| | |  | Music | Home » » Elvis Country (Legacy Edition) | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | In January 1971, Elvis was well and truly back and on top of his game. During 1970, he chalked up no less than 4 Platinum and 3 Gold album awards and 5 Gold singles. As if this sales achievement wasn't enough, on January 16, he was given the award as one of the "Top Ten Young Men of The Year" by the United States Jaycees. His new album Elvis Country released that same month received critical acclaim. In an outstanding review for Rolling Stone, biographer Peter Guralnick said: "... Elvis Presley has come out with a record which gives us some of the very finest and most affecting music since he first recorded for Sun almost 17 years ago."
Elvis Country is, obviously, a return to roots. But it's the singing, the passion and engagement most of all which mark this album as something truly exceptional. All the
familiar virtues are there. The intensity. That peculiar combination of hypertension and soul. There is even, for those who care to recall, a frenzied recollection of what the rock era once was, as Elvis takes on Jerry Lee Lewis' masterful "Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On" and comes out relatively unscathed. He has never sung better.
Elvis Country received an RIAA Gold certification and spent 21 weeks on the Billboard album chart. The single "I Really Don t Want To Know" c/w "There Goes My Everything" reached #9 and #21 on the Billboard country and pop charts respectively. The June 1971 follow-up studio album Love Letters From Elvis also contains songs recorded during the historic four-day Nashville session that spawned Elvis Country, including "Got My Mojo Working" and "Life" (Billboard #53).
This new 2-CD Legacy Edition features both these classic original albums plus 6 bonus tracks, including the full version of "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago," the studio jam "A Hundred Years From Now" and the single "Where Did They Go, Lord" c/w "Rags To Riches," which reached #33 on the Billboard chart. | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| January 03, 2012 | | Studio:
| Sony Legacy | | Number Of Discs:
| 2 | | Format:
| Extra tracks | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 14 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | Disc: 1 | | | 1. | Snowbird | | 2. | Tomorrow Never Comes | | 3. | Little Cabin On The Hill | | 4. | Whole Lot-ta Shakin' Goin' On | | 5. | Funny How Time Slips Away | | 6. | I Really Don't Want To Know | | 7. | There Goes My Everything | | 8. | It's Your Baby, You Rock It | | 9. | The Fool | | 10. | Faded Love | | 11. | I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water | | 12. | Make The World Go Away | | 13. | I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago | | 14. | A Hundred Years From Now (studio jam) | | 15. | Where Did They Go, Lord | | | Disc: 2 | | | 1. | Love Letters | | 2. | When I'm Over You | | 3. | If I Were You | | 4. | Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off Of It | | 5. | Heart Of Rome | | 6. | Only Believe | | 7. | This Is Our Dance | | 8. | Cindy, Cindy | | 9. | I'll Never Know | | 10. | It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing) | | 11. | Life | | 12. | The Sound Of Your Cry | | 13. | Sylvia | | 14. | Rags To Riches | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
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19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Elvis caps his remarkable comebackJan 03, 2012
By hyperbolium
Recorded in 1970 and released in 1971, Elvis Country was the culmination of a remarkable career resurrection. Starting with his 1968 Comeback Special, Elvis went on to reel off the brilliant From Elvis in Memphis (and the second-helping, Back in Memphis), the smartly constructed Vegas show of On Stage, and the studio/live That's the Way It Is. He capped the run with this 1971 return to his roots, branding these country, gospel, blues, rockabilly and western swing covers with authority. Elvis showed his genius was rooted in his passion for music, which encompassed everything from the early rockabilly of Sanford Clark's "The Fool" (written, surprisingly, by Lee Hazlewood) to the then-contemporary hit "Snowbird," as well as classics from Ernest Tubb, Lester Flatt & Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran.
Recorded in RCA's famed Studio B with Presley regulars James Burton, Charlie McCoy and Chip Young; the newly assembled studio hands included several players from the Muscle Shoals powerhouse, and the sessions were produced by Felton Jarvis. The arrangements ranged from loose, down home country jams to Vegas-styled orchestrations, and hearing the variety back-to-back, one quickly realizes how easily Elvis transcended the musical boundaries between his `50s roots and his glitzy `70s stage shows. Much like the 1969 American Studio sessions in Memphis, Elvis' enthusiasm and musicality directs the assembled players and provokes top-notch performances; he leads the crew through a rocking workout of Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and brings "Tomorrow Never Comes" to a volcanic climax.
The original album tracks are knit together with snippets of "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago," a gimmick that some listeners find irritating, and which wreaks havoc on shuffle play; the complete take is included in the bonuses. An earlier CD reissue expanded the track count from twelve to eighteen, and this double-CD pushes the total to twenty-nine, including all six earlier bonuses. Disc two opens with the third-helping of the Nashville sessions, previously released as Love Letters from Elvis, and adds three more session bonuses: the singles "The Sound of Your Cry" and "Rags to Riches," and the album track "Sylvia." The broad range of material on Love Letters doesn't always connect with Elvis' legacy as tightly as that on Elvis Country, but Elvis is in fine voice on each track, and the assembled players are sharp.
Everything here's been issued before, but pulling together session material previously spread across singles, albums, box sets and latter-day compilations has created a superb recounting of the last chapter of Elvis' incredible comeback. Not included are the eight Nashville tracks released as part of That's the Way It Is. A third-disc with banded versions of Elvis Country (minus the musical segues, that is) would have been a great addition, but even without it, this is an excellent expansion upon previous standalone reissues, and a terrific complement to the Legacy editions of From Elvis in Memphis and On Stage. The remastered discs (by Vic Anesini) are housed in a tri-fold digipack with a booklet that includes liner notes by Stuart Colman and terrific photos. [©2012 hyperbolium dot com]
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Legacy Edition !Jan 07, 2012
By zvi lior
I think most of the information regarding this truely magnificent album can be found in the previous well written reviews.
The Album is truely one of Elvis' greatest efforts and often neglected to be mentioned as one of his best work and maybe one of country music best albums ever......
What the previous reviewers fail to understand is this is a legacy re-issue - not a collection, and as such should be as close as possible in any aspect to the original album release in 1971 ( for better or for worse ).
So if you are looking for the complete versions without the connecting segments - buy the "Walk A mile In Shoes" box - All songs are there ( Not only 10 as mentioned ) , this box also packs together for the first time all of the 34 songs recorded on the Nashville legendary 04/70 sessions.
As A legacy re-issue RCA has done a great job - it's like buying the original album all over again with all the missing singles recorded with the album but not included eventually upon it's release ( Where Did They Go Lord should have been included )
11 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 "...How's Your New Love?"Jan 05, 2012
By Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London
Big glasses, big hair, big cape, big ego, big productions - 1970 and 1971 are years that divide Presley fans. Some see it as a renewal period that followed on from the '68 comeback special - while others see these dates as the beginning of the end - a slide into the horrible decline of the Vegas years. This new 'Legacy' issue of two albums from that time frame is of course both good and bad. But here are the issue details first...
Released Monday 2 January 2012 in the UK (3 Jan 2012 in the USA) - "Elvis Country" is on RCA/Legacy 88691 90439 2 and contains 2 whole albums with 6 bonus sides. Its 29 STEREO tracks break down as follows:
Disc 1 (46:17 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 12 are the US LP "I'm 10,000 Years Old - Elvis Country" - released 2 January 1971 on RCA Victor LSP-4460
Track 13 is "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" which first appeared on the "Elvis Now" LP in February 1972 (see paragraphs below)
Track 14 is "A Hundred Years From Now (Studio Jam)" is an outtake which first appeared on the 5LP/5CD Box Set "Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters" in October 1995
Track 15 is "Where Did They Go, Lord" which first appeared on the LP "He Walks Beside Me" in February 1976
Disc 2 (41:49 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 11 are the US LP "Love Letters From Elvis" - released June 1971 on RCA Victor LSP-4530
Track 12 is "The Sound Of Your Cry" - a US 7" single released 21 September 1971
Track 13 is "Sylvia" which first appeared on the "Elvis Now" LP in February 1972
Track 14 is "Rags To Riches" - a US 7" single released 23 February 1971
Both albums came out of sessions recorded at RCA's Studio B in Nashville during June and September 1970. But the really big news in 2012 is a new VIC ANESINI remaster with truly BEAUTIFUL sound quality. Anesini is not new to Elvis reissues; he mastered the 2CD 'Legacy Editions' of "Elvis Presley", "Elvis Is Back", "From Elvis In Memphis", "On Stage" as well as the 4CD set "The Complete '68 Comeback Special" - with unanimous praise heaped on all five.
The packaging is now standard for these Legacy sets. A 3-way card digipak features the famous Elvis aged 2 photo artwork on the front with the "Love Letters From Elvis" LP artwork on the inside flap. The CDs are yellow to reflect the original LP colours while the 24-page booklet has new colour photos, pictures of the US 7" singles for "Life", I'm Leavin'" and "Where Did They Go, Lord" and liner notes by STUART COLMAN. There are full discography details of the sessions and vinyl releases on the last few pages. It's well laid out and lovely to look at.
First up is the layout of the main album "Elvis Country" - as each track ends (and even as some begin) 'segments' of a song called "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" segue in and out - whether you like it or not. This happens on 'every' tune and while it probably seemed cool at the time, it's irritating and gimmicky now (the full version of the song is Track 13, one of the bonus cuts). Colman's liner notes rather craftily don't mention the 'segments' at all - or that they ruin good songs both at the beginning and end of play. In fact you can't cue up any song on this album because of it. To make things even more irritating - all of the songs bar "I Really Don't Want To Know" and "There Goes My Everything" (10 out of 12 in other words) are available on the 1995 "Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters" box set in their 'unadorned' state (available now as a mini book set reissue quite cheaply). So if there was room to include all 12 here, why are they no shows? It's a damn shame that RCA didn't use this 'Legacy' issue to go the full hog and finally offer fans 'both' versions of the LP - as was - and 'stripped' so to speak. Now that would have been something truly special - but alas - not to be...
To the music - despite its 'Country' title, the main album is in fact top heavy with ballads. Freed of Colonel Parker's cruddy and ill-advised choices, Elvis picked tunes that both suited and highlighted his deepened voice - Hank Cochran's string-filled "Make The World Go Away" is a typically good choice and there's a truly lovely version of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" filled with Dobro licks and churchy organ - really nice (lyrics above). The Southern Funk vibe of "The Fool" is a highlight too with James Burton on choppy guitar and Charlie McCoy on Organ and Harmonica. It rocks out a bit on Bob Willis' "Faded Love", but I find the pseudo version of Jerry Lee's "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" less convincing.
The second LP "Love Letters From Elvis" continues on the slow songs tip opening with a deep-throated version of Ketty Lester's "Love Letters". "Life" was released as a single on 27 April 1971 in advance of the album with "Only Believe" as its B-side (RCA 47-9985). But while the sound quality is GORGEOUS - material like "Heart Of Rome" and "This Is Our Dance" feel like second-rate lounge music - and provide a very real reason as to why Presley was ridiculed as well as revered at this time. The syrupy nature of the material simply lets the side down - and it very much feels like RCA milking it again - put out anything by the man - who cares...
To sum up - with the best will in the world, you could not describe these LPs as 'classic' Elvis. "Elvis Country" is the best of the two offerings undoubtedly and is an album that deserves rediscovery - yet it's presentation here is lazy and the follow up LP only highlights how cheesy both he and his music had become. On the upside - for those prepared to give this much-maligned period a chance - there are rewards, especially in the ballads. It also boasts a fabulous new remaster, nice packaging and at mid-price isn't going to break your bank balance.
Finally - I wish I could say that I enjoyed this Legacy issue as much as I have all the others I've bought and reviewed, but I can't. I want to remember the King in a better light than this. And I know it's a matter of personal taste, but I just wish RCA had given us all 12 of the "Elvis Country" songs remastered by Anesini and 'unadorned' by intrusive gimmicks - that way we could listen to them as a unit for the first time and actually hear the great man's 'legacy'.
For me this release is only good then - when it could have been great - even groundbreaking...
PS: Elvis Presley titles in this 'Legacy' Series series so far are:
1. "Elvis Presley" (his "Elvis Presley" debut and follow up album "Elvis" both from 1956 with extra single sides)
2. "Elvis Is Back" (the "Elvis Is Back" LP from 1960 with the "Something For Everybody" follow-up album from 1961 and extra single sides)
3. "Elvis Country" - as above
4. "From Elvis In Memphis" (the "From Elvis In Memphis" 1969 LP with the "Back In Memphis" follow-up album from 1970 with extra single singles and other recordings from the 1969 sessions)
5. "On Stage" - (the 1970 live album with its "Elvis In Person" follow up and 8 extra sides)
6. " The Complete '68 Comeback Special" - 4CD Mini Box Set
PPS: for other Vic Anesini Remasters - see my reviews for "Be What You Want..." the 4CD Box Set by HALL & OATES, the Legacy Edition of "Couldn't Stand The Weather" by STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN and the Legacy Edition of "Tomorrow The Green Grass" by THE JAYHAWKS. He has also done the much-praised Columbia issues of Simon And Garfunkel's back catalogue and the stunning Roy Orbison album "Lonely And Blue"
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Elvis In 1971Jan 22, 2012
By Erik North
The people who have this "camp" image of Elvis Presley at the end of his life as an overweight, prescription drug-addicted parody of what he had once been would do well to remember that, at his best, there were only a handful of others that could even come close to matching him, and none that could surpass him--and that includes Michael Jackson, and Garth Brooks.
As of late, RCA has gone out of its way to shine the light on a most productive period of the King's life, that being the period between 1969 and 1972, when, emboldened by his 1968 NBC-TV special, he had regained his footing as perhaps the greatest singer in 20th century American popular music. Back in 2009, they had released FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS and BACK IN MEMPHIS together in a Legacy Edition that bought together everything the King did with Chips Moman in his hometown of Memphis in early 1969. In 2010, they came out with another Legacy Edition, one that combined the 1970 album ON STAGE with the first LP of the 2-LP 1969 FROM MEMPHIS TO VEGAS/FROM VEGAS TO MEMPHIS; both of those albums touched on Elvis' first two engagements in Las Vegas, in August 1969 and February 1970. And here, they have come up with another Legacy Edition. This time, it is combining two albums of Elvis' from 1971--ELVIS COUNTRY; and LOVE LETTERS FROM ELVIS.
Both albums came about from sessions that the King did with his usual backing band and producer Felton Jarvis in Nashville during the summer of 1970. As can be indicated by the title ELVIS COUNTRY, Elvis was venturing back to his more rustic country roots, much as FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS was a largely R&B/pop enterprise. Even so, and even with "I Was Born 10,000 Years Ago" still being inserted in-between songs, the King didn't think in simplistic and narrow terms, as can be gauged by the Memphis R&B-style brass put on his version of the Eddy Arnold classic "I Really Don't Want To Know", an amped-up version of Sanford Clark's rockabilly classic "The Fool", and a version of "Whole Lotta Shakin'" that comes very close to the version that Elvis' contemporary Jerry Lee Lewis made so famous in 1957. Occasionally there's a bit more orchestral bombast than there needs to be (like on the Ernest Tubb classic "Tomorrow Never Comes"), something that would overwhelm later albums; but all in all, it isn't hard to see why ELVIS COUNTRY, in its original context, was a big hit album, climbing to #12 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (and #6 on the magazine's Country Album Chart), and becoming yet another million-seller in the King's collection upon its release in January 1971. "I Really Don't Want To Know" managed to do fairly well as a single as well, reaching #21 on the Hot 100.
The second CD in this Legacy Edition is actually the album that followed ELVIS COUNTRY, namely LOVE LETERS FROM ELVIS, which got up to a respectable #33 upon its release in June 1971 but was shockingly panned by critics, who were noticing the King starting to slip into what they saw (perhaps rightly) as a penchant for morose ballads and MOR bombast. This really isn't the case just quite yet, if the King's scintillating take on "Got My Mojo Working" is any indication. The title track is really a reworking of the 1962 Ketty Lester hit "Love Letters" that Elvis had originally recorded back in 1966 and got to #19 on the singles chart; while the gospel-style "Only Believe" and the poignant, almost New Age ballad "Life" see Elvis poised between the sacred and the secular. This album was cobbled from the same sessions that yielded ELVIS COUNTRY; and while it is considered an inferior album to what he had done dating to the Chips Moman sessions of 1969, it's nowhere near as bad as the critics said it was.
It really wasn't until after the 1973 ALOHA FROM HAWAII special that Elvis' personal and pharmaceutical issues overwhelmed him; but once they did, even with the bursts of hits still yet to be, it was a sad and horrible slide to the bitter end. But in the final analysis, Elvis should be remembered for the staggering amount of music and memories he bought to the table, and not as a joke or a comedian's punch line. His legacy endures, and this incredible collection is sold-gold proof of it.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
good cdJan 20, 2012
By autumn
got this for my dad, huge elvis fan, he was very happy with it. i thought he already had every elvis song but he seemed very happy with the contents.
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