Elvis Now And Then

Turned out I was wrong. The next release from FTD isn't going to be Promised Land or Jailhouse Rock Vol. 2. Nope, the next one to get the classic album treatment is Elvis Now. I think my brother sums it up well on ElvisNews.com:

Elvis Now looks OK, although I had hoped for a "fake" 1971 album with all 1971 pop songs. (Standing Room Only was a good way to collect all new tracks from 1972, although it was an album that never came out). It's strange that Don't Think Twice is here, but not the "Elvis at the piano" selections from the same "Elvis (Fool)" album. I also miss the duet version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, released on the Rough Cut Diamonds bootleg in the mid 80's. And I would have preferred the religious song as bonus songs on a He Touched Me FTD CD ... Anyhow, I will definitely buy it.

I couldn't help smiling when I noticed that the press release called the original album "great" while Ernst Jorgensen in his Recording Sessions book wrote: "Elvis Now must definitely rank as one of the most misleading titles ever to grace an Elvis album cover ... the album overall represented another major step backward."

One thing is for sure, though. Elvis Now would've been a stronger album had it included "I'm Leavin'," "It's Only Love" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and omitted "Hey Jude."

Speaking of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," I too miss the duet version, and find it hard to believe that the reason for its omission might be a legal one. On the other hand, I suspect the budget FTD has to play with isn't that big, so maybe it's the real answer after all.