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| Thursday, 04 December 2008 |
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Elvis Presley StoreThis is a selection of our favorite Elvis books, videos and DVDs.Just click on the Product Image or Title below to buy. Thanks for supporting us!
 Aloha from Hawaii (Deluxe Edition DVD) by Amazon.com essential video: Far superior to any previous home-video version, the huge deluxe edition of Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii captures over four hours of footage from the King's historic televised concert from January 1973. The main concert is presented in its entirety for the first time since its original worldwide satellite telecast, and reedited to remove the now-dated split-screen "montage" look. But that's not all--as a prelude to the concert, the first disc includes 17 uncut minutes of the "Elvis arrives" footage (only 2 minutes of which appears in the concert film) followed by the complete rehearsal concert that took place two days before the telecast. This rehearsal, which was released separately on video as The Alternate Aloha Concert, is rougher than the official show, but more relaxed and often more satisfying musically. Leading off disc 2 is footage of five songs ("Blue Hawaii," "Ku-U-I-Po," "No More," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," and "Early Morning Rain"), including multiple takes, recorded after the performance, four of which ("No More" was the exception) were incorporated into the American television special that was shown a few months after the live telecast. Those four songs are not included in the uncut version of the concert on disc 1, but the original version of the American television special is also on disc 2 so you can watch the concert the way you've always watched it for the sake of nostalgia, or you can compare it to all the other pieces you've seen and decide which you like better. Either way, Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii is an embarrassment of riches that's rivaled only by its companion release, the three-disc deluxe edition of Elvis's '68 Comeback Special. --David Horiuchi  Careless Love : The Unmaking of Elvis Presley (Paperback) by Amazon.com: Until Peter Guralnick came out with Last Train to Memphis in 1994, most biographies of Elvis Presley--especially those written by people with varying degrees of access to his "inner circle"--were filled with starstruck adulation, and those that weren't in awe of their subject invariably went out of their way to take potshots at the rock & roll pioneer (with Albert Goldman's 1981 Elvis reaching now-legendary levels of bile and condescension). Guralnick's exploration of Elvis's childhood and rise to fame was notable for its factual rigorousness and its intimate appreciation of Presley's musical agenda. Picking up where the first volume left off, Guralnick sees Elvis through his tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Germany, where he first met--and was captivated by--a 14-year-old girl named Priscilla Beaulieu. We may think we know the story from this point: the return to America, the near-decade of B-movies, eventual marriage to Priscilla, a brief flash of glory with the '68 comeback, and the surrealism of "fat Elvis" decked out in bejeweled white jumpsuits, culminating in a bathroom death scene. And while that summary isn't exactly false, Guralnick's account shows how little perspective we've had on Elvis's life until now, how a gross caricature of the final years has come to stand for the life itself. He treats every aspect of Presley's life--including forays into spiritual mysticism and the growing dependency on prescription drugs--with dignity and critical distance. More importantly, Careless Love continues to show that Guralnick "gets" what Presley was trying to do as an artist: "I see him in the same way that I think he saw himself from the start," the introduction states, "as someone whose ambition it was to encompass every strand of the American musical tradition." From rock to blues to country to gospel, Guralnick discusses how, at his finest moments, Elvis was able to fulfill that dream. --Ron Hogan  Christmas Peace by "Christmas Peace" Follows The Two Hits Collections!! The Sound On All Of These Cds Are Stunning, Making Them Sound As If They Were Recorded Today!!! I Have Been An ELVIS Fan For Years & Have Bought His Cds, Dvds & Videos But The New Sound Is Worth Buying Repeats!!! Please RCA/BMG Release More ELVIS Cds!!! Favorite Tracks Are... "White Christmas", "On A Snowy Christmas Night", "Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees", "Crying In The Chapel", "Amazing Grace" & "I Beleive"!!! Happy Holidays One & All - Reviewer: David A. Preiser  ELV1S 30 #1 Hits by Amazon.com: In 1987, RCA released a one-disc Elvis compilation called The Number One Hits that featured 18 tracks. So how did the label come up with 12 additional number ones (13 if you count the sensational "A Little Less Conversation" remix that brings the King into the 21st century as a bona fide dance/electronica star)? Well, the '87 compilation featured only Billboard number ones. "In the Ghetto" and "Burning Love" never reached the top there, nor did "Way Down," despite every copy of that 45 selling out on both sides of the Atlantic following Presley's 1977 death. Instead, the new compilers have used the major pop charts in both the U.S. (including Cashbox) and U.K. to determine inclusions. The tracks have all been remixed from original masters, which proves awesome at best (some of the songs have never sounded crisper if, at times, slightly antiseptic) and problematic at worst. Purists will definitely quibble. "A Fool Such As I," for instance, sounds like Elvis rerecorded his vocals. Hank Garland's great guitar solo also sounds different. It might be an alternate take. That's definitely the case with "The Wonder of You." A few lyrics are even different, meaning this isn't the same version as the original 45. Of course, none of that should matter to the youngsters who've been singing along to "Hound Dog" on the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack, or to any other newcomers. Despite the complaints, this is arguably the best single disc Elvis primer to date. Real fans will want to explore much deeper for treasures to be found, but albums like this guarantee that this is one king who will deservedly live very long, if not forever. --Bill Holdship  Elvis 2nd to None by Album Description: The latest compilation of 30 tracks (all mixed and mastered from the original master tapes for optimum sound quality) will include five additional Presley #1 singles, fan favorites, career milestones and a newly discovered recording 'I Am Roustabout'! Oakenfold's remix of 'Rubberneckin' is sure to be well received among today's generation of music fans and further demonstrates the legacy of Presley's music.  Elvis By the Presleys (Bonus CD) by Amazon.com: This 32-track, double CD set--a companion to a television special--is marketed as the King's "most emotionally affecting tunes," songs he connected to his real-life romance with his wife and daughter. Well, that's a novel repackaging ploy, especially as this collection contains "Heartbreak Hotel," a song Elvis recorded in 1956, well before he met Priscilla. However, the second disc, a collection of rarities, is far more interesting, beginning with "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You," one of the four known demos Presley recorded before winning his Sun contract. His tone here--pure and almost girlish--is the sweet sound of a boy who would be Dean Martin, not a revolution in the making. Private recordings of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Baby What You Want Me to Do" are so "living room" as to seem deliciously voyeuristic. But the most fascinating glimpse here comes as an alternate take of "You'll Be Gone," a song Presley wrote in 1962 with friends Red West and Charlie Hodge. Utterly awful, it finds him meandering into the squishy no man's land that characterized much of the period. He played it for the visiting Priscilla, who said she liked his rock 'n' roll stuff better, and, crushed, he supposedly never tried to write a song again. That was history's loss, but Priscilla ended up being a better A&R director than anybody else Elvis had around him at the time. And not a bad album packager it turns out, though the "rare, never-before-seen family photos" promised in the booklet don't quite cut the mustard. --Alanna Nash  Elvis Ultimate Gospel by "I'm a Big Fan of Elvis Presley, but since BMG has purchased RCA, they started to rewapp the old albums with new liner notes, and it's impposible for me to get all of them.But this "Ultimate gospel" album is worthy to be taken. It has the most famous gospel which Elvis sang, like "How Great Thou Art", "Amazing Grace"(I consider it as the best version), "Joshua Fit The Battle", etc. And it's been remastered from original tapes,so sound quality is good, too. If you can get only one gospel album of Elvis Presley, this is the one!" - Reviewer: Toni,C  Greatest Jukebox Hits by Amazon.com: By now, the King of rock & roll's iconic vintage hits have been reconfigured so many times that it's hard to imagine anyone needing yet another Presley compilation. Still, this 23-song collection, programmed for maximum listenability, serves as a fine introduction to Elvis the rocker. With "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "All Shook Up," "Suspicious Minds," "It's Now or Never," "A Big Hunk o' Love," "Too Much," "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear," "Good Luck Charm," "Hard Headed Woman," this is one primo party disc. With all these essential classics on a single disc, how can you go wrong? --Scott Schinder  Last Train to Memphis : The Rise of Elvis Presley (Paperback) by Amazon.com: There's no mention of sequins, drugs, or peanut butter in this understated biography of the teenaged Elvis, a serious and worthy attempt to answer the question, "Who was this guy before he was an icon, the voice of a generation, the King?" The essential clarity and honesty of Guralnick's prose clearly limns the eager, malleable boy whose immense talent changed the course of American music.  Roots of Elvis (Paperback) by "Since the enduring element in the popularity of Elvis Presley is his music, "Roots Of Elvis" by David Neale is a delightful resource to own. With the help of David's fascinating in-depth research into each title, it is possible to find and listen to the original versions of the songs that Elvis sang. David's ongoing research showcases both the versatility of the song choices and the genius of Presley's arrangements of them. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the music of Elvis Presley." - Reviewer: Charles T. Bradford  The '68 Comeback Special (Deluxe Edition DVD) by Amazon.com essential video: Released in conjunction with a two-disc deluxe edition of Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, the three-disc deluxe edition of Elvis's '68 Comeback Special is another incredible treasure trove of footage documenting a high point of the King's career and a milestone of televised musical performances. Taped and broadcast in 1968 after Elvis had seemingly abandoned live performing in favor of a movie career, the '68 Comeback Special was a remarkably intimate show, Elvis singing his old songs on a small stage, often alone, surrounded on all sides by a rapt audience. The show's numbers fall into three general categories: the black leather stand-up shows, in which Elvis performs solo on stage; the black leather sit-down shows, in which Elvis jams with former bandmates Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana and others; and big production numbers, often overdone and now looking as dated as any other 1960s variety show. In addition to the complete, uncut TV special (with the bordello number that was deemed too daring for TV), this DVD set includes both of the original stand-up shows and both of the original sit-down shows (the first was released mostly complete as One Night with You), and multiple takes of numerous production numbers. The numerous glitches and stumbles of the production numbers have limited replay value, but the complete stand-up and sit-down sessions are like gold for those who couldn't get enough of them during the 73-minute television special. Decades after the original telecast, Elvis has made another comeback. --David Horiuchi  The 50 Greatest Love Songs by "There have been several compilations of Elvis love songs but I think this is the best. Several of the songs selected are the obvious classics that will be forever associated with Elvis (even if one or two of them were previously recorded by other singers) - these include Are you lonesome tonight, Can't help falling in love, Always on my mind, It's now or never, Love me tender, A fool such as I, The wonder of you and There goes my everything. There also some classic Elvis songs that aren't always selected for compilations of this type (She's not you, Good luck charm) as well as covers of songs generally associated with other singers, but which Elvis sing superbly. These include Hawaiian wedding song, Spanish eyes, You've lost that loving feeling, Make the world go away, Let it be me, And I love you so, You don't have to say you love me and Unchained melody. As well as the obvious hits and covers, this album also contains some great songs that are not well known - songs like Thrill of your love and Pocketful of rainbows, which will be new to most buyers of this collection. This is as near to the perfect compilation of Elvis love songs that you are ever likely to find. Even this isn't absolutely perfect - it features Old Shep, which is a great song (actually one of my favorite Elvis recordings) but it doesn't really belong here even though I know that most people love their dogs. Don't let that put you off - if you want a collection of this type, buy it anyway." - Reviewer: P D Harris |
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