From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee
CD
Rating:
3.0 / 5
ElvisNews review
From Elvis Presley Boulevard was released on May 20, 1976. While it just missed making the pop top 40, stalling at number 41, it reigned as the number one country album for four weeks. The album was said to have been recorded live but was in no way a concert album. Elvis recorded his vocals in one take in his home studio at Graceland. Felton Jarvis would tinker with the tracks and flush out the sound before releasing the finished product. Elvis was now far from his early rock ‘n’ roll roots and sound. His choices of songs were mainly sad or depressing as he was divorced plus his health continued to deteriorate. The vocals, however, remained pure and strong. Elvis could literally sing the phone book and make it listenable.
Three excellent ballads form the heart of the album. “Hurt” was a top 30 single hit and can almost be considered a biographical song. Elvis’ voice is almost operatic as he sings about what could be the pain in his own life. “Danny Boy” is a classic treatment of this old standard. His voice has a wistful quality that fits this song well. “The Last Farewell” is a moving story-telling ballad that was a big hit for Roger Whittaker. It is a song of eternal love set against an English war. This moving rendition is the equal of the original.“For The Heart” is a welcome addition to the album as it is a little happier in topic and presentation. Elvis gives a sort of bouncy vocal that is both engaging and poignant.
“Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” is an average interpretation by Elvis and not of the caliber of the Willie Nelson classic. “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” is almost a song you would find in a lounge act and is average at best. “Solitaire” and “Love Coming Down” find him on more solid ground as his vocal takes these average songs and raises them to the very good level.
From Elvis Presley Boulevard may not be an uplifting album but there are still some excellent performances to be found in the mix.
Tracklisting
- Hurt
- Never Again
- Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
- Danny Boy
- The Last Farewell
- For the Heart
- Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall
- Solitaire
- Love Coming Down
- I'll Never Fall in Love Again
Rating: 1 / 5
Matthias Kuenzer wrote on
September 09, 2005
Brillant in its sadness and melancholy. Elvis singing songs that touch him personally, no longer trying to live up to an image, but concentrating on what was essential to him. "Solitaire" should have been the title song.
Rating: 5 / 5
JerryNodak wrote on
November 30, 2005
An extremely introspective, personal album. Elvis sings his heart out.
Rating: 4 / 5
Mystery Rider wrote on
April 07, 2007
from elvis presley blvd because they couldnt get him into the studio at this point it was over and except for for the heart it should never have been released.
Rating: 1 / 5
Iron Man wrote on
July 05, 2007
I totally disagree with Mystery Driver. For The Heart is a poor atempt of producing a rocker, but the result is bad. All the ballads are great- Solitare and Hurt are highlights, as is Danny Boy
Rating: 5 / 5
tmorelli@hughes.net wrote on
August 07, 2007
When I first bought this album in 1980 I wasn't familiar with any of the songs but I already owned Live On Stage in Memphis and the MSG and Aloha albums so when I saw 'Recorded Live' I thought that it had to be another winner. I spent a week with headphones on trying to hear the audience. As for the songs - I thought that they were not that good. But at the time I was 14 and just started collecting Elvis. Years later the album rose to the top of my list for the simple fact that when you listen to it you can feel the pain coming through the speakers. The material might not have been the best in terms of execution and the overdubs were overpowering but in terms of the message and vocals - whew. If anyone wants to know how Elvis felt during his last few years just play them Bitter They Are Harder They Fall and Love Coming Down. This is Elvis' most introspective album ever and had he tried to sing most of the material a few years earlier he would not have been able to pull it off. The material needed 'gravitas' and he had plenty of that to spare in those final 20 months.
Rating: 3 / 5
My boy, my boy wrote on
September 18, 2007
Sorry, but I have to disagree with Iron man, For the heart happens to be in my Top 5 songs of Elvis's repertoire....to each his own !
Rating: 3 / 5
Rating: 2 / 5