ELVIS
IS BACK!
Reviewed
by: George Nelson 2002/06/11
1988
version 1999 re-issue
1997
DDC VERION
LSP-2231
(1960)
2231-2-R
(1988)
GZS-1111
(1997) (Gold disc)
67737-2
(1999)
Elvis
returned from Germany in March of 1960. The first thing Elvis
wanted to do was to cut records. He wanted to "test the
waters". RCA had already sold 1,000,000 copies of Elvis’
first single out of the army, and Elvis hadn’t even cut the
song. RCA even had the sleeves printed up. RCA not knowing
what was going to be recorded first had the center of sleeve
cut out so that the title from the record could show. In those
days, along with LP’s from the 50’s, it was not common practice
to put singles onto the Long Playing albums. So Elvis’ first
Single "Stuck on you" did not make it onto Elvis
Is Back! In 1999 RCA headed a program titled "Elvis artist
of the Century" and restored a lot of Elvis’ studio albums
from the 50’s and 60’s.
Although
I own three different copies of this CD, the first release,
the gold release and the 1999 issue, the 1999 issue by far
is the best, it included the 3 singles released in 1960. All
the tracks were recorded between March and April of 1960.
Elvis Is Back would be Elvis’ first Stereo album. The 1988
version of this CD with the exception of Make Me Know it,
more or less sounds the same as the gold and re-release versions.
Make me know it had some distortion in the beginning of the
CD. Now on with the review.
This
re-release starts out with Elvis singing Stuck on You. Stuck
on you, as listed above was the first single to be released
after Elvis’ return from the army. It would become another
number one hit for him. The flip side of Stuck on you was
Fame and Fortune. Elvis would perform both of these songs
on the Frank Sinatra television special that was done just
a few days later.
Make
me know it is next. This opened the original 1960 album. It
proved that Elvis was indeed back on the scene. It was also
the first song cut on March 20. Then we move to the next track,
Fever. Fever was great song. Elvis did a good job with it.
The sound on this CD is great, the mastering job was done
really good.
The
Girl of my best friend would eventually be released as a single
in the UK It is probably one of the best songs on this whole
disc. The song is done so laid back.
Then
it’s time for a duet between Elvis and Charlie Hodge. Elvis
had met Charlie in the army. Charlie would later sing harmony
with Elvis in concert. I will be home again is sad, but in
a good way. The harmony on this song is wonderful.
Dirty,
Dirty Feeling would later be used in the film Tickle Me in
1965. This song is good, but to short. It was rumored to be
recorded for the movie King Creole, but I’ll believe that
when I hear it.
The
thrill of you Love is almost done like a gospel song. It has
so much feeling to it. It’s a lovely ballad. Soldier boy is
appropriate for this album. Soldier Elvis had just returned.
It was a great song. Elvis had recorded in Germany on a home
tape recorder. That version would later turn up on A Golden
Celebration.
I’ve
heard Such a night so many times with the false starts, that
when I heard this version it just felt naked. Something was
missing. Even without the false starts though, it’s a great
toe tapper. You find yourself singing along with it.
It
feels so Right, would also end up on the Tickle me Soundtrack.
It was in the same vein as One Night. It’s just a great song.
You can’t help but tap your toes, or sing along. There are
not to many throw aways on this album.
Girl
Next door went a walkin’ is a rocker. Elvis builds up the
song. "The girl next door went a’walkin’ she knew it
wasn’t right" The way this song is done is just wonderful.
It’s something different. Same can be said for Like a Baby.
Like a Baby, reminds me of something like a strip tease, in
those old movies. The sax makes this song.
Reconsider
Baby, although not one of my favorites, is probably one of
the better blues songs he did. I prefer his Madison Square
Garden version opposed to this version. This song Ended the
original LP but thanks to the re-issue we get the remaining
2 singles from 1960.
Are
You Lonesome Tonight? was a song Colonel Parker’s wife had
asked Elvis to record. Elvis recorded it and it became a huge
success, going to number one on the Billboard charts. The
flip side, I Gotta Know, was a real quick song. It was fast
and it was over just as soon as it started. It does remain
one of my favorites though.
A
mess of Blues, next to Moody Blue is my favorite Elvis track.
It wouldn’t be released on an LP until 1968’s Elvis’ Gold
Records, Vol. 4. It was backed with Elvis’ biggest selling
single, It’s Now or Never. It’s Now or Never would become
Elvis’ favorite song.
It
would be unfortunate that Elvis never released an album of
this quality again until 1969. This album contains some of
Elvis’ finest performances and a great sound production. The
gold disc would contain the same photo’s that came with the
original album.