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DVDfever.co.uk – Elvis Presley: Elvis 75 CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Sony/RCA Records
- Released: January 2010
- Rating: 10/10+++
- Tracks: 75, including Heartbreak Hotel, Blue Suede Shoes, Blue Moon, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, King Creole, A Mess Of Blues, Good Luck Charm, Crying In The Chapel, Love Letters, Moody Blue, Thats All Right.
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
The King returns .straight in at number 8! (w/c Jan 11 2010)
Its hard to imagine. Elvis at 75. Theoretically, he would have been drawing his old-age pension, if there is such a thing in America for retired musicians. There again, he might have still been going strong if he hadnt sadly abused himself.
Anyway, his spirit lives on with this scintillating 3-CD collection with 75 tracks covering an incomparable career both with life-time hits and posthumous ones, making it the first major Presley retrospective to cover the artists biggest hits in the UK. It starts from 1956s UK number 2, Heartbreak Hotel, through to 2003s number 5, Rubberneckin. We mustnt forget either, there were 3 number ones with Elvis Sony singles reissues in 2005 Jail House Rock, One Night and Its Now Or Never.
Choosing 75 songs from a grand total of 134 UK singles entries must have been a tough call; nevertheless, Sony has done a great job of representing a substantial body of work, which includes 19 chart-toppers, a record for any artist, followed closely by The Beatles with 17.In his life-time, he had 100 singles entries, the last, Way Down, his chart topper the week he died in August 1977.
With a whopping 75 tracks, Ive decided to cherry-pick personal favourites, though people will have their own for very different reasons, because for a certain age group (including me to some degree) The King provided a soundtrack to their lives. I wasnt around when Elvis The Pelvis made his initial impact, but I certainly know (from archive film footage) the stir this white man with a black-mans voice created, and those oh so controversial moves, which resulted in the La Crosse (Wisconsin) local Catholic dioceses newsletter to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, stating that ,Presley is a definite danger to the security of the United States [His] actions and motions were such as to rouse the sexual passions of teenaged youth Then there was short two-year performance gap when he entered Military service in Germany (but manager Colonel Parker and RCA Records stocked enough songs to release between induction and discharge he had 10 top 40 US hits including Wear My Ring Around Your Neck, Hard Headed Woman , One Night, A Fool Such As I, and A Big Hunk O Love).
Then there was a more protracted live performance hiatus due to his film commitments until he returned with his 68 Comeback Special broadcast which brought him back to the top of his game, though the hits still rolled out in the interim period. Sadly, he would never look that good on stage ever again.
We mustnt forget that Presley was at the mercy of songwriters, like the legendary Leiber-Stoller duo who provided Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole, and Blackwell-Scott who delivered the immaculate classic Return To Sender. Early on, Elvis co-wrote a few Heartbreak Hotel and the touching Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, Paralyzed.But more importantly, on top of his stunning looks, charm, sex-appeal and scintillating early performances, he had an incredibly adaptive voice (considered a baritone low G to tenor high B) handling rockabilly, mild rock -beat, rocknroll belters, pop music to tender ballads, who few could, and still, cant match. Theyre all here in their magnificent glory.
During all his fame, adulation and wealth, none of his secular singles or albums (he had 10 UK number 1 albums and 10 US number 1s) brought him a Grammy. He got three Grammys for his gospel albums (with 14 nominations), still a remarkable feat for the greatest pop star the world has ever known.
Personal favourites? On CD1, the mightily impressive One Night, despite the basic instrumentation, where Presley sang his heart out. Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock, because theyve stood the test of time. Its Now Or Never, because its Now Or Never, and one of his best singing performances EVER.
CD2, the fabulous Are You Lonesome Tonight?, and because you can almost see the quiff flopping during the spoken part. Perky Return To Sender with that great sax weaving in and out..oh, and one of the best choruses of all-time. The frenetic energy of Viva Las Vegas, and If I Can Dream, his greatest moment EVER.
CD3, the mind-boggling vocal gymnastics of Rags To Riches, the incredible live versions of I Just Cant Help Believing and American Trilogy, and arguably his purest pop record, Burning Love.
For best listening, put on some cans (headphones) and youll truly understand why he was such a great singer, who could tackle anything.
And he did.
The verdict: Sensational.
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Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.