Elvis Presley – Viva Las Vegas
RCA Records (7/31/07)
Rock
Viva Las Vegas remastered, isn’t what you think it is off the bat. It is not the movie soundtrack, but it instead is Elvis Presley’s live music remastered from the 1970s in RCA’s attempt to recreate the experience of the Elvis Presley concert in one 16-song collection. This period in Elvis’ life is a more serious and full-of-life experience.
“Viva Las Vegas” is the perfect kick off, a song still immortalized today in soundtracks (even non-Elvis ones) and is used to personify Vegas to people around the world.
“The Wonder of You” is so sweeping, beautiful and hopeful. “Polk Salad Annie” is a classic example of Elvis never losing his soul, rhythm and blues influences. This song especially showcases his great ability to interpret songs as well as showcasing the great energy of a Elvis Presley show. What I also love about “Polk Salad Annie” is how you can also hear the talent of his great backup singers, The Sweet Inspirations, very well.
“I Just Can’t Help Believin'” is always a gorgeous song to hear again and really captures Elvis’ later romantic work and maturity. “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” is a very fitting song about not judging someone else in life until you’ve been in their situation, and as often as Elvis was analyzed his entire life, the song choice couldn’t have been more appropriate.
“Patch It Up” is a upbeat relationship song with a twist and is one of the Elvis songs with momentum.
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a emotional sprinkled with gospel influence track that really captures the introspective and quality songs Elvis was known for in the last part of his career. “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” is one of the many songs Elvis chose about love and relationships that worked well during his live shows and couldn’t have been left off the album. “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” is practically a march through Elvis’ relationships through song as Elvis was always a master of picking good songs that reflected his moods. I’m surprised “Troubled Minds” didn’t make the cut and I wish it had.
“Release Me” and “Let It Be Me” could have been cut because I don’t think it added extra value to the body of work. Surprisingly, “American Trilogy” did not close the album and that is one of the most powerfully emotional and timeless songs in Elvis’ career, especially this version that they chose to remaster. There’s something about that song in parallel to Elvis’ own life and struggles with balance in his life. If they had closed the album with this song, it would have truly rounded out the experience of an Elvis show. The album did close, however, with “The Impossible Dream” which is yet another signature song for his shows and I am glad it was a part of this collection. “American Trilogy” and “The Impossible Dream” are Elvis Presley through and through.
A fairly good collection of Elvis songs that attempt to capture the Elvis of the ’70s, who had grown in his career experiencing love, loss, and the constant love from his fans who never left him. This album is good for the fans who want to sample Elvis before investing into deeper box set collections.
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