Elvis Presley – Elvis At Stax Deluxe Edition CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

The year 1973 was a good one for Elvis Presley. He was riding high from the success of the Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite TV broadcast and live album; he had signed a new record deal with his label, RCA; and he was the beneficiary of a $5 million buyout of his back catalog from the label. While that buyout ultimately may have been a bad deal for Presley, at the time it gave him the financial freedom to live the way he was accustomed to. In addition, his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, had formed a new publishing company, which freed Presley to choose what he felt was stronger material to record. In short, life was good. This being the world of Elvis Presley, it wasn’t without its complications, however.

Presley’s relentless touring schedule had left him exhausted. He was separated from Priscilla during this time, and his daughter was scheduled to visit him that July. The problem was, RCA decided they needed new material from Presley during that time and he was forced to accommodate him. American Studios, where Presley had so much success with songs such as “Suspicious Minds” just a few years earlier, had closed down, but another hometown label, Stax, was thriving during this period. Presley knew of Stax and its success, and its proximity to Graceland couldn’t be beat, so he scheduled sessions for July and December of that year. A plethora of material was recorded — enough for nearly three complete albums — and RCA, as they were apt to do, spread the material out over multiple releases. Elvis At Stax, a new 3-CD collection of Stax masters and alternate takes, attempts to rectify this, putting all the masters and many notable outtakes in one place and offering a fresh look at these sessions.

Read the rest of the review at blogcritics.org by clicking here.

Elvis Presley - Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In 1970, Elvis Presley was arguably at the peak of his second great period. He was still riding high from the success of the '68 Comeback Special, and his 1969 album, From Elvis In Memphis, had freed him from the second-rate movie soundtrack songs he had been forced to record for too long. On top of that, he had made a triumphant — and long overdue — return to the concert stage. Presley was back on top and needed to make another big musical statement to maintain his momentum.

In the summer of 1970, Presley and his band went in the studio for some of the most fruitful sessions of the legendary singer's career. The songs culled from these sessions were enough for three albums: Elvis: That's The Way It Is, Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) and Love Letters From Elvis with the latter two collected on the new CD Elvis Country (Legacy Edition).

Like From Elvis In Memphis, 1971's Elvis Country found the singer revisiting his roots, putting his touch on twelve tracks covering virtually every style of country. The album opens with "Snowbird," a then-recent hit for Anne Murray," that featured Presley delivering a gentle vocal against guitarist Harold Bradley's electric sitar.

"Tomorrow Never Comes" combines the bolero rhythm of Glen Campbell's version with a similar vocal to B.J. Thomas' version. Presley gives an impassioned performance, ending with a big, dramatic note. Presley revisits his Sun roots with a blistering cover of his old label mate, Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On," attacking the song with an aggressive vocal. Lewis' famous piano has been replaced by James Burton's sizzling guitar in this version.

Presley offers a poignant, understated vocal on Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" and uses the lower registers of his voice to great affect on "The Fool." The band goes up-tempo on "It's Your Baby, You Rock It," a song that would not be out of place stylistically on From Elvis in Memphis.

For fans that may not know, the original album featured snippets of the rollicking "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" interspersed between every track to tie them together. This is the way they are presented here as well. Some fans like this, others find it annoying. The songs have appeared elsewhere without these snippets, but not in the same sound quality that mastering engineer Vic Anesini has delivered here.

The problem with including Love Letters From Elvis in this collection is that it is not as strong an album as Elvis Country, which ranks among his very best. That's not to say the album doesn't have its merits, however.

The album opens with the title cut, which Presley had previously released in 1966. This is a newly recorded version, however, and in the same key with a similar arrangement. Presley gives a fine performance on this tender ballad.

"Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off Of It" finds Presley and his band in fine form in this energetic studio jam. It's an intense track and would not be out of place on Elvis Country. Likewise, the laid-back country of "It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing)" would also be at home on that album.

"Cindy, Cindy," a gritty rocker evoking the spirit of Presley's younger days is an exciting track that shows the singer could still rock out with the best of them while Presley's powerful vocal drives the pop-tinged "Heart Of Rome" — a track that would have suffered in lesser hands — to great heights. Still, adult contemporary tracks such as "Life" and "This Is Our Dance" drag the album down, preventing it from reaching the heights of its predecessor.

The CD features a number of bonus tracks of singles from the period, including the excellent "Where Did They Go, Lord" and the ballad "Rags To Riches." Both songs feature the King in fine voice. A few singles were missed however and, unlike From Elvis In Memphis (Legacy Edition) none of the mono single mixes were used either. There would have been room to include these songs in the collection. Still, the pluses outweigh the minuses here.

Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) is a must-own, if only for disc one, but there is some fine music on disc two as well. Presley was still in shape, singing well and delivering quality material. It wouldn't last, but the King at his peak is tough to beat.

Article first published as Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) on Blogcritics.

Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

John Lennon was famously quoted as saying, "Before Elvis, there was nothing" and the man had a point. Elvis Presley didn't necessarily invent rock 'n' roll, as there were others with songs out before him. What he did do was perfect it, making it exciting for teenagers and dangerous for parents. When Presley released his first two albums — Elvis Presley and Elvis in 1956 — he forever altered not only the rock 'n' roll landscape, but popular music in general. Now both of these landmark albums are available in remastered form as Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition).

It was by no means a sure thing. After purchasing Presley's contract from Sun Records, producer Steve Sholes had difficulty getting enough good takes out of Presley and his band, which featured fellow legends Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on bass, and D.J. Fontana on drums, leading RCA officials to ponder whether they had signed the right artist. They needn't have worried. Presley's lead single, "Heartbreak Hotel," was a smash, selling over one million copies and his debut album, Elvis Presley, was the first RCA Victor album to ever sell more than 300,000 copies. Presley had arrived.

The album leads off with Presley's cover of fellow Sun label mate, Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes." Presley and his band speed up the song's tempo, giving it an edge and raw sexuality Perkins could never hope to achieve. Similarly, their cover of Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman" is an exciting, up-tempo romp at least equalling that of its creator's version.

The album featured a number of unused Sun tracks as RCA lacked new material from Presley. Among those are "I Love You Because," a pretty, country-tinged ballad that originally featured a spoken-word part that was later edited out; "Just Because," a rockabilly number with lightning-fast finger-picking by Moore; and the gritty "Trying To Get To You," a song Presley would revive during his '68 Comeback Special and one that featured some of his best-ever vocals. As debuts go, this was as good as it gets, and Presley managed to keep his momentum going for his second album.

Elvis opens with "Rip It Up," one of three Little Richard covers on the album. From the exciting drum intro, it's clear the band does indeed intend to rip it up. While Presley's voice doesn't match the high-octane power of Richard's, he puts his own spin on the song making for a different, yet equally exciting, version.

"Love Me" is one of the all-time-great Presley ballads and one he'd feature extensively when he started touring again in 1969. One only needs to hear the opening "Treat me like a fool" to be instantly transfixed. Otis Blackwell's "Paralyzed" is a forgotten gem on the LP and would have been released as a single had it not been so similar to "Don't Be Cruel," also written by Blackwell. Presley delivers a confident vocal that betrays his young 21 years on the track.

The included bonus singles for Elvis aren't just bonus tracks —they changed rock 'n' roll. From the doo-wop-influence of "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" to the aforementioned pop gem "Don't Be Cruel," these were legendary songs by a soon-to-be legendary artist.

Presley brought Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" to a white audience, giving the song a hard edge with a gritty vocal. The track features some tasty lead-playing by Moore and remains one of the highlights of the rock 'n' roll era. The CD's final track, "Love Me Tender," a reworking of the folk song "Aura Lee," became the title song to Presley's first movie and one of his best-loved tracks. The song showed a softer side to the young rocker and became a staple of his live shows for years to come.

It's easy now to say how influential these songs were, but at the time, no one had ever heard rock albums such as Elvis Presley and Elvis. Women wanted to be with him, men wanted to be him, and parents feared him. Presley changed the game, paving the way for every rock artist that came after him, making Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) essential for not only Presley fans, but fans of popular music as well.

Article first published as Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (Legacy Edition) on Blogcritics.

Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

When Elvis Presley entered the Army in 1958, it could have been career suicide. While he was the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll up until that point, record buyers have always been fickle and two years was a long time to wait for new material back then. In short, his first album back needed to be killer — and it was. Elvis is Back! ranks among not only Presley's best albums, but is one of the best rock albums of all time.

Read the rest of the review at www.blindedbysound.com by clicking here.

Elvis Presley: Viva ELVIS - CD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In honor of what would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday, Cirque du Soleil set about honoring the King with a show in the city that became synonymous with Presley in his later touring years – Las Vegas. Taking a page from The Beatles’ Love, Viva ELVIS is a visual tribute to Presley with his music serving as the soundtrack. Much like with Love, Presley’s music has been radically remixed but unlike Love - which was entirely the Beatles’ music - Viva ELVIS finds Presley’s classic tracks augmented by contemporary musicians in an attempt to make his sound current. Purists may scoff at the notion as many of these tracks are considered perfect as is, but the more open-minded may be pleasantly surprised by some of this CD.

The opening of the CD serves as an overture, with a crowd swell; interview clips; sound bytes from Ed Sullivan; bits of “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” better known as the theme to 2001: A Space Odyssey and the new drum beat leading into the opening song, “Blue Suede Shoes.” The track does a good job of building anticipation for the show to come. “Blue Suede Shoes” blends distorted guitars with handclaps and harmonica giving the song a garage-rock feel while “That’s All Right” bears an eerie resemblance to Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” or Jet’s “Are you Gonna Be My Girl?” while still utilizing Scotty Moore’s original lead breaks. The tracks work surprisingly well, but it’s clear from the get-go that this is not your parents' Presley.

“Heartbreak Hotel” manages to combine three different versions of the song to create an entirely different listening experience. We start with Presley warming up his voice, followed by an acoustic blues guitar right out of the Mississippi Delta and Presley’s voice sounding like he was singing through a harmonica mic, but before the listener can get used to that, it jumps between the ’68 Comeback Special arrangement and the original 1956 version. This may be the best-realized remix on the album as the song lends itself well to this sort of treatment. “Bossa Nova Baby” plays up the Latin elements of the song, adding a trumpet solo, while staying fairly close to the original. Keen listeners will notice the guitar solo from “Hard Headed Woman” has been added here to great effect.

“Love Me Tender” has been given a modern acoustic feel and has been turned into a duet with Dea Norgerg. While Presley sounds great as usual, her voice just doesn’t work with the song and the parts where she harmonizes with Presley sound forced. “King Creole” has been given an unnecessary hip-hop treatment while “Burning Love” now sounds as if it could have been recorded by the Hives – not bad, but not really necessary either. Things improve with an instrumental piano version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the closing track (and lead single) “Suspicious Minds,” which sounds like Presley channeling U2 with its jangly guitars.

Viva ELVIS is an interesting, often good (if unnecessary) reinterpretation of Presley’s remarkable catalog. Open-minded old listeners may find these new versions a fun twist and it may introduce Presley to an entirely new generation of fans. Those who want their Presley “as nature intended” would do best to stay far away from this CD though and listen to the original albums as this is nothing like the Presley they have come to love.

Article first published as Music Review: Elvis Presley “Viva ELVIS" on Blogcritics.

This is Elvis - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

It would be difficult at best to document the career of Elvis Presley in 102 minutes, but This is Elvis does a reasonable job of doing just that. The film chronicles Elvis' life from his humble beginnings in Tupelo, MS, his rise to the top, his fall from grace, and his tragic death at the age of 42.

The movie begins with a reenactment of the events the day of Presley's death and begins its flashback, using reenactments mixed with actual footage of Presley to great effect. The movie is narrated by Ral Donner as Elvis from beyond the grave and pulls no punches, dealing with racism he encountered from his music being "too black" to parents feeling threatened by him to his extensive drug use and cry for help during the 1970s.

Along the way, we are treated with archival footage of Presley from 1956 on the Dorsey Brothers and Milton Berle shows to his appearance with Frank Sinatra after getting out of the army to a sad performance from 1977 of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," where an overweight, sweating Presley forgets the words to the song. It is a sad sight to see for such a brilliant performer. Along those lines, there's also interview footage with former bodyguards Sonny West and Dave Hebler, whose book, Elvis: What Happened? was the first tell-all book about Presley's drug use, infidelities, and other things the Colonel tried to keep from the public's eye.

It's not all negative though, the film shows plenty of highlights, including home movies from his wedding, his return to the concert stage, and his triumphant Aloha From Hawaii TV broadcast. Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, This is Elvis attempts to paint of balanced picture of a brilliant performer who was human and had flaws like anyone else. And in this sense, it largely succeeds. This is a single-disc version that features the theatrical cut and a featurette "Behind the Gates of Graceland."

Article first published as DVD Review: This Is Elvis on Blogcritics.

The Trouble With Girls - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

The Trouble With Girls was Elvis Presley’s penultimate film of the 1960s. Based on the novel Chautauqua by Day Keene and Dwight Vincent, the film is oddly titled and conjures up images of mid-1960s Elvis movies films with girls in bikinis. Nothing could be further from the truth here.

Presley stars as Chautauqua manager Walter Hale, who has traveled to small town Iowa 1927 for the Chautauqua fair. During the fair, he tries to prevent his pianist Charlene (Marlyn Mason) from organizing the Chautauqua employees into a union. Hale also learns firsthand about nepotism, as the local mayor puts pressure on his company to have his daughter be the lead in their play over the current lead, who is much more talented.

During the fair, sleazy local druggist Harrison Wilby (Dabney Coleman) is murdered. Charlene had earlier overheard him being abusive to his worker, Nita Bix (Sheree North) in his store. Initially, one of the Chautauqua members is accused of the murder, but Hale learns that it is not his employee, but rather Wilby's employee, Bix who committed the crime. With the murder hanging over the Chautauqua, Hale gets Bix to agree to a live confession in front of a paying audience. Charlene is mortified by the idea of exploiting Bix, but Hale feels it is the only way she'd get a fair trial in the town.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, The Trouble With Girls features very little singing and what is included fits the theme of the movie, such as when Hale sings "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" when their gospel singer is unavailable. Elvis fans should be on the lookout for uncredited appearances by Joe Esposito and Jerry Schilling while Brady Bunch fans should watch for a not-yet Cindy Brady Susan Olsen as one of the auditioning singers. Vincent Price makes a short, but fun cameo as Mr. Morality while Joyce Van Patten takes a weird turn as a swimmer during the Chautauqua.

As a period piece, The Trouble with Girls provides an interesting look at 1920s Iowa. Presley gets less screen time than usual, almost as a costar in his own movie, but the role is different for him and shows what might have been.

Article first published as DVD Review: The Trouble with Girls on Blogcritics.

Charro! - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Continuing the more serious theme of his recent films, Charro! is notable in that it is the only Elvis Presley film in which he doesn't sing, with his only vocal coming in the form of the title song, played over the opening credits. Set in the Old West, Presley stars as Jess Wade, a man framed for stealing a cannon from the Mexican army by Vince Hackett (Victor French). Wade was once a member of Hackett's gang, but he left that lifestyle behind, taking Hackett's girl Tracey Winters (Ina Balin) with him in the process.

Hackett vows revenge for this act and makes up wanted posters, saying Wade is the only identifiable member of the gang who stole the cannon as he has a scar on his neck (which was placed there because Hackett had him branded). In actuality though, it is Hackett and his men who have stolen the cannon and they intend to hold it for ransom.

Later, Hackett uses the cannon against the townspeople and threatens to destroy their city if his brother Billy Roy (Solomon Sturges), who is in prison for shooting Sheriff Ramsey (James Almanzar), is not released by sundown. A dying Ramsey tells Wade he can't give in to Hackett and release his brother as that would be letting Hackett win. Wade agrees, much to the dismay of Ramsey's wife Sara (Barbara Werle) who does not want any more bloodshed. Wade vows to avenge Ramsey's death and bring the cannon's real thieves to justice, going after Hackett and his men.

Charro! is part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, and marks a more serious acting turn for Presley. Critically panned upon its release, the film has held up better than some of his others and is worth checking out for fans of spaghetti westerns in particular.

Article first published as DVD Review: Charro! on Blogcritics.

Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley was riding a major wave of success in 1970. Free of his movie obligations of the 1960s, Presley had delivered the '68 Comeback Special and subsequent return to live performances in 1969. He had also released his strongest album in years with From Elvis in Memphis and had what would be his last number-one single in the U.S. with "Suspicious Minds." It was good to be the King and the time was ripe for a documentary of this rebirth. Filmed over several shows in August 1970, Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition is a brilliant snapshot of this period.

The film starts with Presley and his band in rehearsals listening to recordings of their performances. Presley directs the band on how he wants the arrangements to sound and they run through hot versions of "That's All Right" and a medley of "Little Sister" and "Get Back" with Presley on guitar. Presley is in his physical and vocal peak and his focus is in sharp contrast with some of his distant film performances just a few short years earlier.

Presley then works on vocal arrangements with his backing singers. Presley was not a songwriter in the traditional sense, but he understood music and what he wanted to hear from his band at all times. After reading some telegrams, including a joking one from Tom Jones hoping he'd break both legs, Presley gets ready to take the stage.

Opening with "That's All Right," Presley whips the crowd into a frenzy with a run of classic 1950s hits including "I Got a Woman" and "Hound Dog" and he goes into the crowd during an extended "Love Me Tender."

It's not all nostalgia however as Presley delivers then recent hits "In the Ghetto" and "Just Pretend" and definitive versions of "Polk Salad Annie" and "Suspicious Minds." The King had regained his crown, singing as if his career depended on it in a relentless performance.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, this is the one-disc version of this show. The two-disc special edition includes the original theatrical cut, which includes more fan interviews. This version focuses mostly on Elvis. The DVD also includes the featurette Patch it Up: The Restoration of Elvis: That's The Way It Is, career highlights and the theatrical trailer. This is a must-own for fans of Presley and an excellent reminder of why he was the King.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Elvis: That's The Way It Is - Special Edition on Blogcritics.

Live a Little, Love a Little - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Live a Little, Love a Little, finds Elvis Presley in a more "adult" role, moving away from the tired formula used in so many of his '60s films. He stars as Greg Nolan, a photographer who meets a rich socialite on the beach named Bernice (Michelle Carey). She introduces herself to him as Alice though. She asks if he is married and then throws herself at him. He resists her advances and her dog Albert, a giant Great Dane, chases him into the ocean.

Nolan goes back to her home to change and dry off. A delivery boy comes to her house, calling her Suzie. Bernice says Nolan is burning up and gives him a pill, which knocks him out for several days, possibly weeks. Upon waking up, Nolan leaves, only to find that he has lost his job and his apartment due to his time away. Nolan returns to see Bernice and find out what has happened and she mentions that her husband Harry died from affliction of the liver, but then changes her story to whooping cough. Harry (Dick Sargent) shows up at her home, calling her Bernice. Nolan assumes this was her husband, who is clearly not dead, but Harry informs him he also wasn't her husband either. Bernice says she has different names for different moods. The three have dinner, where Harry, in a nod to his TV show, suggests Nolan should get a job in an advertising agency. Later in private, Harry tells Nolan that Bernice is scared of life, love, and of being alone. He also tells Nolan to "run for the hills." Nolan goes to sleep in Albert's room, only to imagine Albert is talking to him and pushing him into an abyss where Nolan sings "Edge of Reality." The scene has a trippy, psychedelic feel to it and is a rare moment of relevancy in a late 1960s Elvis movie.

Bernice feels guilty about what has happened to Nolan and buys him a new apartment, but it is expensive and he has to take two jobs to pay for it — one at a Playboy-style magazine called Classic Cat and the other for a much more conservative fashion magazine. Mike Lansdown (Don Porter) is the Hugh Hefner-esque publisher of Classic Cat who, after seeing some of the more risqué photos in Nolan's portfolio, offers him a job. Lansdown is very casual though, insisting Nolan not wear a tie as it "cuts off the circulation," while Penlow (Rudy Vallee) prefers the sharp dressed man. This leads to some amusing scenes of Presley changing in the stairwell as both jobs were in the same building. Later, Penlow catches Nolan shooting photographs for his rival, Lansdown, and fires him immediately. Lansdown on the other hand, loves that he was able to pull off two jobs without anyone noticing and offers to double his salary. Keen viewers will recognize Presley's father Vernon as a model in one of the scenes.

Carey is great as the eccentric Bernice, placing a wooden divider on her bed so she and Nolan can sleep together and he can avoid her advances. He gives in eventually, throwing the divider out the window and she leaves him a note thanking him for making her a woman. Nolan goes to see Harry, thinking she may be with him and Harry says Nolan can't marry Bernice because she's asked Harry to take her back, something Bernice later denies. The movie ends as it began, only this time Nolan gets Albert to chase Bernice into the water, providing an interesting symmetry in the film.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Live a Little, Love a Little is now best known as the film that introduced "A Little Less Conversation," which became a hit three decades later. It also was a much more adult feature than Presley had been making up until that point, with the occasional cursing, drug use and implied sex scenes. This was not Harum Scarum and could have pointed the direction of better things to come had Presley stayed in Hollywood.

Article first published as DVD Review: Live a Little, Love a Little on Blogcritics.

Speedway - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In an attempt to possibly recreate the success of Viva Las Vegas, Elvis Presley stars as a racecar driver with a dynamic leading lady in Speedway. Presley is Steve Grayson, a playboy racecar driver who finds he is $145,000 in debt with the IRS due to mistakes and shady claims on his return made by his manager Kenny Donford (Bill Bixby).

Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra, in what would be her final movie role) shows up at Grayson's trailer and he mistakes her for a fan. In actuality, she is working for the IRS who is about to audit him. Grayson learns that Donford has a gambling problem that has led the government to repossess not only gifts Grayson had bought for his friends, but Grayson's personal belongings as well. As a result, the pair is put on an allowance — a paltry $100 per week for Grayson and $50 per week for Donford — until they are able to repay their debts.

Grayson goes about wooing Jacks and he manages to get her to convince her boss at the IRS, R.W. Hepworth (Gale Gordon) to let him keep some of his earnings to pay off the innocent people who have had their lives ruined by Donford's gambling. Whether or not this could actually happen in real life is a matter of opinion, but hey, it's an Elvis film, so it's OK.

While not as good as Viva Las Vegas, Speedway does have its good points as well. NASCAR fans will enjoy the cameos by real-life drivers Richard Petty, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough while Bill Bixby is great in his comic role of the likable, yet sleazy manager. There are a few good moments on the soundtrack too; most notably Presley's "Let Yourself Go" and Sinatra's "Your Groovy Self." Sinatra's track has the distinction of being the only song without Elvis on one of his soundtrack albums. Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Speedway would be the last of the typical Elvis movies, with subsequent releases featuring more serious plots and less songs. Speedway is worth a look for fans of racing, Elvis Presley, and Nancy Sinatra.

Article first published as DVD Review: Speedway (1968) on Blogcritics.

Stay Away, Joe - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley plays Native American bull rider Joe Lightcloud, who convinces his congressman to give his father 20 heifers and a quality bull to raise on their reservation in Stay Away, Joe. If Lightcloud's family is successful, then the government will help their tribe financially. Joe asks where his sister Mary (Susan Trustman) is and his grandfather (Thomas Gomez) replies "she's city folk now." The Grandpa character is very stereotypical, even for 1968, as he warns of squaws and relies on smoke signals. While he has some comical moments, he is mostly over the top.

During a wild party celebrating Lightcloud's return, his family, in their drunken haze, mistakenly cooks and eats the prize bull given to them by the government. Lightcloud is unworried at this point, having his friend Bronc Hoverty (L.Q. Jones) get a new bull for him, instructing him to make sure the bull is Blue Ribbon. The bull arrives the next day and spends most of his time sleeping, taking no interest in the heifers. At the same time, Joe's father Charlie (Burgess Meredith) has been selling off the heifers to pay for improvements his wife wants made to their home. Meredith's character is an odd sight for sure, with his dark makeup and strange behavior.

The government gets word of what has happened to the heard and is not pleased. Lightcloud finds out that the bull was indeed Blue Ribbon, but as a riding bull — not as a stud. The bull's previous owner boasted that no one had ever successfully rode him and Lightcloud has an idea to stage a rodeo to raise money to replace the cattle and save the reservation. Lightcloud had previously been raising money by selling parts of his car to a junkyard until nothing was left. It is this strange sense of comedy that occurs throughout the movie.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Stay Away, Joe is a mostly forgettable film portraying Native Americans as sex-crazed drunks with odd performances from Meredith and Gomez. For his part, Presley seems to be enjoying himself, it's just a shame the material isn't stronger. The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name and while it follows the plot closely, something seemingly got lost in translation.

Article first published as DVD Review: Stay Away, Joe on Blogcritics.

Double Trouble - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In Double Trouble, Elvis Presley stars as Guy Lambert — an American singer on tour in England — something the real Presley wanted to do, but was unable to throughout his career thanks to legal issues with the Colonel. In fact, Presley only played a handful of shows outside the U.S. and they were all in Canada.

While performing at a club, Lambert meets Claire Dunham (Yvonne Romain) who is following him, saying she's been at every show since he opened. She knows of his apparent girlfriend, but throws herself at him regardless. Lambert manages to resist Dunham's advances, but not Dunham herself as she shows up throughout the film. He also meets Jill Conway (Annette Day), a pretty redhead who goes home with Lambert, but resists his advances because, unbeknownst to Lambert, she is still a few days away from 18. While there, she cooks for him and wants him to sing. He goes to her turntable and, naturally, she has an instrumental version of one of his records that he sings to, during which she falls asleep. During this time, one of the first of several suspicious acts occurs as a thug comes to the door by mistake and punches Lambert out.

Conway's uncle Gerald Waverly (John Williams) calls and when Jill mentions Lambert, Waverly wants to meet. Conway wants to marry Lambert, but Waverly is reluctant to allow her as he has been dipping into her inheritance. Conway had not only not told Lambert about the money, she had not told him she was for days away from 18. Not wanting to go to jail, Lambert distances himself from Conway. Her uncle then decides to send Conway to school in Belgium, which she readily agrees to after remembering Lambert had mentioned in passing he would be playing there.

Conway and Lambert end up on the same ship and it is there that Conway learns she only has to be 18 to get married in Sweden, where she tries to encourage Lambert to take her. During this time, a pair of thieves takes Lambert's suitcase so they can smuggle some diamonds into the country. Lambert notices that he’s had to save Conway twice and that someone tried to run him over and Conway explains everything. The pair goes on the run trying to save their lives and let Conway make it to age 18 to protect her inheritance.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Double Trouble shows just how far out of touch musically Presley's people had become as there is a scene where he sings "Old MacDonald" on the back of a truck. This was while the Beatles were releasing Sgt. Pepper and Jimi Hendrix had Are You Experienced? Presley clearly deserved better than this. That said, the movie itself isn't terrible, has some clever plot twists and amusing cameos from a talking parrot and the Wiere Brothers as bumbling cops.

Article first published as DVD Review: Double Trouble (1967) on Blogcritics.

Spinout - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

In Spinout, Elvis Presley plays a singing racecar driver named Mike McCoy. While this isn't much different than the typical 60's Elvis movie fare, the film is more fun and Presley seems to be enjoying himself. As the movie begins, McCoy takes his racecar out for a spin only to get run off the road by a crazed fan. Undeterred, he makes it to his gig on time where his band performs "Adam and Evil" and "Stop Look and Listen." These songs, along with the title track, "All That I Am" and "I'll Be Back" formed the basis of one of Presley's strongest soundtracks in sometime and his enthusiasm for the songs comes out in the performances.

While at the club, he meets author Diana St. Clair (Diane McBain) who wants him to be the subject of her book about the perfect American male. She wants to marry him and won't take no for an answer. McCoy then meets Howard Foxhugh (Carl Betz), a rich automobile executive who offers McCoy and his band $5,000 to sing one song at his daughter's birthday party. McCoy refuses the offer though, telling him to have her catch them at the clubs and Foxhugh uses his political influence to get the band's tour canceled. McCoy has no other choice but to play the party and he soon learns that Foxhugh's daughter Cynthia (Shelley Fabares) is the same fan who ran him off the road to get his attention. Cynthia is a spoiled rich girl who is used to getting what she wants or having daddy pay for it if necessary and this time she wants to marry McCoy. Foxhugh does not want Cynthia to marry McCoy though, but he does want him to drive his new racecar, the Foxhugh Five. Sensing a way to get close to McCoy, Cynthia offers to help get him to driver her father's car.

McCoy test drives Foxhugh's car and seems interested until Foxhugh informs him he is not to marry his daughter. McCoy refuses to drive for him saying if he's not good enough for her, he's not good enough for him and vows to beat his driver in the race. During this time, McCoy's drummer Les (Deborah Walley) also reveals her crush on McCoy. He had been oblivious to her advances even though she was always cooking for him and getting mad when other women chased after him. In a running joke throughout the film, everyone keeps mistaking Les for a boy because of her name and her short hair. Walley delivers a fun performance and looks convincing enough on the drums.

Three women, all with marriage on their mind are seemingly after McCoy. Who does he pick? The ending may surprise you. Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Spinout features a more-focused Presley, better songs a fun script and a fun cast. After some forgettable films, Spinout is a winner.

Article first published as DVD Review: Spinout on Blogcritics.

Harum Scarum - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

While many Elvis Presley supporters claim he could have been a fine actor, given the right material, his detractors point to films such as Harum Scarum as their proof otherwise. Presley had hoped for a Rudolph Valentino-style role, but instead got something much different (and much worse). Presley stars as Johnny Tyronne, an American action movie star (and singer, of course) who is in the Middle East to promote his new film Sands of the Desert.

After singing "Harem Holiday" and "Go East Young Man" for a group of dignitaries, Prince Dragna (Michael Ansara) and his lady Aishah (Fran Jeffries) invite Tyronne to be a guest of Dragna's brother, King Toranshah (Phillip Reed). After seeing Tyronne karate chop a cheetah in one of his films (It's an Elvis movie, why wouldn't he be able to do that?), they are convinced he is the right man to kill the king. They drug Tyronne and take him to see Sinan, lord of the assassins, who asks Tyronne if he carries death in his hands. Tyronne tells him his skills are used for self-defense and Sinan sends his goons after Tyronne.

While in captivity, Tyronne meets Princess Shalimar (Mary Ann Mobley) who is posing as a slave girl, when in reality, she is Toranshah's daughter and therefore royalty. Shalimar gets wind that Sinan has returned and, sensing her father is in danger, helps Tyronne thwart the plot to assassinate him.

Presley looks bored out his mind throughout the proceedings and likely was. He was frustrated at the lack of good roles and music for his films and was going through the motions. The film is filled with ridiculous clichés such as a child with three mothers named Sapphire, Emerald, and Amethyst, and forgettable songs. Reportedly, even the Colonel was embarrassed and wanted to add a talking camel as narrator as a way of acknowledging the film's cheesiness. For completists only, Harum Scarum is also part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

Article first published as DVD Review: Harum Scarum on Blogcritics.

Tickle Me - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley stars as Lonnie Beale, a singing rodeo rider looking for work. After singing "It Feels So Right" from 1960's classic Elvis is Back! and getting into a fight with a jealous husband, Beale meets Vera Radford (Julie Adams), owner of the Circle Z Ranch — an all-girls spa and ranch where women spend $500 per week to essentially be reconditioned into hotties (hey, it is an Elvis movie!). Radford offers Beale a job tending to the horses on the ranch, which Beale accepts.

While at the ranch, he meets and falls for fitness instructor Pam Merritt (Jocelyn Lane) who has a letter from her grandfather saying he left her a large sum of gold coins in an old ghost town with directions on how to find the treasure. Merritt is subject to numerous kidnap attempts as word has gotten out about the letter. The staff at the ranch complains about Beale, saying he is distracting the women, as they are all, of course, attracted to him and especially like his singing. Radford calls Beale into her office, telling him he needed to pick his spots to sing before forcing herself on Beale. Beale tries to resist, as he is interested in Merritt, but after she catches him kissing Radford, she leaves in a huff, refusing to believe Beale's explanation that it was not as it seemed.

Merritt drives into the ghost town to look for the treasure and Beale follows her there with fellow ranch employee Stanley Potter (Jack Mullaney). Beale and Merritt wonder what an abandoned saloon must have been like in its heyday and we are treated to a fun flashback scene, where Beale is the Panhandle Kid — a milk-drinking gun slinger fast enough to shoot a man's gun out of his hand, but courteous enough to offer a bandage to stop the bleeding. It is a surreal scene in a surreal movie and it only gets weirder from here.

The trio spends the night in an old wax museum and Tickle Me suddenly becomes an episode of Scooby Doo, as the museum is seemingly haunted and men dressed as monsters come after Merritt. A comical moment in the film comes when Potter is punched through an opening in the wall that Beale is unable to find when he looks for it. Meanwhile, Potter tries to convince Beale that he is not seeing things. The rest of the film finds Beale, Merritt and Potter trying to find the treasure before the kidnappers find it (and them) first.

Tickle Me did not have any new songs commissioned for it due to budgetary constraints. As a result, Presley sang old (read: better) songs in the film, including: "Such An Easy Question," "Dirty, Dirty Feeling" and "Night Rider," making for a vastly superior soundtrack than most of his 1960s films. These songs, along with a quirky script, make for an entertaining, if bizarre film.

Article first published as DVD Review: Tickle Me on Blogcritics.

Girl Happy - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley cashes in on the beach-movie craze of the 1960s with Girl Happy. Presley stars as Rusty Wells, a Chicago nightclub singer who is planning on going to Fort Lauderdale with his band on spring break as their engagement at the bar had ended. Seeing their popularity, and not wanting to lose out on any money while they are gone, the bar’s owner Big Frank (Harold J. Stone) wants to extend their stay for four to six weeks. The band balks at the idea, but when Big Frank’s daughter Valerie (Shelley Fabares) decides she wants to go to spring break with her girlfriends, Big Frank changes his tune, offering to pay the band to go down to Florida to keep an eye on her.

Wells and his band arrive in Florida, performing “Spring Fever” to a group of college students, many of who are in lettered college sweaters (even though it is in Florida and presumably warm there). They spot Valerie and after seeing how attractive she is, realize the problems they will have guarding her from eager men. Wells meets Deena (Mary Ann Mobley), who immediately falls for him, but her attempts at intimacy with him keep getting thwarted when he has to leave to keep Valerie out of harm’s way. Along the way, Wells realizes he is falling for Valerie and tells his band that they can enjoy their spring break and he’ll watch her solo. They have no knowledge of his feelings for Valerie and feel guilty for him, trying to get him back together with Deena. This makes for an amusing scene where he has both women in his room and tries to keep them from seeing each other.

Valerie tells her father on the phone that she is falling for Wells and he laughs, saying Wells is only being nice because he paid him to be. Valerie vows revenge and goes on a wild partying spree to make Wells earn his money. Valerie later lets it slip that Wells kissed her and her father says he didn’t pay him to do that and offers to try and make things right between them.

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Girl Happy is thin on plot, but lighthearted and entertaining. Fabares, in her first of three Presley movies, is cute and charming as good girl Valerie and the soundtrack has a few good songs, most notably the title track and “Puppet on a String.” Presley and Fabares have some chemistry together and the movie is breezy fun.

Article first published as DVD Review: Girl Happy on Blogcritics.

Viva Las Vegas: Deluxe Edition - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley made some forgettable movies, but he also made a few that have become classics. Viva Las Vegas is among the latter and is often cited as one of Presley’s best films. Presley stars as Lucky Jackson, a racecar driver headed to Las Vegas to participate in the city’s first annual Grand Prix.

Jackson needs a new engine for his car if he wants to race though and sets about raising the money while in Las Vegas. He does get the money, but manages to lose it all when it falls prey to the hotel’s swimming pool. It is here that he meets Rusty Martin (Ann Margret), the hotel’s swim instructor who immediately strikes his fancy. Martin plays hard to get and duets with Jackson on “The Lady Loves Me,” pushing Jackson into the pool. He eventually wins her over and the pair becomes inseparable, going skeet shooting, riding mopeds and taking a helicopter trip to see the Hoover Dam with Martin serving as tour guide. Martin takes Jackson to meet her father who, unbeknownst to Rusty, secretly likes racing. The chemistry between Margret and Presley is obvious, sparking rumors of an off-screen affair and for one of the few times in his movie career, Presley had a female lead who could give him a run for his money.

While at the hotel, Jackson meets Italian racecar driver, Count Elmo Mancini (Cesare Danova), who wants Jackson to drive for him. Jackson refuses Mancini’s offer though, vowing to get an engine and beat the driver in the race. Mancini tells Martin of a famous driver who crashed during one of his races and this makes Martin scared for Jackson’s safety. Jackson doesn’t want to give up racing though, upsetting her, while Mancini vows he’d give up racing for the right woman (e.g. Martin). Martin has dinner with Mancini to make Jackson jealous, only to have Jackson show up as their bumbling waiter, spilling champagne on Mancini. Later, in one of the film’s highlights, Martin sings “My Rival,” with the rival being Jackson’s racecar.

Jackson goes to work for Mancini to raise money when Martin’s father shows up, along with a new engine. Jackson rushes to get the car ready so he can win the race and Martin’s heart.

The DVD includes a commentary by Elvis in Hollywood director Steve Pond, a retrospective featurette and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as the original mono. This DVD is also part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

The theme song to Viva Las Vegas has become not only one of Presley’s best-loved songs, but also an unofficial theme song for the city itself. There are a number of other musical highlights, including “What’d I Say,” “Come On Everybody,” and Margret’s “Appreciation.” For fans of Presley, Margret, and Sin City, Viva Las Vegas comes up a winner.

Article first published as DVD Review: Viva Las Vegas - Deluxe Edition on Blogcritics.

Kissin' Cousins - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

Elvis Presley expands his acting horizons, playing two roles in the low-budget comedy Kissin’ Cousins. Presley stars as Army second lieutenant Josh Morgan and his “hillbilly” cousin, Jodie Tatum, sporting blonde hair for the latter. When Army captain Salbo (Jack Albertson) complains to General Donford that he wants a Pentagon tour of duty, as he hasn’t seen his wife in ages, Donford tells him if he can complete Operation Smoky in three days, he’ll grant him his wish, but if he doesn’t, he’ll be shipped off to Greenland with Morgan. Operation Smoky involved convincing the Tatums to let the government build a missile base on top of their mountain and Morgan gets the job of convincing his family to allow it.

Morgan’s arrival does not go well as he gets into a fight with Jodie and Pappy Tatum (Arthur O’Connell) fires his shotgun when the Army soldiers arrive. We are also introduced to the “Kittyhawks,” wild mountain women in search of men with only one thing on their minds. Morgan has dinner with the Tatums and their daughter Azalea (Yvonne Craig) flirts with him. Morgan tries to explain the concept of ICBM missiles to Pappy who just doesn’t get it, saying “how can everybody see it but me?”

A local newspaper reporter gets a tip about the Army’s attempts at building a base and goes to investigate, getting a photo of Morgan in his jeep with the headline, “Anyone for missiles?” much to the captain’s dismay. In the meantime, General Donford shows up with his men to try and get the deal done, only to be forced to drink moonshine, eat possum tails and fall prey to the “Kittyhawks.” Morgan has fallen for Azalea by this point, while Jodie (who looks and sings remarkably like Morgan) has fallen for Army stenographer Midge (Cynthia Pepper).

Part of the Elvis: 75th Anniversary DVD Collection, Kissin’ Cousins features some themes that would be much less likely today, such as cousins falling for each other (distant or not) and a very stereotypical portrayal of southerners as rednecks or hillbillies. That said, the movie has a fun, innocent feel to it (Azalea dolls herself up by painting her toenails, even though the bottoms of her feet are dirty for instance) and some fun songs, including the title track, “Echoes of Love” and “Once is Enough.” Not the best Presley film, but far from the worst and one of the more charming.

Article first published as DVD Review: Kissin' Cousins on Blogcritics.

It Happened at the World's Fair - DVD Review

Written by General Jabbo

The Century 21 Exposition, also known as the 1962 World’s Fair is the setting for Elvis Presley’s 1963 film, It Happened at the World’s Fair. Presley stars as Mike Edwards, a crop duster whose partner Danny Burke’s (a pre-2001: A Space Odyssey Gary Lockwood) gambling habits causes the pair nothing but trouble. While Edwards doesn’t trust Burke with the money they have earned and keeps it locked in a safe, unbeknownst to him, Burke has a key and takes the money to go gambling. Meanwhile, Edwards finds time for skirt chasing, singing, “Relax” to a sultry Yvonne Craig, who resists his advances long enough for her parents to return home and her dad to threaten to shoot him. This is standard '60s Elvis movie fair, but Presley’s chemistry with the not-yet Batgirl is undeniable. This would not be her only Presley film.

Burke’s gambling turns dangerous when the group he is playing cards with realize he has stiffed them out of a lot of money. Luckily for him, Edwards shows up to rescue him (and get into the prerequisite Elvis movie fight). The pair flies back home, only to have their plane repossessed by an angry sheriff looking to collect on $1,200 that Danny owes. Not knowing what to do, the pair goes hitchhiking.

Along the way, they run into Walter Ling (Kam Tong) and his young niece, Sue-Lin (Vicky Tiu), who are headed to the World’s Fair. Ling agrees to take them as far as the Fair and the pair boards his truck. It’s not long before Sue-Lin produces a ukulele that needs repair, which Edwards happily does before singing “Take Me To The Fair.” In different hands this scene would be corny, but Presley and Tiu’s enthusiasm make it a fun scene and a highlight of the film.

When they get to the Fair, Ling is unable to accompany Sue-Lin and Edwards agrees to take her in his place. At the same time, Burke goes looking for a friend, Vince Bradley (H.M. Wynant), whom he thinks can help them with their financial woes. Edwards takes a liking to Sue-Lin and spoils her rotten, letting her eat everything in site. Naturally, she gets sick and has to see nurse Diane Warren (Joan O’Brien), who Edwards is immediately attracted to. She resists his advances and Edwards pays a young boy (an uncredited Kurt Russell) to kick him in the shin so she’ll have to see him. As Edwards begins to win Warren over, the pair run into Russell’s character again, who throws Edwards under the bus, asking if he wants to be kicked in the shin again. Warren is furious and wants nothing to do with Edwards after this.

Burke later wants Edwards to help him do a cargo run to Canada for Bradley, but has to figure out a way to get rid of Sue-Lin, who Edwards had been protecting since her uncle had gone missing. He arranges for a woman to call child services, posing as Warren and Sue-Lin is taken away. Heartbroken, Sue-Lin manages to run away with Edwards staying behind to search for her while Warren tries to prove it was not she who made the call.

Presley had not become completely jaded with Hollywood yet when this picture was filmed and as such, delivers a more focused performance. The World’s Fair footage makes for an interesting time capsule while the music is better than some of the later Presley films, making It Happened at the World’s Fair one of the more enjoyable Presley pictures.

This DVD is also part of the Elvis 75th Anniversary DVD Collection.

Article first published as DVD Review: It Happened at the World's Fair on Blogcritics.