"Elvis Is Back" Or "Elvis Today"

What FTD cd do you like better "Today" Or "Elvis Is Back!"? I'd have to go with "Today".

The problem with this way of comparing is the fact that you can't compare these two albums. Elvis Is Back is from 1960 while Today is from 1975. There is a whole career between them and an artistic developpement.

I like the TODAY album better, because I'm a fan of the 1970's Elvis. But as it has been said before, you can't really compare them. When Elvis recorded EIB he was 25, when he did TODAY he was 40. And between your 25th and your fourtyth birthday a lot of things happen in your life.

Unfortunately, I have the original albums, but I do not have the FTD versions. I do not think it would be possible to compare these two albums though. Elvis is Back is a recognized classic in pop music, and was recorded during a time of feverish creativity and excitement in Elvis' career.

Today was a considerably less grand affair. There are some fine performances, but very little that rivals Elvis' earlier recordings - artistically. EP walks through a number of these performances. I still think his voice sounds great, and I treasure all the material he recorded during his lifetime. It's just hard for me to compare the earlier, on fire Elvis with the later more apathetic Elvis. Elvis' arm had to be practically twisted off in order to get him in the studio by this point, and sometimes his performances show it.

On the "Today" album Elvis sounds as if he has fun singing these tunes....

I guess I'm comparing the earlier, perfectionist Elvis that would do as many takes as needed to make it right, with the later Elvis that would do two or three takes and then move on to something else - even when there were mistakes that needed to be corrected. That attitude bugs me a little bit.

It reminds me a lot of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. In his mid-60's prime, Brian was a perfectionist that knew exactly what he wanted. Later on, as he began suffering from mental illness and drug abuse, you could not even get him in the studio. And when he did go in, very little was accomplished. I don't think Elvis had the same problem necessarily, but something did change in his head it seems.

TODAY!!!!
TODAY!!!!
TODAY!!!! :D

I'm certainly not slighting the ELVIS IS BACK album in the least....it is a FANTASTIC album!! But the TODAY album just seems to have it all, in my opinion....some rock n' roll (T-R-O-U-B-L-E), some country (SUSAN WHEN SHE TRIED), some fantastic ballads (WOMAN WITHOUT LOVE, BRINGIN' IT BACK and my personal favorite -- PIECES OF MY LIFE) and some outstanding cover tunes (I CAN HELP, GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME, AND I LOVE YOU SO). It is just an all around complete album, and there really isn't one song on that album that Elvis just doesn't seem to enjoy singing!!!

Plus....the TODAY album was the very first Elvis album that I listened to when I first discovered Elvis back when I was 5 years old, so there will always be a special place in my heart for that album!! ;)

TCB!
Mike

Elvis Is Back.