Discs three and four concentrate on his studio work or studio highlights as it is listed in the credits. There are a number of so called unreleased tracks. This may be technically true but in reality they are mostly informal recordings and alternate takes of previously released material. When you remove the studio tracks that were issued as singles you are left with some good and some not so good material. Elvis gives a spectacular performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” but his “Mary In The Morning” is just the opposite as it is gentle and poignant in its presentation. “I Washed My Hands In The Muddy Water” finds Elvis traveling in a blues direction. “Amazing Grace” is an example that Elvis would rarely give a poor or even average performance of a gospel song. All in all these are discs that you need to pick and choose as to what appeals to you.
The fifth disc gathers live tracks from his concert performances and is the spottiest of the lot. His live material in the 70s would vary greatly in quality. Again the unreleased tracks are really not rare and actually detract from the overall quality of the disc. “Polk Salad Annie,” “Walk A Mile In My Shoes,” “You Gave Me A Mountain,” and “Suspicious Minds” demonstrate that he could still rise to the occasion when motivated.
Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70’s Masters is about 70% very good and 30% less so which probably is representative of his output during the decade. While the material contained here has been released a number of times, it is nice to find it one collection. It is a worthwhile set for the serious Elvis collector and for anyone who would like to add some good music to their collection.
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.