin (02:41) 4 Sentimental Me (02:31) 5 Starting Today (02:03) 6 Gently (02:15) 7 I’m Comin’ Home (02:19) 8 In Your Arms (01:50) 9 Put the Blame on Me (01:56) 10 Judy (02:09) 11 I Want You With Me (02:11) 12 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (01:32) |
| Something for Everybody : Allmusic album Review : Elvis Presleys third non-soundtrack, post-Army album is, in many ways, his most interesting from those years, though nowhere near his best. Something for Everybody offers a tamer body of songs than Elvis Is Back!, but also shows the effect of Presleys maturation -- his voice is better than ever, and this is reflected in the arrangements, most of which are closer in spirit to the finely crafted pop symphonies of Roy Orbison than they are to any of Presleys earlier work. His ballad performances are impeccable, displaying a richness of intonation and delicacy of nuance that is downright seductive. Rather less successful are the rockers, including "Im Coming Home," "Judy," and "Put the Blame on Me," which show a cooling of some of the white heat that Presley used to generate on the rhythm numbers. The one moment where the old Elvis Presley manifests himself is "I Want You with Me," a shouter thats only missing maybe a Gene Vincent-style scream or two from the backing band on the choruses. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 39 Title: Pot Luck Released: 1962-06-05 Tracks: 17 Duration: 39:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Kiss Me Quick (02:49) 2 Just for Old Time Sake (02:10) 3 Gonna Get Back Home Somehow (02:30) 4 I Met Her Today (02:44) 5 (Such an) Easy Question (02:21) 6 Shes Not You (02:10) 7 Im Yours (02:22) 8 Youll Be Gone (02:26) 9 Something Blue (03:00) 10 Suspicion (02:35) 11 I Feel That Ive Known You Forever (01:41) 12 Night Rider (02:10) 13 For the Millionth and the Last Time (02:08) 14 Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello (01:54) 15 Fountain of Love (02:15) 16 Thats Someone You Never Forget (02:50) 17 Steppin Out of Line (01:52) |
 | Album: 12 of 39 Title: Elvis’ Golden Records, Volume 3 Released: 1963-08-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s Now or Never (03:16) 2 Stuck on You (02:20) 3 Fame and Fortune (02:31) 4 I Gotta Know (02:16) 5 Surrender (01:53) 6 I Feel So Bad (02:58) 7 Are You Lonesome Tonight? (03:08) 8 (Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame (02:08) 9 Little Sister (02:32) 10 Good Luck Charm (02:24) 11 Anything That’s Part of You (02:06) 12 She’s Not You (02:10) |
| Elvis’ Golden Records, Volume 3 : Allmusic album Review : The original Elvis Golden Records, Vol. 3 was, like its predecessors, an unprecedented release -- no one in rock & roll up to that point, other than Elvis, had ever legitimately earned a second greatest-hits volume, much less a third. This is also the place where the legitimately softer, more mature Presley replaces the angry young Elvis represented on the first two volumes. On a sexual level, songs like "Stuck on You," "Its Now or Never," "Fame and Fortune," "I Gotta Know," and "Surrender" offer seduction rather than diverting violation. He might no longer have been a rebel, but as represented on the original ten songs of this album, he was still making the Top Five and even the top of the charts regularly with work that was legitimately fine early-60s rock & roll and pop/rock. "His Latest Flame" or "Good Luck Charm" might not have been groundbreaking musical statements of the caliber of "Heartbreak Hotel" or "Blue Suede Shoes," but in Elvis hands they were worth hearing over and over. The original 12 songs have been augmented by six more, including "Cant Help Falling in Love" (which should have been on this disc to begin with) and the hauntingly beautiful "Girl of My Best Friend," which was a number two hit in England (and may be the prettiest song Elvis ever cut), plus "Wild in the Country" and "Wooden Heart" (a hit in Europe) from G.I. Blues. The producers have stuck with the most tasteful and intriguing numbers from the films, within the time frame of the original release, the annotation is thorough, and the 1997 remastered sound runs circles around all prior editions. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 39 Title: How Great Thou Art Released: 1967 Tracks: 13 Duration: 35:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 How Great Thou Art (03:02) 2 In the Garden (03:15) 3 Somebody Bigger Than You and I (02:31) 4 Farther Along (04:09) 5 Stand by Me (02:32) 6 Without Him (02:33) 7 So High (02:01) 8 Where Could I Go but to the Lord (03:43) 9 By and By (01:55) 10 If the Lord Wasnt Walking by My Side (01:42) 11 Run On (02:27) 12 Where No One Stands Alone (02:48) 13 Crying in the Chapel (02:26) |
| How Great Thou Art : Allmusic album Review : How Great Thou Art, Elvis second gospel album, had very different conceptions of gospel music on its two sides. The first side, including the title track and "In the Garden," was very high church, with hymnal readings and quietly burbling organ accompaniment. The second side was a far more exciting proposition, with an alternately rocking or swinging piano, some breakneck tempos, and the type of performances more apt to be heard at the gospel singing meetings held in Memphis during Elvis early years than at church (or, at least, most churches). Fans who prefer either Elvis the crooner or Elvis the rocker will, likewise, have different feelings about each side. On the first, Elvis is full-throated and sincere; on the second, its easy to picture him cracking a smile as he leads the quartet on "So High" and "By and By." | ||
 | Album: 14 of 39 Title: Elvis’ Gold Records, Volume 4 Released: 1968-02 Tracks: 18 Duration: 42:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Return to Sender (02:09) 2 Rock-A-Hula Baby (01:58) 3 Love Letters (02:52) 4 Bossa Nova Baby (02:02) 5 Witchcraft (02:18) 6 Kissin Cousins (02:14) 7 It Hurts Me (02:29) 8 Viva Las Vegas (02:24) 9 What’d I Say (03:02) 10 Please Don’t Drag That String Around (01:53) 11 Indescribably Blue (02:48) 12 (You’re the) Devil in Disguise (02:22) 13 Lonely Man (02:44) 14 A Mess of Blues (02:41) 15 Ask Me (02:06) 16 Ain’t That Loving You Baby (02:22) 17 Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello (01:52) 18 Crying in the Chapel (02:26) |
| Elvis’ Gold Records, Volume 4 : Allmusic album Review : The fourth volume of Elvis Gold Records was the first of his hits compilations to be issued at a point when Elvis Presley wasnt considered a very important rock & roll star anymore (a few months later, he would embark on his network television "comeback"). Indeed, it appeared at a point when it seemed, as Neal Umphred pointed out, "Elvis gold was drained up and he was reduced to filling up the fourth volume with B-sides." Covering the early 60s through the end of 1967, the original collection had the bad fortune to appear at a point when politics, international affairs, and a generational change in the listening public all combined to render Elvis seemingly irrelevant. A great deal of social and musical change had taken place while Elvis withdrew from concerts and television appearances, made his movies, and scarcely attempted the recording of any non-soundtrack albums. So at the time, the albums arrival, and even its title, might have seemed like a joke to a lot of observers. That having been said, there is some superb music on Gold Records, Vol. 4, including "Whatd I Say," "Witchcraft," and "A Mess of Blues," even if not a lot of it seemed near the cutting edge of music circa 1968. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 39 Title: From Elvis in Memphis Released: 1969 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wearin’ That Loved on Look (02:46) 2 Only the Strong Survive (02:42) 3 I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) (04:33) 4 Long Black Limousine (03:42) 5 It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’ (02:38) 6 I’m Movin’ On (02:52) 7 Power of My Love (02:37) 8 Gentle on My Mind (03:22) 9 After Loving You (03:07) 10 True Love Travels on a Gravel Road (02:38) 11 Any Day Now (03:00) 12 In the Ghetto (02:47) |
| From Elvis in Memphis : Allmusic album Review : After a 14-year absence from Memphis, Elvis Presley returned to cut what was certainly his greatest album (or, at least, a tie effort with his RCA debut LP from early 1956). The fact that From Elvis in Memphis came out as well as it did is something of a surprise, in retrospect -- Presley had a backlog of songs he genuinely liked that he wanted to record and had heard some newer soul material that also attracted him, and none of it resembled the material that hed been cutting since his last non-soundtrack album, six years earlier. And hed just come off of the NBC television special which, although a lot of work, had led him to the realization that he could be as exciting and vital a performer in 1969 as hed been a dozen years before. And for what was practically the last time, the singer cut his manager, Tom Parker, out of the equation, turning himself over to producer Chips Moman. The result was one of the greatest white soul albums (and one of the greatest soul albums) ever cut, with brief but considerable forays into country, pop, and blues as well. Presley sounds rejuvenated artistically throughout the dozen cuts off the original album, and hes supported by the best playing and backup singing of his entire recording history. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 39 Title: Elvis Sings Flaming Star Released: 1969-03 Tracks: 9 Duration: 20:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Flaming Star (02:25) 2 Wonderful World (02:14) 3 Night Life (01:53) 4 All I Needed Was the Rain (01:49) 5 Too Much Monkey Business (02:25) 6 Yellow Rose of Texas / The Eyes of Texas (02:58) 7 Shes a Machine (01:39) 8 Do the Vega (02:26) 9 Tiger Man (02:41) |
| Elvis Sings Flaming Star : Allmusic album Review : In the spring of 1969, after a trough of several years, the public finally seemed genuinely interested in Elvis Presley again -- the NBC special had been broadcast, the first of the Memphis-based, Chips Moman-produced comeback albums was about to be released, he was being heard on the radio again, and it probably seemed like a good idea to test the waters with some budget-priced product. Thats the only possible explanation for the existence of Elvis Sings Flaming Star, a low-priced LP that showed up in the late winter of 1969, encompassing songs drawn from across eight years of Elvis recording history. Even more astonishing is how this seemingly haphazard assembly of material -- including a title song (from one of his best movies) that had not previously appeared on an LP, a live cut from the 1968 NBC special, and a two-song Texas medley that would be completely embarrassing in the hands of anyone else -- holds up as well as it did. It is the voice, of course, that matters here -- Presleys singing was so good at the points captured on this nothing-seeming little budget release that he could make even the most dubious song seem worth two minutes of ones time. And on "Too Much Monkey Business" and "Shes a Machine" you even get the hard, edgy side of Elvis that had been obscured by too many third-rate movie songs. The rock music critics who were around in 1969 were never quite sure what to make of this album because it was a given that it was nothing but the most superficial scratching of the surface of that library, yet time has allowed it to age well, as a strange and idiosyncratic (but strangely satisfying on its own terms) compilation. If it added nothing to his reputation in 1969, then it at least offered an inexpensive way for the curious and the unfamiliar to get a smattering of some of his work that was otherwise mostly unavailable at the time. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 39 Title: 50 Worldwide Gold Hits, Volume 1 Released: 1970 Tracks: 51 Duration: 2:04:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Heartbreak Hotel (02:09) 2 I Was the One (02:30) 3 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (02:40) 4 Hound Dog (02:16) 5 Don’t Be Cruel (02:03) 6 Any Way You Want Me (02:12) 7 Love Me Tender (02:44) 8 Playin for Keeps (02:49) 9 Too Much (02:32) 10 All Shook Up (01:58) 11 That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (03:23) 12 I Beg of You (01:53) 13 Loving You (02:14) 14 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (01:48) 15 Jailhouse Rock (02:27) 16 Treat Me Nice (02:12) 17 Don’t (02:50) 18 Hard Headed Woman (01:55) 19 Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (02:15) 20 A Big Hunk o’ Love (02:07) 21 Aint That Loving You Baby (02:20) 22 (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I (02:31) 23 I Got Stung (01:51) 24 Interviews (From "Elvis Sails") (02:50) 25 Crying in the Chapel (02:26) 26 Viva Las Vegas (02:13) 1 Stuck on You (02:20) 2 A Mess of Blues (02:41) 3 It’s Now or Never (03:16) 4 I Gotta Know (02:16) 5 Are You Lonesome Tonight? (03:08) 6 Wooden Heart (02:04) 7 Surrender (01:53) 8 I Feel So Bad (02:50) 9 Little Sister (02:32) 10 Can’t Help Falling in Love (03:00) 11 Rock-A-Hula Baby (01:58) 12 Good Luck Charm (02:24) 13 Anything Thats Part of You (02:06) 14 She’s Not You (02:10) 15 Where Do You Come From (02:05) 16 Return to Sender (02:09) 17 One Broken Heart for Sale (01:34) 18 Bossa Nova Baby (02:02) 19 Devil in Disguise (02:17) 20 Kissin Cousins (02:11) 21 If I Can Dream (03:08) 22 Don’t Cry Daddy (02:48) 23 In the Ghetto (02:47) 24 Kentucky Rain (03:15) 25 Suspicious Minds (04:30) |
 | Album: 18 of 39 Title: Almost in Love Released: 1970 Tracks: 10 Duration: 25:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Almost in Love (02:56) 2 Long-Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On) (01:29) 3 Edge of Reality (03:16) 4 My Little Friend (02:50) 5 A Little Less Conversation (02:01) 6 Rubberneckin (02:14) 7 Clean Up Your Own Backyard (03:11) 8 U.S. Male (02:43) 9 Charro! (02:46) 10 Stay Away Joe (02:21) |
| Almost in Love : Allmusic album Review : A spiritual sequel to the Camden comp Lets Be Friends that came out a few months earlier in 1970, Almost in Love rounds up non-LP singles largely recorded between 1968 and 1969 -- some hits, some not, some from movies, some not. Unlike Lets Be Friends, Almost in Love has a few fairly significant hits: the American Sound Studio gem "Rubberneckin," which charted as the flip of "Dont Cry Daddy," the brassy, swaggering Jerry Reed tune "U.S. Male," and "A Little Less Conversation," which didnt truly enter the Elvis canon until JXL remixed it in 2002. Surrounding these three anchors is the terrific Mac Davis/Billy Strange tune "Clean Up Your Own Backyard" (the pair is also responsible for the cinematic Western sweep of "Charro!"), the fine American Sound leftover "My Little Friend," and "Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On)," a groovy blast poached from Double Trouble. The rest of the record simmers on a similar level: "Stay Away" encroaches on Glen Campbells orchestrated country, while the Hollywood-spun psychedelia of "Edge of Reality" proves strangely compelling and the title track is a slice of MOR bossa nova that wouldve sounded equally at home in the hands of Frank Sinatra. This surprising, almost accidental, high quality turns Almost in Love into an oddly satisfying record: its a cross section of all the different styles Elvis dabbled in at the dawn of the 70s. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 39 Title: Back in Memphis Released: 1970 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Inherit the Wind (02:58) 2 This Is the Story (02:30) 3 Stranger in My Own Home Town (04:23) 4 A Little Bit of Green (03:23) 5 And the Grass Wont Pay No Mind (03:11) 6 Do You Know Who I Am (02:49) 7 From a Jack to a King (02:25) 8 The Fairs Moving On (03:10) 9 Youll Think of Me (04:01) 10 Without Love (There Is Nothing) (02:53) |
| Back in Memphis : Allmusic album Review : The product of the same early 1969 Memphis sessions under producer Chips Moman that yielded the classic From Elvis in Memphis LP in 1969, Back in Memphis is usually thought of as a distinctly lesser album, but thats far too simplistic and harsh a judgement. For starters, any album that contains Elvis rendition of Percy Mayfields "Stranger in My Home Town" isnt going to be seriously "lesser" than too many albums on the planet -- thats a given. Indeed, any other singer who released an LP comprised of ten songs as good as those found here could have sat back and congratulated himself on a job magnificently done. "This Is the Story," "Inherit the Wind," "A Little Bit of Green," and "And the Grass Wont Pay No Mind" are all superb Presley vocal showcases, presenting him at his most powerful and expressive up to that point, with the last among the most beautiful album tracks that the King ever cut. His rendition of Mort Shumans "Youll Think of Me" is a soaring, passionate record, Elvis voice lofted over a soul chorus and a brass- and dobro-dominated accompaniment, all carrying one of the prettiest melodies that he ever sang. And the finale, "Without Love," is another Presley homage to Clyde McPhatter, one of the first soul singers to inspire him, whose work Elvis first embraced officially on the finale of his very first long-player (ending Elvis Presley with his rendition of McPhatters hit "Money Honey" back in 1956). Oh, theres nothing here of the extraordinary quality of "In the Ghetto," "Any Day Now," or "Long Black Limousine" -- though "And the Grass Wont Pay No Mind" and "Stranger in My Hometown" come very close -- but how often does (or can) one get three records like that coming out of one place and one set of sessions? [Back in Memphis has appeared as a limited-edition audiophile reissue from Japan. Like From Elvis in Memphis, everything on it and a lot more was compiled on the double-CD Suspicious Minds, but LP fans, Elvis completists, and any other interested parties would have to look long and hard to find better albums from 1970 (or any other year) by anyone else.] | ||
 | Album: 20 of 39 Title: From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis Released: 1970 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:07:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blue Suede Shoes (02:00) 2 Johnny B. Goode (02:18) 3 All Shook Up (02:02) 4 Are You Lonesome Tonight (03:13) 5 Hound Dog (01:51) 6 I Can’t Stop Loving You (03:17) 7 My Babe (02:08) 8 Mystery Train / Tiger Man (03:43) 9 Words (02:44) 10 In the Ghetto (02:54) 11 Suspicious Minds (07:40) 12 Cant Help Falling in Love (02:10) 1 Inherit the Wind (02:56) 2 This Is the Story (02:28) 3 Stranger in My Own Home Town (04:21) 4 A Little Bit of Green (03:20) 5 And the Grass Wont Pay Me No Mind (03:07) 6 Do You Know Who Am I? (02:46) 7 From a Jack to a King (02:23) 8 The Fairs Moving On (03:07) 9 Youll Think of Me (03:57) 10 Without Love (There Is Nothing) (02:50) |
| From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis : Allmusic album Review : One-half of the imponderably titled From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis (later issued as a separate album, Elvis in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada), captures Elvis from the summer of 1969, while the exhilaration of conquest was still evident. Its a nice compromise between mere entertainment and the revelatory: The first few songs are old hits to pull you in; the second side opens with a roaring medley of "Mystery Train" and Rufus Thomass "Tiger Man" and leads to a staggering seven-minute "Suspicious Minds." The studio album, ten tracks from the previous Memphis sessions, are a letdown and, even at the time of release, the two-fer concept seemed ill conceived. Had the best of the rest of the Memphis material been collected on a single album and titled "Suspicious Minds," its possible this album could have leapt to number one and outsold the first. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 39 Title: Lets Be Friends Released: 1970-04 Tracks: 9 Duration: 21:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stay Away, Joe (01:35) 2 If Im a Fool (For Loving You) (02:40) 3 Lets Be Friends (02:39) 4 Lets Forget About the Stars (02:22) 5 Mama (02:12) 6 Ill Be There (02:21) 7 Almost (01:47) 8 Change of Habit (03:19) 9 Have a Happy (02:19) |
| Let's Be Friends : Allmusic album Review : Just as Elvis Presley returned to the top of the charts with his 1968 comeback, RCAs budget line Camden began to flood the market with compilations of leftovers. The process started in 1968 with Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others, a record initially released as a promo but seeing wider circulation toward the end of the year, but it began in earnest with Lets Be Friends, a hodgepodge released in April of 1970. Camden LPs offered a quick buck for both RCA and Elvis but that swift infusion of cash came at the expense of coherence, particularly in the case of Lets Be Friends, which snags a couple of good leftovers from the American Sound Studio sessions from 1969 -- "If Im a Fool (For Loving You)," "Ill Be There" -- and pairs them with movie leftovers dating all the way back to 1962. That particular oldie would be "Mama," an exceptionally sticky ballad, but most of the leftovers are recent, including three selections from Presleys last film, 1969s Change of Habit. Although these tracks pale when compared to the songs Elvis cut for Chips Moman, the production is informed by Presleys soulful comeback, so they dont feel quite as hackneyed as, say, the contrived down-home stomp "Stay Away, Joe" that unfortunately opens up the album. Its the worst thing on the album, providing an uneasy start to what otherwise is a fitfully entertaining and worthwhile collection. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 39 Title: Thats the Way It Is Released: 1970-12 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:28:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Just Cant Help Believin (04:39) 2 Twenty Days and Twenty Nights (03:17) 3 How the Web Was Woven (03:25) 4 Patch It Up (04:00) 5 Mary in the Morning (04:10) 6 You Dont Have to Say You Love Me (02:31) 7 Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin (04:24) 8 Ive Lost You (03:40) 9 Just Pretend (04:05) 10 Stranger in the Crowd (03:47) 11 The Next Step Is Love (03:33) 12 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:38) 13 Ive Lost You (single version) (03:35) 14 The Next Step Is Love (single version) (03:33) 15 You Dont Have to Say You Love Me (single version) (02:32) 16 Patch It Up (03:10) 17 How the West Was Woven (take 1) (04:26) 18 Ive Lost You (take 1) (04:33) 19 You Dont Have to Say You Love Me (take 2) (02:54) 20 Patch It Up (take 1) (02:43) 21 Bridge Over Troubled Water (take 1) (05:30) 1 Thats All Right (03:51) 2 I Got a Woman (02:47) 3 Hound Dog (05:00) 4 Heartbreak Hotel (02:18) 5 Love Me Tender (04:04) 6 Ive Lost You (04:11) 7 I Just Cant Help Believin (04:00) 8 Patch It Up (05:43) 9 Twenty Days and Twenty Nights (04:36) 10 Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin (04:03) 11 Polk Salad Annie (06:55) 12 Introductions (05:15) 13 Blue Suede Shoes (00:54) 14 You Dont Have to Say You Love Me (02:17) 15 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:40) 16 Suspicious Minds (06:42) 17 Cant Help Falling in Love (02:01) |
| That's the Way It Is : Allmusic album Review : Thats the Way It Is is arguably where Elvis Presleys discography gets very confusing. Sharing a title with Denis Sanders 1970 documentary of Elvis return to the stage, Thats the Way It Is in its original 1970 LP incarnation isnt precisely a soundtrack to the film. In fact, only a third of the album captures Presley live on-stage in Vegas, with the remainder of the record derived from sessions he recorded in Nashville just a few months prior to launching his long-standing gig at the International Hotel. Vegas looms large over Elvis legend in the 70s and many of the clichés -- the jumpsuits, the splashy arrangements of contemporary standards, the snazzy melodies of his old hits -- were born on Thats the Way It Is, either on film or on the record. In its original LP incarnation, this wasnt especially apparent due to the records reliance on the Nashville sessions, where Elvis recorded a fair share of perfectly pleasant middle-of-the-road material pitched halfway between Hollywood and Music City. These tunes -- "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights," "How the Web Was Woven," "Just Pretend," and "Stranger in the Crowd" -- are easy to spot because theyre by songwriters without marquee names (Colonel Tom Parker insisted Elvis take a larger percentage of publishing, which kept away many writers) and, more tellingly, on the 2014 expansions of the album -- available in a double-disc set, which presents a remastered version of the original album supplemented by single versions of four tracks ("Ive Lost You," "The Next Step Is Love," "You Dont Have to Say You Love Me," "Patch It Up"), five outtakes of alternate tracks, then a full set from August 12; there is also a gigantic eight-CD/two-DVD box that replicates that expanded first disc and six full sets recorded during the filming of the documentary, plus a disc of rehearsals -- these are the songs that dont appear in the live set. They may not have been part of Presleys repertoire but they do indicate how he was shifting away from the soulful, funky sound inspired by his 1968 comeback into something that felt showbiz. The live recordings, though, show that he was still performing with passion, figuring out what worked on-stage and what didnt after his long hiatus from performing. Again, this isnt so apparent on the 1970 LP, which was basically a good studio album that essayed Elvis new persona for the coming decade, but all the various expanded editions (which include a 2000 special edition that adds a hefty dose of live material) capture the King starting to relax and enjoy his reign yet again. Certainly, the eight-disc set illustrates this in spades, and while its undoubtedly one for the devoted, it nevertheless isnt overkill because it captures a peerless performer putting his amazing band through the paces. Its wonderful music that actually is more valuable now than it was at the time: Elvis would record more great music in the next few years, but this record -- especially in its 2014 expansion -- captures him at a pivotal moment, when he retained the power of his 1968 comeback and had yet to succumb to all the glitz of Vegas. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 39 Title: Elvis Country: Im 10,000 Years Old Released: 1971-01-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Snowbird (02:17) 2 Tomorrow Never Comes (04:07) 3 Little Cabin on the Hill (01:58) 4 Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On (03:09) 5 Funny How Time Slips Away (04:32) 6 I Really Dont Want to Know (02:50) 7 There Goes My Everything (03:09) 8 Its Your Baby, You Rock It (03:04) 9 The Fool (02:33) 10 Faded Love (03:19) 11 I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water (03:56) 12 Make the World Go Away (03:49) |
 | Album: 24 of 39 Title: Love Letters From Elvis Released: 1971-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Letters (02:52) 2 When Im Over You (02:29) 3 If I Were You (03:02) 4 Got My Mojo Working (04:37) 5 Heart of Rome (02:57) 6 Only Believe (02:50) 7 This Is Our Dance (03:17) 8 Cindy Cindy (02:33) 9 Ill Never Know (02:26) 10 It Aint No Big Thing (But Its Growing) (02:49) 11 Life (03:10) |
| Love Letters From Elvis : Allmusic album Review : In June 1970, Elvis held a five-day recording marathon, during which he completed 34 songs. The impressive results of these sessions allowed RCA to create two thematically coherent Elvis albums, LOVE LETTERS FROM ELVIS and ELVIS COUNTRY (other tracks from these sessions appear on THATS THE WAY IT IS and ELVIS NOW). Since most Elvis songs concern romance, the "love letters" theme of this album does little to distinguish it from most Presley records. Nonetheless, LOVE LETTERS FROM ELVIS benefits from a strong collection of songs representing most of the musical strands of Elvis later career: big dramatic ballads, Charlie Rich-style Memphis boogie, and the occasional rocker, all framed by Presleys large, excellent band and plenty of background vocals. Fans who most enjoy the Kings early recordings might find LOVE LETTERS and his other 70s releases too overblown, but those willing to accept Presleys proclivity for musical flamboyance will find plenty to enjoy here. Outtakes from Elvis June 1970 sessions are available on ESSENTIAL ELVIS VOL. 4: A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 39 Title: Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas Released: 1971-10-20 Tracks: 11 Duration: 32:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 O Come, All Ye Faithful (02:49) 2 The First Noel (02:11) 3 On a Snowy Christmas Night (02:50) 4 Winter Wonderland (02:19) 5 The Wonderful World of Christmas (01:59) 6 It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You) (02:42) 7 I’ll Be Home on Christmas Day (03:50) 8 If I Get Home on Christmas Day (02:53) 9 Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees (02:14) 10 Merry Christmas Baby (05:45) 11 Silver Bells (02:28) |
| Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas : Allmusic album Review : Elvis Presleys 1971 holiday album Elvis Sings "The Wonderful World of Christmas" may not be as irresistible as his 1957 masterpiece Christmas Album, but its nevertheless an enjoyable record. There are no surprises here, either in the selection of tunes ("O Come, All Ye Faithful," "The First Noel," "Winter Wonderland," "Merry Christmas, Baby") or in its soul and country-inflected pop arrangements, but its a solid record that will please Elvis fans. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 39 Title: He Touched Me Released: 1972 Tracks: 16 Duration: 42:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 He Touched Me (02:39) 2 I’ve Got Confidence (02:20) 3 Amazing Grace (03:35) 4 Seeing Is Believing (02:50) 5 He Is My Everything (02:38) 6 Bosom of Abraham (01:36) 7 An Evening Prayer (01:55) 8 Lead Me, Guide Me (02:40) 9 There Is No God but God (02:17) 10 A Thing Called Love (02:22) 11 I, John (02:14) 12 Reach Out to Jesus (03:12) 13 Only Believe (02:50) 14 Put Your Hand In the Hand (03:18) 15 I Got a Feelin In My Body (03:35) 16 Help Me (02:28) |
| He Touched Me : Allmusic album Review : Elvis third and final gospel album, He Touched Me, is distinct from both of his previous LPs -- it was not only recorded five years after the prior album, but included a far different set of songs and musicians. This is Elvis contemporary gospel record, including material from Bill Gaither (the title song), Andraé Crouch ("Ive Got Confidence"), and Dallas Frazier ("He Is My Everything"). His vocal backgrounds come from the Imperials and J.D. Sumner & the Stamps, and the instrumental arrangements leave space for electric guitar and electric bass. Though its spiritual, it doesnt have the sacred feel of 1960s His Hand in Mine or the first half of 1966s How Great Thou Art. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 39 Title: Elvis Now Released: 1972-02-20 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:18:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Help Me Make It Through the Night (02:49) 2 Miracle of the Rosary (01:52) 3 Hey Jude (04:31) 4 Put Your Hand in the Hand (03:17) 5 Until It’s Time for You to Go (03:59) 6 We Can Make the Morning (03:56) 7 Early Mornin Rain (02:57) 8 Sylvia (03:18) 9 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) (02:41) 10 I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago (03:11) 11 Im Leavin (03:55) 12 Its Only Love (02:40) 13 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (03:48) 14 Dont Think Twice, Its All Right (Unedited Master) (09:19) 15 Help Me Make It Through the Night - Takes 8- 10 (04:20) 16 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) - Takes 11, 12 & 14 (05:07) 17 Lady Madonna (01:48) 18 Help Me Make It Through the Night - Takes 1-3 (04:41) 19 Early Mornin Rain - Takes 1, 2 & 9 (04:34) 20 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) - Takes 5 & 6 (03:44) 21 Until Its Time for You to Go - Takes 1-5 (05:08) 22 Im Leavin - Take 1 (04:07) 23 Its Only Love - Takes 1-4 (05:41) 24 I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan) (01:04) 25 Its Only Love - Takes 6 & 7 (03:42) 26 Help Me Make It Through the Night - Takes 4-7 (03:41) 27 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) - Takes 8 & 9 (05:38) 28 Put Your Hand in the Hand - Take 1 (03:17) 29 Its Only Love - Takes 8 & 9 (05:33) 30 Miracle of the Rosary - Take 1 (02:06) 31 Until Its Time for You to Go - Takes 6 & 7 (04:25) 32 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) - Take 10 (03:08) 33 Early Morning Rain - Take 11 (03:38) 34 Help Me Make It Through the Night - Take15 (04:55) 35 Im Leavin - Takes 2 & 3 (06:04) |
| Elvis Now : Allmusic album Review : Recorded primarily in May and June of 1971, Elvis Now is quintessential 70s Elvis Presley, an eclectic mix of ballads, rockers, and gospel numbers all seemingly arranged with Elvis lavish Las Vegas stage show very much in mind. Much of the material would have been familiar to a Vegas audience even before they heard Presley perform it. "Help Me Make It Through the Night" had recently been a big hit for Sammi Smith, Oceans "Put Your Hand in the Hand" had reached number two months before Elvis recorded it, and "Early Morning Rain" was a big country hit for George Hamilton IV in 1966. As usual, Presleys singing is always good and occasionally breathtaking, and his backing band is excellent, if perhaps a little too large for some tastes. This album wont change anyones mind about Presleys late career output, but taken on its own terms, Elvis Now is a solid effort. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 39 Title: Elvis Released: 1973 Tracks: 10 Duration: 25:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Fool (02:43) 2 Where Do I Go From Here (02:40) 3 Love Me, Love The Life I Lead (03:05) 4 Its Still Here (02:08) 5 Its Impossible (02:53) 6 (That’s What You Get) For Lovin’ Me (02:09) 7 Padre (02:31) 8 Ill Take You Home Again Kathleen (02:26) 9 I Will Be True (02:32) 10 Dont Think Twice, Its All Right (02:42) |
 | Album: 29 of 39 Title: Raised on Rock Released: 1973-11-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 27:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Raised on Rock (02:38) 2 Are You Sincere (01:57) 3 Find Out What’s Happening (02:51) 4 I Miss You (02:14) 5 Girl of Mine (03:38) 6 For Ol’ Times Sake (03:35) 7 If You Don’t Come Back (02:28) 8 Just a Little Bit (02:29) 9 Sweet Angeline (03:00) 10 Three Corn Patches (02:45) |
| Raised on Rock : Allmusic album Review : In July 1973 Elvis returned to Memphis, this time to the justly famed source of Southern soul, Stax Studios. After a couple of days, several of Staxs most famous musicians came in, including the marvelous rhythm section of Donald "Duck" Dunn, bass, and Al Jackson, drums. Apparently, the very idea of working with Elvis was intimidating and the group couldnt overcome their awe, so Elvis had to leave the building. In his absence, rhythm tracks were laid down. He then returned to add his vocals, a practice only used during the last few years of the soundtracks, when he was too bored to show up and work. From all of this five songs were attempted, one completed, and its instantly forgettable. Elvis returned in December to Stax and with a mix of his band and some Nashville cats, recording eighteen tracks in a week. In between, he had tried a session at his Palm Springs home that didnt work, although three almost ponderously sincere ballads were completed. All in all, RCA had thirty new Elvis songs, enough quality material for two strong albums of twelve tracks each, which would have restored Presley in the sight of critics and record reviewers and, hopefully, the increasingly apathetic consumer. Unfortunately, the material was issued as three cheesily packaged albums of a mere ten tracks each. Raised on Rock, Good Times and Promised Land all have something to offer: "Ive Got a Thing About You, Baby" is Raised on Rockss standout; "Loving Arms" is Good Times"; while the roaring "Promised Land" kicks off the album of the same name. But the lesser material dilutes the impact of the strong, the sound ranges from okay to atrocious, thus producing more evidence of Presleys growing mediocrity. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 39 Title: Good Times Released: 1974-03-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Take Good Care of Her (02:53) 2 Loving Arms (02:51) 3 I Got a Feelin’ in My Body (03:36) 4 If That Isn’t Love (03:31) 5 She Wears My Ring (03:23) 6 I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby (02:22) 7 My Boy (03:20) 8 Spanish Eyes (02:24) 9 Talk About the Good Times (02:25) 10 Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues (03:09) |
| Good Times : Allmusic album Review : No one could have known it at the time, but Elvis Presley had only a handful of studio albums left ahead of him when Good Times showed up in the late winter of 1974. Recorded in the summer and fall of the previous year at Stax Studios in Memphis, this ten-song album caught the artist near his late-career peak -- he still had better, greater records left to do, but theres nothing here that mars the image or the legend. Whether trading in rock & roll or soul sounds or accompanied by a full-blown gospel choir on "If That Isnt Love," hes in great voice, and with the likes of James Burton and Norbert Putnam playing with him, its hard to find any fault with Good Times, except perhaps its brevity. It wasnt necessarily what longtime fans or potential listeners among younger audiences were looking for, but the album has more than stood the test of time, even if it isnt his best work of this period. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 39 Title: Promised Land Released: 1975-01-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 54:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Promised Land (02:57) 2 Theres a Honky Tonk Angel (03:05) 3 Help Me (02:29) 4 Mr. Songman (02:08) 5 Love Song of the Year (03:33) 6 Its Midnight (03:23) 7 Your Loves Been a Long Time Coming (03:46) 8 If You Talk in Your Sleep (02:35) 9 Thinking About You (03:00) 10 You Asked Me To (02:52) 11 Loving Arms (02:52) 12 I Got a Feelin in My Body (03:35) 13 If That Isnt Love (03:32) 14 She Wears My Ring (03:22) 15 My Boy (02:23) 16 Spanish Eyes (03:20) 17 Talk About the Good Times (02:38) 18 Good Time Charlies Got the Blues (03:11) |
| Promised Land : Allmusic album Review : Promised Land came from the last studio recordings that Elvis Presley ever made in Memphis, the city where his fame and his legend started. The December 1973 Stax Records sessions showed him, as he had on From Elvis in Memphis, reaching out to publishers other than those he owned for songs, and the repertory embraces material by Chuck Berry, Waylon Jennings, and Larry Gatlin, among others. With the best players on hand and an upbeat mood when these songs were cut, and the singer himself lean and rested after a couple of years of concertizing, the vibes throughout this album were positive (and then some). Elvis sounds bold and confident in ways that make this album a diverting, if not profoundly exciting experience. Its not as distinctive or as involved a personal document as Elvis Country or the concentrated soul workout of From Elvis in Memphis, but it does feature some fine, passionate singing throughout (most notably on "Its Midnight," a wrenching performance). | ||
 | Album: 32 of 39 Title: Today Released: 1975-05-07 Tracks: 42 Duration: 2:12:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 T-R-O-U-B-L-E (03:05) 2 And I Love You So (03:42) 3 Susan When She Tried (02:19) 4 Woman Without Love (03:36) 5 Shake a Hand (03:49) 6 Pieces of My Life (04:07) 7 Fairytale (02:46) 8 I Can Help (04:05) 9 Bringin It Back (03:02) 10 Green, Green Grass of Home (03:37) 11 Fairytale (02:49) 12 Green, Green Grass of Home (03:38) 13 I Can Help (04:07) 14 And I Love You So (03:39) 15 Susan When She Tried (02:43) 16 T-R-O-U-B-L-E (03:03) 17 Woman Without Love (03:37) 18 Shake a Hand (03:26) 19 Bringing It Back (02:58) 20 Pieces of My Life (03:51) 1 Also Sprach Zarathustra (01:11) 2 See See Rider (03:03) 3 I Got a Woman / Amen (05:28) 4 Love Me (02:52) 5 If You Love Me (Let Me Know) (02:59) 6 Love Me Tender (02:25) 7 All Shook Up (01:07) 8 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Dont Be Cruel (01:48) 9 Hound Dog (01:59) 10 The Wonder of You (02:27) 11 Burning Love (02:56) 12 Introductions / Johnny B. Goode (04:02) 13 Introductions / School Day (02:02) 14 T-R-O-U-B-L-E (03:35) 15 Why Me Lord (02:50) 16 How Great Thou Art (04:35) 17 Let Me Be There (03:50) 18 An American Trilogy (04:30) 19 Funny How Time Slips Away (03:40) 20 Little Darlin (02:21) 21 Mystery Train / Tiger Man (02:32) 22 Cant Help Falling in Love (02:29) |
| Today : Allmusic album Review : As it turned out, Today would be the last full studio album Elvis Presley recorded in his life. Headed out to Hollywood to collect the Grammy he won for Best Inspirational Performance of 1975 (it was awarded for a live version of "How Great Thou Art"), Presley booked sessions in RCAs L.A. Studio C with his longtime producer Felton Jarvis and settled in to knock out ten songs over the course of three days. Because it opens with the rollicking boogie "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" -- a legitimate throwback to the dawn of rock & roll -- and also finds space for the down-and-dirty gospel-soul groove of "Shake a Hand" and Billy Swans cheerful "I Can Help," Today was pegged upon its initial release as something of a return to Elvis Sun roots, but the rest of the record plays straight down the middle: a collection of Presleys preferred majestic ballads and MOR pop tempered by a touch of lushly produced Nashville country. This combination had long been a winning one for Elvis -- its the blend developed in the wake of 1971s Elvis Country (Im 10,000 Years Old) -- but in 1975, it was slightly past its sell-by date, so it didnt quite sell in blockbuster numbers ("T-R-O-U-B-L-E" did turn into a hit, nearly cracking the country Top Ten and revived in 1992 by Travis Tritt). Nevertheless, these era-specific concerns fade over time and leave Today standing as an excellent latter-day Elvis album. Those rockabilly revivals find Presley game and loose, as does a nimble version of the Statler Brothers "Susan When She Tried"; the trio of orchestrated ballads (Don McLeans "And I Love You So," Jerry Chesnuts "Woman Without Love," Troy Seals "Pieces of My Life") give Elvis an opportunity to find a moving heart beating underneath the shine, a skill that also enlivens an almost corny version of the 60s standard "Green, Green Grass of Home"; while the country reinvention of the Pointer Sisters "Fairytale" and the soulful rendition of Gregg Gordons "Bringin It Back" are expert adult contemporary -- gorgeous and skirting the edges of being overwrought. Added up, Today touches upon nearly everything he did well in the mid-70s -- a nice portrait of Elvis at a time when he was still an active, thriving working musician and a record that remains easy to enjoy today. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 39 Title: From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee Released: 1976 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hurt (02:10) 2 Never Again (02:53) 3 Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (03:42) 4 Danny Boy (04:00) 5 The Last Farewell (04:05) 6 For the Heart (03:23) 7 Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall (03:19) 8 Solitaire (04:44) 9 Love Coming down (03:09) 10 Ill Never Fall in Love Again (03:44) |
| From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee : Allmusic album Review : By 1976 Elvis was recording at home in Graceland, cutting what would be the final recordings of his career. Filled with bathos and showing little rock & roll vitality, these remain interesting nonetheless, as it implied his accepting his age somewhat and attempting to combine old-fashioned, melodramatic soul with contemporary country-pop. While the pain and decay are evident -- especially in hindsight -- Elvis could still sing: "Hurt" is excellent, one of his best and, on "Danny Boy," Elvis reaches with an aching falsetto that closes the song, appropriately. Still, this is hardly the album to begin your collection with. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 39 Title: Moody Blue Released: 1977 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unchained Melody (02:36) 2 If You Love Me (Let Me Know) (03:02) 3 Little Darlin’ (01:55) 4 He’ll Have to Go (04:35) 5 Let Me Be There (03:38) 6 Way Down (02:38) 7 Pledging My Love (02:50) 8 Moody Blue (02:51) 9 She Thinks I Still Care (03:51) 10 It’s Easy for You (03:29) |
| Moody Blue : Allmusic album Review : The last Elvis Presley album released in the singers lifetime, Moody Blue has a somewhat checkered history, especially among fans. Issued two months before Presley died, the album sold moderately well until Presley died -- then it soared up the charts to number three, as his most current album, and it ultimately sold two million copies. As to the music, the original ten-song album was a mixed bag of live recordings, interspersed with new studio work from the previous fall at Graceland. For all of its slapped-together feel, however, Moody Blue held up. The title song, authored by Mark James (whod previously written "Suspicious Minds"), was just about as good a single as Elvis released in the 1970s, topping the country charts earlier in 1977; additionally, he did a superb reinterpretation of the George Jones hit "She Thinks I Still Care." "Little Darlin" was almost more of a burlesque of the 50s rock & roll standard than a real performance, but it is more than made up for by the presence of the Johnny Ace classic "Pledging My Love," done with depth and sincerity. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 39 Title: Follow That Dream Released: 2004 Tracks: 22 Duration: 56:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Follow That Dream (01:37) 2 Angel (02:38) 3 What a Wonderful Life (?) 4 I’m Not the Marrying Kind (01:49) 5 Sound Advice (01:45) 6 A Whistling Tune (02:18) 7 Angel (Takes 1, 2) (04:32) 8 Follow That Dream (Takes 1, 2) (02:16) 9 What a Wonderful Life (Takes 2, 1) (03:19) 10 A Whistling Tune (Takes 2, 3) (03:20) 11 Angel (Take 4) (02:56) 12 I’m Not the Marrying Kind (Takes 2, 3, 4, 6) (04:28) 13 Follow That Dream (Take 3) (02:11) 14 Sound Advice (Take 1) (01:59) 15 Angel (Take 5) (02:53) 16 What a Wonderful Life (Takes 3, 4, 5, 6) (05:58) 17 Angel (Take 6) (02:48) 18 Follow That Dream (Take 4) (01:48) 19 Angel (Take 7, Stereo Master) (02:39) 20 Angel (vocal overdubs) (02:48) 21 A Whistling Tune (Take 4, Stereo Master without Overdub) (01:57) 22 On Top of Old Smokey (00:18) |
 | Album: 36 of 39 Title: Summer Festival Released: 2005 Tracks: 29 Duration: 1:13:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Also Sprach Zarathustra (01:18) 2 See See Rider (02:46) 3 I Got A Woman (02:15) 4 Until Its Time For You To Go (02:36) 5 You Dont Have To Say You Love Me (02:02) 6 Youve Lost That Loving Feeling (04:29) 7 Polk Salad Annie (04:58) 8 What Now My Love (03:30) 9 Fever (02:48) 10 Love Me (01:38) 11 Blue Suede Shoes (01:04) 12 One Night (01:34) 13 All Shook Up (00:57) 14 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Dont Be Cruel (01:47) 15 Heartbreak Hotel (01:47) 16 Hound Dog (02:47) 17 Love Me Tender (01:39) 18 Suspicious Minds (04:48) 19 Introductions (01:15) 20 My Way (03:50) 21 An American Trilogy (04:27) 22 Cant Help Falling In Love (Instrumental Closing) (02:21) 23 Little Sister / Get Back (02:09) 24 Its Over (02:31) 25 Proud Mary (02:36) 26 Never Been To Spain (03:46) 27 For The Good Times (03:10) 28 A Big Hunk OLove (02:04) 29 Tiger Man (00:19) |
 | Album: 37 of 39 Title: Rockin Across Texas Released: 2009 Tracks: 41 Duration: 2:15:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 See See Rider (02:46) 2 I Got A Woman / Amen (06:46) 3 Love Me (01:44) 4 Trying To Get To You (02:52) 5 All Shook Up (01:08) 6 Love Me Tender (01:49) 7 Hound Dog (01:23) 8 Fever (03:06) 9 Polk Salad Annie (04:33) 10 Why Me Lord (03:42) 11 Suspicious Minds (03:48) 12 Introductions (03:21) 13 I Can´t Stop Loving You (02:30) 14 Help Me (02:52) 15 An American Trilogy (03:51) 16 Let Me Be There (03:41) 17 Heartbreak Hotel (02:49) 18 Funny How Time Sleeps Away (03:51) 19 Big Boss Man (03:32) 20 Can´t Help Falling In Love (00:37) 21 Interview Odessa, Texas 1960 (05:51) 1 See See Rider (04:19) 2 I Got A Woman / Amen (07:20) 3 Love Me (03:04) 4 If You Love Me Let Me Know (02:54) 5 You Gave Me A Mountain (03:16) 6 All Shook Up (01:09) 7 Teddy Bear (00:50) 8 Don´t Be Cruel (01:12) 9 And I Love You So (03:28) 10 Jailhouse Rock (01:36) 11 Fever (03:05) 12 America (03:10) 13 Polk Salad Annie (04:35) 14 Introduction / Early Morning Rain/ Whatd I Say / Johnny B.Good (06:06) 15 Introductions (03:21) 16 Introductions / Love Letters / School Days (04:08) 17 Hurt (04:01) 18 Hound Dog (03:00) 19 Funny How Time Sleeps Away (04:36) 20 Can´t Help Falling In Love (04:08) |
 | Album: 38 of 39 Title: Stay Away, Joe Released: 2014 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:11:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Stay Away (02:24) 2 Stay Away, Joe (01:38) 3 Dominic (01:50) 4 All I Need Was the Rain (01:48) 5 Goin Home (02:29) 6 Too Much Monkey Business (02:31) 7 U.S. Male (02:43) 8 Stay Away (Jam, take 2) (02:43) 9 Too Much Monkey Business (Takes 1, 3, 9) (06:59) 10 All I Need Was the Rain (Track take 3 + VO/M) (02:32) 11 Stay Away, Joe (Takes 10, 12, 13) (02:57) 12 U.S. Male (Takes 2, 3, 5, 7) (06:43) 1 Goin Home (Takes 12, 18, 21) (03:20) 2 Stay Away (Takes 5, 6) (02:52) 3 Dominic (Takes 1, 3, 2) (02:41) 4 U.S. Male (Takes 9, 10) (05:11) 5 Stay Away, Joe (Takes 15, 16, 17) (03:48) 6 Too Much Monkey Business (Takes 12, 10) (03:48) 7 Stay Away (Takes 11, 12, 14) (04:53) 8 U.S. Male (take 11) (03:26) 9 Goin Home (Takes 22, 24, 26, 29) (04:07) |
 | Album: 39 of 39 Title: Off-On Stage Released: 2018 Tracks: 16 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Got a Woman (?) 2 Long Tall Sally (?) 3 Let It Be Me (Je t’appartiens) (?) 4 Don’t Cry Daddy (?) 5 I Can’t Stop Loving You (?) 6 Walk a Mile in My Shoes (?) 7 Sweet Caroline (?) 8 Kentucky Rain (?) 9 Polk Salad Annie (?) 10 Proud Mary (?) 11 Release Me (and Let Me Love Again) (?) 12 See See Rider (?) 13 The Wonder of You (?) 14 Don’t Cry Daddy (?) 15 Kentucky Rain (?) 16 Love Me Tender (?) |