Let's Be Friends - Revisited

[Cryogenic]

Just a couple of comments here:

- I've also noticed that Elvis sounds a little strained on "Let's Forget About The Stars". Still, I love his voice here! For want of a better description, his voice has a kind of "smooth hoarseness" to it. Yes, it sounds like a contradiction in terms ..... but his voice also has the same quality on "Charro". It can be no coincidence since they come from the same film. I think his voice had a one-off unusual tonality to it in this period.

- "Change Of Habit" is a great little number. Certainly, it's no "Tiger Man" or "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", but it does carry some of that modern social spirit with it. "Let Us Pray" is another from the same movie that's a little underrated.

All in all (IMO), this is a fluffy and lightweight album. It's nothing to seriously compare to his better works ........ but taken on its own terms, it has a trinket of little goodies. Still, this is the sort of album that's so insignigicant that the various songs need to be returned and remastered, and can be better enjoyed, perhaps, at their points of origin.

[likethebike]

A track like "If I'm a Fool (For Loving You)" is where we split Shane. I think you're getting caught up in the mystique of the Memphis tracks. To me it's stiff as a board, nowhere near as good as a good movie track like "Let Yourself Go".

I like Darin's "I'll Be There" better. Elvis' version is too strong and Darin captures the vulnerability of the piece better.

I'm also a "Change of Habit" fan. It's cool to see Elvis try and tackle the '60s. I also like the energy of "Joe".

Good, nicely written review. Nice take on the title track.

Artistically though I think this is one of the worst compilations of its era. On the one hand, it gave listeners completely unreleased music on the budget label. On the other hand, "I'll Be There" and "Change" are really the only tracks I would consider to be good, and nothing great or near great and a lot that is bad including "Mama" and "Have a Happy". Of course to be fair those tracks like "Let's Be Friends" were a written for a certain context in a film.

[Pete Dube]

I'm rather fond of If I'm a Fool For Lovin' You, and think it and I'll Be There would've been right at home on Back In Memphis.

The three ballads, Let's Be Friends; Let's Forget About The Stars and in particular Almost, all display the improvement in material that ocurred in the post-Speedway film period. And Change of Habit is one of the best movie title songs.

Stay Away Joe has a certain enthusiastic attractiveness to it. I think it's due to the combination of the hoedown feel with the Bo Diddly beat.

[dreambear]

Nice review Shanebrown! On this album we have the original mix of "Let´s forget about the stars". It was completely destroyed on the double features CD. The piano is lost!!

However, ít won´t be too long before we have a poll on this album.

Regards//Björn

[JerryNodak]

The album is what it is. I've always enjoyed it. I don't think about it any deeper than that. I sometimes think Elvis' music is over analyzed way too much. Does anyone remember how to sit back and just enjoy the music for the sheer pleasure of enjoying Elvis' singing? Without worrying about the mix or whatever?

[Rob]

Not since I became a member here.

[bajo]

I've was a little disappointed when the CD came out. Let's Forget About The Stars even though in stereo, is a different mix than the mono version on the original LP. That haunting piano track can hardly be heard on the in the stereo mix. It's there, but you have to listen real hard to be able to hear it far in the back. A stereo version of the originla LP track would have been nice!
Now Mama seems to be re-appearing on the Girls! Girls! Girls! FTD in the original LP album version. So, we can almost make our own Let's Be Friends CDR as the album once was.
I'm lucky to have a mint copy of the LP, so I've made CDR copies of it!

[dreambear]

I've was a little disappointed when the CD came out. Let's Forget About The Stars even though in stereo, is a different mix than the mono version on the original LP. That haunting piano track can hardly be heard on the in the stereo mix. It's there, but you have to listen real hard to be able to hear it far in the back. A stereo version of the originla LP track would have been nice!
Now Mama seems to be re-appearing on the Girls! Girls! Girls! FTD in the original LP album version. So, we can almost make our own Let's Be Friends CDR as the album once was.
I'm lucky to have a mint copy of the LP, so I've made CDR copies of it!

Exactly what I meant, brother!

//Björn

[Suspicious Minds]

I'll Be There by Elvis is a slower version than Bobby Darin's. I like both versions.

[BeJi]

Of all the Camden-issues (or in Sweden they were most of the time issued on the RCA International-label) this is probably my favourite. First of all, the selection is much more interesting than on many of the other Camden-issues (apart from "Almost in Love"), but most of all, I love "Let's be friends" for sentimental reasons. I was given a "Let's be friends" cassette when I was around five years old, and it was my maternal grandparents who had bought it when they were on holiday in Spain. So, the cassette had the title in Spanish as well "Seamos Amigos".

[rickeap]

Stay Away Joe with a hoedown - Bo Diddley beat. Never really thought of it that way, but that's not a bad analysis!

[jyroflux]

It's weird coming to these review posts and finding the review gone... I joined a long time ago, but I haven't been here much until recently. I guess all the reviews by 'Shane' are gone?

[dreambear]

Shanebrown is so missed! He wrote very interesting topics and seemed to be a nice guy as well.

//Björn

[Christopher Brown]

This was one of the best CAMDEN albums. It was the first one I bought, and I enjoyed almost every track. There are four or five solid tracks which are virtually favourites of mine, and often appear on compilations I make.

I can remember buying several copies (wore out one) and one copy only cost 99 cents!!

It featured a great cover photo and featured some recently recorded songs I had never heard.

As "Change Of Habit" had recently been in the theatres, it was great to have the title track and even "Have A Happy" -- which for a purpose built movie song -- is pleasant enough.

This album is better in my opinion than "Fool" and "Elvis" (70s). And as someone else noted, I really miss the piano on "Let's Forget About the Stars". What a shame.