The Next Step Is Love - Elvis Presley, Evans, Paul [horn]
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Elvis Presley, Donaggio, Pino
Patch It Up - Elvis Presley, Bourke, Rory Michae
I Really Don't Want to Know - Elvis Presley, Barnes, Howard
There Goes My Everything - Elvis Presley, Frazier, Dallas
Rags to Riches - Elvis Presley, Adler, Richard [Com
Where Did They Go, Lord - Elvis Presley, Frazier, Dallas
Life - Elvis Presley, Milete, Shirl
I'm Leavin' - Elvis Presley, Charles, Sonny
Heart of Rome - Elvis Presley, Blaikley, Alan
It's Only Love - Elvis Presley, James, Mark [1]
The Sound of Your Cry - Elvis Presley, Baum, Bernie
I Just Can't Help Believin' - Elvis Presley, Mann, Barry
How the Web Was Woven - Elvis Presley, Most, David
Until It's Time for You to Go - Elvis Presley, Sainte-Marie, Buffy
We Can Make the Morning - Elvis Presley, Ramsey, Jay
An American Trilogy - Elvis Presley, Newbury, Mickey
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Elvis Presley, MacColl, Ewan
Burning Love - Elvis Presley, Linde, Dennis
It's a Matter of Time - Elvis Presley, Westlake, Clive
Separate Ways - Elvis Presley, Mainegra, Richard
Track Listings (24) - Disc #2
Always on My Mind - Elvis Presley, Christopher, Johnny
Fool - Elvis Presley, Last, James
Steamroller Blues - Elvis Presley, Taylor, James [1]
Raised on Rock - Elvis Presley, James, Mark [1]
For Ol' Times Sake - Elvis Presley, White, Tony Joe
I've Got a Thing About You Baby - Elvis Presley, White, Tony Joe
Take Good Care of Her - Elvis Presley, Kent, Arthur
If You Talk in Your Sleep - Elvis Presley, Christopher, Johnny
Promised Land - Elvis Presley, Berry, Chuck
It's Midnight - Elvis Presley, Chesnut, Jerry
My Boy - Elvis Presley, Bourtayre, Jean-Pie
Loving Arms - Elvis Presley, Jans, Tom
T-R-O-U-B-L-E - Elvis Presley, Chesnut, Jerry
Mr. Songman - Elvis Presley, Summer, Donnie
Bringing It Back - Elvis Presley, Gordon, Greg [Count
Pieces of My Life - Elvis Presley, Seals, Troy
Green, Green Grass of Home - Elvis Presley, Putman, Curly
Thinking About You - Elvis Presley, Batty, Tim
Hurt - Elvis Presley, Crane, Jimmie
For the Heart - Elvis Presley, Linde, Dennis
Moody Blue - Elvis Presley, James, Mark [1]
She Thinks I Still Care - Elvis Presley, Lipscomb, Dickey Le
Way Down - Elvis Presley, Martine, Layng Jr.
Pledging My Love - Elvis Presley, Robey, Don
Track Listings (23) - Disc #3
Twenty Days and Twenty Nights - Elvis Presley, Weisman, Scott
I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago - Elvis Presley, Presley, Elvis
The Fool - Elvis Presley, Ford, Naomi
A Hundred Years from Now [Informal Recording][#] - Elvis Presley, Flatt, Lester
Little Cabin on the Hill - Elvis Presley, Flatt, Lester
Cindy, Cindy - Elvis Presley, Fuller, Dolores
Bridge over Troubled Water - Elvis Presley, Simon, Paul
Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off of It - Elvis Presley, Foster, Preston [2]
It's Your Baby, You Rock It - Elvis Presley, Fowler, Nora
Stranger in the Crowd - Elvis Presley, Scott, Winfield
Mary in the Morning - Elvis Presley, Cymbal, Johnny
It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing) - Elvis Presley, Hall, Shorty
Just Pretend - Elvis Presley, Fletcher, Guy [Keyb
Faded Love [Original Unedited Version][#] - Elvis Presley, Wills, Bob
Tomorrow Never Comes [Includes False Start][#] - Elvis Presley, Bond, Johnny
Make the World Go Away - Elvis Presley, Cochran, Hank
Funny How Time Slips Away - Elvis Presley, Nelson, Willie
I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water [Long Version][#] - Elvis Presley, Babcock, Joe
Snowbird - Elvis Presley, MacLellan, Gene
Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On - Elvis Presley, David, Sunny
Amazing Grace [Alternate Take 2][#] - Elvis Presley, Newton, John [Compo
(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me - Elvis Presley, Lightfoot, Gordon
Lady Madonna [Informal Recording][#] - Elvis Presley, Lennon, John
Track Listings (23) - Disc #4
Merry Christmas, Baby - Elvis Presley, Baxter, Lou
I Shall Be Released [Informal Recording][#] - Elvis Presley, Dylan, Bob
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right [Jam Edit][#] - Elvis Presley, Dylan, Bob
It's Still Here [Original Unedited Version Ending with Felton Jarvi] - Elvis Presley, Hunter, Ivory Joe
I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen [Original Undubbed Version] - Elvis Presley, Traditional
I Will Be True - Elvis Presley, Hunter, Ivory Joe
My Way [Master][#] - Elvis Presley, Anka, Paul
For the Good Times [Master][#] - Elvis Presley, Kristofferson, Kris
Just a Little Bit - Elvis Presley, Bass, Ralph
It's Diff'rent Now [Rehearsal][#] - Elvis Presley, Westlake, Clive
Are You Sincere - Elvis Presley, Walker, Wayne
I Got a Feelin' in My Body - Elvis Presley, Linde, Dennis
You Asked Me To - Elvis Presley, Jennings, Waylon
Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues - Elvis Presley, OKeefe, Danny
Talk About the Good Times - Elvis Presley, Reed, Jerry
Tiger Man [Jam][#] - Elvis Presley, Burns, Lewis
I Can Help - Elvis Presley, Swan, Billy
Susan When She Tried - Elvis Presley, Reid, Don S.
Shake a Hand - Elvis Presley, Morris, Joe [Drums
She Thinks I Still Care [Alternate Take 2B][#] - Elvis Presley, Lipscomb, Dickey Le
Danny Boy - Elvis Presley, Weatherly, Frederic
Love Coming Down - Elvis Presley, Chesnut, Jerry
He'll Have to Go - Elvis Presley, Allison, Audrey
Track Listings (27) - Disc #5
See See Rider [Live] - Elvis Presley, Traditional
Men With Broken Hearts [Short Poem][Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Williams, Hank [1]
Walk a Mile in My Shoes [Live] - Elvis Presley, South, Joe
Polk Salad Annie [Live] - Elvis Presley, White, Tony Joe
Let It Be Me (Je T'Appartiens) [Live] - Elvis Presley, Becaud, Gilbert
Proud Mary [Live] - Elvis Presley, Fogerty, John
Something [Master][Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Harrison, George [1
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' [Live] - Elvis Presley, Mann, Barry
Heartbreak Hotel [Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Axton, Mae Boren
I Was the One [Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Blair, Hal
One Night [Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Bartholomew, Dave
Never Been to Spain [Master][Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Axton, Hoyt
You Gave Me a Mountain [Master][Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Robbins, Marty
It's Impossible [Live] - Elvis Presley, Manzanero, Armando
A Big Hunk O' Love [Master][Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Schroeder, Aaron [1
It's Over [Master][Live][#] - Elvis Presley, Rodgers, Jimmie [2]
The Impossible Dream (The Quest) [Live] - Elvis Presley, Darion, Joe
Reconsider Baby [Live] - Elvis Presley, Fulson, Lowell
I'll Remember You [Live] - Elvis Presley, Lee, Kui
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry [Live] - Elvis Presley, Williams, Hank [1]
Suspicious Minds [Live] - Elvis Presley, James, Mark [1]
Unchained Melody [Live] - Elvis Presley, North, Alex
The Twelfth of Never [Rehearsal][#] - Elvis Presley, Livingston, Jay
Softly, As I Leave You [Rehearsal][#] - Elvis Presley, Calabrese, Giorgio
(Alla En) El Rancho Grande [Informal Rehearsal][#] - Elvis Presley, Del Moral
Froggie Went A-Courtin' [Informal Rehearsal][#] - Elvis Presley, Creatore, Luigi
Stranger in My Own Home Town [Informal Rehearsal][#] - Elvis Presley, Mayfield, Percy
Elvis Presley's music in the 1970s is often dismissed as the bombastic, half-hearted hack work of an overweight, pill-addicted, badly dressed has-been. In the liner notes to this five-CD set, Dave Marsh argues that Presley... more », in fact, created a more impressive body of work in the '70s than almost any other pop act. And the music on this massive anthology backs Marsh up. Stripping away all the garish live recordings and album filler, the package concentrates on a core of 120 songs--the A- and B-sides of every single Presley recorded in the '70s, 46 other studio tracks (including 13 previously unreleased performances), and 27 live tracks (including another 13 unreleased tracks)--that feature a still-magnificent singer collaborating with one of the funkiest bands of its time. This body of work certainly doesn't match Presley's breakthroughs in the '50s, nor does it equal the achievements of Al Green, Neil Young, and Van Morrison in the '70s, but it does stack up well against the work of Bob Dylan and the ex-Beatles in the same decade. Even in his laziest moments, Presley was a master of intonation and phrasing, delivering his rich baritone with a disarming naturalness. And when he caught a spark from his great T.C.B. Band (anchored by guitarist James Burton and drummer Ron Tutt), Presley could still out-sing anyone in American pop. You can hear it here on inspired versions of Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie," Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Working," Wayne Carson's "Always on My Mind," Chuck Berry's "Promised Land," Paul McCartney's "Lady Madonna," Percy Mayfield's "Stranger in My Own Hometown," Dennis Linde's "Burning Love," and Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." --Geoffrey Himes« less
Elvis Presley's music in the 1970s is often dismissed as the bombastic, half-hearted hack work of an overweight, pill-addicted, badly dressed has-been. In the liner notes to this five-CD set, Dave Marsh argues that Presley, in fact, created a more impressive body of work in the '70s than almost any other pop act. And the music on this massive anthology backs Marsh up. Stripping away all the garish live recordings and album filler, the package concentrates on a core of 120 songs--the A- and B-sides of every single Presley recorded in the '70s, 46 other studio tracks (including 13 previously unreleased performances), and 27 live tracks (including another 13 unreleased tracks)--that feature a still-magnificent singer collaborating with one of the funkiest bands of its time. This body of work certainly doesn't match Presley's breakthroughs in the '50s, nor does it equal the achievements of Al Green, Neil Young, and Van Morrison in the '70s, but it does stack up well against the work of Bob Dylan and the ex-Beatles in the same decade. Even in his laziest moments, Presley was a master of intonation and phrasing, delivering his rich baritone with a disarming naturalness. And when he caught a spark from his great T.C.B. Band (anchored by guitarist James Burton and drummer Ron Tutt), Presley could still out-sing anyone in American pop. You can hear it here on inspired versions of Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie," Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Working," Wayne Carson's "Always on My Mind," Chuck Berry's "Promised Land," Paul McCartney's "Lady Madonna," Percy Mayfield's "Stranger in My Own Hometown," Dennis Linde's "Burning Love," and Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." --Geoffrey Himes
David R. (bears06) from NEW HOLSTEIN, WI Reviewed on 6/4/2011...
I have been looking for this for some time, was worth the wait
David R. (bears06) from NEW HOLSTEIN, WI Reviewed on 6/4/2011...
I have been looking for this for some time, was worth the wait
CD Reviews
WALKIN' IN MEMPHIS
Crabby Apple Mick Lee | INDIANAPOLIS, IN USA | 04/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I was born Elvis Presley was just another fresh high school graduate driving a truck. So this whole "Elvis thing" passed me by. I do remember liking "Return To Sender" as a child in the early 1960's and I liked his movies in a goofy sort of way. But even watching his "comeback" special on NBC during its premiere broadcast in 1968, I still couldn't see what all the fuss was about. As the 1970's progressed reactions to Elvis generally fell into two groups: there were those who adored him and there were those who laughed at him. Images of an increasingly corpulent and sweating Elvis provided living evidence to those who believed Elvis ceased to matter long ago. As John Lennon remarked, as far as he was concerned Elvis died when he entered the army.
Indeed, there is one school of thought that holds that the true mother lode of Elvis' greatness is to be found on his early Sun recordings. Many hold to this stance so strongly that they view Elvis' signing to RCA as a commercial sellout that ruined his genius. They do not deny that Elvis had several great singles; but on balance they see him as a cheap, used up failure after 1956.
Needless to say, this is an extreme view that I believe is unfairly harsh. (Playing by the same rules, one could just as easily say that John Lennon "died" when he left the Beatles.) Still, with the advent of the British invasion in 1964 and the explosion of new musical directions, Elvis no longer set the tone of American music. Instead, much of the tone was set for him.
It is easy to think of several important singles Elvis released in the 1960's: "Stuck On You", "It's Now Or Never", "Can't Help Falling In Love", "Viva Las Vegas", "Guitar Man", "U.S. Male" and my personal favorite "Suspicious Minds". Yet with the single exception of "Burning Love", it is difficult to remember much of 1970's Elvis. One is more inclined to think that by this time Elvis had been reduced to Vegas appearances and concert shows in modest markets. Thus you are tempted to think a box set devoted to this period would be an exercise in over kill. But time changes everything.
It has been nearly thirty years since Presley's death and since that time a lot of dust has settled to where we can begin to get some perspective. I will never meet Elvis. I will never see him in concert. It is unlikely I will ever meet anyone who knew him personally. I am not interested in going to Memphis to visit Graceland. I will not stand among the faithful on the anniversary of his death to pass by his grave. But I have come to recognize what a breathtaking singer Elvis was. Elvis has been a presence throughout my life and I have just realized in the past few years the truth that was right in front of me.
And this is the delight of this box set. Even in his last years (when he died he was only 42!), Elvis' voice was still rich and strong. Contrary to popular perception, Elvis maintained an aggressive recording schedule throughout the 1970's up until the day of his death. Twenty-seven singles and twenty albums (minus various re-issues and greatest hits packages) were released.
As the liner notes makes clear, at this point Elvis had nothing to prove to anyone. He could do what he wanted, go where he wanted and sing whatever song he cared to sing. Thus the wide library of material found on these five discs. At once blues, then country, rock, pop, and then gospel. There is rarely a jarring note to jolt the listener away from the sense that Presley had succeeded in making all these different styles and songs his own. Presley had the gift to make you believe that each song came from a real place in his soul.
This gets to an interesting paradox about Elvis. Elvis was not a "confessional" singer of the kind popular in the 1970's. The songs of John Lennon or Joni Mitchell (just to name two) served as a kind of diary of their personal lives often times chronicling the comings and goings of real identifiable lovers. Parading the details of his personal life out on the open stage would have been unthinkable to Presley. Yet at the same time, who can listen to "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain" and "You Gave Me A Mountain" and not sense that Elvis was really singing about his divorce from Priscilla and the loss of his only daughter, Lisa Marie. Sure, the details may not match; but the emotion underneath does.
Elvis sang and when he sang he gave a small glimce of himself to whoever cared to listen. That he could unerringly somehow tap into that one place in his soul that it came out so beautiful will remain one of the mysteries for the ages. All of the his singles and their B-sides are collected here along with a generous selection of album and concert cuts-plus a number of unreleased tracks. As one who has been fairly immune to the "Elvis Cult" all his life, I have to say I was stunned at how much I enjoyed these CDs.
Elvis was a complex man and one can only wonder what he really made of all the adulation that came his way. It is tragic that there were no Betty Ford Centers for celebrities like Elvis in 1977. If there had been, maybe he would still be with us today. Unfortunately, it took the deaths of people of Elvis' magnitude for such centers to be established. The shame and sordidness of Presley's passing also obscured his real accomplishments and made him the subject of bad jokes and tabloid fodder for years. Perhaps it is only now his gift can be appreciated for what it was.
As this box set proves, Presley's voice was a joy.
"
A comprehensive, die-hard look at the King's last decade
MilesAndTrane | Chicago, Il USA | 02/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"By the 1970's, the psychedelia of the decade before had written Elvis out of pop culture, and he was now operating outside of rock 'n' roll instead of helping to shape it. Nonetheless, the King re-dedicated himself to his craft. Elvis was working hard, but no longer felt the need to prove his worth to a world that now looked past him; he just made music to please himself. There were the vices & forces that were both lifting him up and dragging him down (the Colonel, drugs, Priscilla, food, Vegas, money, the Memphis Mafia), and it was reflected in his music: sometimes his singing was inspired, and other times he sounded exhausted. RCA has managed to assemble his best accomplishments from that era for this box set. Throughout the dozens of songs here, he sounds relaxed yet in command. The uptempo songs are outweighed by the ballads, but Elvis seems comfortable and sounds natural at all times.Discs 1 & 2 contain all his singles and B-sides; this is where his most recognizable material appears ("Always On My Mind", "Burning Love"). Discs 3 & 4 collect "studio highlights" that display the King both in sharp focus at and mischevious play. Disc 5 is a concert disc where Elvis makes his already-familiar material sound fresh for the audience, even if he occasionally sounds a bit tired. His version of "Never Been To Spain" is a great concert highlight (I've enjoyed disc 5 more than other reviewers). What is most amazing is how easily Elvis navigates himself through so many styles. Song after song we hear him simmering down into varied grooves. Old-school blues with "Steamroller Blues", glossy rockabilly on "Promised Land", easy folk with "I'm Leavin'", slow-burning drama on "Make the World Go Away", and even some funk(!) with "If You Could Talk In Your Sleep." Who else can take a common country standard like "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" and turn it into his own soulful meditation on aging? "Moody Blue" could only be described as country-disco, and yet the song works! Even when adapting known classics (Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and two Beatles tunes), he gives the song the energy and respect it deserves.
Lastly, people seldom give Elvis credit for his ability and desire to serve as his own producer. Elvis tailored & arranged every song he recorded to his own liking (whereas Sinatra deferred to his conductors). An ironic element is that every song here has Elvis incorporating a heavy arrangement of drums, bass, piano/organ, rhythm & lead guitars, back-up vocals, strings and horns - and yet it never sounds crowded, garish or overdone (others may disagree, decide for yourself). Ultimately, this is a box set for die-hard fans who've purchased the 50's and 60's retrospectives and are craving for more. "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" is a strong argument that the King was - for better or worse - still kicking & screaming with music, even towards the very end."
Elvis Gets Deserved, Rewritten Final Act In "70s Masters"
Anthony G Pizza | FL | 04/05/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rock critic/author Dave Marsh built his essay accompanying this seminal, revisionist Elvis Presley box set around a pithy, powerful phrase, "Elvis sang." Doing so recalled the Bible verse, "Jesus wept," (John 11:35), describing Jesus' reaction to Lazarus' death before restoring His friend's life. Comparing the King of Kings to the "King of Rock and Roll" plays into hero-worship kitsch, tainting Presley's central role in American history and culture. But they are each compassionate, empathetic reactions, understatements prefacing extraordinary permanent action."Walk A Mile In My Shoes," compiles the many highlights from Presley's last seven years in studio and on stage, 110 tracks on five CDs. Its music and photo choices emphasize Elvis at his early-70s' strongest, musically and physically; no Elvis fan asked to commit to this set need see more "fat Elvis" photos or hear painful, half-forgotten live renditions from his last tours. Here is the rewritten final act Presley and his fans deserved.Elvis reunited generations' musical tastes as painstakingly and completely as he divided them his amazing first years. He reassembled American music's puzzle from jagged pieces of R&B (Sanford Clark's "The Fool," with its fat guitar intro, "Pledging My Love," "If You Talk In Your Sleep," Faye Adams' "Shake A Hand"), traditional blues ("Muddy Water," Got My Mojo Workin'"), C&W/countrypolitan ("For The Good Times," "Green Green Grass of Home," "He'll Have To Go") melodramatic folk and story songs ("Early Morning Rain," the still-astounding "American Trilogy" ), black and Southern gospel music (an assertive "Amazing Grace," a rousing "Talk About The Good Times") and even lounge lizard pop and semi-disco ("Rags To Riches," "It's Impossible," "Moody Blue"). Throughout the years and styles, Presley sang in front of the consistent, versatile, distinctive TCB band (featuring renowned guitarist, James Burton, and underrated bassist Jerry Scheff). Its tight sound, especially on hits like "Promised Land," and a scalding live "Polk Salad Annie," is made even more muscular by Dennis Ferrante's clear remastering, especially on the older live tracks.Yet within his music's refuge, Presley communicated the loneliness, isolation, and fear that removed him from his own life years before taking him from ours. It came through clearly in his two-sided 1972 hit "Always On My Mind/Separate Ways," but is present throughout cover songs like "It's Still Here," the heartbreaking "I'm Leavin'," 1975's melodramatic but still powerful hit, "My Boy," his live "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (tempered by a punch line about his jumpsuit) and, for that matter, every heartbroken ballad here. As his upbringing demanded and untimely death proved, Elvis Presley sang his sorrow more effectively than he could otherwise express it.While not as essential musically or historically as RCA's model box set "The Complete 50s Sessions," "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" is nothing if not reassuring. Its statistics, essay, and photos will not convert pop culture ghouls and cynics who've mocked or piggybacked the jump-suited figure on its cover. But those who enjoyed Elvis' music until the end of his life and beyond needed reminding that their affection wasn't just from force of habit or cult of personality. It was for the music, and they deserved the vindication this remarkable, highly recommended set provides."
Elvis fans, walk a mile in his shoes!!
Nicholas | Melbourne, Victoria Australia | 08/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This box set is a marvellous compilation of probably some of the best Elvis 70?s music recorded. I purchased this box set about 5 years ago, at that time it had just been released by RCA/BMG as part of a triple box set edition, (also released are the essential 50?s and 60?s masters).Contrary to the ill-informed critics who have persisted in discrediting and ridiculing Elvis? music and performances in the 1970?s, those of us who have loved and followed the king through it all have realised that his 70?s work was probably the most powerful and more thought provoking material than any of the previous teeny bopper era of the mid 50?s to late 60?s.This magnificent box set includes 5 CD?s with about 120 tracks, it covers most of Elvis early 70?s studio and live recordings from his Summer engagement at the Las Vagas Hilton; right through to the Moody Blue sessions (which incidentally were recorded in the ?jungle room? at Graceland due to Elvis ill health and/or refusal to record in the studio). This box set is a wonderful tribute to Elvis and his dynamic and awe-inspiring voice that despite his health and depressed state of mind, never let him down.Such is the amount and wonderful tracks recorded in the 70?s by Elvis that it would be out greatest wish to have seen more ?officially? released recordings of Elvis? live performances, (let us not forget Elvis gave about 1100 shows from 1969-1977!!). However I say, enjoy what we have, and what we have here is a collection of music that is truly remarkable and captures the true essence of only one man in the world who many owe a debt of gratitude can be thankful and truly label him the entertainer of the century!!Thank you very much!"
A MUST HAVE BOXED SET
David Brown | 05/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have thought about purchasing this set for quite some time, and finally decided to do so (Along with the 60s collection). Much of the "King's" best material was done in the 70's (An "American Trilogy, "Danny Boy", and his live version of "The Impossible Dream" to name a few), so it is worth the money spent. The reality is as time goes by (Elvis has been dead for almost 30 years now), he becomes more important then ever before. As music increasingly goes downhill (Rap, dance music, music for teengers (Backstreet Boys, Brittney Spears etc), techo and house music, and of course, hate filled stuff like Marilyn Manson to name a few examples), you go back to the masters for quality: It does not matter if you are talking about Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Patsy Cline, George Strait, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, or of course Elvis, the principle is the same: If you want music that has quality lyrics, that can be entertaining and intelligent, and with people actually playing musical instruments (Instead of using computers), this is where to go.
What I would recommend getting is all three boxed sets (The 50's set as well), his 68 Comeback Special, his 2nd To None (For "If I Can Dream" (My favorite Elvis Song)), and his Hollywood Hits (FOR "Follow That Dream'" and "Kissin' Cousins"), and you will have all the Elvis you will need to last a lifetime."