Search - Elvis Presley :: Frankie And Johnny [Soundtrack]

The definitive release of the original mix...but how many re

M. Reid | Massachusetts | 03/13/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This soundtrack has only three tracks I care about, "Frankie and Johnny" (marginal), "Beginner's Luck" (truly a lost gem), and "Hard Luck" (lost semi-gem w/flashes of classic E). Sound-wise, this is slightly better than the FTD deluxe release, with better response in the high end. Of course, you don't get the extra material that you do on the deluxe, but if you just want the soundtrack and no more, this will do just fine.



Having said that, for Elvis fanatics, you still need the "Double Feature" release from the 90s (paired with "Paradise, Hawaiian Style"-oh boy!), because that one has the entire soundtrack remixed to much cleaner sound. Of course this is blasphemy to some, but in this case it was badly needed. The original mix sounds like a quick cassette dub that was mistakenly sent out to the pressing plant. The new mix on the double feature CD takes great care to lower the hiss, bring up the treble, tighten the stereo image, and even adds a nice piano intro to "Beginner's Luck". Yes-they added reverb--but no more than was originally used back in the 60s for much better-sounding soundtrack releases like "Blue Hawaii" and "Fun In Acapulco". The remix from the 90s simply brings this up to those standards sound-wise.



Still, the songs are mostly pretty weak, unless you like that 60s cheapo-lounge stuff, which would mean you love every track! For the price, if you know what you're buying, this budget version is a worthy release."

Save Your Money

Edward A. Jones | Reading, PA | 02/27/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Save your money on this soundtrack. There was only one song that was new to my ears that was acceptable; other than this, it's typical Presley soundtrack fodder. I never bought this when it first came out in the sixties and since the price was right, I thought I'd add it to my Presley CD Collection (and I've got most of his stuff). While listenable, it's something I could have saved my money on. Save yours-forget this one."