Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Cheers mate!

 

I would have loved to hear Bridge in the Aloha concert but My Way from that show is my go to Elvis version (love the big sound). It edges out his 1977 version for me and is only overshadowed by Sinatra's version.

 

Good points.
I too feel It's Your Baby is maybe the best performance both vocally and musically on the album.
Funny How Time Slips Away is good but I over the years I have kinda gotten over it.
No doubt I Really Don't Want To Know is a masterpiece.
I will say I slightly disagree with you on There Goes My Everything.
However, that may be because The Engelbert Humperdinck version is so lifeless.

 

Thank you. I do not know if you were adding to my comment or not. But my comment had to do with I Really Don't Want To Know.

 

I was speaking, specifically, about that weird vibrato he was afflicted with on most of his '71 studio recordings. It was very wobbly and weak sounding. A stark contrast to his mammoth voice just a few months prior.

 

Interesting! This makes the second song of record named or indirectly named by Elvis. Red West claimed that 1961's "That's Someone You'll Never Forget" was a challenge by Elvis to write a song with that title.

 

I never liked the 70s 1995 box set presentation either.
50s was literally complete.
60s was literally non film/ non gospel complete.
For the 70s they could have made it all chronological studio with no live material except for a few stellar examples and pulled it off by making the 5th disc mostly studio.

 

We assume the singer is a good guy and and treats her well.
We also are expected to assume the girl just doesn't recognize how good she has it with him and needs to be reminded of it, by him finding her, and her seeing then how much he really loves her to go through all that.
The lyric basically plays off the notion that women are simple minded and her leaving is a poor decision. It doesn't take into account that the protagonist may sound overbearing and possessive.
The song is strictly from the male perspective.

 

IT'S YOUR BABY, YOU ROCK IT
One of my favorite vocals from the whole album that give an almost Country Rock vibe to that piece of Swing. For a change, the overdubs are rather tasteful with a great call & response effect and Burton's guitar solo is a highlight. Cardigan's drums are worth a mention too. Awesome track after a rather bland Side 2 opening number.

 

Agreed. The Aloha version is a standout. The 1977 EIC version is solid and one of the performance highlights from all of 1977, but the vocal and arrangement are stronger from Aloha.

 

But it has the one lyric that represents Elvis more than any other.
"I guess I'll never know the reason why you love me as you do"

 

It's difficult for me to properly critique the Aloha My Way because I fall asleep half way through it lol. But seriously, he doesn't seem comfortable with it to me. He seems timid and I don't believe the lyric.
I know you have issues with his "bellowing" in 76/77 and we've discussed this before. But on the EIC concert 77 My Way it works for that song and sadly at that point in his life. It's very believable.
Not just the bridges, but how he delivers the verses. He sounds sad because we know he is. It's one of those artistic moments that just sort of happens.
My way from Aloha was on a world wide tv program and a mega successful album and yet it wasn't considered an Elvis song until 77.
Yes, in 77 he had just died and it was the single but they also could have chosen to release the Aloha version as the single had they wanted to.
I also think how the 77 version is a tad faster than the 73 fits Elvis' delivery better.
I don't think I've ever seen a tribute artist perform the Aloha arrangement.

 

Got to disagree on that one: MY WAY in 1973 is not perfect but Elvis' vocals are much better with a smoother delivery and a stronger arrangement. His "Aloha" rendition is more focused while, 4 years later, he looks and sounds exhausted and lost. He doesn't even nail the final chord.

 

Elvis showing up in person to accept this is very much out of the norm. Almost every other award that I see him accepting is in a situation where they came to him backstage or on a movie set and did a photo op. This occasion, Elvis puts on a tuxedo, goes to the ceremony, accepts the award personally, and says a few words. Maybe he wanted this one especially because it was outside the entertainment business and being named as an "outstanding young man" was quite the reversal from the establishment view of him in the 1950's. A sort of vindication and acknowledgment of his legitimacy in society.

 

The Fool
Written By :
Naomi Ford

Recorded :
RCA's Studio B, Nashville, June 4-9, 1970: June 4, 1970. take 2

The groove and grind of the start of this song sounds like it comes straight from a Howlin Wolf song. I like this song, but I think that they needed to raise the pitch, probably a whole step. I know Elvis was fond of deep voices, but for the feel of the song, I think this is a little too deep to be as effective as it could be, if Elvis wasn't at the bottom of his range for most of the song.
Good, but could have been a lot better.

 

Faded Love
Written By :
Bob Wills & John Wills

Recorded :
RCA's Studio B, Nashville, June 4-9, 1970: June 7, 1970. take 1

This song has a kind of swing that makes it appealing. Elvis puts in a solid vocal and we have this old style rock and roll thing going on. This song works well for me. I think the horns work in giving the song a little more kick and a little more swing.

 

I don’t think My Way was ever considered an “Elvis song.” It is a signature Frank Sinatra song covered by Elvis, a cover few probably remember outside of Elvis circles.

 

Although I have a great sentimental attachment to the world weary version of My Way in the Elvis In Concert version, and it made for a truly great posthumous single release, I have to agree with you here. The Aloha From Hawaii version, with a spot on and nearly flawless vocal by Elvis, and a much fuller orchestral arrangement with that delicate and well placed violin solo, is quite simply a rather majestic performance and one of the great highlights of the whole concert in my opinion.

 

2.535.000 views on Youtube ain't too shaby.

 

This one in particular:


Fun trivia: Howlin' Wolf liked Elvis's version of "Hound Dog":

CRAWDADDY: What do you think of the white kids who are working in blues now?
WOLF: Well I like Paul [Paul Butterfield & band], he’s a wonderful person, he grown up in it just like that other boy, what’s his name, somewhere out in California, that “Hound Dog” number…
CRAWDADDY: You mean Elvis?
WOLF: Elvis Presley, well, he made a fortune on it, he made it his way, yeah, he started from the blues, it’s just what you want to do.
CRAWDADDY: But he stopped.
WOLF: Well, if he stopped, he stopped. It’s nothing to laugh at. He made his pull from the blues. If he hadn’t went over and played the blues, he might not have been able to press the numbers he wanted to play. The people might not have accepted. It’s up to the people who want to push you. If people’s out there pushing you, can’t nobody stop you; and if they’re against you, you’re just supposed to go home.
(Source)

 

No it isn’t, but it is unclear what those types of numbers actually mean.

 

Almost 82 million views aren't too bad either.

 

Sure but, to be fair, the Elvis video was published 3 months ago while Sinatra's been there for 11 years.
Still, 82 millions is quite a number.