If we could only take one album between us on a desert island, this would be it. No ifs, no buts. Elvis' black leather suit comeback album is the perfect mix of rockin', croonin' and swagger. We love the stand-up version, but it's the sit-down version that makes us lose our shit.
After a decade long contract with the big movie studios, Elvis had to be reintroduced to the public to prove that he was still cool. The stand-up special is an OTT, musical stage play of his most popular numbers. Famously, during a break in rehearsals, the producers saw Elvis jamming with his band in the break-out room and were blown away. The low-key 'sit-down' show was born and was released as the B-side. Thank goodness, because it is stripped-back, raw and perfect. Elvis jamming and joking around with his bandmates. Just singing and letting loose.
They play fragments of songs, they play songs twice, they start songs and Elvis forgets the words, they shift seamlessly from one song to another (When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again into Blue Christmas is fabulous). And it's the most wonderful recording ever made. That's Alright Mama is simply gold. The second time they play Lawdy Miss Clawdy is spine tingling - the first wailing note that Elvis sings is a pants-wetting moment. The greatest single bar in popular music. If we could travel to any point in the history of the earth, it would be this.
The stories and banter between songs are hilarious. Elvis talks about being banned from moving his hips during gigs. He reflects on the changes to music since he last performed live. "I like a lot of the new groups, the Beatles, the Byrds...". he's reflective, he's very funny, he's shy and he's commanding. All at the same time.
It's easy to get blown away by Elvis' voice and hear nothing else. But every member of the band is a genius (even if some of them tell bad jokes). Scotty Moore's guitar is subtle and exquisite. And DJ Fontana is playing drums on a guitar case. A goddamn guitar case. And have we mentioned the leather suit???
The second time they play Trying to Get to You is amazing, with Elvis throwing everything at it. The most beautiful moment is when the song draws to a close and the band pleads with Elvis "one more time, one more time" and he tears into the chorus with no regard for his vocal chords.
The set on the version we have closes with If I Can Dream, a poignant, optimistic rip-roaring plea for hope. "While I can think, while I can talk, while I can stand, while I can walk, while I can dream, please let me dream". Lennon's Imagine is weak compared to this.
Our friend Elvio introduced us to this record and he has our eternal gratitude. If you only know Elvis from the ballads like Love Me Tender, you need to buy this record. If you're a living, breathing human being, you need to buy this record. And if you're a bloke, accept that you're wife will never be as attracted to you as she is to Elvis (but if it's any comfort, the man sure as shit went downhill from here...). This is not just the peak of Elvis, this is the peak of music.
I wrote a whole bunch of stuff about how I LOVE Elvis and then got distracted and left this page to go to Elvis on youtube....dang. To summarise on the text I lost, Elvis is awesome. Even in the movies. Even when he got a bit tubby. I love Elvis so much that on a trip to Edinburgh I spent about a week trying to track down an NME tribute album called the last temptation of Elvis, an all star tribute featuring 26 songs from Elvis movies. I ended up buying it from some weird van. I note the first track is Mr Springsteen covering Viva Las Vegas.
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