Search - Elvis Presley :: Today, Tomorrow & Forever

...And Yet More Vault Scrounging...

T. Schmidt | Mansfield TX USA | 07/07/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Five years ago, to celebrate the 20th anniversity of Elvis' death (and exactly WHY does BMG find it necessary to commemorate the DEATH of their greatest recording artist? $$$$), BMG released a four-CD set entitled Platinum: A Life in Music. It was a very nicely done 100 track collection of hits and unreleased tracks. Now, five years and many vault-scrapings later, we are treated to yet another 100 unreleased tracks which supposedly "celebrate" the 25th anniversery of Elvis' death ($$$$).Surprisingly, most of the recordings hold up well. The obvious highlight is the 1956 live Little Rock recording on disc one. Also noteworthy are 1959 home recording of "The Fool" (recorded by Elvis some 11 years later for Elvis Country) and a spectacular 1969 live recording of "Funny How Time Slips Away".Mostly, though, these alternate takes don't really sound that different from the released masters. In several cases, these takes are significantly inferior to the released versions. Examples include a plodding take of "The Next Step is Love" and a simply pathetic early take of "For the Heart", which gives credence to the popular argument that late-period Elvis was a doped-up has-been (This is NOT the case! Just listen to the Moody Blue and Promised Land CDs). And then there are the miserable-sounding (quality-wise) takes of "Doncha Think It's Time" and "Got a Lot of Livin' to Do" which add absolutely nothing to any understanding of Elvis' 50's material.Finally, I would like to point out that, although this is at least 3rd "alternate" take that has been released in recent years, the recording of "In the Ghetto" presented here is at least as good as the original master.Over all, this recording will go a long way towards pleasing hard-core fans (like myself). Everybody else, however, would probably be well advised to pass this one by."

More Hidden Gems From the Presley Vaults

Scott T. Rivers | Los Angeles, CA USA | 06/30/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, RCA has released "Today, Tomorrow & Forever" - a four-CD collection of previously unreleased material that chronicles virtually every aspect of his career. There are many gems in this box set: the exciting live tracks from Presley's 1956 concert in Little Rock; private recordings of "The Fool" and "Hide Thou Me"; revealing alternate takes from the 1960s and '70s (minus the instrumental overdubs); and more highlights of the King's 1969 Vegas triumph. Of course, there are a few ghastly numbers that should have remained in the RCA vaults, such as "My Desert Serenade" and "Life." However, some of the lesser-known movie tracks are worthy of revival: "Please Don't Stop Loving Me," "This Is My Heaven," "Long Legged Girl" and "Stay Away." By providing a chronological overview of his studio work, "Today, Tomorrow & Forever" gives Elvis Presley's recording legacy the respect it always deserved."

Not Just Another Repackage

george reynolds | acworth, ga United States | 10/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Why? was my reaction when first seeing the advance notice for "Today, Tomorrow and Forever." Why was BMG giving Elvis fans yet another redundant compilation of repackaged hits, misses, and assorted outtakes? I immediately dismissed the box set. Fortunately for me, though, my thoughtful wife ignored my pessimism and the four disk collection ended up in my Christmas stocking. I was pleasently surprised! Yes, the set contains more than a few repackaged hits, a couple of misses - most notably, the movie tunes "Mexico," "My Desert Serenade" and an insiped cover of the Anne Murray hit "Snowbird" - and a whole slew of alternate take recordings, but the entire 100 song repertoire plays out like a fresh introspective of the King's entire career. TTF offers up an exciting collection of alternate studio cuts, movie tracks, and live performances; most of which appear for the first time in the presented format. CD #1 feautures a raucous seven song set from one of Elvis's early 1956 concerts. The disk also contains several great alternate cuts, highlighted by "Rip it Up," "Doncha' Think It's Time," and "Got a Lot O' Livin' to Do." CDs 3 and 4 focus on late 1960s and 1970s output. The disks present a couple of great live recordings that are not the usual fare...of the bunch, "Baby What You Want Me to Do," "What'd I Say," and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" are the best offerings. The studio tracks are also noteworthy. "Long Legged Girl" - heretofore dismissed because it was released on the "Double Trouble" soundtrack - emerges as a rollicking throw back reminiscent of early Elvis. Ditto with the 1967 release "Big Boss Man" and 1968's "Guitar Man"; the latter featuring a smouldering version of "Trouble" as an intro. Movie tunes "The Love Machine" and "Let Us Pray" are infectious sing-alongs and the 1969 studio track "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" begs the question why was it never released as a single? "U.S. Male," is one of the few misses...I was nine years old when the song was released in 1968 and it's tough-guy lyrics quickly became my mantra...now, however, hearing Elvis utter the phrase "I catch you 'round my woman champ, I'll leave your head like the shape of a stamp" is embarrassingly hokey. CD #2 is the most rewarding disk of the entire collection. It features four wonderful Don Robertson ballads that highlight Elvis's subtly powerful vocals..."Anything That's Part of You" is the best of the foursome. The up tempo "Witchcraft," is such a strong performer I was left wondering how it ever ended up the B-Side of "Bossa Nove Baby." Disk #2 also offers up the box set's title track "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" - a great duet with Ann-Margaret from the movie "Viva Las Vegas"...another song in the "why wasn't it released as a single" catagory. Lastly, "TTF" features the most thorough and candid assortment of liner notes I have ever read...interesting, honest, and insightful. I highly recommend this box set...it is a masterful collection of music offering something for eveyone."