By GRAHAM REID
(Herald rating: * * * * )
Another year, another anniversary of Elvis' death on August 16. And another tie-in compilation. This chronological double disc comes with two famous quotes about the King (by Lennon and Springsteen) and nothing else by way of liner notes, essay, photos or
other such inducements. It's therefore all in the music.
From That's All Right Mama and Mystery Train through all those seminal songs into the Big Ballad Years (It's Now or Never, Can't Help Falling in Love), the return to rock (Guitar Man) and terrific Nashville country (Suspicious Minds), the bombast (The Wonder of You and American Trilogy) and so on ... It's all here. Almost.
For those turned on by the recent screenings of the movie Elvis: That's The Way It Is, however, Patch It Up and Polk Salad Annie don't qualify as among his greatest hits so aren't here. For that you need another Elvis album and as time has proven, there's always going to be another Elvis album.
Label: BMG
