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Elvis Presley - Walk A Mile in My Shoes - The Essential 70's Masters
Elvis Presley in the 70's was many things to some a pariah, a sellout, a hideous mockery of everything he'd stood for in the 50's; to others he was a glittering god, a singer who had grown masterfully into his own style and voice to connect three generations of fans with his song. In some ways, he was all these things; he had joined the "establishment" that his youthful "rebel" image had disdained with the birth of"rock 'n' roll." But by 1970, Elvis was 35 years old and no longer a youthful "rebel." He was a grown man, his voice and style had matured, and he was desperately eager to shed the last decade of woefully bad movies and sing the songs HE wanted to sing, not the generally pathetic offerings which had been shoved at him with each new film soundtrack.
And Elvis chose his songs. He sang country "Always On My Mind," "For Ol' Times Sake," "Promised Land," "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," "Green, Green Grass of Home," "Snowbird," "You Gave Me A Mountain." He sang folk "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen," "Danny Boy." He sang rock, "Patch It Up," "Raised On Rock," "Burning Love," "Tiger Man," "See See Rider," "Never Been To Spain." He sang blues, "Steamroller Blues," "Polk Salad Annie." And he sang adult contemporary tunes, "The Wonder of You," "Heart Of Rome," "It's Midnight," "My Boy," "Mr. Songman," "My Way." Elvis could do, and did, it all. He poured frustration and his massive talent into making some of the most worthy cross-culture music ever, for no matter what style it was, it was always unmistakably ELVIS.
Unashamedly, I admit this is my favorite collection of Elvis tunes. Much as I admire his young, rebellious self, that hot rocker who rocked the world, I still really go for the mellower, adult Elvis, the Elvis who ached with every song he sang, whose voice dripped with emotion in every note. Sequined jumpsuits notwithstanding (which, by the way, were originally designed by that premiere country outfitter, Manuel), Elvis in the 70's had a richness, a fullness, a breathtaking quality that comes across powerfully in songs like "Take Good Care Of Her," "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," "Separate Ways," "I Really Don't Want To Know," and the majestic "An American Trilogy," along with the best from his final album, "Moody Blue," "For The Heart," "Hurt," and "Way Down." This is, indeed, an "essential" part of any Elvis collection.
Review by Kathy Coleman.
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