Yes, that is true isn't it. Funny enough as @PacificOceanBlue hinted at in one his previous posts, the whole controversy and heated discussion surrounding From Elvis Presley Boulevard will probably only heighten the interest of future buyers of the album, if they actually read through this whole thread.
I just hope they don’t have the same reaction I had when I first heard The Last Farewell many years ago, “What the f**k is this!?” That said, my enjoyment and/or tolerance of the album has grown over the years, and while I don’t think it is the latter-day masterpiece others do, I do like some its content.
I hope the plan is to continue this thread rather than start a new one for posthumous releases. This is the 70s thread, and I think we should continue it to the end of 1979.
It really is quite depressing to actually watch the whole concert, which I have chosen to avoid doing for many years, but oddly enough, I finally tracked down the CD version of Elvis In Concert, and it does have a few outstanding performances, some of which are held in very high esteem by classic music producer and writer Robert Matthew-Walker in his book, Heartbreak Hotel. The first part of the concert is badly edited with the obnoxious fan comments ruining the flow of the concert, but there are some decent performances on the album, but in this case hearing it is a whole lot better than watching it, which is usually exactly the opposite protocol when one speaks of taking in an Elvis song or performance.
I like Moody Blue better than FEPB, and I suspect Steve likes it less than FEPB. So if we're representative of the two "sides" then it should be less contentious.
I suppose there's not a lot left. Spoiler: :) Albums: Elvis in Concert (yikes) He Walks Beside Me (gospel comp) Mahalo from Elvis (soundtrack comp plus Aloha post-show; weird) Elvis: A Canadian Tribute (no idea) Elvis Sings For Children and Grownups Too (yikes, but this time a compilation) Our Memories of Elvis (cash-in) Our Memories of Elvis Volume 2 (more cash) Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 3 (worthwhile) Singles: "My Way" (Live) (from EIC) "Unchained Melody" (Live) (from Moody Blue, pretty sure) "Are You Sincere" (Remix) (from the cash-ins) "I Got a Feelin' in My Body" (Remix) (from the cash-ins) "It Won't Seem Like Christmas (Without You)" (inexplicable)
I think we should at least finish Elvis In Concert on this 70's thread as well for the very reason that this album was obviously planned and recorded while Elvis was still alive, and therefore I see it as part of his original album collection. I think Elvis might have known about the future release of My Way as a single, but I could be wrong about that as I might be thinking of Unchained Melody. I know this might end this thread on a downer to some, but it would be historically accurate to include it in his 70's catalogue of albums. It was a huge seller (multi-platinum sales) and featured Elvis's iconic interpretation of My Way, which was a multi-genre hit record and eventually earned gold status for single sales in the U.S. So even though I recommend avoiding the visual of the concert like the plague, the double album itself does have a few outstanding performances on it.
I think FEPB, with all of its issues, is more cohesive than Moody Blue, which I find very disjointed, with the two nauseating Olivia Newton-John covers, the ridiculous Little Darlin’ and It’s Easy For You (which may be one of the worst 1970’s era masters). That said, Moody Blue clearly has its obvious strengths, but I think it is only half an album, and an album that is overrated.
I don't think My Way or Unchained Melody where ever planned for single releases prior to August 16th, and whilst Elvis In Concert would likely always have had an album with it there's no way what was released was the original plan. Heck, wasn't there discussion prior to Elvis' death about whether the special should air at all?
Vote time Ok I am happy to just finish off the seventies on this thread if everyone wants to do that. What I initially was going to do was finish the seventies thread with In Concert and the My Way/America the Beautiful single...... It seemed an apt way to finish the life of Elvis. My reasoning being that the concert was recorded and filmed for release, and Elvis died in really close proximity, and it seems a nice way to round out his lifes work with that single.... so I am going to post two things, like the one you want to do, and it will keep us on track
How about a vote for ending after the Moody Blue album (Aug 16, 1977)? We can’t even agree on a thread ending point, Elvis In Concert doesn’t stand a chance
Well, you are both are right for different reasons, if that makes any sense. Let me explain myself. For me personally, I agree that From Elvis Presley Boulevard is a more cohesive album as POB points out in his above post, but Moody Blue has two of Elvis's best double sided hit singles of the 70's, Moody Blue and Way Down, along with their very worthwhile flip sides. You also get one of Elvis' greatest live performance in Unchained Melody, with Elvis accompanying himself on the piano. We all know Moody Blue would have been an even stronger album than it was if Elvis had managed to get himself back into a recording studio in Nashville in 1977, but what we do get is a mixture of some good live cuts, one recycled by the way, and a fun, but lighthearted version of Little Darlin, hardly a highlight to put it mildly. So ultimately, I love both of these albums for very different reasons. I was probably more excited about the pending release of Moody Blue as I was already sold on Elvis with the previous album, but waiting so long for the album to follow the title single release made the anticipation that much sweeter for me. I was blown away by the Moody Blue single as it did not really sound like anything else Elvis had ever recorded. When I found out that the album was going to be a blue vinyl that got me pretty stoked as well. Unchained Melody just left me dumbstruck and sent chills down my spine. Wow. It gets me excited just thinking about it.
I'd say separate the the threads after Aug 16 1977. That's a very significant date in any Elvis timeline. All releases after that date are affected by the passing of Elvis. I'm game however it's decided to break things though.
I can only speak for myself, but I suspect others may feel the same. Some have suggested the 70s material is tolerated, even appreciated more because of people's changing tastes or having aged and experience more life. I contend there may be an even more significant factor for this. Elvis is dead. He cannot record anything again. He has had his ups and downs in his recording career. We are left with his legacy. There is no real use in being disappointed in the present tense as we may have been when first experiencing "Confidence" or "Three Corn Patches" (for example). So, we may as well appreciate what we have, rather than coming from a place when he was still alive (I hope his recording career takes a turn for the better AGAIN after having done so after being so dismal before). There is really nothing left for us to do than to try to understand and appreciate what some of us had once were so disappointed with before. So we look at FEPB and the like with a new perspective. (this theory of course does not apply much to those who started being fans in the 70s or since his death)