Blogcritics Author: David Bowling

Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis (The Fool Album) and Raised On Rock/For Ol' Times Sake

David Bowling — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:51:05 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 27.
1973 found Elvis Presley popular again. His television special, Aloha From Hawaii, had been seen by over a billion people. The subsequent soundtrack album had sold five million copies in the United States alone and reached number one on the pop and country charts. Col. Parker kept Elvis on the road where he played to sold out concert halls. RCA...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - Aloha From Hawaii

David Bowling — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:49:37 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 26.
Elvis Presley performed before a worldwide television audience of over one billion people on January 14, 1973. The soundtrack from this performance, Aloha From Hawaii, was released on February 4, 1973. It reached number one on both the pop and country charts selling close to five million copies in the United States alone, and almost twelve million...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - He Touched Me

David Bowling — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:55:46 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 25.
Elvis returned in early April 1972 with his third and last gospel album release. While He Touched Me sold slowly; it would continue to sell and eventually pass one million units sold. The album would also be a critical success, as it would win Elvis his second Grammy Award. He Touched Me continued Elvis’ passion for gospel music. His...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden

David Bowling — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:31:04 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 24.
Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden was issued in June of 1972. While this album only reached Number 11 on the Billboard charts, it would go on to sell more than 3 million copies. This album was also a recording of a complete concert rather than a pieced together affair. That fact gives the listener an accurate feel of an actual 1970’s...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas

David Bowling — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:00:57 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 23.
Elvis Presley released his second Christmas album on October 20, 1971. Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas was an album that sold well over a long period of time and would eventually pass 3 million copies sold. While it topped the Billboard holiday charts; from 1963-1973 Christmas albums were not allowed on the pop charts. It is safe to...

Music Review: David Bromberg - Live New York City 1982

David Bowling — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:23:23 EDT

David Bromberg returns with an excellent album of acoustic American music.
David Bromberg has had a long and storied musical career. He performed at the historic Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 and released a series of respected rock-blues albums for the Columbia label during that decade. He gradually began to explore the country and bluegrass idioms as time passed and began playing the violin himself. He retired from the...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old)

David Bowling — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:16:08 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 22
Elvis returned to the studio in mid June of 1970 and cut 35 tracks. By this time he was literally recording live in the studio with a minimum of backing. Members of his band and assorted support singers would add their tracks after the fact. Elvis and his producer, Felton Jarvis, realized they had a large number of straight country songs on tape...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - That's The Way It Is

David Bowling — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:10:58 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 21.
Elvis Presley returned in November of 1970 with another superb album release. That’s The Way It Is was a somewhat mislabeled title as it purported to be the soundtrack from the documentary of the same name. This album only contained four live tracks while the other eight were from the studio. Why RCA did not issue the live performances from...

Music Review: Robin Trower - Day Of The Eagle: The Best Of Robin Trower

David Bowling — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:24:53 EDT

Legendary guitarist Robin Trower returns with 17 gems mined from his 35-year career.
Robin Trower has been producing accessible and mostly melodic hard rock for more than 30 years. He served a five-year stint as the lead guitarist of Procol Harum from 1967-1972 before embarking on his solo career. I was not a big fan of Procol Harum during that time period but became so after Trower left. Oddly I also became a fan of Trower’s...

Music Review: Elvis Presley - On Stage: February 1970

David Bowling — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:08:45 EDT

Essential Elvis: Chapter 20.
Elvis Presley began the 1970’s with the release of his second live album. This was good news and bad news. The good news was On Stage: February 1970 was an energetic release of songs that were new to his catalogue at that time. Elvis did not recycle older material but took some chances and attacked the song choices with passion. The bad news...