Nashville Marathon, The

構成数 : 1
合計収録時間 : 01:07:58
Personnel: Elvis Presley (guitar); Chip Young, James Burton (guitar); Charlie McCoy (harmonica, organ); David Briggs (piano); Jerry Carrigan (drums). Audio Mixer: Dennis Ferrante. Recording information: RCA Nashville, Studio B, Nashvile, TN (06/04/1970-06/08/1970). With his career back on track thanks to his 1968 Comeback television special, his legendary 1969 Memphis studio recordings, and his return to live performances, Elvis was on top of the world when he went back into a Nashville recording studio in June 1970. Though not as legendary as his 1969 recording sessions, Elvis sounded revitalized, energetic, and dedicated to each and every performance. This collection of un-dubbed outtakes and alternate versions of songs from those sessions is stunning and features Elvis at his best, mistakes and all. Although not as raw and primitive as the Memphis recordings, many of the officially released songs from these sessions are still considered some of Elvis' best. "I've Lost You," "The Next Step Is Love," "It's Your Baby, You Rock It," "Rags to Riches," "How the Web Was Woven," and "A Hundred Years From Now" are some of the tracks from these sessions, and are fascinating to hear in earlier takes. Elvis' heart and soul inhabit every song, and his voice is warm and sincere, wrapping itself around each and every word. The alternate take of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" will bring tears to your eyes. Even lesser material like "I'll Never Know," "Life," and "Heart of Rome" is greatly improved by Elvis' heartfelt performance. Though they aren't remembered as Elvis standards, his interpretations of "Love Letters," "Tomorrow Never Comes," and "Snowbird" become his own, and he molds them into instant Presley classics. Unfortunately, this was perhaps the last time Elvis would sound this great in the studio, as the constant touring and pill-popping took its toll more and more as the years went by. It was also the last time he was given consistent, strong material to work with, as his manager Col. Tom Parker would soon have control over publishing royalties, diminishing the amount of good material presented to Elvis. It's ironic that the one man who "created" the myth of Elvis is also the one who eventually destroyed it. ~ Steve Schnee