Elvis Advice Please

A great compilation (which I found at Starbuck's!) is Boy From Tupelo, BMG DRC13597. Has great 50's rockers without too many obvious chestnuts. It's the only album by the King that I own, and scratches the itch nicely.

Douggan

Elvis' best album is "FROM ELVS IN MEMPHIS", a masterpiece created just after the '68 Comeback Special. It's a near-perfect work of art. The quality of recording is amazing, the musicianship exemplary, but most of all is the King's vocal performance: buouyed with confidence aftes the success of the Special, he turns in the performance of a lifetime. There is a version of "Gentle On My Mind" which is nothing less than extraordinary, an incredibly moving performance.

From Elvis in Memphis

The 68 comeback is available as a 3-DVD set and is another compulsory purchase.

Elvis' first post-Army LP, "ELVIS IS BACK!" is a another great album, recorded in RCA Living Stereo and containing an out-of-this-world take on "Fever". I have it on DCC analgue remastered LP and the sound quality matches the perfomance. First rate stuff.

"ELVIS 56" is a great survey of the early stuff, if you can find it.

Finally, don't condemn the Vegas stuff out of hand. Sure, there is dross to wade through, but Elvis' physical and mental decline coincided with a growing richness to his voice. He lives out his sadness and despair in his songs, as if he were attempting to find some sort of redemption.

"WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES: THE ESSENTIAL 70s MASTERS" is a first-rate 4-CD collection of the 1970s Elv, and demonstrates both the richness and breadth of his vocal genius, AND just how under-regarded the later years are.

Walk A Mile In My Shoes

Hope that's enough to be getting on with!

Kevin

Kevin

Great! Thanks for that . . .

Off to Amazon now . . . .

D

Let us know what you think...

K

I have 'Elvis is Back', I'm now going to add 'From Elvis in Memphis'.

Pino Bartella, a grammar school class mate of mine only liked two kinds of music, this was in the seventies, Elvis and Elvis. He said of 'Elvis is Back' if you only have one Elvis recording that it was one to have!

Currently, http://www.amazon.fr has From Elvis in Memphis at 8.98€.

Not many people tend to mention it when talking about great Elvis albums but I really like 'Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old)'.

One of his later efforts but a superb collection of songs bridged by the bizarre insertion of 5 to 10 second sections of the song 'I'm 10,000 Years Old' (I think) in between each of the tracks. Whilst this concept may sound crap it actually works very well in my opinion.

Standout track: 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'

Jonathan

Having a few years ago been in similar 'questing' situation, I ended up buying about 130 CDs etc to get/listen to 'everything' (including unreleased stuff).

Later I found out you need buy only about 75 CDs to get all of Mr Presley's stuff (including 'Vegas' & film-soundtracks).

My conclusion is
a) He had a great voice.
b) Genuine e.g. CD versions of his original albums are as has been suggested generally the way to enjoy his stuff.
c) Particularly at discount prices, buying the 3 5-CD sets covering 50s/60s/70s (and maybe 2-CD film summary if you don't want all soundtracks)is a good way to start. (I discovered these after wasting money on other compilation-versions).

I like it all - even film-sounds/'Vegas' performances.

As a 'one-off', 'PRESLEY The All Time Greatest Hits' might be best 2-CD 'intro'.

This one's pretty good.

Much as I like Mojo magazine and am an avid reader I had to laugh when their 'How to buy....' section covered Elvis earlier this year. For those who don't know the magazine they suggest the 10 essential albums of an artist/genre and then give 'One to avoid'

For Elvis they smugly told reader to avoid Elvis Number 1s! Surely for the uninitiated this is the music that made the public love him and should be first on the essential list I would say.

Jonathan

PS If your interested I could dig out the edition and post what they considered his 10 best works for people new to The King.

I'd like to aslo recommend Elvis '56. I think it was mentioned before. It contains all of his first recordings for RCA. Excellent sound and together with the Sunrise 2cd set you should be more that satisfied with your E! 50's collection.

Thanks all . . . .

It looks like I'm definately and 'early' Elvis fan. I got a copy of "Elvis is Back" and I have to say most of it just seems too slick and 'commercial' sounding when compared to the rougher bluesy stuff from the 50's.

I'm going to check out Elvis 56 as from what I've read that sounds more my thing . . .

Doug

Shayman,

I think Mojo has deteriorated greatly over the past 5 years or so to the point where it has become unreliable in the extreme, however, the reason one should avoid 'No1s' is simply because they are not the original songs. They are what might be politely described as "tarted up" or impolitely described as featuring music and instruments that did not appear on the original recordings. Plenty of info. on the net on this. Elvis records should not sound as though they were recorded after 2000!!!

Mike

I can also recommend 'Elvis in Memphis': Gentle On My Mind is stunning. I got the LP for Christmas when I was about 13 and have loved it ever since. For lovers of the early stuff, I have a double album called 'The Complete Sun Sessions' which also contains lots of outakes and alternative versions of our favourites.

Having said that, I Just Can't help Believing, from about '71 is one of his best.

Sean.

PS: now you've got me started, I'm playing Elvis now = late night!