With the innumerable commemorative sets released in the name of Elvis Presley,
it’s hard to believe anyone could up the stakes. But Legacy and RCA have
done it with Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight, an arching four-CD
set of 100 remastered songs comprising the singer’s entire career, making
it all the more definitive. Commemorating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s
75th birthday, this collection is filled with early hits, movie tracks, deep
cuts, forgotten nuggets, live performances and a quirky 2002 remix of “A
Little Less Conversation” — providing an insightful, well-rounded
overview of an unrivaled international phenomenon.
Rockabilly, R&B, bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll, country, pop, gospel —
these were the musical dimensions Elvis Presley entered and explored over the
course of his two-decade career. Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight
cuts to the bone, with an emphasis on the magic moments and turning points during
Presley’s explosive run. The urgency and power of his voice is apparent
on “My Happiness,” the recording he made for his mother in the summer
of 1953. From there, it was only a matter of the pieces falling into place to
build the legacy. Sam Phillips found the sound when Presley, guitarist Scotty
Moore and bassist Bill Black ran through blues guitarist Arthur Crudup’s “That’s
All Right (Mama),” their first single together. The B-side, Bill Monroe’s
“Blue Moon OF Kentucky,” solidified Presley’s provocative
style, and the young prince of what would become known as rock and roll was
on his way.
For the next two years, a slew of Sun recordings followed, including “Good
Rockin’ Tonight,” “Baby, Let’s Play House, “Mystery
Train,” “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” and “I Got
A Woman” — all beautifully scrubbed down and gathered together on
the first disc. Adding drummer D.J. Fontana and signing with RCA, Elvis expanded
his repertoire and his partnerships. With assistance from guitarist Chet Atkins
and pianist Floyd Cramer, Presley and his band recorded “Heartbreak Hotel,”
their first Number One and the best selling single of 1956. But for every “Blue
Suede Show” and “Hound Dog,” there was the jaunty “One-Sided
Love Affair” and the boogie woogie of “Lawdy, Miss Gawdy”
to keep the King’s musical radar bright and shiny. By the end of 1956, with
“Love Me Tender,” a ballad, hit single and the name of Presley’s
first film, it seemed like there was nothing that could stop the momentum. Then,
at the end of 1957, he received his draft notice, and Elvis mania took a turn,
for better or worse.
A month before reporting for duty, Presley recorded his sixth album King
Creole, which included the singles “Hard Headed Woman”
and “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck,” along with “Trouble”
and the title track — occupying the first four spots of the second disc.
These would help to sustain Presley’s popularity while he was away. Four
volumes of Elvis’ Golden Records produced more singles
well into the early 60s — the ultra cool “(Now And The There’s)
A Fool Such As I,” “Stuck On You,” “It’s Now Or
Never,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” “Surrender,”
“His Latest Flame” and “Little Sister.”
Tracks from Elvis Is Back (“Thrill Of Your Love,”
“Such A Night” and “Reconsider Baby”), the first album
after his military service stint, reaffirmed the King’s preeminence. From
the mellow, harmonic flow of “Can’t Help Falling In Love”
to the spirited yet disillusioning “Return To Sender,” from 1962’s
Girls! Girls! Girls! — Presley took on a more sophisticated
sound with additional musicians and singers. This was about the time his role
as a movie star began to overshadow his musical career.
Before the Beatles stormed the U.S shores and changed the face of pop music
for one helluva long time, Presley still ruled the roost. ”Bossa Nova
Baby,” “The Devil In Disguise” and “Viva Las Vegas”
were all Top 40 singles. At the same time, the all-embracing arrangements behind
“It Hurts Me,” “This Is My Heaven” and “Adam And
Evil” display a gradual departure from the aggressive, raw approach of
the 50s. It would be simple to surmise the gospel spiritual “How Great
Thou Art” was the final straw, but then the King got loose and dirty in
the late 60s with “Guitar Man,” “Big Boss Man” and Chuck
Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business.” In 1969, Elvis was on
the comeback, having scored high with the stunning Elvis TV special
and completing Change Of Habit, his final film with co-star Mary Tyler
Moore. He returned to the Top 10 with Mac Davis’ “In The Ghetto”
and “Suspicious Minds.”
The fourth and final disc of Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight
is all 70s — the last seven years of Elvis Presley’s life. By this
time, the King was performing live on a full-time basis, becoming a LAs Veags
staple in the process. “Polk Salad Annie” is, in fact, a live recording
from the International Hotel in Vegas, practically a second home for Presley.
Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana and Bill Black were no longer part of a band filled
with a congregation of players and singers. Even so, Presley continued to record
and chart, hitting Number 2 in 1972 with“Burning Love.” Eventually,
the hits dwindled and the edge softened, but Elvis could still sing, to the
very end, like no one else. His version of “Always On My Mind” makes
Willie Nelson’s pale in comparison. And Presley’s stirring take
of “Unchained Melody,” recorded mere months before his death, evokes
a level of intensity rarely found in artists in a downward spiral.
The set finishes off with a modern remix of “A Little Less Conversation,”
spiffed up in 2002 by Junkie XL for a Nike advertising campaign. It also became
the theme for the NBC television show Las Vegas. Most of all, it helped
introduce Elvis Presley to a whole new audience. The King’s 75th birthday
celebration is an open invitation for even more fans, young and old, to discover
the sights and sounds of Elvis Presley. With class in session, it’s only
fitting that Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight, which also includes
an 80-page booklet of liner notes, rare photos, and recording notes for each
track, serve as an introduction. The rest is all gravy.
~ Shawn Perry
