'Viva Elvis' - The Album Tracklisting

[Brian Quinn]

This album is in Elvis's name, his likeness-"but it is not from Elvis" he had no creative imput in this album. Just as any project using his vocals which alters from the originals since he died.
My friend we will have to disagree!
In your opinion-the new backing is what he should have had all along-that is a subjective opinion.
Aged musicians, and a plethora of backing groups?-Who produced the sound that "Elvis wanted" (and when they did not-he let them know it....or when the masters were altered from the sound he had signed off on)
The Memphis musicians on the 1969 sessions (who made recordings with many the top artists of the 60s and 70s)- were top notch.
You can not rewrite history-as I pointed out earlier the contemporary sound from contemporary musicians which you say are innovative-is also subjective to the time-the era in which you inhabit or speak about. Elvis could not have had this sound-in 1969 just as he could not have had the 1969 sound-in 1955 and that is true of every artist in every era.
As we have pointed out-this album was designed to fit the format of the "Viva Elvis" production-it was constructed for a certain feel, a certain flow, that Elvis had absolutely no say so in.
I hope it sells millions......but I hope it does not lead to a succession of new "Viva Elvis" type productions which only water down the original artistry.......add water to anything over and over and eventually all you have water with a slight taste of something else-that you can't quite make out!
I applaud your enthusiasum for these new things, but just do not agree with your perception of what it does for Elvis's legacy.......in the long run.
Call me more a purist-the originals must be good-they are what started the revolution, you can not recreate a revolution.

KPM,

I appreciate your comments. I agree with a lot of what you say, especially about the musicians on the Memphis sessions and the problem of time eras. The sound has improved greatly over the past 33 years. However, I still feel that Elvis at various times throughout his career did not have the backings he deserved and sometimes was crowded out by the vocal groups. For once in my life I would love to hear someone like ZZ Top backing Elvis on 'Steamroller Blues'. I think you will appreciate where I am coming from on this one. Personally I see nothing wrong with remixes as we will always have the originals in any case. It is interesting though how these remixes have created a schism within the ranks of the Elvis World. Hopefully, as you say, it will sell millions. We all want Elvis to be a success, even in death.

Brian

[KPM]

[QUOTE=Brian Quinn;382090]KPM,

I appreciate your comments. I agree with a lot of what you say, especially about the musicians on the Memphis sessions and the problem of time eras. The sound has improved greatly over the past 33 years. However, I still feel that Elvis at various times throughout his career did not have the backings he deserved and sometimes was crowded out by the vocal groups. For once in my life I would love to hear someone like ZZ Top backing Elvis on 'Steamroller Blues'. I think you will appreciate where I am coming from on this one. Personally I see nothing wrong with remixes as we will always have the originals in any case. It is interesting though how these remixes have created a schism within the ranks of the Elvis World. Hopefully, as you say, it will sell millions. We all want Elvis to be a success, even in death.

Brian[/QUOTE
Personally I would prefer Eric Clapton
People have to remember except for some of the movie era soundtracks-Elvis ran his sessions, the backings and added vocal groups-were at his request, his idea for the sound he wanted. Considering that he is the biggest selling solo artist in the world.....or if you want to debate it lets say hes in the top 3 best world sellers.........his idea for the sound he wanted-was very very good.
Remixes cause problems for some of us-because of his lack of participation, just like colorizing black and white movies, or re-editing old films without the consent or contribution of the original creators. You do not repaint a classic painting, you don't change the smile from "Mona Lisa" into a frown IMO
Remixes used sparingly I agree with. But Sony has started down a slippery slope this last years since ALLC-more and more they look for the "gimmick" which will sell more product......I understand the corporate mentality, profit with low overhead.....they certainly have that with Elvis, no artist royaltees for most of his work, they have carte blanc to do as they wish. But just because you can do this-does not mean you always should. Frank Sinatra is a classic in music-I would very much doubt that they will mess very much with his originals....the respect for his work is too great...........................................at least I hope so.
We will alwasy have the original works of Elvis as you point out-but I also want the respect and appreciation to remain for those works.......by future fans and not for remixes.

[Brian Quinn]

Duet with Elvis and Lisa Lois from the Dutch version of the 'Viva Elvis' Album

The song starts at 2:50:

http://www.alissia.nl/Lisa%20Lois%20...t%20Elvis..mp3


Brian

[italianfan]

That was nice. Thanks for sharing.

Do you know if the different countrys have different versions, or does each duet basicly use the same backing music just with a different singer?

Shame the UK won't have a duet on the album. I wonder if this is due to the possibility of a future duets album?

[steve grayson]

it seems that Love me Tender will be added in different country with their own female singer for a duet. Here in Quebec a canadian version of the Viva Elvis album wil included a duet with one of the top female performer, Mary May.
steve grasyson

[Brian Quinn]

I have just heard that there will be 2 CD formats of 'Viva Elvis'. These will be as follows:

Format 1 - Single CD as already announced and

Format 2 (Double CD) - CD1 - Tracks as already announced.

CD2 - The original versions of the tracks.

I believe the 2 CD version to be about £1.25 more than the single version.

Brian

[garydt]

I've requested radio 2 and other stations to play Suspicous Minds but no joy. Yet for the last 2 months Radio 2 has been playing robbie williams and barrlows' new single which is out this month. Suspicous Minds is out in 3 weeks but it's not even in radio 2 playlist! What's going on, Brian?
Radio 2's Ken Bruce has album of the week where he plays tracks from a newly released album all week. Will Viva Elvis be his album of the week when it's released, Brian?

[Trelane P]

I was looking forward to the remix of It's Now Or Never that I heard on a youtube video included in the show which was brilliant but it's not on the tracklist

[Tigerman1975]

it's a rippoff by Sony and Cirque. What happened to all the 40 some remixes they made? Something's not adding up with this info.

Thats what it sounds like to me.

[italianfan]

Here are the full versions of King Creole and Thats all Right.......

[vivaelvis]

This stuff is horrible and very amaturish to have been produced and mixed by so called "professionals". This is an embarrassment to Elvis' body of work. Oh and by the way, there's nothing contemporary about this album. The junk on the radio today is far superior to these remixes. It's so bad that they can't even get the tracks on radio. And I don't blam radio for not wanting to play them either. We as fans need to come to the realization that we will NEVER get the royal treatment with Elvis' catalog the way The Beatles or DStones or Michael Jackson all get. You'll never see those artists allow their music to be butcharded like they have Elvis'. Parker started it and Sony is just continuing it.

[T_J]

I believe the 2 CD version to be about £1.25 more than the single version.

Brian

A little more I think. Amazon has it for £14.99:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...SIN=B0046BPXEW

Is the 2 disc option restricted to the UK? I'm compiling my new releases page and can't find a US version.

[Miss Clawdy]

After listening to the 30 second fragments on Amazon and the dutch duet...I can't say that I am much impressed.
I am afraid this will just ridicule Elvis once again. On most of the songs his voice is crowded out by backing groups and or musicians. The tempo of his singing sounds somehow wrong (either to slow or to fast, distorted or whatever...) and Lisa Lois is singing another tune on Love me tender...

My only hope is, that young Non-Elvis-Fans will like it as they don't know how great and powerful Elvis sounds, singing his original songs with his own arrangements...

[SleepyJack]

The more I hear from this whole project the less likely it is becoming that I`d actually part with cash for it.This is just another gimmick on a long list of gimmicks. I `m actually hoping that it flops like a lead balloon to be honest...maybe it might help in some way to put an end to at least some of the rubbish that is being associated with Elvis nowadays.

[italianfan]

Does anyone know whats going on with this now?

Three weeks to go till the album is released. And is Suspicious Minds released next monday? I haven't heard anything about it.

I was expecting at least a few reviews popping up but so far nothing. I'm starting to doubt this album. I had real faith at the start but thats slowly fading.

Susian Boyle is tipped for number 1 the same week as Viva Elvis is released and shes currently number 1 on every pre-order chart. In the UK over the last week Viva Elvis is not even on the chart.

It will be very dissapointing if this album doesn't do well, and pretty embarrasing for SONY if after all the hype it flops.

What I don't understand is that back in January, the ELV75 album did well in the UK, and that was a 'best of' album. So why doesn't this 'new' album seem to be on the same lines? Considering the money put into it, and the respected names remixing it. Surely everyone should be going crazy over it?

I only hope things start happening next week to generate some interest a couple of weeks before release

[KPM]

Today Billboard has an article on Viva Elvis and the Suspicious Minds single release you can view it at the Billboard website.

[vivaelvis]

I am strongly convinced that this album won't even break the top 10 in the US let alone a #1 position as some were predicting. For starters, it's a hack job of a release and a poor selection of songs to go with it. RCA and SONY are about to find that out quickly when sales are way below their expectations. Although they will use it as some type of claim that Elvis no longer can sell music to cover their own a$$.

[SleepyJack]

That`s one of the worst things about projects like this...if they do fail it reflects badly on Elvis..even though he had nothing much to do with it really. I think it goes to show as well that really they don`t have much faith in Elvis` music to begin with...there`s usually some gimmick or novelty value involved somewhere along the line. I think they need to all sit down together..EPE,Sony...all the parties involved and get the whole thing in order once and for all.Like it or not what they each do has an effect on the other...whether it`s the poor,tacky merchandise or the poorly thought-out music projects. If the Elvis image hadn`t been so cheapened and ridiculed by all the dumb little plastic trinkets and ETA competitions there would be more respect and more demand for the music. All out of our control though I`m afraid!

[italianfan]

Apparently, if played on a computer, there is video footage included on the CD. (read the small print on the red label)

[vivaelvis]

The hack job done on this album is pitiful and an embarrassment to Elvis. SONY and RCA really f'd up on this one big time. If you want to hear a real remix then check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avuV5...eature=related