Average Customer Review: ( 26 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Among the classics here are Wooden heart, Wild in the country, Blue Hawaii, Rock-a-hula baby, Can't help falling in love, Girls! girls! girls! and Return to sender - all from the early sixties. After that, there are still many fine, but less well-known songs. My favorites from the second CD include Puppet on a string (not the song that Sandie Shaw won Eurovision with, but a very different song) and Frankie and Johnny (a song which exists in many variations).

There is another song here that I didn't particularly notice until a remix of it gained Elvis another international smash hit - A little less conversation - here in it's original form.

While this is not the place to begin an Elvis collection with (unless you're a movie fan), it is the best collection you're ever likely to find of his movie songs, containing all the essentials and the best of the rest.

16 of 16 found the following review helpful:

If you have the 60's Box Set, you need this tooSep 11, 2006
By A Fan
If you have the "From Nashville To Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters" Box Set, you need to go ahead and purchase this 2 CD set to round out your collection. The "From Nashville To Memphis" box set did not include any of the songs from his 1960's movies. This collection was issued to complement that one by providing an excellent overview of his 1960's movies recordings. While it is no secret that Elvis was not always provided with the best material for his movie soundtracks, he always performed even the lamest songs very well. This collection contains the classics "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "Return To Sender", several other hits (Flaming Star, Wild In The Country, Lonely Man, King Of The Whole Wide World, Bossa Nova Baby, One Broken Heart For Sale, Viva Las Vegas, What'd I Say, Puppet On A String, and Clean Up Your Own Back Yard), songs that should have been hits (G.I. Blues, Shoppin' Around, Doin' The Best I Can, Blue Hawaii, and Change Of Habit), and of course several songs that helped create a negative stereotype of Elvis that probably made him wince when he sang them (no need to mention them - you know which ones they are). This collection also has an alternate take of "Follow That Dream" not available on any other CD. If you are a hardcore Elvis fan or really like his movies, you should have this 2CD set. If you are a casual fan, you should probably save yourself a few dollars by purchasing the single CD "Elvis Movies" collection.

10 of 10 found the following review helpful:

5+ stars for disc one but less for disc twoDec 18, 2002
By Joseph A Jones
Ok, so you have all 3 box sets, the 50s, 60s, and 70s and now you want some of Elvis' movie recordings. Well, disc one is a great CD which features 31 of the best of his movie recordings from 1960 to 1964. It has all the huge hits such as "Can't Help Falling In Love", "Return To Sender", "Bossa Nova Baby", "Viva Las Vegas" as well as lesser known gems such as "Flaming Star", "Hawaiian Wedding Song", "Follow That Dream" (why the alternate take?), "King Of The Whole Wide World" as well as many others. Disc 2 however is a bit of a letdown. Yes, Elvis didn't stop making movies after 1964 but the quality of his songs that were featured in the movies were on the decline rapidly. The highlights on this disc are "Little Egypt", "Paradise Hawaiian Style", "Let Yourself Go", "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard", and the original "A Little Less Conversation". Sure, those are better than average songs but other tunes like "Harem Holiday" and "Poison Ivy League" to name a few, we could have done without.

If you're a strict Elvis completist, this 2 CD set may not be enough for you. You'd probably want the individual soundtracks along with the "Double Features" series, if they can still be had. On the other hand, if you only want a small sampling of maybe 1 disc of Elvis' movie music, the "Can't Help Falling In Love: Hollywood Hits", which focuses on his earlier movie music, may suit you better. For those of you who want more than a sample but dont want to spend tons of cash on mostly average tunes, this is the set for you, a perfect mix of the big hits and lesser known gems (a healthy 62 in all) in a reasonably priced 2 CD package.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Command PerformancesNov 27, 1999
By Mike Kurosky
Well we all know Elvis could sing anything and make it sound good. This compilation is proof. Though there are some great songs on this set there are as many forgettable. I have to admit I bought it as soon as it hit the shelf but I am avid. I would not suggest this as a starter kit.

I hope RCA does a follow up to this compilation for there are songs I would have voted for in favor of some that were left off.

Pocketful Of Rainbows from G.I. Blues is a much better song than Shoppin Around.

King Of The Whole Wide World is a great tune until you cut off the Boots Randolph sax solo at the end as RCA has chosen to do so here.

C'mon Everybody should have been included for the Viva Las Vegas ditties.

And I don't care what anybody says Do The Clam from the movie Girl Happy is one of the most embarrasing songs in Elvis' catalog. Do Not Disturb would have been a much better choice. It is a very romantic ballad suited for candlelight and lovemaking.

11 of 12 found the following review helpful:

The Best (and Some of the Worst) of Elvis in HollywoodJul 27, 1999
By Scott T. Rivers
Admittedly, "Command Performances" is not among the finest Elvis compilations, but there are many undeniable gems. Any collection that has classics such as "Viva Las Vegas," "Follow That Dream," "King of the Whole Wide World," "Return to Sender" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" is worthwhile. However, what makes this 2-CD set fascinating are the lesser-known, yet stellar performances of "Little Egypt," "Please Don't Stop Loving Me," "I'll Be Back," "Let Yourself Go," "Long Legged Girl" and "A Little Less Conversation." Not all of Elvis' movie songs were on the level of "Do the Clam" or "Poison Ivy League" - which, regrettably, also can be found in this collection. Perhaps "Command Performances" would have been stronger if it focused on the absolute best of Presley's soundtrack work in the 1960s. Nevertheless, this remains an enjoyable time capsule.

See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com