Ugh! Elvis As Elevator Music: The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook Poorly.

The Good: The novelty for the first listen
The Bad: Boring, Largely atonal, Terrible selection of pieces, SHORT!
The Basics: The Castaway Strings phone in a lousy collection of songs, some of which barely sound like the tunes they are intended to represent.


Every now and then I encounter a product that when I sit down to write about it, I am forced to ask myself, "How little can I write about this and still pull off a very helpful review?" There are works I will pan and gladly write pages and pages of critique on as I tear it apart and advise my readers strongly to avoid. Then, there are things like The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook, a disc I discovered at my local library when searching for music of Elvis Presley to review. Like the Joni Mitchell tribute album Came Upon A Child Of God that I discovered a while back that was terrible, The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook is an abysmal album that wants to capitalize on the success of Elvis Presley by reimagining his works in another style.

In this case, that style is elevator music.

I wish I were kidding. But, alas and alack The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook is an eleven track compact disc that clocks in at right around a half hour of muzak. Robbed of the lyrics, conductor and musical arranger Bill Finnegan illustrates the horrors likely to come when other popular music enters the public domain in the years following the death of other influential musical artists. Scored from early-'50's works of Elvis Presley, The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook presents instrumental versions of largely recognizable songs made popular by Elvis Presley.

And it's hard to muster up the enthusiasm to write much more about this disc. While one might get instantly excited to see that some old favorites like "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender" and "Don't Be Cruel" are available on the disc one needs to understand just how bad this presentation is to be dissuaded from buying it.

First, this disc employs a fairly full orchestra to reimagine some of Presley's songs. This has moments where it is actually clever or decent, like using a brass section for the refrain of "Return To Sender." Or, there's . . . . no, that's the only moment of clever music I can find here. I suffered through eight listens to this album and I'm not condemning myself to another, even for purposes of review.

The truth is, beginning the first listen, there was some novelty to the disc. After weeks of drowning in the crooning of Elvis Presley, it was refreshing to hear some of the tunes without his vocals. No lyrics, no voice, no lines . . . but by the time track five came along it was pretty much all over for me. Those who have read my reviews on the works of Elvis Presley might note that at virtually every opportunity to praise "Love Me Tender," I leap on that action. It's a truly great song and one of the songs that I've memorized fastest in my life due to its simplicity. It is a brilliant combination of simplicity and soul and I'm not sure if I'll ever get sick of that song.

Track five on The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook is their version of "Love Me Tender" and it is unrecognizable. I mean, at the peak of my obsession with the song, I popped in this disc and when that song came up, I did not recognize it. To be fair, there is little instrumental melody to "Love Me Tender;" every version I've heard relies on the strength of Elvis's vocals to present the music. But here it's an atonal nightmare (I feel I am writing that phrase so frequently these days it is beginning to lose all meaning!) and it makes me cringe every time it comes up in the rotation.

Almost as bad is "Hound Dog," which opens the album. As annoying as the syncopated, occasionally off-beat percussion in Presley's "Hound Dog" is, the lack of it on the track here is even worse.

Moreover, Finnegan and his orchestra make a critical mistake that Presley somehow and his producers managed to more or less avoid when assembling his albums: they put a number of tracks with essentially the same tune on the same album and rather close to one another. Ever notice how "Hound Dog," "All Shook Up" and "Don't Be Cruel" all have essentially the same tune? Ever notice how "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Return To Sender" sound a lot alike in their refrains? If you haven't before, hearing them within minutes of one another will wake you up to it with this disc!

Yes, the true problem here is that The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook utilizes a terrible variety of Presley's songs that even though some use more woodwinds or others use more brass or some are arranged with strings dominating, the essential tunes are more or less the same. This is like listening to an album of all Elvis Presley ballads. Sure there are some great ones, but if you listen to them back to back, you'll catch that they are essentially the same three songs rearranged and with different lyrics. This album cannot hide that and it makes one wince to hear it all.

Even worse is the arrangement on the actual album. It's one thing to have songs that sound alike on the same album, but The Castaway Strings Play The Elvis Presley Songbook puts the tracks that generally use the same aspects of the orchestra together on the album. So while a decent brass section is used on "Return To Sender," the album also uses the same general level of brass on "Don't Be Cruel" and "It's Now Or Never," while the first few tracks are virtually devoid of brass.

Even fans of Elvis Presley will not find this album indispensable. It is a collection of poorly conceived musical renditions of songs that are much better and much stronger in other forms. For sure, creativity ought to be rewarded, but this endeavor seems far less creative and far more exploitative, like here was a group desperate to cash in on the popularity of Elvis Presley without truly showing any musical instinct or insight. Perhaps the best analogy is that this album sounds like one might imagine an average high school band putting together when there was a bulk sale on Elvis Presley sheet music.

Can an orchestral version of Presley's music be pulled off well? I imagine it can. This is not it, though. The only truly bearable track is "Return To Sender," the rest is utterly unredeemable.

For works by the actual Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
A Date With Elvis
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2
Today, Tomorrow, And Forever
Heart And Soul
King Of Rock: The Complete 50's Masters
Love Songs
30 #1 Hits

0/10

For other music reviews, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Uninspired Elvis Love: The Obscure Love Songs By Elvis Presley Is Not Worth Tracking Down.

The Good: Some of the tracks are true gems, moments of voice or lyrics
The Bad: A number of lesser songs,many of which aren't truly about love.Nothing new or original.
The Basics: A strangely unromantic collection of songs, many of which arguably aren't even love songs mires this Elvis Presley compilation.


As my steady diet of the music of Elvis Presley comes to an end (yea!) I am faced with the ever worsening selection of discs to choose from. The obscure compilation Love Songs is my last proper Elvis disc and it comes on the heels of a similarly themed Heart & Soul, which immediately begs the question "What's the point?" Most of Presley's songs, as it turns out, are either love songs or laments about the loss of love, so if one follows through on the theme, it seems like there would be a virtually unlimited supply of tracks to make compilations from. But at what point are the compilations less valuable and more a shameless attempt to make a buck off of Brand Elvis?

Whatever the point that separates the two, Love Songs appears firmly on the wrong side of that line.

With only eighteen tracks clocking in at less than an hour Love Songs represents a fairly lame collection of studio cuts of well-known Elvis Presley songs. There are no surprises here, nothing shocking and previously unheard from Elvis. Indeed, the album opens with the most intriguing track for those looking for something other than the typical Elvis Standards: Presley's cover of "Unchained Melody." Fully backed by his late-Elvis orchestra, Presley spurts through the song with little passion and less originality.

Those who might take my advice and pick up Heart & Soul will find that Love Songs is attempting to exploit the same niche with less impressive results. As a matter of fact, Love Songs duplicates six tracks from the earlier compilation. Out of the thousands of performances and recordings, to issues a c.d. that is thematically identical to another compilation with one-third of the same material is just pathetic. Of course, it's hard to imagine a love-song c.d. of Elvis Presley's without "Love Me Tender," and maybe even "Can't Help Falling In Love," but reusing "It's Now Or Never," "Suspicious Minds" (which, I'm sorry, hardly qualifies as a love song!), "She's Not You" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" just seems intellectually lazy of the album's producers.

On Love Songs, it's all about production and arrangement as this is a pure compilation of tracks that have all been released (many on several occasions) previously and represent a strangely limited vocal range for Presley while making a broader thematic album. Indeed, sometimes, it seems like the only thing that truly binds these songs is the use of the word "love" somewhere in the piece.

Take, for example, "Puppet On A String," one of Presley's less remarkable endeavors. Arguably more about the helplessness that comes from infatuation, Presley sings "Take my heart and please be fair / Handle it with loving care / For I'm just a puppet on a string / You can do most anything to me / If you really love me / Darling please be kind / I offer you the truest love / That you will ever find . . ." ("Puppet On A String") with little more than a singsong presentation of the lyrics. There's no zest, no tragedy even of being heartwrenched. Instead, it feels and sounds - and reads in the lyrics - like a dumb pop song, more concerned with rhyme than substance.

This is not to say the album is all bad lyrically, though "Good Luck Charm" is not likely to win any big-time lyrics awards, after all Love Songs does contain the poetic "Love Me Tender," the classic "Unchained Melody" and the tongue-in-cheek horror of "She's Not You." Lyrically, the standout on Love Songs among all of the oft-used tracks might well be "Kentucky Rain." Far more a song about loss - one might suspect those who put together these compilations have lost a lot more than loved - the song, written by Eddie Rabbit and Dick Heard has Presley singing, "Seven lonely days / And a dozen towns ago / I reached out one night / And you were gone / Don't know why you'd run, / What you're running to or from / All I know is I want to bring you home / So I'm walking in the rain, / Thumbing for a ride / On this lonely Kentucky backroad / I've loved you much too long / And my love's too strong / To let you go, never knowing / What went wrong . . ." ("Kentucky Rain"). Presley becomes almost a rocking folk singer with the storytelling nature of the song and it is truly a treat, especially compared to some of his much more common tracks.

Moreover, the end of the album seems even more confused. There's not a real good argument to be made that god's love isn't a worthwhile love to sing about on an album of love songs, but tracks like "You Gave Me A Mountain" and especially "Wonder Of You" do seem to be more often interpreted as a higher form of love Presley is singing about, as opposed to the romantic love on more of the tracks. So, between the godly love and the number of tracks expressing more of a sense of loss than the joys of love, Love Songs is hardly an upbeat, romantic compilation.

Sadly, though, for anyone looking for Presley's talent, Love Songs illustrates Elvis far more often as the straight-out performer as opposed to an artist. Unlike many albums where he accompanies most of the songs on his guitar, many of these tracks, like "Suspicious Minds" and "Unchained Melody" simply have Elvis crooning as opposed to actually playing any instruments. It becomes easy to imagine Presley singing to a lounge audience as opposed to rocking out with these songs.

This is not to say that Presley's vocal performances are poor in this compilation. Presley proves his ability to make one swoon with his voice with tracks like "Spanish Eyes" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" The only real problem vocally is that Presley's range seems to be limited on this compilation. Vocally, "It's Now Or Never" and "Suspicious Minds" are very similar and the ear acclimates to this easily.

Musically, the album bounces between stark, almost acoustic tracks ("Love Me Tender," "Can't Help Falling In Love") and bigger, rich band tracks like "Wonder Of You" and "Suspicious Minds." The production elements on the bigger sounding tracks are adequate and well-considered.

Ultimately, though, all of these songs are available elsewhere and it seems like there are other, better compilations for expressing Presley's penchant for songs of love. Heart & Soul had more recognizable and generally better caliber tracks. Here, it feels like those who control Brand Elvis were just trying to make a buck. And there's nothing romantic about that.

The best track is "Suspicious Minds," the most incongruent track is "Separate Ways."

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
A Date With Elvis
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2
Today, Tomorrow, And Forever
Heart And Soul
King Of Rock: The Complete 50's Masters
30 #1 Hits

3.5/10

Check out my Music Review Index Page for a comprehensive list of all the albums and singles I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

The 1950s As Defined By Elvis, All In One Place! The Complete 50’s Masters!

The Good: Some truly amazing songs, Everything from Elvis from the '50's! Interview.
The Bad: Some truly esoteric and dull tracks, Repetitive musical sound, Limited vocal range.
The Basics: A weak recommendation for a massive music collection that reveals how dull rock and roll in the 1950s was when presented by Brand Elvis.


As my little Elvis festival nears its end, I am strangely overjoyed that I have reached Elvis: The King Of Rock 'N' Roll - The Complete 50's Masters. So much of the music I have been listening to the last month has been Elvis Presley and, frankly, I've heard all of his works from the 50's more than ten times each now and I am a little tired of it. With The Complete 50’s Masters, fans of Elvis Presley's works get all of the joy of Presley's eight (there were nine, but one was a pure compilation with nothing new) full length albums from the 1950s. The nice thing about The Complete 50's Masters is that there are tracks not previously available or were difficult to track down.

The bottomline for this recording is simple: fans of Elvis Presley are likely to enjoy the popular and obscure favorites encapsulated in this boxed set, but it is likely to be a bit much for those who are more casually interested in the music of Elvis.

Over five discs clocking in at more than six hours of music, The Complete 50’s Masters is a one hundred forty track archive of all of the songs Presley recorded during the 1950s as well as an interview, and a disc chock full of material that was previously unreleased or not released on compact disc. Basically, the first four discs encapsulate the materials on his eight studio albums of the day (see links below) and because I have done extensive reviews of those, the remainder of this review will focus almost exclusively on the final track of disc four and the fifth disc.

The final track of disc four is an interview with Elvis Presley from the press conference when Private Elvis Presley was shipping out to Germany for his Army service. This presents an intriguing side of Elvis as he jokes, discusses his celebrity and sounds momentarily vulnerable at moments about his future. He is charming and mostly confident and one of the interviewers repeats questions that are off-mike so the listener is granted the full back and forth between Elvis and the press pool. It is an interesting, twenty minute track that rounds out the album well. Unfortunately, it also is incredibly boring upon the fifth relisten and beyond. This becomes twenty minutes of filler and this becomes a track most likely to be skipped by those going through the collection repetitively.

That leaves the final disc. This collection of twenty-six live, alternate take and obscure performance tracks that appear on the prior discs. There are only four tracks ("Fool, Fool, Fool," "Tweedle Dee," "Maybellene," and "Reconsider Baby") that are not on other discs in other - usually more finished or produced - forms. This disc is also repetitive in that it contains multiple versions of some of the track, like two alternate takes of "Shake, Rattle And Roll" and various tempo changed versions of "Loving You." These are interesting in an academic sense, but the disc is not terrible exciting from a listener's perspective, especially if one follows the prior four discs with a listen to this one.

Many of the tracks have only subtle differences to the original. I'm not a huge fan of the song "King Creole," but the alternate version sounds remarkably similar to the one I do not like, which was the released version. Similarly, the versions of "Old Shep" and "I Beg Of You," which were alternate masters, are not incredibly different from the released versions, making one wonder what even the historical value of releasing them in this collection is.

The most impressive musical bit collected on this disc would have to be the mini concert represented by tracks thirteen through sixteen. From a performance live at the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas from May 6, 1956, The Complete 50’s Masters collects "Heartbreak Hotel," "Long Tall Sally," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Money Honey" live for the listener. Introduced by Presley, these four tracks are presented in a live way that seems fresh and spontaneous. Hearing Presley stumble through introducing the songs is intriguing and is a very different presentation compared to how he is portrayed in history classes. But the live performances sound good and with Presley on guitar, it becomes clear that he actually rocked, especially on "Blue Suede Shoes."

Most of the tracks are not as fresh and interesting as the live tracks in the middle of the album. The up-tempo version of "Loving You" is interesting following on the heels of the slow version, but the interest in it is mostly in the contrast. Having heard the studio version on prior discs ad nauseam, this sampling is recognizably different.

As for the four unique tracks to this disc, they reveal nothing more about Presley than what one hears on the other tracks. Presley did not write, produce, or mix any of the tracks, so it once again reinforces the concept of Elvis the Performer as opposed to Elvis the Artist. He does sing and play guitar on the four unique tracks, as well as most of the others on this disc. The unique tracks are from various sessions from 1954 through 1956.

Ultimately, what he final disc does is reinforce the other four discs of musical information. As one trundles through this bulky set, several things become quite clear: Presley can sing, Presley has some abilities on the guitar, and while his songs are predominately moody ballads as opposed to straightforward rock and roll, like he is characterized as.

All of this is a polite way of saying that The Complete 50’s Masters reveals well a performer who struck into a niche and stuck there into the collective unconscious. With less popular performers, this would be called a rut and it, in many ways, is truly one. Disc five presents alternate takes, many of which do not expand appreciably Presley's known repertoire. They do not challenge his vocal range and none present audacious music that make the listener rethink their perceptions of Presley. Indeed, there is nothing groundbreaking or truly unfamiliar on this disc or even in this collection. By the end of the first disc, Presley has locked into his sound: mellow vocals and strong guitar or piano-driven tracks. Disc five does not challenge that.

Neither "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy," nor any of the other songs on this final disc reinterpret the mood or feeling of the originals, they are simply slightly different recordings. Honestly, I have not been this disappointed in alternate versions since seeing the music video for Reba M. and Kelly Clarkson's duet of "Because Of You" and getting to the end to see that Reba did not alter Clarkson's vision. In other words, Clarkson presented the song and in the video had the protagonist returning to her abusive partner. In Reba's version she simply does the same thing; there's not even the audacity to suggest that in her version Clarkson's character successfully extricates herself from the terrible situation. It's boring, it begs the question "Why make a cover?"

Presley's works are almost all covers - others wrote almost all of his material and some say the "almost" is an overstatement as he might have been credited for writing he was not actually involved in. So, given a disc of alternate versions, the most audacious thing is a tempo change to one song . . . that's just sad.

The entire collection is thorough, but ultimately, it makes one wonder how Presley became such a phenomenon. The sound and vocals to most of the songs is repetitive and by the third disc, Presley is not saying anything new in any new ways. He simply repackages same musical themes in new poetics and slightly different melodies. The result is a massive collection that a true Elvis fan might adore, but most people will find more interesting on an academic level than a musical enjoyment one.

The best track is the fast version of "Loving You," the low point is the unremarkably and indistinctly different version of "King Creole." Recommendation is ultimately for Elvis fans ONLY!

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
A Date With Elvis
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2
Today, Tomorrow, And Forever
Heart And Soul
30 #1 Hits

5/10

For other music reviews, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the albums and singles I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Classics And Covers: Elvis Heart And Soul Is A Worthwhile Compilation!

The Good: Some wonderful releases, Decent mix for the album's theme
The Bad: Moments of vocal limitation, Nothing truly new to Elvis fans
The Basics: Elvis Presley's established and obscure love and loss songs come together on an adequate compilation disc that's worth picking up!


Just when I think I will not be surprised again for some time, I find myself surprised, usually unpleasantly. It was an unusual circumstance, then, when I found an Elvis Presley c.d. after a month of Elvis overload that not only could I stand, but I actually enjoyed! Such was the case, though, with Elvis Presley's Heart And Soul, a compilation album of some of Presley's best-known, most romantic songs. In addition to the standards, though, there were some true surprises; covers I had never heard of Presley performing that he pulls off admirably, a shock for all who listen to the album!

With twenty-two tracks clocking in at sixty-five minutes, twenty-one seconds, Heart & Soul represents a strong presentation of classic Presley tracks in their original forms, along with lesser known covers of amazing songs. After weeks of listening to the works of Presley from the 1950s, I was impressed to hear later works and covers which I had never heard the King perform, like "Always On My Mind," "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Yes, in 1970, Elvis Presley recorded a cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and it is quite good!

Over the course of the twenty-two tracks, Presley proves himself a master crooner, if not a gifted songwriter or guitar player. As noted since my earliest reviews of Elvis' works: Presley is far more a performer than an artist. He only co-wrote "Love Me Tender" on this album and there is some question as to whether or not that credit is deserved. A more creative illustration of control over the music comes from Elvis producing or co-producing every track on this album and that is telling of his abilities and interest. This is a well-produced album and while some of the songs might fall down for lyrics or even musical diversity, it comes together nicely as a theme album - a must for a compilation like this - in that the production elements balance nicely with Presley's voice.

For the most part, this is a simple compilation album of tracks previously released, with few genuine surprises. All that separates "Love Me Tender," which opens the album, from other versions of the same song is that on this disc, it is now in stereo. "I've Lost You" also appears virtually identical to other versions of it that I've heard. The bulk of the tracks, then, are the same studio tracks trotted out for decades when creating Elvis Presley compilations. For a change of pace, a track-by-track listing/evaluation follows:

1. "Love Me Tender" - Perhaps the quintessential Elvis Presley love ballad,
2. "Young And Beautiful" - A simple track wherein Elvis repeatedly croons the title to a fair maiden,
3. "Love Me" - A strangely unmemorable song wherein Elvis begs for love,
4. "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" - A tune with a bit more of a tempo to it to break up the monotony of the early Elvis ballads,
5. "Don't" - A quiet, pleading track wherein Elvis delves into the lower vocal ranges and is able to make anyone without a stone heart swoon,
6. "As Long As I Have You" - Another quiet and surprisingly sad Presley track that illustrates why there can be too much of Elvis crooning,
7. "Loving You" - Ditto from the previous track,
8. "Fame And Fortune" - The last in a streak of low points on this album, this is one of the more cliche tracks Presley sings as it delves into all that the narrator would give up for the love of his life,
9. "The Girl Of My Best Friend" - A wonderfully poppy, upbeat lament wherein the singer notes that the one who got away - who is not involved with his best friend - is unattainable, lest he lose both. Surprisingly clever and fun, despite the underwhelming sadness of it,
10. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - Perhaps an example of the "soul" aspect of Heart & Soul, this questioning song does little other than ask about what it is like to live without love,
11. "Can't Help Falling In Love" - As one raised on the UB40 cover of this song, I dreaded the first time I would hear Elvis perform it, but here it is melodic and surprisingly good. Proof Presley can sing,
12. "She's Not You" - Somewhere between tongue-in-cheek and the harshest of truths is this track wherein the singer compares the one he's with to the one he loves. They just don't write songs like this anymore,
13. "Anything That's Part Of You,"
14. "Love Letters" - I've listened to this album thirteen times now - literally! - and I can't say a word about these two tracks. By the time they come up in the album, they are so nondescript that one is unable to recall either melody, theme, vocal performance or even a single lyric from them! One wonders why "Burning Love" wasn't tossed on this album instead of one of these two tracks,
15. "It's Now Or Never" - Returns the album to distinction with a track that is recognizable, sensible and has a decent tune. Elvis makes a musical ultimatum and he actually makes it sound like it could be related to actual love,
16. "It Hurts Me" - Another strangely sad song that focuses on the breaking of the heart as opposed to the celebration of love that much of the rest of the album embodies,
17. "I Just Can't Help Believin'" - One of the longer tracks on the album, Presley's live-sounding rock ballad reminds explores the faith of love and Presley has a decent vocal range on this track,
18. "Always On My Mind" - I didn't check out the track listing before my first listen to this album and this was the first pleasant surprise for me. Presley covers the classic song and he gives it a flavor born of Southern charm, distinctly different from - for example - the Pet Shop Boys' cover of the same,
19. "Suspicious Minds" - Classic late Elvis, this has a full-bodied sound that presents Elvis as the leader of a gospel choir and he rocks with singing about the traps people in relationships fall into when there is a hint of jealousy,
20. "I've Lost You" - As the title suggests, yet another ballad about living without love, rather than expressing feelings of love. This one has the same late-Elvis bigger production value sound to it and it works for a track that is more acknowledging loss than exploring the desolation of it,
21. "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" - Where does this song come from? Who else has covered it? Truth be told, I've no clue, but having heard this version, I think Elvis owns the song when sung by a male perspective. Desperate and somewhat haunted, Presley's vocals are both bold and needy, making this one of the standout tracks on the album,
and 22. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - An admirable cover of a genius song by Simon and Garfunkel. Presley does not attempt to recreate the original, rather here he reinterprets it with vocals that connote strength and character, eliminating subtlety in exchange for an air of support.

Throughout the course of the album, the vocals and instrumentals evolve, which makes sense given the timeframe of Presley's career. Heart & Soul journeys from one whispery ballad to another only to break the mold with more straightforward, bold vocals that come to the point of almost blaring at the listener. Similarly, the instrumentals start with stark guitars or pianos and evolve into full orchestral works by the final tracks.

Thematically, the album works remarkably well and Heart & Soul might be ideal for non-Elvis fans who want some of his best works without too many flat-out duds. Between the well-known, classic Elvis tracks like "Love Me Tender" and "Can't Help Falling In Love," and the obscure covers like "Always On My Mind" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," there is much to recommend this work.

The best track might well be the soulful "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the low point is the unmemorable "Anything That's Part Of You."

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
A Date With Elvis
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2
Today, Tomorrow, And Forever
30 #1 Hits

8/10

For other music albums, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the music I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Obscure Elvis Is Unmemorable Elvis: Today, Tomorrow, And Forever

The Good: Moments of musical originality, Historical value
The Bad: A number of poor recordings, Lack of vocal diversity, Some lyrics.
The Basics: A massive and rather disappointing collection of outtakes and obscure Elvis Presley songs has historical value, but little lasting appeal.


Right now, I am a bit sick of the music of Elvis Presley. I have been on a pretty steady musical diet of Elvis Presley for the last month and considering most of it has been in the form of his early works and giant boxed sets, like The King Of Rock: The Complete 50's Masters, listening to his works over and over and over again has become a draining experience. This is made even more painful by the boxed set collection Elvis: Today, Tomorrow and Forever, a collection of outtakes and rare performances.

In my experience, this collection is most analogous to the Bob Dylan collection Biograph as it contains a boatload of unreleased and alternate-take recordings. How significant are these recordings? I suppose that depends on what one's definition of "significant" is. Presentations in this set range from a seven song concert presented in Little Rock in 1956 to the only known alternate take to "Rip It Up" (which isn't all that spectacular in any form) to a rehearsal track duet of "A Thing Called Love" with Armond Morales which was buried on the charts when Johnny Cash beat Elvis to the market with the same song! As it stands, the collection catalogues the entire timeline of Presley's career with unreleased and alternate tracks from up until 1976, making it intriguing for those who adore the performances of Elvis Presley and cannot get enough of his works.

With four discs and almost five hours of music, Today, Tomorrow & Forever is a one hundred track collection of songs that span the career of Elvis Presley but are almost never associated with him. As a result, any number of obscure tracks appear in this collection without a whole lot of the ones that made Presley famous. So, for example, there is no outtake or alternate version of "Love Me Tender" or "Viva Las Vegas" in this collection, but there is an alternate version of "My Desert Serenade" from "Harum Scarum." Yes, I shudder to think they bothered to record that song more than once.

What Today, Tomorrow, & Forever feels like is a desperate attempt to clear out the archives of anything Elvis related and make a buck on it. So, for example, on disc two, there are a number of tracks that involve Presley or his engineers restarting a take. On "Flaming Star," "G.I. Blues" and "Make Me Know It," (among others) Presley and/or the instrumentals begin and then cut out before restarting. As a result, much of the collection has a feel of being a collection of process stories. We hear Presley tell his backup singers they aren't getting overtime if they delay, so it's time to get going and a charming bit preceding one track where Presley says he's just thrown up a little on a line (on "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me").

Yes, parts of this collection have Presley at his most charming. We hear him nervous introducing some of the live tracks and it's refreshing to hear him make cracks about how some of his music was denigrated because of its association as "black music." Presley makes some tongue-in-cheek remarks about his songs being popular in the U.S. and parts of Africa and that level of upfront social rebellion against the status quo of the Fifties and sixties is refreshing to hear.

Today, Tomorrow & Forever is a rather diverse collection in terms of material. While it does have some of Presley's early standards, like "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Hound Dog," there are also songs not associated with the rock and roll Elvis. Songs like "Snowbird" and "Where Could I Go But To The Lord?" come from Presley's career branching off into pure country and gospel music endeavors. The result is that moments of this collection actually sound quite different and fresh compared to collections that take from only one period in Presley's career. Presley's gospel songs sound dramatically different from his rock and roll tracks and his country songs.

Unfortunately, many of Presley's rock and roll tracks sound alike and so, too, do many of his gospel and country tracks sound like one another. Elvis country sounds like Elvis country, Presley's gospel songs seem to all have a similar resonance and cadence. In other words, when Presley finds a musical niche, he creates a sound in that genre and keeps it very consistently, at least as his recordings are presented on the discs of Today, Tomorrow & Forever.

When Presley sings slow and sad, he tends to sound less versatile; so, for example, "I Was The One" - an early rock and roll ballad - sounds remarkably like "Until It's Time For You To Go" a much later folk ballad. Indeed, the most truly diverse songs on the album are the duets that pop up occasionally. "A Thing Called Love" and Presley's duet with Ann-Margaret, Today, Tomorrow & Forever have a different flavor than the many tracks with Presley or Presley backed by the Jordanaires.

Musically, this is a strangely undiverse collection. Most of the tracks have a rather produced sound to them and come down to Presley with his guitar or Presley accompanied by just a piano. There is a stark quality to many of the tracks that allows one to immediately image Presley in a recording studio as opposed to on stage or in any sort of live performance setting. The tracks have a quality that make them feel like they are largely unfinished and in process as opposed to strong and ready. In other words, this is a collection largely of alternate takes and they sound like alternate takes from the inclusion of producers commenting when Presley gets something right to musicians or Presley restarting the songs.

This is an academic collection. It is intriguing for those who are fans, but has little inspired musical value on its own. Having listened to each disc no less than eight times apiece, it is easy to get bored with this. What is intriguing on the first listen becomes blase by the third. What might thrill fans who are tired of the studio versions of classic or obscure Presley-sung tracks are of little distinction to those who are not so obsessed with him or his works.

It is hard to imagine that this collection would even survive long in high rotation of an Elvis fan's collection, despite the diversity and initial intrigue of the works.

The best track is "A Thing Called Love" and I'm not even hazarding a worst track for this collection, for a change.

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
A Date With Elvis
50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2
30 #1 Hits

5/10

For other music reviews, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Iconic Title And Cover: 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong, But They Can Be Tools!

The Good: Some legitimate, recognizable, enduring hits
The Bad: A whole lot of filler from a historical perspective.
The Basics: Phoned in while Elvis was in the Service and refurbished to included more filler, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong makes one ask, "What makes you so sure?"


While Elvis Presley was off finishing his military service in Germany, his record company, RCA continued to release albums on his behalf, keeping his name in the public mind and his music on the airwaves. Against pretty steep odds, the gambit worked and Presley's music remained popular through the end of the 1950s with extraordinary sales and continued enthusiasm. Apparently, RCA was founded by P.T. Barnum; selling off all of the b-sides and recycled tracks that had not been put on albums before. The final compilation before Elvis returned to civilian life and the recording studio was 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2.

This assemblage of hits follows in the tradition of Elvis' Golden Records, in that it takes tracks that had performed at the million-selling mark (which were what were called "gold" back then - they'd be platinum now!). But this is notably different from the prior "Greatest hits" c.d. in that this collection seems far more dated, far more obscure, and surprisingly bad. There, I've said it. On the original release there were only two tracks that truly deserved to be considered the best of Elvis - "Don't" and "I Beg Of You." Outside those two tracks, only "One Night" and "(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I" were recognizable to me. That's saying something considering I've been on a steady diet of Elvis' 1950's works for two weeks now.

Originally a paltry ten-track record that lasted only about twenty-two minutes, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2 was remastered in 1997 for compact disc with an additional ten tracks. Sadly, though, only "(There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)" truly resonates as one of Presley's worthwhile performances in the additional material. The rest feels like filler and in that way, the album is far more worthwhile whatwith having approximately forty-four minutes of music in its second incarnation.

I'm learning to dig Elvis, but the short of it is that 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2 phones it in and all of the best songs from Elvis from the 1950s is on the first greatest hits disc. This just feels like an attempt to keep Elvis' works in the marketplace and it was at the time. Lacking that need now, the album feels remarkably redundant, compiling music from some of the least successful early Elvis records and trying to pass them off as hits. This is not to say RCA was being disingenuous; I'm sure, in its day "My Wish Came True" truly did sell a million singles, but it's dated. It's one of the Elvis tracks that could be any number of songs on any of his early albums that was not a single of its own.

Out of the twenty tracks, Presley receives co-writing credit for only one track ("Paralyzed") and while he plays guitar on most of the tracks and sings on all of them, it is easy to write this off as a collection that Presley had little or nothing to do with. This was not a creative control endeavor, it was a moneymaking one. The problem is, especially now, it feels like one.

So, for example, on the remaster, two of the songs are Christmas songs! "Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)" and "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" seem strangely out of place on the album that is mostly preoccupied with romantic ballads. Indeed, if anything unified the original album, it was the soft, slow nature of the hits presented on it. Now, with other tracks like "King Creole" and "Hard Headed Woman" the tenor of the album is seriously altered.

Lyrically, there is little extraordinary or even interesting on 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2. I've been fond of "Don't" since the first time I heard it because it was both very 1950's with that romanticism that borders on chauvinism and a sweetness and desire that one forgets can be associated with the music of Elvis Presley. So, when Presley gently croons, "Don't, don't leave my embrace / For here in my arms is your place / When the night grows cold and I want to hold you, / Baby, don't say don't. / If you think that this is just a game / I'm playing / If you think that I don't mean / Every word I'm saying / . . . Don't feel that way / I'm your love and yours I will stay" ("Don't") it's hard not to see his words as sweet and filled with longing. And he presents it well.

But then there are tracks like "A Big Hunk O' Love." Written by Aaron Schroeder and Sid Wyche, Elvis was compelled to sing, "You're just a natural born beehive / Filled with honey to the top / Well I ain't greedy baby / All I want is all you got, no no no / Baby, I ain't askin' much of you / Just a big-a big-a hunk o' love will do" ("A Big Hunk O' Love"). Even at the time, rhymes like "you/do" was overdone and the inarticulate utterances throughout the songs (big-a) are just cringeworthy now.

In other words, lyrically the album is not the most extraordinary collection of lines sung by Elvis. Between the Christmas songs, tracks pulled from soundtracks, and endless romantic ballads, this album is simple and a poor representation of the moments that could have been called inspired in Presley's early career.

Vocally, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 2 is equally uninspired. Indeed, from a historian's perspective this collection is downright droll as Presley presents so many of the songs in remarkably similar fashion. First, Presley stays very much in his safe range at the low end of the register. In this way, "Don't," "I Beg Of You," and "Mean Woman Blues" all end up sounding remarkably similar. After all, when one voice is presenting the songs in the same slowed tempo it's hard not to get tired of it (especially if the music backing the vocals is so similar). The faster songs, like "King Creole," "Hard Headed Woman" and "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do" also begin to blend vocally. One finds oneself singing one of the songs, then in the middle of one of the others. Why? Presley's vocals on them are so close to one another!

But this disc illustrates well how Presley exploited fully his own niche. He might not have had the range going for him, but he sure has consistency! If it were anyone else, it would be a positive rut that Presley's vocals exist in as he never seems to challenge himself to be more than what he starts as.

The only real exception on this album is "(There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)" and there the challenge to the Elvis Orthodoxy is less in range, more in capacity. Presley draws out his notes better, making for a more complete and lasting series of notes. And he makes it sound good and tender and all-around impressive. But again, that is the exception on an album comprised of songs like "Party" and "My Wish Came True."

The music is homogeneously boring as well. Outside some of the noteworthy tracks, like "Don't," there are no truly recognizable melodies on the album. "King Creole" and "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do" and "Hard Headed Woman" all utilize the same essential tune! They also have the same general instrumentation and tempo. Again, this is not a collection of universally recognizable hits that endured into the new millennium well.

50,000,000 Elvis fans may not be wrong, but odds are they have these tracks on much more satisfying releases. And for those of us who are not traditionally fans of Elvis Presley, this collection is not likely to make us fans. Or even impressed. We're just more likely to wonder why 50,000,000 fans followed a performer whose million-sellers were strangely unremarkably and indistinct.

The best track is "Don't," the low point is the utterly unmemorable "I Got Stung."

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
A Date With Elvis
30 #1 Hits

4/10

For other music reviews, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the albums and singles I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Brand Elvis Phones In A Date With Elvis, I Respond With A Review In Kind!

The Good: Moments of voice, Moments of lyrics, Moments of instrumentals
The Bad: SHORT!, Not a truly cohesive album, Very limited in many ways
The Basics: Compiled while Elvis was in the military A Date With Elvis feels like an assembly of rejected/b-side recordings that does not belong together.


One of the nice things I've learned recently about fans of the music of Elvis Presley is that most of them seem to acknowledge that Elvis Presley soon became a commodity, a brand name that was traded on and exploited. While Elvis had a massive number of albums, there's nowhere near as much material. Yes, the producers of Elvis Presley were the original recyclers and even early in his career, there were some seriously phoned in works. It's sometimes hard not to phone in a review when what one is reviewing is completely phoned in itself. This is particularly relevant when one is reviewing something short, obscure and more or less eliminated by time, like Elvis Presley's A Date With Elvis.

While I am usually loathe to go into anything that is not simply heard on the album being reviewed, in the case of A Date With Elvis, it seems more or less essential in order to actually lend substance to the review. So, a brief history lesson: Elvis Presley, for those who did not live through it, was called to serve the United States in the Army. Drafted in the late '50s while his career was still on the rise, Presley opted to serve and in 1958 he joined up and was sent to Germany after his training period was completed. This, naturally, made the executives at RCA/Victor, Presley's recording company, very nervous. So, they culled through the archives of Presley's recordings to see what was kicking around that had been underrepresented or unreleased. The result was a pair of records released in 1959, which kept Elvis on the airwaves and in the marketplace while he was not making anything new. The first was For LP Fans Only and it was followed up with A Date With Elvis later in 1959.

On compact disc, A Date With Elvis is a terrible investment and it is inexplicable why RCA did not release this as a single disc with For LP Fans Only considering both albums were assembled rather than created as albums. They both end up short and as a result are a terrible use of the compact disc medium.

With ten tracks clocking in at just under twenty-three minutes, A Date With Elvis is a collection of unreleased and hard-to-find recordings by Elvis Presley that were created in his 1954 - 1957 recording sessions. "We're Gonna Move" and "Is It So Strange" were b-sides on two of Presley's singles ("Love Me Tender" and "Just For You," respectively) and three tracks were on the "Jailhouse Rock" soundtrack ("Young And Beautiful," "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"" and "I Want To Be Free") but otherwise the tracks were new to listeners at the time and the album presents a fairly different Presley, with soul, country, and pure rock tracks. Elvis sings and plays guitar on many of the tracks and the only one he receives a co-writing credit for is "We're Gonna Move" (whether or not he actually was involved in the writing). Presley does not take any credit for production and as a result, this album has the general feel of exactly what it is: an assembled listening experience. An album manufactured entirely for the commercialism of Brand Elvis.

Unlike For LP Fans Only, there are no truly historically relevant or recognizable tracks on this release, though "I Forgot To Remember To Forget" is sometimes considered Presley's first #1 as it marked his peaking there on the Country And Western charts (most accept "Heartbreak Hotel" as his first #1).

Lyrically, there is little to recommend A Date With Elvis. Songs range from the soulful but pointless blues crooning of "Milkcow Boogie Blues" and rockabilly sound of "Good Rockin' Tonight" to the simplistic rhyme scheme of "I Want To Be Free." This is not to say that songs like "I Want To Be Free" do not sound good, but lyrically, they aren't that exciting, with rhymes that are obvious even at that point in rock history - i.e. "free/tree."

The notable lyrical exception to the doldrums of the tracks on this album comes on the tracks "Young And Beautiful" and "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care." "Young And Beautiful" is a straightforward love ballad with Elvis crooning to a young woman. The poetics are simple, but striking with lines like, "You're so young and beautiful and I love you so / Your lips so red, your eyes that shine / Shame the stars that glow / So fill these lonely arms of mine / And kiss me tenderly / Then you'll be forever young / And beautiful to me" ("Young And Beautiful"). Presley may just be a performer, but those who fill his mouth with words seem to know what they are doing frequently enough!

Lyrically, that is the exception, though "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care," is fun and different. After all, it's rare to hear a song where the musical narrator admits that the one they are in love with isn't as cool or wonderful as others might think, but that's just fine with them. Sure, a song with lines like "I don't know why my heart flips. / I only know it does. / I wonder why I love you, baby. / I guess it's just because / You're so square. / Baby, I don't care." ("You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care") won't be overplayed at weddings or anything, but it thumbs its nose at popular authority and that is admirable in and of itself.

Songs like "Baby Let's Play House" are ridiculously repetitive and are accented in how poor they are by Elvis's vocals degenerating into grunts and inarticulate vocal riffs. He mumbles through the song and it's just troubling to hear now.

That said, the lyrics being dull is accented by the limited vocal range presented on the tracks on A Date With Elvis. All ten tracks put Presley's voice within the same low range and keep him in a rather safe zone. He basically presents two styles of vocal on this album: soulful r&b Elvis ("Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and "Milkcow Blues Boogie") and rock and roll articulator Presley ("Good Rockin' Tonight," "We're Gonna Move"). The problem is vocally many of the tracks end up sounding similar to one another and there's something troubling about listening to the album over and over again because it does not hold up on this front.

Even worse is the musical front. "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care," "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "We're Gonna Move" all utilize the same basic sound and even melodies! "Young And Beautiful" and "I Want To Be Free" produce Elvis's voice the same way, which puts the sound of the tracks disappointingly close to their similar piano presentations and the album continues to suffer because the tracks blend into one another! The downfall of A Date With Elvis is that Elvis presents the music with disturbingly similar sounds.

This is an album comprised of early rock tracks heavily influenced by a rhythm and blues sound and while Elvis plays guitar on many of the tracks, he is not the only one. The dominant instrument sound is guitars, though some tracks have piano, bass and drums as well. The only other notable aspect is that Elvis plays bass on at least one of the tracks, too. Ultimately, though, this is a dull compilation and track to track it doesn't say anything.

All of the tracks on this album appear on other (longer) albums mixed in better, making this an album easy to avoid. The best track is "I Was The One," the low point is the whiny "Poor Boy."

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
For LP Fans Only
30 #1 Hits


3/10

For other music reviews, be sure to visit my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the albums and singles I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

| | |

Elvis, In The Service, Is Kept Alive In The Marketplace With For LP Fans Only.

The Good: Moments of voice, Moments of lyrics, Moments of instrumentals
The Bad: SHORT!, Not a truly cohesive album, Very limited in many ways
The Basics: Compiled while Elvis was in the military For LP Fans Only feels like an assembly of rejected/b-side recordings that does not belong together.


It's sometimes hard not to phone in a review when what one is reviewing is completely phoned in itself. This is particularly relevant when one is reviewing something short, obscure and more or less eliminated by time, like Elvis Presley's For LP Fans Only.

While I am usually loathe to go into anything that is not simply heard on the album being reviewed, in the case of For LP Fans Only, it seems more or less essential in order to actually lend substance to the review. So, a brief history lesson: Elvis Presley, for those who did not live through it, was called to serve the United States in the Army. Drafted in the late '50s while his career was still on the rise, Presley opted to serve and in 1958 he joined up and was sent to Germany after his training period was completed. This, naturally, made the executives at RCA/Victor, Presley's recording company, very nervous. So, they culled through the archives of Presley's recordings to see what was kicking around that had been underrepresented or unreleased. The result was a pair of records released in 1959, which kept Elvis on the airwaves and in the marketplace while he was not making anything new.

On compact disc, For LP Fans Only is a terrible investment and it is inexplicable why RCA did not release this as a single disc with A Date With Elvis considering both albums were assembled rather than created as albums. They both end up short and as a result are a terrible use of the compact disc medium.

With ten tracks clocking in at just under twenty-four minutes, For LP Fans Only is a collection of unreleased recordings by Elvis Presley that were created in his 1954 - 1956 recording sessions. "Poor Boy" was a b-side on one of Presley's singles ("Love Me Tender"), but otherwise the tracks were new to listeners at the time and the album presents a fairly soulful Presley. Elvis sings and plays guitar on many of the tracks and the only one he receives a co-writing credit for is "Poor Boy" (whether or not he actually was involved in the writing). Presley does not take any credit for production and as a result, this album has the general feel of exactly what it is: an assembled listening experience. An album manufactured entirely for the commercialism of Brand Elvis.

The most historically notable release on For LP Fans Only is "Shake, Rattle And Roll," Presley's cover of the Charles Calhoun track popularized by Big Joe Turner and later Bill Haley & His Comets. Interestingly, Elvis's version was released as a single, but failed to chart in any significant way and it is equally intriguing that the three most popular versions of the song were all recorded within a relatively short time of one another.

Lyrically, there is little to recommend For LP Fans Only. Songs range from the soulful but pointless blues crooning of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and rockabilly sound of "Mystery Train" to the dumb "rock out" track of "Shake, Rattle And Roll." This is not to say that songs like "Shake, Rattle And Roll" do not sound good, but lyrically, they aren't that exciting. And "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" is such a short song that it feels like it's desperately trying to get up to a minimum length by repeating the lines "Bye-bye baby / I won't be coming no more / Good bye little darling / Down the road I go."

The notable lyrical exception to the doldrums of the tracks on this album comes in the form of "I Was The One." "I Was The One" is a track that is surprising was not successful given the way it manages to develop over the course of the poem. It begins as an arrogant "f-you!" to the next guy from a jilted lover with lines like, "I was the one who taught her to kiss / The way that she kisses you now. / And you know the way she touches your cheek, / Well, I taught her how. / I was the one who taught her to cry / When she wants you under her spell. / The sight of her tears drives you out of your mind, / I taught her so well" ("I Was The One"). After such a powerful and often mean set up (hard not to love the jaded line "And it was all for me"), the protagonist reveals the comeuppance with the twisting lines, "I'll never know who taught her to lie. / Now that it's over and done, / Who learned the lesson when she broke my heart? / I was the one" ("I Was The One"). So, the musical poem becomes a morality play and it works brilliantly illustrating effective in song and verse the consequences of vengeance. It's rare a song can do that and still sound great, but Presley pulls it off with "I Was The One." It's astonishing to me to learn it peaked at #19 on the charts!

Lyrically, that is the exception, though "My Baby Left Me," probably the album's other recognizable track and another one that surprisingly underperformed on the charts, is not a bad song. I suppose it's difficult when listening to Elvis records back to back to back because at some point, many of us audiophiles simply get sick of listening to Elvis whine. I mean, I'm developing a genuine appreciation for the classic sound and the style that emphasizes voice and lyrics over the simple guitars and drums, but dang! Elvis whines and cries a lot for one who is portrayed in history classes as the archetypal '50's manly man. I appreciate the emotional balance of men who are encouraged to cry, but listening to Elvis so much makes me recall a commentary on At The Movies With Ebert And Roper where one of the hosts implored Ben Affleck to stop crying in every movie he does!

That said, the lyrics being dull is accented by the limited vocal range presented on the tracks on For LP Fans Only. All ten tracks put Presley's voice within the same low range and keep him in a rather safe zone. He basically presents two styles of vocal on this album: soulful r&b Elvis ("Lawdy Miss Lawdy," "Playing For Keeps") and rock and roll articulator Presley ("I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone," "Shake, Rattle, And Roll"). The problem is vocally many of the tracks end up sounding similar to one another and there's something troubling about listening to the album over and over again because it does not hold up on this front.

Even worse is the musical front. "Shake, Rattle, And Roll," "My Baby Left Me" and "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" all utilize the same basic sound and even melodies! "Poor Boy" and "You're A Heartbreaker" produce Elvis's voice the same way, which puts the sound of the tracks disappointingly close to their similar guitar presentations and the album continues to suffer because the tracks blend into one another! The downfall of For LP Fans Only is that Elvis presents the music with disturbingly similar sounds.

This is an album comprised of early rock tracks heavily influenced by a rhythm and blues sound and while Elvis plays guitar on many of the tracks, he is not the only one. The dominant instrument sound is guitars, though some tracks have piano, bass and drums as well. This is, however, a dull compilation and track to track it doesn't say anything.

All of the tracks on this album appear on other (longer) albums mixed in better, making this an album easy to avoid.

The best track is "I Was The One," the low point is the whiny "Poor Boy."

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
King Creole
30 #1 Hits

4/10

For other music reviews, be sure to visit my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing.

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

A Soundtrack From King Creole Makes For A Poor Concept Album That Does Not Endure.

The Good: Moments of vocals, Bonus tracks are stylistically interesting
The Bad: Most of the lyrics, Vocals get tired upon repetition, Musically unimaginative, Repetitive tracks.
The Basics: Elvis Presley phones in a concept album about a high school singing superstar who falls out and into love with King Creole.


I tend to loathe reviewing anything that is even possibly interpreted as a soundtrack because invariably when I review such an album from a music-only standpoint, I receive a message from someone saying, "Yes, but if you understand the context within the musical/film/episode (etc.) you would know it's absolute genius!" Then it's usually followed by ad hominem comments on my reviewing. Go figure. And yet, here I am sitting down to review King Creole.

King Creole was one of Elvis Presley's earliest and best received films, but this review is for King Creole, the sixth studio album released by Elvis Presley and RCA. What follows is a review of the music independent of the film (which I have not seen). If you want a comparison between the film and the soundtrack, you'll have to go elsewhere. This review will focus on King Creole as a body of music, presented on this c.d.

That said, it's about time I said "meh." That's the overwhelming impression left by King Creole.

When originally released, King Creole was a eleven-track album clocking in at just under thirty-four minutes. Fortunately for music lovers and those who want to see the most gained by the conversion to compact disc, the remastered version released in 1997 included seven bonus tracks and it now stands as a eighteen-track album that lasts just over forty-six minutes. The problem with it is that it does not stand up; the bonus tracks include only one truly new song ("Danny"), the others are alternate versions of songs that appeared on the original album. As a result, this becomes something of an esoteric album for those who actually love this period in Elvis Presley's musical history. There are three versions of King Creole and "As Long As I Have You" and two versions of "Lover Doll" and "Steadfast, Loyal, And True" on the album, which makes me feel really bad for lambasting Janis Ian for using two versions of the wonderful "Getting Over You" on her album Hunger.

As presented, King Creole almost works as a concept album, though the concept is problematic and self-defeating. The musical protagonist of the album starts as a singer down in New Orleans (“King Creole”), falls in love for what is supposed to be the last time ("As Long As I Have You"), fights with her ("Hard Headed Woman") and turns to the dark side ("Trouble"). After rocking out in the South ("Dixieland Rock"), the man returns to his love though he's phoning in the emotion ("Don't Ask Me Why") and then either his love is reinvigorated or he meets someone new ("Lover Doll"), they establish a relationship over fishing and cooking ("Crawfish"), they make plans together ("Young Dreams"), graduate high school ("Steadfast, Loyal And True") and they go forth into the bayou together ("New Orleans"). Yeah, well, lyrically and musically that's what's happening over the course of the album.

Then the album just degenerates into alternate versions of the same songs, plus the declaration of the protagonist as Danny ("Danny"). I tend to vie for the idea that the break between "Don't Ask Me Why" and "Lover Doll" indicates the protagonist finding a new lover. Why? "Don't Ask Me Why" lyrically might sound fairly decent lyrically, with lines like "How sad my heart would be / If you should go / Though you're not good for me / I want you so / It's not the kind / Of love I dream about / But it's the kind / That I can't live without / You're all I'm longing for / Don't say good-bye / I need you more and more / Don't ask me why" ("Don't Ask Me Why") but the way it is presented contradicts the emotions of the lines. The vocals presented by Elvis are lackluster, the vocal equivalent of being dead-eyed and bored.

Conversely in the lamer lyrical songs like "Lover Doll" and "Young Dreams," the vocals are excited and enthusiastic. Elvis has feminine accompaniment on "Crawfish" (provided by Kitty White) that seems to energize him and his vocals.

My big problem with the album King Creole is that the protagonist of the musical story is unlikable. While songs like "Don't" (which is not on this album) have a timely quality to them that illustrates a desire that more radical elements might want to put into a different context than its place in the past, some of the songs on this album are universally misogynistic and troubling. So, for example, "Don't" sings from a man to a woman the simple message to just not tell him no as he wants to express his love to her. He's not saying he won't respect a "no," he just hopes she won't say it so they can get going. I can dig that. "Hard Headed Woman," on the other hand is just a litany of problematic women throughout history from Eve to Jezebel with the singer basically declaring that women are wrong and evil. There's no real good way to see those lines and the song is just mean, not even dated.

The irony here for me is that I couldn't imagine an album of Elvis Presley's that would have "Hard Headed Woman" where I wouldn't pick that as the low track (honestly loathe that song!) but King Creole has one! "Steadfast, Loyal And True" is dull and uninspired and it's a wonder it appears twice on this album (recorded version and cinematic version). This song is basically a song celebrating an alma matter and it's not rock and roll, and it is not terrible interesting in an auditory way. Following rocking tracks like “King Creole,” "Hard Headed Woman" and "Dixieland Rock" "Steadfast, Loyal And True" just falls flat. Even the ballads like "As Long As I Have You" and "Don't Ask Me Why" fit the album better than "Steadfast, Loyal And True."

On that subject, it is worth noting that this is not the most musically diverse album, though it does have both heavy guitar and drum tracks (“King Creole” and "Hard Headed Woman") and genuine ballads ("As Long As I Have You"). The problem here is that Presley and his people break the first rule of stealing your own sound; keep the tracks separated! "Hard Headed Woman," “King Creole” and to a lesser extent "Dixieland Rock" all have the same sound, so the album does not hold up very well upon multiple listens.

What saves it from being an utter failure? Honestly, it's the quality of "As Long As I Have You" (and the interesting alternate takes of it). Here's a song that explores the true complexities of love with the apparently unflattering line, "You're not my first love / But you're my last" ("As Long As I Have You") and Elvis makes it sound good! Heck, anyone who can make that sound romantic deserves some credit.

Unfortunately, it's not quite enough. Even with the bonus tracks, this is a short album with a rather repetitive sound to it. The best songs on here are on compilation albums and they work better out of context than in this problematic concept album.

The best track is "As Long As I Have You," the low point is the dated school song "Steadfast, Loyal And True."

For other works by Elvis Presley, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Elvis Presley
Elvis
Loving You
Elvis’ Golden Records
Elvis’ Christmas Album
30 #1 Hits

3.5/10

For other music reviews, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |