Search - Elvis Presley :: From Elvis Boulevard Memphis Tennessee

...and now the end is near

Kevin Hoffman | St. Clairsville, OH | 04/13/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album was recorded just a year and a half before Elvis died, and is his last full studio album. It's very easy to dismiss this album as dull, plodding, and depressing, and in fact that's what I did for many years. But probably more than any album of his career, Elvis bares his soul for all too see. Elvis would often claim his recordings were not an indication of his feelings or emotional state, but there is no way to dismiss the fact that these songs reflected Elvis' general state of mind by early 1976. He was hopelessly addicted to drugs, very overweight, and depressed about the years behind him. Listening to this album is like listening to a lost man trying to find his way back home, and unfortunately Elvis never did. It would be hard to convince a youngster today that this was the same man who brought rock and roll music to the masses, but if a person's art is judged by his ability to convey his innermost feelings and to force his audiance to do the same, then this album succedes very well.



Rolling Stone magazine rated the album opener "Hurt" as one of the best singles of all time, and is probably the best recording of Elvis' twilight years. Nothing else here quite matches that powerhouse, but songs like "Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall," "Love Coming Down," and "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" depict a genuine air of desperation. Even the album's sole rocker, "For The Heart," signals impending doom with lines like "I can play but I just can't win." and "I can roll but I just can't rock."



If you listen to these songs with an open mind, you come to realize Elvis was a man who lived the American dream, and saw that dream turn into a nightmare. But as one author noted, it was as though Elvis was telling us "Despite everything I've been through, I'm still here.""

Elvis at his personal worst and musically at his best

Dave Kaufmann | 07/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this CD. Elvis's pain drips through the speakers as you listen to it. You cant help but feel the pain and heartache this man was going through. Every song ooozes with depression, regret, heartache and sorrow.I personally feel that the best rock star is the emotionally messed up one. With that being said the CD is not without its faults. "The last farewell" is the weakest tune on the album and should have been scrapped. I wish he would have done a studio version of "You can have her" by Waylon Jennings and he would have had a great concept album and considered it a kiss off to Priscilla.If he could have just gotten over her and on with his life he might not have died at the age of 42 of a broken heart.

My personal favorite songs are "Hurt" "I will never fall in love again" "Danny Boy" "Solitaire" and "Bitter they are, harder they fall"."