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From the Vault...
05/23/1999
#630 |
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info
Elvis Presley
"Live A Little, Love A Little/Charro!/The Trouble With Girls/Change Of Habit"
© RCA/BMG Records
Rating:
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track listing
Almost In Love
A Little Less Conversation
Wonderful World
Edge Of Reality
A Little Less Conversation
Charro!
Let's Forget AboutThe Stars
Clean Up Your OwnBackyard
Swing Down Sweet Chariot
Signs Of The Zodiac
Almost
The Whiffenpoof Song
Violet
Clean Up Your OwnBackyard
Almost
Have A Happy
Let's Be Friends
Change Of Habit
Let Us Pray
Rubberneckin'
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Elvis Presley "Live A Little, Love A Little/Charro!/The Trouble With Girls/Change Of Habit"
Elvis & His Movies...Not highly remembered, but his movies were best
known for music, despite how bad those movies were. This review is not meant
to review the movies for their storylines, instead we analyze what Elvis was
best remembered for: His music.
Four movie soundtracks are combined in this set, as these movies were
released in 1968 - 1969: Live A Little, Love A Little (1968),
Charro!, The Trouble With Girls and Change Of Habit (1969).
Live A Little, Love A Little
"Almost Love" has Elvis as a longue lizard, as you can imagine
Elvis singing in a lounge act on this one, with the light tapping of the drums,
and the horns, and also imagining the band members dressed in bad tuxedos.
"A Little Less Conversation" has the Elvis Las Vegas rock style.
"Wonderful World" is a wonderful medium-pop song, as I remember this
song originally from the vinyl Flaming Star soundtrack.
"Edge Of Reality" has the aura of a song performed in Elvis' many
live concert performances. It also has the Las Vegas touch, and this song is
another good pop number. The last song from this movie is the album version
of "A Little Less Conversation," which I can't find any differences in
the two versions.
Charro!
Surprisingly, there are only two songs from the Charro soundtrack.
The first is the title track, in which it has a definite soundtrack atmosphere.
It's musical sound is theatric, with strings, horns and all. It has an
atmosphere found in such soundtracks as the James Bond movies, and/or
Star Wars soundtracks. "Let's Forget About The Stars" is a nice,
mellow song, having a pop/country feel. The piano definitely gives this song
a Floyd Cramer-country feel.
The Trouble With Girls
"Clean Up Your Own Backyard", like other songs heard earlier, has
the Las Vegas style. "Swing Down, Sweet Chariot" returns Elvis to his
gospel roots, with this great finger snapping, toe tapping song.
Elvis in dixieland/big band jazz? "Signs Of The Zodiac" is a silly
least remembered number, as Elvis is joined by an actress from the film,
Marlyn Mason. "Almost" has excellent piano work, as it is another
lounge act composition, and is quite impressive, as Elvis displays his great
mellow voice, as in "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and slow gospel songs.
This song is only less than two minutes, it should of been more. "The
Wiffenpoof Song" and "Violet" are other songs like "Almost";
they're great, but they are only less than a minute long each!
The remaining two songs from The Trouble With Girls are undubbed
versions of "Clean Up Your Backyard" and "Almost." Again, I
find no major differences than the other versions.
Change Of Habit
"Have A Happy" is a bouncy pop number, like Eydie Gorme's
"Blame It On The Bossa Nova". "Let's Be Friends" is another
mellow tune, with excellent country piano work. This song could easily
have been a regular on his concert songlist. "Change Of Habit", (the
title track), is another Las Vegas pop tune.
"Let Us Pray" has some fancy bass playing, as this bouncy gospel
number is another good tune to get into. The album closes with
"Rubberneckin'", a great Las Vegas groovin' tune.
It's obvious that Elvis was showing his new style. These soundtracks
were from 1968-1969, which became Elvis' comeback era when he returned to
performing in 1969. The Las Vegas-style songs are easily compared to his
NBC-TV special, as these songs could easily have been included on the show,
and it's soundtrack as well. The remaining songs have enough energy in them,
as Elvis was now spawning on a new musical venture.
These songs are NOT like Elvis' early years in the 1950s. This is the Vegas
Elvis, as these songs have that style, likewise pop and gospel. Some of the
songs could of been more in length (like the short songs found in The
Trouble With Girls soundtrack). With the impressive (two) songs from
Charro!, there should of been more. But this particular soundtrack
album is highly recommended, as discovering Elvis Presley in a different
shade of light with his music can only determine one thought: It's too bad
his movies weren't as highly appreciated as the music itself heard in these
soundtracks.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Of Habit"< Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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