Ok, here we are. To have to exclude two tracks on this album is a tragic thing to do, because we all know that this album is ....well a perfect album. What more can I say. "Girl Next Door Went A'Walking" is a nice pop tune...but a bit thin compared to the other tracks. "I Will Be Home Again" is the other track that has to go. Mostly because I prefer the other tracks with the same style (Soldier boy and The thrill of your love). The blues tracks are remarkable and best of those is in my opinion "Reconsider baby". One of my all time top five tracks by Elvis. It gets my vote!
Vote on!
Have anice day//Björn
Best track on "Elvis is back" LP 1960
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thekingisalive
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Cryogenic
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"Reconsider Baby"
A blues masterpiece!
I'd also put "Like A Baby" in second place. Elvis' singing is INCREDIBLE on that one. Listen to how many subtle variations he places on the title line with every repetition.
The only song I feel is wrong on "Elvis Is Back" is "The Girl Of My Best Friend". It's too sugary by half. Maybe someone like Ricky Nelson could have sang it -- but Elvis Presley? Arguably the first truly execrable song he recorded. It could easily be replaced (if EP had recorded them then, of course) by "Doin' The Best I Can", "Surrender", "There's Always Me" or "King Of The Whole Wide World". JMO.
A blues masterpiece!
I'd also put "Like A Baby" in second place. Elvis' singing is INCREDIBLE on that one. Listen to how many subtle variations he places on the title line with every repetition.
The only song I feel is wrong on "Elvis Is Back" is "The Girl Of My Best Friend". It's too sugary by half. Maybe someone like Ricky Nelson could have sang it -- but Elvis Presley? Arguably the first truly execrable song he recorded. It could easily be replaced (if EP had recorded them then, of course) by "Doin' The Best I Can", "Surrender", "There's Always Me" or "King Of The Whole Wide World". JMO.
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JerryNodak
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Juan Luis
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dreambear
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Juan Luis wrote:Reconsider Baby is great by Elvis but did not have tha market cornered IMO on that song cause it is a standard... many many blues musicians have done as well.. and even better Imo.
But they didn´t have Booths Randolph on saxophone...
I have the Fulsom recording, and Elvis´recording stands up really well.
//Björn
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Scarre
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Almost...but I wouldn´t object to the removing of "Fever". Don´t know why, but never really liked it...dreambear wrote:thekingisalive wrote:It’s a shame you removed "I Will Be Home Again", as it’s such a beautiful song. Not that it matters, because my vote goes to "Reconsider Baby" anyway.
Keep these polls coming, Dreambear.
Per
It´s a shame to remove ANY track on this LP!!
//Björn
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GIRL HAPPY BOY
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karlos
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Hav-A-Tampa
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Voted for Reconsider Baby... I consider it one of his finest recordings ever.
Though this album is full of fantastic tracks, but there are two songs I feel are not up to the high standard of the rest... Girl Next Door Went Walking, IIRC, that was recorded as a favour to Scotty Moore? The Girl Of My Best Friend is slightly better, but sounds more like a soundtrack number.
I agree with Dreambear that the sound is amazing on these recordings... the album sounds a lot better than many of his 70's LPs!
Though this album is full of fantastic tracks, but there are two songs I feel are not up to the high standard of the rest... Girl Next Door Went Walking, IIRC, that was recorded as a favour to Scotty Moore? The Girl Of My Best Friend is slightly better, but sounds more like a soundtrack number.
I agree with Dreambear that the sound is amazing on these recordings... the album sounds a lot better than many of his 70's LPs!
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dreambear
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The sound is also better than some of todays recordings. Amazing! Maybe some artists wants recordings that sounds a bit rough, but the main problem today, is the comprimended sound, made to suit radio. No life at all.Hav-A-Tampa wrote:Voted for Reconsider Baby... I consider it one of his finest recordings ever.
Though this album is full of fantastic tracks, but there are two songs I feel are not up to the high standard of the rest... Girl Next Door Went Walking, IIRC, that was recorded as a favour to Scotty Moore? The Girl Of My Best Friend is slightly better, but sounds more like a soundtrack number.
I agree with Dreambear that the sound is amazing on these recordings... the album sounds a lot better than many of his 70's LPs!
//björn
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Cryogenic
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Even though I can sympathise with where it's coming from, I don't quite agree with the criticism for "Girl Next Door Went A Walkin'". I implore everyone to give this a closer listen. Wrapped up in this superficially sweet ballad is a savage piece of criticism. Elvis takes a relatively ordinary -- though, even in its pregant state, by no means meagre song -- and, backed and spurred on by that incredible band and personal thirst of his, transforms it into social protest. Or does he? Listen to the way he allows his baritone voice to sound fatigued and exasperated, especially on the line: "Settle down to life." He drags out the word "life" so it sounds more like: "liffffffe". The "fffff" sound conjures images of the singer turning away in a mix of distaste and sarcasm. He cannot believe that such a young woman -- the eponymous "girl next door" -- has gone off and gotten locked into a marriage so soon. Hasn't she paid attention to the rock 'n roll revolution -- *the* social revolution of the time (paving the way for others) -- that he has spearheaded? Hasn't she learnt anything from what's been happening around her? Indeed, the song ends with the line, "Settle down to life," where Elvis bears all his disdain, crystallising the record's theme, recited four times.
I really like "Girl Next Door Went A'Walkin". Another interesting feature -- again, in that all-important line -- is Elvis' ambiguity with the actual wording: is it, "Settle down for life," or, "Settle down to life"? Elvis seems to opt for the latter, but it's hard to say. The latter seems to carry greater irony -- how does one settle down "to" life? Does that even mean anything at all? Is it as meaningless as a rushed marriage? Of course, this girl may truly love "the boy she likes". The onus may be on the singer himself: he is the one "surprise[d]" that the girl thought that love was "paradise". Perhaps this has nothing to do with social criticism; perhaps the singer and the girl are merely different people. Perhaps we're only getting the biased interpretation of the singer's own appraisal of the situation. In any case, there is a frustrated idealism at stake here. Some of that same frustrated idealism and skewed perspective on marriage would come back to haunt Elvis later on. This song is more important to the culture of the time and the life of EP than it's credited for. Afterall, a piece's relevancy to culture and the artist is our compass for great music -- and I submit, without recourse to irony, that "Girl Next Door Went A Walkin'" is a great song on a great album.
I really like "Girl Next Door Went A'Walkin". Another interesting feature -- again, in that all-important line -- is Elvis' ambiguity with the actual wording: is it, "Settle down for life," or, "Settle down to life"? Elvis seems to opt for the latter, but it's hard to say. The latter seems to carry greater irony -- how does one settle down "to" life? Does that even mean anything at all? Is it as meaningless as a rushed marriage? Of course, this girl may truly love "the boy she likes". The onus may be on the singer himself: he is the one "surprise[d]" that the girl thought that love was "paradise". Perhaps this has nothing to do with social criticism; perhaps the singer and the girl are merely different people. Perhaps we're only getting the biased interpretation of the singer's own appraisal of the situation. In any case, there is a frustrated idealism at stake here. Some of that same frustrated idealism and skewed perspective on marriage would come back to haunt Elvis later on. This song is more important to the culture of the time and the life of EP than it's credited for. Afterall, a piece's relevancy to culture and the artist is our compass for great music -- and I submit, without recourse to irony, that "Girl Next Door Went A Walkin'" is a great song on a great album.
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Cryogenic
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"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was also recorded as a favour to Colonel Parker. And look how that turned out. Read this for more: http://livinginstereo.com/?page_id=295
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Delboy
. But if I really have to...................I picked "Reconsider Baby"! 
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Rob