The Elvis Presley of the mid 1970s bore little resemblance to the lean rock icon of the 1950s and early 1960s. As the seventies progressed and his addictions and weight spiraled upward, he would increasingly put less effort into his recordings and live performances. By the time of his death in 1977, in many ways, he had become a caricature of himself. Despite all this, his voice remained strong and thus there are some gems to by culled from his 70’s music.
Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70’s Masters is a huge 5 disc, 120 track box set that followed on the heels of similar sets that covered his 50’s and 60’s material. The production is first rate as the sound is crystal clear. The 90 page booklet of photo’s, biographical material, and notes about the included songs is essential to any Elvis collection. There is even a sheet of stamps, each of which portrays one of his 70’s album covers.
The first two discs form the heart of the set. They contain the A and B sides of every single released between January 1970 and August of 1977. While his album releases would contain highs and lows, his singles would be consistently excellent. Building ballads such as “The Wonder Of You” and “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” find Elvis in fine vocal form. “Burning Love,” “Raised On Rock,” “Steamroller Blues,” and “Way Down” prove that Elvis could still rock. “An American Trilogy” shows that he could still successfully interpret songs that he cared about. “She Thinks I Still Care,” “If You Talk In Your Sleep,” and “For The Heart” are pure pop. “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “Mr. Songman,” and “Fool” and lost classics. Most of the songs gathered here would climb the Billboard charts and become an important part of the Elvis legacy.
Article comments
1 - Maurice Colgan
Thanks David.
Yes. A very nice summing up Elvis Presley's later offerings. There are indeed some great performances to be found in amongst the late recordings. Discerning listeners will not be disappointed.
"Bridge Over Troubled Waters" is extra special in my book!
2 - Maria Garza
This box set is my personal favorite of all my Elvis recordings. I believe Elvis truly sang the songs he really wanted to, finally escaping the influence of Colonel Tom Parker. The listener can really feel his passion in singing these songs.