The Elvis Beat Newsletter

Review: GOOD TIMES CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Good Times (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis. Recorded July 21-22 and December 10-16, 1973, Stax Studios (Memphis). Released: March 1974. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

Good Times contains some of the greatest songs of all of the new CDs reviewed in this issue: “Lovin’ Arms,” “I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby,” “My Boy,” “Spanish Eyes,” and “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues.”

“Take Good Care Of Her” and “Talk About The Good Times” are average songs, which Good Times also contains three weak songs: “I Got A Feelin’ In My Body,” “If That Isn’t Love,” and “She Wears My Ring.”

Once again, unless you are waiting for The 70s Masters boxed set, this one is definitely a must.

Songs:

  1. Take Good Care Of Her
  2. Lovin’ Arms
  3. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body
  4. If That Isn’t Love
  5. She Wears My Ring
  6. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby
  7. My Boy
  8. Spanish Eyes
  9. Talk About The Good Times
  10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: RAISED ON ROCK CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Raised On Rock (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis and Elvis Presley. Recorded July 21-23, 1973, Stax Studios (Memphis) and September 22-24, 1973, Elvis’ home (Palm Springs). Released: November 1973. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

This re-issue of Raised On Rock, which interestingly drops the original “For Ol’ Times Sake” subtitle, contains a page of poorly written liner notes, as do the other three albums reviewed in this issue, of which this is the last paragraph:

This album was recorded at a very difficult time during Elvis’ life. It could never be considered a classic. In October, his petition for divorce from Priscilla would be finalized and it must have weighed heavily on his mind. The poignancy of “For Ol’ Time Sake” [sic] puts this into perspective and makes this re-issue still a must for any real Elvis fan.

I had never heard the Raised On Rock album before, and I read the liner notes before playing it. I fully expected to be disappointed by this album since even Elvis’ own record company seems to feel that Raised On Rock was generally a worthless album with only one good song.

After listening to the album, I found that I totally disagreed with the liner notes and, in retrospect, found them insulting both to Elvis and his fans.

Does an album have to hit number one to be a “classic”? What is a classic anyway? Why is it assumed that Elvis’ personal life would have a negative impact on his music? Can’t Elvis’ own record company get the title of his song right? What is a “real Elvis fan,” anyway?

The liner notes suggest that only obsessed fans would even consider buying Raised On Rock, and, even then, they would probably only play it once.

Despite the liner notes, Raised On Rock is an excellent album that contains a wide variety of musical styles. All ten of the songs are strong and prove Elvis’ voice to be in good form. It makes one wonder if the unidentified author of the liner notes even bothered to listen to the album.

Songs:

  1. Raised On Rock
  2. Are You Sincere
  3. Find Out What’s Happening
  4. I Miss You
  5. Girl Of Mine
  6. For Ol’ Times Sake
  7. If You Don’t Come Back
  8. Just A Little Bit
  9. Sweet Angeline
  10. Three Corn Patches

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review: ELVIS (1973) CD [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this review back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis (RCA), recorded by Elvis Presley, produced by Felton Jarvis. Recorded 1971 & 1972, Nashville, Las Vegas, and Hollywood. Released: July 1973. Re-released: 1994 (CD).

Elvis is the first of four albums reviewed in this issue that were finally re-released by RCA as CDs after being unavailable for years. Until the “Elvis In The 90s” series, many of Elvis’ 1970s albums had been deleted from RCA’s catalog, depriving younger fans of the opportunity to hear some of his best work.

Elvis contains many excellent songs: “Fool,” “Where Do I Go From Here,” “Love Me, Love The Life I Lead,” “It’s Impossible,” “It’s Still Here,” “For Lovin’ Me,” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

The album also contains three weaker songs: “Padre,” “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen,” and “I Will Be True.”

Unless you are patient enough to wait around for The 70s Masters boxed set, which I wasn’t, this album is a must for any fan’s collection.

Songs:

  1. Fool
  2. Where Do I Go From Here
  3. Love Me, Love The Life I Lead
  4. It’s Still Here
  5. It’s Impossible
  6. For Lovin’ Me
  7. Padre
  8. I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
  9. I Will Be True
  10. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

Rating: 8 out of 10

Is the 70s stamp coming soon? [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 19 when I wrote this article back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #8, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

The 70s Elvis stamp may be released as soon as 1995 if a growing number of fans have their way with the US Postal Service. In April 1992, the stamp was defeated by a 3-to-1 margin in favor of the 50s Elvis stamp that was released in January 1993. The 70s stamp, also known as “Stamp B,” was painted by artist John Berkey and depicts Elvis as he appeared in 1973’s televised concert Aloha From Hawaii.

The stamp was severely criticized by the news media and others who unfairly called it the “Old, fat Elvis.” Berkey defended his stamp by stating, “I understand what happened, the negative feelings. But I painted the King. That other guy is the prince. The fanatical fans like the 70s one. And as a matter of fact he weighed 160 pounds and he was 38 years old (at the time of Aloha From Hawaii). That’s not fat, and that’s not old.” [. . . .]

A record 500,000 of the 50s Elvis stamps were printed and all were sold out in days, making them the most successful stamps in history. Since most of the stamps will be kept by fans or collectors and will never actually be used in the mail, the Postal Service has made an incredible profit from them.

Additionally, the Postal Service has profited from the marketing of the stamp image, which has appeared everywhere on hundreds of items for sale. Economically, the Postal Service could make millions more if another stamp were released so there probably is a fair chance it will happen as long as fans show support.

Over a quarter of a million people voted in favor of the 70s stamp, which artistically was a better representation of Elvis anyway. [. . . .]

ELVIS DOLLS [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 18 when I wrote this piece back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #7, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

There are six new Elvis dolls available from Hasbro, including “Jailhouse Rock,” “’68 Special,” and “Aloha From Hawaii.” The 12-inch dolls retail for $50 each.

ELVIS: THE TRIBUTE [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 18 when I wrote this piece back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #7, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis: The Tribute, an all-star salute to Elvis, has been announced. It will include a concert to be broadcast worldwide the weekend of October 7. The event will take place at the Pyramid in Memphis and will benefit several charities.

Priscilla Presley said, “We’ve been waiting for the right time, the most sophisticated technology, the greatest performing artists in the world, and the right people to be involved.”

Although no names have been officially announced, the concert portion is to include artists who influenced Elvis as well as artists who were influenced by Elvis.

60s MASTERS Strikes Gold [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 18 when I wrote this article back in 1994 for The Elvis Beat #7, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Elvis’ new release, ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I, has achieved gold status, indicating sales of over 500,000 discs. The official presentation was made on January 8.

The award is Elvis’ 274th gold or platinum award for US sales officially confirmed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The 274 awards span 111 different titles.

Elvis’ status as the “Greatest Recording Artist of All Time” remains unchallenged, for he stands far ahead in gold and platinum awards. After Elvis come The Beatles with 41, the Rolling Stones with 39, and Elton John and Barbra Streisand, each with 37.

With the incredible success of this boxed set and its predecessor, RCA plans to release more boxed sets in the future. A boxed set for the 1970s is a certainty, but boxed sets for his singles, his gospel recordings, and the 1968 ELVIS (Comeback) special are also under consideration.