Pastimescapes 2.0 Blog

AXS TV to feature Elvis documentaries in August [Pastimescapes blog]

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Elvis Presley on stage in 1970. (Image courtesy of AXS TV, used with permission.)

Elvis Presley on stage in 1970. (Image courtesy of AXS TV, used with permission.)

North American television network AXS TV will feature multiple Elvis Presley documentaries next month, including the 2000 “Special Edition” version of Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) as well as Elvis On Tour (1972).

Providing a glimpse of the real Elvis, That’s The Way It Is features the singer in rehearsals and on stage for his third concert series at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Highlights of this must-see film include killer renditions of “Suspicious Minds” and “Polk Salad Annie.” The documentary was Elvis’ 32nd movie, and it airs Tuesday, August 1, at 10 PM Eastern.

Less than two years later, the cameras rolled again for Elvis’ 33rd and final movie, Elvis On Tour. A concert at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia provides the bulk of the live performances, with other cities including Greensboro, North Carolina and San Antonio, Texas. Studio work, rehearsals, and other behind-the-scenes action demonstrate a hectic yet repetitive schedule. Elvis On Tour airs Tuesday, August 22, at 10 PM.

Though both movies are an important part of the Elvis legacy, the difference between the vibrant performer of That’s The Way It Is and his subdued counterpart in Elvis On Tour is striking. Elvis On Tour certainly has its moments, though, picking up steam in the last half.

The 1981 documentary This Is Elvis mixed archival Elvis footage with reenactments by “actors.” The Elvis footage more than makes up for nauseating, voice-over narration by Ral Donner as “Elvis.” The documentary does a decent job recounting Elvis’ life and career. An updated version, sans imitations, was released as The Great Performances in 1990. The concept is in sore need of updating again, but This Is Elvis is certainly worth a watch. It airs on Tuesday, August 8, at 10 PM.

Wednesday, August 16, marks the 40th anniversary of Elvis’ death. At 9 PM, AXS TV goes back to the early years with the 2001 documentary Classic Albums: Elvis Presley, a look at his 1956 debut album.

AXS TV also serves up Clambake (1967), one of the worst Elvis movies. Check out his 25th film on Tuesday, August 29, at 10 PM, if you dare.

A 2016 fictional movie about “Elvis” (Jonathan Nation) going undercover holds no interest for me. Elvis Lives! airs on Tuesday, August 15, and Wednesday, August 16, at 10 PM if you are into that kind of thing.

Here is the full schedule (all times Eastern):

  • August 1, 10 PM: Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition (1970/2000)
  • August 8, 10 PM: This Is Elvis (1981)
  • August 15, 10 PM: Elvis Lives! (2016)
  • August 16, 9 PM: Classic Albums: Elvis Presley (2001)
  • August 16, 10 PM: Elvis Lives! (2016)
  • August 22, 10 PM: Elvis On Tour (1972)
  • August 29, 10 PM: Clambake (1967)
Elvis Presley as he appeared in 1972's ELVIS ON TOUR. (Image courtesy of AXS TV, used with permission.)

Elvis Presley as he appeared in 1972’s ELVIS ON TOUR. (Image courtesy of AXS TV, used with permission.)

UPDATE: August 12, 2017

HDNET MOVIES, sister network of AXS TV, will broadcast an Elvis movie marathon the night of Wednesday, August 16. The marathon will include two of the best (Elvis: That’s That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour) and two of the worst (Paradise, Hawaiian Style and Clambake). At least all of them feature the real Elvis. None of this Elvis Lives! business.

Here is the August 16-17 HDNET MOVIES Elvis schedule (all times Eastern):

  • August 16, 8:30 AM: This Is Elvis (1981)
  • 7:00 PM: Frankie And Johnny (1966)
  • 8:30 PM: Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
  • 10:05 PM: Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition (1970/2000)
  • 11:45 PM: Clambake (1967)
  • August 17, 1:35 AM: Elvis On Tour (1972)
  • 3:20 AM: This Is Elvis (1981)
  • 5:10 AM: Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
  • 6:45 AM: Frankie And Johnny (1966)
  • 8:15 AM: Clambake (1967)

Many of the same films will run again throughout the rest of August.

Take a Ride on the Mystery Train with Updated A BOY FROM TUPELO [Pastimescapes blog]

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One of the best Elvis Presley stories in recent memory was an audio collector’s July 2012 discovery of a live recording of “I Forgot To Remember To Forget.” Not realizing the rarity of what he had found, the collector posted the 1955 Louisiana Hayride radio show segment on YouTube as a curiosity piece.

Once Elvis experts began to take notice, it was soon revealed that this performance had never been heard by the public since the original October 1955 broadcast. It was also in better audio quality than most other Elvis live recordings from the same era. Ernst Jørgensen, Sony’s Elvis chief, acquired the recording, and the video came down.

Meanwhile, A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings, a limited-edition collection covering the same time period, was on the verge of release. Unfortunately, it was too late to add the newly found recording, so the massive book and 3-CD set was slightly less comprehensive than it otherwise would have been when Sony’s Follow That Dream (FTD) collectors label released it in August 2012.

Though I never did finish writing my review at the time, A Boy From Tupelo was a masterpiece even if only for the three CDs. Due to its limited availability, however, many fans were unable to obtain a copy. Five years later, it unfortunately sells for six or seven times its original price.

Sony announced today that an updated version of A Boy From Tupelo will be available as a mainstream release on July 28.

The live recording of “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” is finally taking its rightful place on this set and making its debut on an official release. Thank you to “amberola1b” (the audio collector who discovered the recording) and Jørgensen for making this possible.

I consider A Boy From Tupelo to be one of the most important releases since Elvis died in 1977, and I am glad that it will now be readily available at a reasonable price to any music fan that wants it.

While I had been hoping for a boxed set of Elvis On Tour (1972) concerts and rehearsals this year, A Boy From Tupelo is even better than that would have been. Sony’s mainstream Elvis releases have been very 1970s-heavy for the last several years, so Elvis On Tour can wait a few more years, as far as I am concerned.

While the original came with a 512-page book, this 2017 edition will be condensed to 120 pages. The music will also be available in a digital download edition. A 1-LP vinyl edition will be available, containing only the SUN masters (i.e., no alternate or live recordings).

A BOY FROM TUPELO (2017 Sony Edition)

A BOY FROM TUPELO (2017 Sony Edition)

Laughing with Elvis [Pastimescapes blog]

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Elvis Presley fans tend to take a moment to remember him on January 8, for today would have been his 82nd birthday.

I was 9 years old when I first became aware of Elvis’ birthday. Either the weekend before or after January 8, 1985, local radio station AM 1140 WRVA hosted guest DJ Steve Christopher to play an entire show of Elvis songs, in celebration of what would have been the singer’s 50th birthday.

I recorded about 60 minutes of the show on cassette tape, diligently pausing it between songs to get rid of the annoying talking and commercials. I still have it around here somewhere. In retrospect I wish I had recorded the commercials and talking, too, because that would be a lot of fun to hear 32 years later.

The big set-up of Christopher’s Elvis show was that at various intervals, a designated caller could request an Elvis song live on the air in the hopes that Christopher did not have it. If he failed to play the song, then the caller would win a new car.

At the time, I could not conceive of someone having every Elvis song. Christopher probably had every song officially released to that point, though, so there was little to no chance of someone actually winning.

Essentially, the only chance of winning, probably, was if Christopher forgot to bring one of his records along to the studio and you happened to ask for a song from that exact record which was not present on any other record Christopher had brought with him.

Not to mention that the people who managed to participate in the contest always asked for famous songs, rather than obscure ones. The final contest caller, for instance, was convinced Christopher did not have “My Way” because he had never honored the request during the non-contest portions of the show.

WRVA itself probably had “My Way” in its own archives at that time, without even having to resort to Christopher’s collection even if the DJ had somehow forgotten to bring any copies of the tune along to the station that day.

It was definitely a neat idea for a contest. The only trouble I could see would be if a caller asked for a song that had, in fact, never been released by Elvis, such as “Not Fade Away.” An advantage we have in 2017 over 1985 is that it would be fairly easy to fact check something like that, though.

Like most AM stations, 1140 WRVA unfortunately no longer plays music. Instead, it long ago converted to the “talk radio” format, which I can no longer stomach to hear.

Though his website appears not to have been updated in 17 years, Steve Christopher might still be around. I tried emailing him a few years ago for a story on The Mystery Train Blog, but never heard back. If you ever get the chance to stump him, though, please don’t request “My Way.”

Elvis Presley in 1969

Elvis Presley in 1969

In any event, the reason Christopher’s Elvis show is so memorable to me is not the car contest. Instead, it marked the first time I heard the “laughing” version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”

I have to say, my life was just a little bit better after that. Anytime I have needed a lift since then, that song is there.

After nearly wearing the cassette tape out, it took me years to find a legitimate copy of the performance – which I finally achieved when I bought Collectors Gold in 1991 – my first of (too) many Elvis boxed sets.

My family was actually visiting friends in Pittsburgh when I found the CD set at a shopping mall there that summer. The only CD player I had was at home, 350 miles away. Though I had my Walkman with me, it only played cassettes. Needless to say, I was ready for the trip to be over at that point.

Fortunately, the family friend had a CD player and recorded parts of the set for me on cassette to tide me over. I can remember playing the song over and over that night, listening on headphones.

The song is a live version, recorded at a 1969 Midnight Show in Las Vegas. It can also be found on the Elvis Aron Presley boxed set, A Legendary Performer: Volume 4, and the All Shook Up: Recorded Live In Las Vegas, August 26, 1969 FTD CD. All four releases are unfortunately out of print, though.

I hope the laughing version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” shows up again in some future Legacy release, because these days, we all could use the laugh.

Before I sign off and get back to the winter wonderland that arrived here this weekend, I first want to direct you to a few other blogs with Elvis posts.

Up first is The Sheila Variations, a site that covers a wide spectrum of topics.

Sheila is one of my favorite writers, and I consider myself fortunate that one of her recurring topics happens to be Elvis Presley. Today, she has reposted a few of her past entries. All of her Elvis Essays are worth a read, though.

Wellsy, a frequent commenter here, has written a 7-part series on Elvis over at his Soulride blog. Be sure to check it out.

Finally, my friend Thomas over at the Elvis Today Blog recently wrote his first post in nearly two years, covering The World of FTD – a new book set from Elvis expert Keith Flynn. It’s always great to read a new post from Thomas.

That’s it. Thanks for the laughs, Elvis!

Elvis: It’s Only Live [Pastimescapes blog]

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Elvis Presley's 1972 RCA single version of "An American Trilogy." (From the author's collection.)

Elvis Presley’s 1972 RCA single version of “An American Trilogy.” (From the author’s collection.)

I thought it might be interesting to start a list of live Elvis Presley songs officially released for which no formal studio recordings are available. It turned out longer than I expected – over 50 songs so far, and that is not including any that I might have missed.

  • Hearts Of Stone
  • Tweedlee Dee
  • Little Mama
  • Maybellene
  • Flip, Flop & Fly
  • Baby, What You Want Me To Do
  • Tiger Man [according to legend, Elvis recorded a studio version at SUN but it has yet to surface]
  • Yesterday
  • Runaway
  • My Babe
  • I Can’t Stop Loving You
  • Johnny B. Goode
  • Words
  • Proud Mary
  • Let It Be Me
  • Walk A Mile In My Shoes
  • Sweet Caroline
  • Polk Salad Annie
  • See See Rider
  • Release Me
  • The Wonder Of You
  • I Just Can’t Help Believin’
  • Something
  • You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
  • When The Snow Is On The Roses
  • The Impossible Dream
  • An American Trilogy
  • Never Been To Spain
  • You Gave Me A Mountain
  • It’s Impossible
  • It’s Over
  • What Now My Love
  • I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  • Welcome To My World
  • Steamroller Blues
  • Mama Don’t Dance
  • Softly, As I Leave You
  • Why Me, Lord
  • Let Me Be There
  • You Can Have Her
  • Turn Around And Look At Me
  • Aubrey
  • Alright, Okay, You Win
  • You’re The Reason I’m Living
  • If You Love Me
  • Little Darlin’
  • Jambalaya
  • School Days
  • America The Beautiful [“studio” version recorded in Graceland den, but only a small fragment survives]
  • O Sole Mio
  • Auld Lang Syne
  • Unchained Melody
  • You Better Run

Note that many of these songs have non-live versions available – including rehearsals that are similar to formal recordings. For example, “Never Been To Spain” appears on Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals, which was actually recorded at RCA’s Hollywood studio. However, I still consider the recording to be of an informal nature for the purposes of this list.

You've just crossed over into... the edge of reality. (With apologies to Serling.)

You’ve just crossed over into… the edge of reality. (With apologies to Serling.)

Most of the above songs actually work best for Elvis in a live context, but there are about a dozen for which I wish he had made formal studio recordings as well.

From the edge of reality, here is the track listing for an imaginary album of my picks.

Elvis: What Does It Matter

Side A

  1. Johnny B. Goode
  2. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
  3. Never Been To Spain
  4. I Just Can’t Help Believin’
  5. Walk A Mile In My Shoes
  6. When The Snow Is On The Roses

Side B

  1. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  2. Maybellene
  3. My Babe
  4. I Can’t Stop Loving You
  5. Tiger Man
  6. Unchained Melody

How about you? From his live recordings, which do you feel Elvis should have tackled in the studio?

Thanks to reader Michel Cornec for inspiring this topic as well as performing some of the initial research.

Which “Jungle Room” Elvis CD Should You Buy? [Pastimescapes blog]

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[Side Note: Introducing the new look of Pastimescapes, which now leverages the Expound theme. Look for more tweaks in the coming days.]

Cover of WAY DOWN IN THE JUNGLE ROOM (2016, Sony)

Cover of WAY DOWN IN THE JUNGLE ROOM (2016, Sony)

Memphis. When it comes to Elvis Presley, there is something magical about the music he created in his adopted hometown.

That magic is tangible, no matter if we are talking about his early SUN sides of 1954-1955, the American Sound sessions of 1969, the Stax recordings of 1973, the Mid-South Coliseum concerts of 1974, or the Graceland sessions of 1976 – where his home’s den was converted into a makeshift recording studio.

Those Graceland sessions, which proved to be the last “studio” recordings of Elvis’ career, initially resulted in two albums: From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, and the bulk of Moody Blue.

Since then, of course, alternates and outtakes from the Graceland sessions have appeared on numerous releases. The Jungle Room Sessions, for instance, is reportedly one of the best-selling CDs ever released by the Follow That Dream (FTD) collectors label for Elvis fans. The disc is so-named for the nickname given after Elvis’ death to Graceland’s uniquely decorated den.

Earlier this month, Sony released the latest compilation of these songs, Way Down In The Jungle Room. The release contains all of the Graceland master recordings on Disc 1 and selected alternates/outtakes on Disc 2.

Due to already having all of the material from both discs, I had actually planned to skip Way Down In The Jungle Room. I then found out more information about Disc 2 by reading Bob Mehr’s Memphis Commercial Appeal article on the project.

Thanks to the article, I did not skip it, and I can now highly recommend Way Down In The Jungle Room due to the incredible sound of Disc 2’s alternate/outtake versions – newly mixed by Matt Ross-Spang at Sam Phillips Recording Service.

However, my purpose today is not so much to review Way Down In The Jungle Room, but to expand upon an answer to a question I recently received from Wellsy – a Pastimescapes reader and longtime Elvis fan. A frequent commenter, he even wrote a guest post on The Mystery Train Blog a few years back for me.

Wellsy emailed me on vacation from Memphis about some CDs he was considering purchasing. Somewhere in the course of our ongoing exchange, he asked, “What is the difference between FTD’s The Jungle Room Sessions and Sony’s Way Down In The Jungle Room?”

Frozen In Time: Graceland's den in 2016 essentially looks the same as it did in 1977. According to legend, Elvis bought the Witco furnishings after his father commented that it was ugliest furniture he had ever seen. (Photo by Wellsy.)

Frozen In Time: Graceland’s den in 2016 essentially looks the same as it did in 1977. According to legend, Elvis bought the Witco furnishings after his father commented that it was ugliest furniture he had ever seen. (Photo by Wellsy.)

If you are interested in the Graceland sessions, the underlying question is which of the Elvis releases covering this material should you buy? In addition to Way Down In The Jungle Room, there have been quite a few, including:

  • From Elvis Presley Boulevard (RCA): Masters from the February 1976 Graceland sessions (#19 on my recent “50 Greatest Elvis Albums” list)
  • Moody Blue (RCA): Remaining masters from the February and October 1976 Graceland sessions, supplemented with live recordings from 1974 and 1977 (#7 on my list)
  • The Jungle Room Sessions (FTD): Alternates/outtakes from the 1976 Graceland sessions
  • From Elvis Presley Boulevard (FTD Classic Album Edition): Masters and alternates/outtakes from the original RCA album, including relevant portions of The Jungle Room Sessions in improved sound quality and some previously unreleased tracks
  • Moody Blue (FTD Classic Album Edition): Masters and alternates/outtakes from the original RCA album, including relevant portions of The Jungle Room Sessions in improved sound quality and some previously unreleased tracks

People who know me offline, and I am sure some online have picked up on this as well, understand that I am a very analytical person. Sometimes to the point of annoyance, but, hey, it pays the bills. Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to compare some of the releases covering the Graceland sessions in a more visual fashion.

The below chart captures the master and other complete takes for each of the songs recorded at the Graceland sessions that have been officially released to date. In an attempt to keep this to a manageable size, I left out things like rehearsals, false starts, and FTD-generated splices.

Graceland Sessions Comparison Chart

As noted in the graphic, my key information sources for the above were:

Any mistakes you might find, though, were entirely of my own making.

So, which one should you buy?

For typical, casual, new, or would-be Elvis fans, I recommend you buy Way Down In The Jungle Room. It gives you all of the master takes as well as a manageable number of alternates in great sound quality. This 2-CD set is a real value at less than US $15. Incidentally, there is also an LP vinyl version, but it does not include the masters.

For “totally insane” Elvis fans (like me), who enjoy listening to multiple alternates of the same song, I recommend you buy the FTD “Classic Album” editions of From Elvis Presley Boulevard and Moody Blue. Each of these 2-CD sets will run you around US $30, but they are more than worth it to experience the making of these albums. However, you will probably want to pick up the seemingly redundant Way Down In The Jungle Room as well at some point – simply for the sound experience on Disc 2.

No matter which you choose, settle back and enjoy some Memphis magic, courtesy of Elvis.

Thanks to Wellsy for inspiring this topic as well as giving permission to use his photo of Graceland’s den.

The 50 Greatest Elvis Presley Albums of All Time (Part 5: The Top 10) [Pastimescapes blog]

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This is the final installment of a countdown of Elvis Presley’s best albums.

To be eligible for consideration, a release had to consist of no more than two discs (CDs/records), contain at least one-third previously unreleased content (not including singles and Extended Plays), and be from an official label (no bootlegs).

Albums were judged solely on their new material and not on any of the reissued content they might have contained. Recording information noted below is also only for an album’s new content.

Though cultural impact was taken into account in various ways, that was not the lone consideration. Ultimately, personal impact — how much I love a particular album — was the most important factor.

Tomorrow marks the 39th anniversary of the death of Elvis at the age of 42. I am 41, so that 42 age seems younger and younger to me with each passing year. Though gone too soon, he accomplished much in that short time – as attested by the 50 incredible albums covered in this series of posts.

Elvis has been dead the majority of my life, yet has had a profound influence on it. His music has gotten me through some tough times … and has been there for many more good times as well.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the ten greatest Elvis albums of all time.

#10 Promised Land
Recorded: 1973 | Memphis
Released: 1975 (RCA)
Essential Song: “Promised Land”
“Aw, get on it! I left my home in Norfolk, Virginia; California on my mind. I straddled that Greyhound and rode him into Raleigh and on across Caroline.”
What Makes It Great: Recorded at Stax studios, Promised Land is, in many ways, a perfect Elvis album – a mixture of rock ‘n’ roll, country, inspirational, and adult contemporary. It is a testament to the power of the remaining albums on this list that I was not able to nudge this one farther up in the rankings.

#9 Elvis’ Golden Records, Volume 3
Recorded: 1960-1962 | Nashville
Released: 1963 (RCA)
Essential Song: “Are You Lonesome Tonight”
“You know, someone said that the world’s a stage, and each must play a part. Fate had me playing in love, with you as my sweetheart.”
What Makes It Great: This collection of top-selling singles makes a strong argument against those who claim that, musically, “Elvis died in the Army.” There are so many treats here, like “Little Sister” and “His Latest Flame.”

#8 Almost In Love
Recorded: 1967-1969 | Hollywood; Nashville; Memphis
Released: 1970 (Camden)
Essential Song: “Rubberneckin’”
“People say I’m wastin’ time, yeah, but I don’t really care.”
What Makes It Great: Almost In Love is a hodge-podge of songs, including some movie tunes, that manage not only to work, but combine into what is, obviously, one of his best albums ever. This was a “budget” album on RCA’s Camden label. Unfortunately, most of Elvis’ Camden releases were of far lower quality.

#7 Moody Blue
Recorded: 1976-1977 | Memphis; Ann Arbor; Kalamazoo
Released: 1977 (RCA)
Essential Song: “Pledging My Love”
“Always and forever, I’ll love only you.”
What Makes It Great: Recorded at his home and on the road in front of his fans, Moody Blue ends Elvis’ career in style. Elvis’ last album is released on July 19, 1977, less than a month before his death. In the subsequent record store rush, many folks pick up this stellar album – pressed on blue vinyl. The album includes “He’ll Have To Go,” the last song Elvis ever recorded in a “studio” setting (actually, his den at Graceland).

#6 From Elvis In Memphis
Recorded: 1969 | Memphis
Released: 1969 (RCA)
Essential Song: “Power Of My Love”
“My love will haunt you, yes, haunt you night and day.”
What Makes It Great: From Elvis In Memphis capitalizes on the success of the ELVIS special and propels him forward in a new, adult style unlike anything he has recorded before.

#5 On Stage – February, 1970
Recorded: 1969-1970 | Las Vegas
Released: 1970 (RCA)
Essential Song: “Polk Salad Annie” (February 18, 1970, Midnight Show)
“Everybody calls it polk salad. Now that’s polk… [boom]… salad… [boom-boom]. Lord, have mercy.”
What Makes It Great: Primarily recorded in February 1970, with a couple of related highlights from August 1969 thrown in for good measure, On Stage illustrates the power of Elvis as a live performer in this time period. This album pairs well with Elvis In Person (August 1969). In fact, a 2010 “Legacy Edition” of On Stage does just that.

Trivia Interlude: Of those released in his lifetime in the United States, On Stage is one of only two Elvis albums that do not include his name on the front or back cover. The other is For LP Fans Only (#17 on this countdown).

#4 How Great Thou Art – As Sung By Elvis
Recorded: 1966; 1960 | Nashville
Released: 1967 (RCA)
Essential Song: “How Great Thou Art”
“I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
What Makes It Great: How Great Thou Art is Elvis’ masterpiece, which earns him his first Grammy Award. Out of all of the albums on this Top Ten list, it is undoubtedly the one he cared about most. The entire album is a must-listen when it comes to understanding his music.

#3 Elvis Country – I’m 10,000 Years Old
Recorded: 1970 | Nashville
Released: 1971 (RCA)
Essential Song: “I Really Don’t Want To Know”
“Just let it, let it remain your secret. Oh, for darlin’, darlin’ I love you so. No wonder, yeah, no wonder, I wonder, ’cause I really don’t want, I don’t want to know.”
What Makes It Great: Elvis Country is an album that rather haphazardly came together in the course of Elvis’ summer 1970 “marathon” session in Nashville. This, of course, makes it more perfect than any planned album would have been. Nashville was the ideal location for Elvis to delve into a definitive country album. Remember, it’s not just country, it’s Elvis country.

#2 Elvis’ Golden Records
Recorded: 1956-1957 | Hollywood; New York; Nashville
Released: 1958 (RCA)
Essential Song: “Jailhouse Rock”
“I wanna stick around awhile and get my kicks, let’s rock!”
What Makes It Great: The first of many volumes, Elvis’ Golden Records captures the songs that took him to international superstardom in 1956 and 1957. These classic songs have been compiled dozens and dozens of times since then, but Elvis’ Golden Records was the first and the best.

#1 That’s The Way It Is
Recorded: 1970 | Nashville; Las Vegas
Released: 1970 (RCA)
Essential Song: “How The Web Was Woven”
“At last I’m where you want me, don’t you know that’s where, where I wanna be.”
What Makes It Great: I have written about this album more than any other, so I am sure it landing at the top spot was no surprise to anyone who has followed my writing over the years. The That’s The Way It Is project – RCA album and MGM documentary – represents the culmination of the “comeback” that began with the How Great Thou Art sessions and caught fire with the ELVIS special. Elvis reached perfection in this time period as an artist. I cannot choose any album but this one as his absolute best.

Shopping Tip: If you buy the 2014 “Legacy Edition” of That’s The Way It Is (the previously unreleased material of which was already covered as #41 on this countdown), you will get the original album (#1 here), the associated singles, a few outtakes, and a complete live show on 2 CDs. Definitely a huge value, if you do not already have the material.

The 50 Greatest Elvis Presley Albums of All Time (click for larger version)

The 50 Greatest Elvis Presley Albums of All Time (click for larger version)

So, there you have them, the 50 Greatest Elvis Presley Albums of All Time – at least according to one fan on one day.

No doubt, your list will vary. Were you shocked by any inclusions or omissions? Make your case in the comments below.

Finally, I want to close out by saying how much fun this series of Elvis posts has been for me. By 2014, when I ended The Mystery Train Blog, I was burned out on writing about Elvis (not burned out on listening to his music, however).

I started Pastimescapes a year ago to continue writing about Elvis but also expand to other areas of interest. The flexibility of this “open topic” blog with the cumbersome name has been a tremendous help.

For Elvis fans, this is a special week – one that many of us use to celebrate his life, rather than dwell on his death. For me, that life was about music.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I intend to crank up that music a little louder than usual tomorrow.

Thank you for reading.

2016 marks the 60th anniversary of millions of people around the world becoming Elvis fans. I dedicate this series of posts to those first generation fans. Without you, the rest of us might never have heard of The Memphis Flash.

For Elvis VHS Lovers Only [Pastimescapes blog]

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UPDATE: The tapes have been claimed. Stay tuned, though, because you never know what other items I will free from the vault.

I am cleaning up my “Fortress of Solitude,” and it is time to part with most of my Elvis VHS collection – particularly since I have no way to play them anymore.

If any fellow Elvis fan is interested, they are yours free. However, it is all or nothing, as I do not want to ship these individually all over the place. As far as I know, they are all in playable condition – but I have not tried any of them in at least a decade.

First to want them in the comments to this post gets them. If no one claims by August 20, then I will find somewhere local to donate them. I hope you enjoy!

Elvis on VHS: ELVIS IN HOLLYWOOD, KING CREOLE, ELVIS, ONE NIGHT WITH YOU, CHARRO, THE ALTERNATE ALOHA CONCERT, and THIS IS ELVIS

Elvis on VHS: ELVIS IN HOLLYWOOD, KING CREOLE, ELVIS, ONE NIGHT WITH YOU, CHARRO, THE ALTERNATE ALOHA CONCERT, and THIS IS ELVIS