Elvis 75 presents 100 Presley rock and pop hits, gospel
songs, live stunners and passable movie tunes on four CDs, wrapping
them up in a bunch of photos and a literate essay. All the hits are
there, from the trail-breaking 1954 “That’s All Right” to “A Little
Less Conversation,” a 1968 trifle that gave the King a chart-topper in
2002 when it was electronically sliced and diced for a Nike ad
campaign. The chronological presentation shows how Presley
mainstreamed, adding drums, strings and the amazing Jordanaires as his
market expanded.
The gospel material is particularly stirring, but even throwaways
“Bossa Nova Baby” and the painfully dated “U.S. Male” have impact,
eased along by Presley’s remarkable phrasing. Showstoppers like “An
American Trilogy” and the mawkish yet moving “In the Ghetto” are
astonishing, thanks to Presley’s supple voice. Unlike his individual
albums and movies, Elvis 75 demonstrates Presley’s range, from
the rockabilly of “Mystery Train” and “Blue Suede Shoes” to the cracker
baroque of “King Creole” and the delirious rock of 1969’s “Suspicious
Minds,” his last hit. Elvis 75 is the initial salvo in Presley’s
75th birthday celebration; he was born Jan. 8, 1935. As he has since
the early ’50s, Presley, who died in 1977, affirms that commercialism
has its charms.
— Carlo Wolff
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2009.
