With the innumerable commemorative sets released in the name of Elvis Presley,
itâs 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 singerâs entire career, making
it all the more definitive. Commemorating the King of Rock ‘n’ Rollâs
75th birthday, this collection is filled with early hits, movie tracks, deep
cuts, forgotten nuggets, live performances and a quirky 2002 remix of âA
Little Less Conversationâ â providing an insightful, well-rounded
overview of an unrivaled international phenomenon.
Rockabilly, R&B, bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll, country, pop, gospel â
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
Presleyâs explosive run. The urgency and power of his voice is apparent
on âMy Happiness,â 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 âThat’s
All Right (Mama),â their first single together. The B-side, Bill Monroeâs
âBlue Moon OF Kentucky,â solidified Presleyâs 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 âGood
Rockinâ Tonight,â âBaby, Letâs Play House, âMystery
Train,â âI Forgot To Remember To Forgetâ and âI Got
A Womanâ â 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 âHeartbreak Hotel,â
their first Number One and the best selling single of 1956. But for every âBlue
Suede Showâ and âHound Dog,â there was the jaunty âOne-Sided
Love Affairâ and the boogie woogie of âLawdy, Miss Gawdyâ
to keep the King’s musical radar bright and shiny. By the end of 1956, with
âLove Me Tender,â a ballad, hit single and the name of Presleyâs
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 âHard Headed Womanâ
and âWear My Ring Around Your Neck,â along with âTroubleâ
and the title track â occupying the first four spots of the second disc.
These would help to sustain Presleyâs popularity while he was away. Four
volumes of Elvisâ Golden Records produced more singles
well into the early 60s â the ultra cool â(Now And The Thereâs)
A Fool Such As I,â âStuck On You,â âItâs Now Or
Never,â âAre You Lonesome Tonight?,â âSurrender,â
âHis Latest Flameâ and âLittle Sister.â
Tracks from Elvis Is Back (âThrill Of Your Love,â
âSuch A Nightâ and âReconsider Babyâ), the first album
after his military service stint, reaffirmed the Kingâs preeminence. From
the mellow, harmonic flow of âCanât Help Falling In Loveâ
to the spirited yet disillusioning âReturn To Sender,â from 1962âs
Girls! Girls! Girls! â 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. âBossa Nova
Baby,â âThe Devil In Disguiseâ and âViva Las Vegasâ
were all Top 40 singles. At the same time, the all-embracing arrangements behind
âIt Hurts Me,â âThis Is My Heavenâ and âAdam And
Evilâ display a gradual departure from the aggressive, raw approach of
the 50s. It would be simple to surmise the gospel spiritual âHow Great
Thou Artâ was the final straw, but then the King got loose and dirty in
the late 60s with âGuitar Man,â âBig Boss Manâ and Chuck
Berryâs âToo Much Monkey Business.â 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 Davisâ âIn The Ghettoâ
and âSuspicious Minds.â
The fourth and final disc of Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight
is all 70s â the last seven years of Elvis Presleyâs life. By this
time, the King was performing live on a full-time basis, becoming a LAs Veags
staple in the process. âPolk Salad Annieâ 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 withâBurning Love.â Eventually,
the hits dwindled and the edge softened, but Elvis could still sing, to the
very end, like no one else. His version of âAlways On My Mindâ makes
Willie Nelsonâs pale in comparison. And Presleyâs stirring take
of âUnchained Melody,â 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 âA Little Less Conversation,â
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 Kingâs 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, itâs 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