Reviews

Review: ELVIS RECORDED LIVE ON STAGE IN MEMPHIS CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis. Recorded March 20, 1974, Mid-South Coliseum (Memphis). Released: July 1974. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

With the release of Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis, all of Elvis’ original live albums are finally available on compact disc. The album sounds great and the electricity of the audience as well as Elvis can truly be felt.

The great love between the performer and his audience can be heard just before the closing song when Elvis says, “It’s always been said that a person cannot return to their home town, but you have disproven that theory completely. You’ve really made it worthwhile.” The audience begins to chant, “We love you” as the band breaks into “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”

In addition to some of the mainstays of his concert repertoire, Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis also features some new songs, such as “Why Me Lord,” which is excellent, and “Let Me Be There.” Live versions of two 1950s songs, “Blueberry Hill” and “My Baby Left Me,” have never been released on any other album.

Elvis also introduces a song that he had recently recorded, “Help Me,” which would later be released on the Promised Land album.

Songs:

  1. See See Rider
  2. I Got A Woman/Amen
  3. Love Me
  4. Trying To Get To You
  5. Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On/Mama Don’t Dance/Flip, Flop & Fly/Jailhouse Rock/Hound Dog
  6. Why Me Lord
  7. How Great Thou Art
  8. Blueberry Hill/I Can’t Stop Loving You
  9. Help Me
  10. An American Trilogy
  11. Let Me Be There
  12. My Baby Left Me
  13. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
  14. Can’t Help Falling In Love
  15. Closing Vamp

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review: GOOD TIMES CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Good Times (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis. Recorded July 21-22 and December 10-16, 1973, Stax Studios (Memphis). Released: March 1974. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

Good Times contains some of the greatest songs of all of the new CDs reviewed in this issue: “Lovin’ Arms,” “I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby,” “My Boy,” “Spanish Eyes,” and “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues.”

“Take Good Care Of Her” and “Talk About The Good Times” are average songs, which Good Times also contains three weak songs: “I Got A Feelin’ In My Body,” “If That Isn’t Love,” and “She Wears My Ring.”

Once again, unless you are waiting for The 70s Masters boxed set, this one is definitely a must.

Songs:

  1. Take Good Care Of Her
  2. Lovin’ Arms
  3. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body
  4. If That Isn’t Love
  5. She Wears My Ring
  6. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby
  7. My Boy
  8. Spanish Eyes
  9. Talk About The Good Times
  10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: RAISED ON ROCK CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Raised On Rock (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis and Elvis Presley. Recorded July 21-23, 1973, Stax Studios (Memphis) and September 22-24, 1973, Elvis’ home (Palm Springs). Released: November 1973. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

This re-issue of Raised On Rock, which interestingly drops the original “For Ol’ Times Sake” subtitle, contains a page of poorly written liner notes, as do the other three albums reviewed in this issue, of which this is the last paragraph:

This album was recorded at a very difficult time during Elvis’ life. It could never be considered a classic. In October, his petition for divorce from Priscilla would be finalized and it must have weighed heavily on his mind. The poignancy of “For Ol’ Time Sake” [sic] puts this into perspective and makes this re-issue still a must for any real Elvis fan.

I had never heard the Raised On Rock album before, and I read the liner notes before playing it. I fully expected to be disappointed by this album since even Elvis’ own record company seems to feel that Raised On Rock was generally a worthless album with only one good song.

After listening to the album, I found that I totally disagreed with the liner notes and, in retrospect, found them insulting both to Elvis and his fans.

Does an album have to hit number one to be a “classic”? What is a classic anyway? Why is it assumed that Elvis’ personal life would have a negative impact on his music? Can’t Elvis’ own record company get the title of his song right? What is a “real Elvis fan,” anyway?

The liner notes suggest that only obsessed fans would even consider buying Raised On Rock, and, even then, they would probably only play it once.

Despite the liner notes, Raised On Rock is an excellent album that contains a wide variety of musical styles. All ten of the songs are strong and prove Elvis’ voice to be in good form. It makes one wonder if the unidentified author of the liner notes even bothered to listen to the album.

Songs:

  1. Raised On Rock
  2. Are You Sincere
  3. Find Out What’s Happening
  4. I Miss You
  5. Girl Of Mine
  6. For Ol’ Times Sake
  7. If You Don’t Come Back
  8. Just A Little Bit
  9. Sweet Angeline
  10. Three Corn Patches

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review: ELVIS (1973) CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis. Recorded 1971 & 1972, Nashville, Las Vegas, and Hollywood. Released: July 1973. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

Elvis is the first of four albums reviewed in this issue that were finally re-released by RCA as CDs after being unavailable for years. Until the “Elvis In The 90s” series, many of Elvis’ 1970s albums had been deleted from RCA’s catalog, depriving younger fans of the opportunity to hear some of his best work.

Elvis contains many excellent songs: “Fool,” “Where Do I Go From Here,” “Love Me, Love The Life I Lead,” “It’s Impossible,” “It’s Still Here,” “For Lovin’ Me,” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

The album also contains three weaker songs: “Padre,” “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen,” and “I Will Be True.”

Unless you are patient enough to wait around for The 70s Masters boxed set, which I wasn’t, this album is a must for any fan’s collection.

Songs:

  1. Fool
  2. Where Do I Go From Here
  3. Love Me, Love The Life I Lead
  4. It’s Still Here
  5. It’s Impossible
  6. For Lovin’ Me
  7. Padre
  8. I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
  9. I Will Be True
  10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: FROM NASHVILLE TO MEMPHIS rates high [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 18 when I wrote this review back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #6, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I, has managed to exceed the quality of its excellent predecessor, ELVIS: The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters.

The outstanding 5-CD boxed set contains all of Elvis’ 1960s studio recordings, excluding the movie soundtracks, which are being released in the Elvis Double Features series, the gospel albums, and the ELVIS (’68 Comeback) special recordings, which are to be released in future sets, in addition to the 1970s material.

All of the CDs contain wonderful songs, including some that have not been available for a long time. By far, the best discs are four and five, which contain the complete 1969 Memphis recordings, assembled together for the first time, as well as outtakes from those and other 1960s sessions. Most notably among the new tracks are a studio jam version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and alternate versions of “In The Ghetto” and “Kentucky Rain.”

Rating: 10 out of 10

Volume II, Issue 1: Quick Reviews [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 18 when I wrote this piece back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #5, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

CDs

  • Elvis Country (1971/1993) – Rating: 9 out of 10
  • Elvis Now (1972/1993) – Rating: 7 out of 10
  • Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite (1973/1992) – Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Television

  • The Woman Who Loved Elvis (April 18, 1993) – Rating: 8 out of 10
  • Quantum Leap: “Memphis Song” (April 20, 1993) – Rating: 6 out of 10
  • America Comes To Graceland (August 1993) – Rating: 8.5 out of 10
  • Elvis: His Life And Times (August 1993) – Rating: 7.5 out of 10
  • A&E-Biography: Elvis Presley (August 21, 1993) – Rating: 6 out of 10
  • A&E-Time Machine: Elvis, The Beginning (August 21, 1993) – Rating: 2 out of 10

Review – ELVIS DOUBLE FEATURES: HARUM SCARUM/GIRL HAPPY [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 18 when I wrote this review back in 1993 for The Elvis Beat #5, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis Double Features: Harum Scarum/Girl Happy (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, June-July 1964 (Girl Happy), Radio Recorders Studio (Hollywood), and February 1965 (Harum Scarum), RCA Studios (Nashville). Released: 1993 (CD).

Elvis Double Features: Harum Scarum/Girl Happy is definitely the worst of the four Elvis Double Features CDs released so far . Of the 22 songs, there is only one that is above-average, “So Close, Yet So Far,” which is featured on the Harum Scarum portion and whose title could also sum up the songs from that movie.

Despite the excellent backing music on Harum Scarum, the lyrics of the songs are so awful that the efforts are wasted.

Girl Happy contains only typical movie songs, with the highlights being the title song itself and “Puppet On A String.”

The Elvis Double Features series does have some redeeming values for collectors.

Each of the songs sounds great, in  the sense that in most cases the sound is very clear, on a level comparable to ELVIS: The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters.

Each CD also comes with a nice booklet containing a brief history of his film career, information about the two movies featured on the CD as well as data on the recording sessions for the soundtracks. Several photos from the films, other miscellaneous information, and a complete listing of Elvis’ 33 films round out each booklet.

So, despite the mediocre material, the Elvis Double Features series is well-produced so far.

RCA plans to release the remainder of Elvis’ 1960s film music in this format, but let us hope that this is not their top priority when so many other excellent and certainly more deserving Elvis songs are awaiting CD release.

Songs:

  1. “Harem Holiday”
  2. “My Desert Serenade”
  3. “Go East Young Man”
  4. “Mirage”
  5. “Kismet”
  6. “Shake That Tambourine”
  7. “Hey Little Girl”
  8. “Golden Coins”
  9. “So Close, Yet So Far”
  10. “Animal Instinct”
  11. “Wisdom Of The Ages”
  12. “Girl Happy”
  13. “Spring Fever”
  14. “Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce”
  15. “Startin’ Tonight”
  16. “Wolf Call”
  17. “Do Not Disturb”
  18. “Cross My Heart And Hope To Die”
  19. “The Meanest Girl In Town”
  20. “Do The Clam”
  21. “Puppet On A String”
  22. “I’ve Got To Find My Baby”

Rating: 3.5 out of 10