Elvis Presley - Command Performances- The Essential 60's Masters II (MP3@320Kbps) [FrankFoo]

Elvis Presley. Command Performances. The Essential 60's Masters II



Command Performances, a two-disc, 62-track compilation, completes the survey of Elvis Presley's 1960s recordings
begun with From Nashville to Memphis.

That box set chronicled Presley's secular non-movie studio recordings of the decade;

Command Performances distills his extensive soundtrack work.

Since Presley's string of musical comedy films of the '60s and their accompanying soundtrack songs are not among his most critically acclaimed efforts, the album has the challenge of providing a revisionist view, which it does in two ways.

First, Susan M. Doll's liner notes attack the criticisms head on: You say the material is slight?
You fail to realize the songs are written for the "integrated musical" nature of the films, to advance the plots and explain character.

You say the movies themselves are slight? But they must be seen in the context of the other star vehicles of the time, the "beach- and ski-party movies" of Frankie Avalon and others.

You complain that Presley's choice of material was restricted to songs from a publishing firm in which he had a financial interest?

Okay, but what about the top-flight songwriters, like Otis Blackwell and Leiber and Stoller, whose songs were used?

It's a brave, but largely failed effort to resurrect the reputation of some minor efforts by a major figure.

But the second and more successful way the set resurrects the movie music is found in the music itself.

Producers Ernst Mikael Jorgensen and Roger Semon have made an intelligent selection of the material.

There are hits, including the Top Tens "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Return to Sender," and "Bossa Nova Baby," as well as 15 more Top 40 singles.

And there is probably no collection better at displaying Presley's versatility.

He can rock out on songs like "G.I. Blues," wax sincere on ballads like "Can't Help Falling in Love," and display his abilities at pop, doo wop, country, and R&B, not to mention Hawaiian and Spanish music.

In a sense, the very mediocrity of much of even the best material here is another reflection of Presley's talent:

Who else could do so much with so little?

Includes Covers

Disc 1

01. G.I. Blues
02. Wooden Heart
03. Shoppin' Around
04. Doin' the Best I Can
05. Flaming Star
06. Wild in the Country
07. Lonely Man
08. Blue Hawaii
09. Rock. A. Hula Baby
10. Can't Help Falling in Love
11. Beach Boy Blues
12. Hawaiian Wedding Song
13. Follow That Dream
14. Angel
15. King of the Whole Wide World
16. I Got Lucky
17. Girls! Girls! Girls!
18. Because of Love
19. Return to Sender
20. One Broken Heart for Sale
21. I'm Falling in Love Tonight
22. They Remind Me Too Much of You
23. Fun in Acapulco
24. Bossa Nova Baby
25. Marguerita
26. Mexico
27. Kissin' Cousins
28. One Boy, Two Little Girls
29. One Is Enough
30. Viva Las Vegas
31. What'd I Say

Disc 2

01. Roustabout
02. Poison Ivy League
03. Little Egypt
04. There's A Brand New Day On The Horizon
05. Girl Happy
06. Puppet On A String
07. Do The Clam
08. Harem Holiday
09. So Close, Yet So Far
10. Frankie And Johnny
11. Please Don't Stop Loving Me
12. Paradise, Hawaiian Style
13. This Is My Heaven
14. Spinout
15. All That I Am
16. I'll Be Back
17. Easy Come, Easy Go
18. Double Trouble
19. Long Legged Girl (With A Short Dress On)
20. Clambake
21. You Don't Know Me
22. Stay Away, Joe
23. Speedway
24. Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby
25. Let Yourself Go
26. Almost In Love
27. A Little Less Conversation
28. Edge Of Reality
29. Charro!
30. Clean Up Your Own Back Yard
31. Change Of Habit

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