The Best Of The ’68 Comeback Special

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Elvis Presley had seemingly lived several lifetimes in the period between his initial explosive success in the mid-1950, and the taping of his NBC special <i>Elvis</i> in 1968. During that time, Presley had spent years in the Hollywood desert, diminishing his status as a hitmaker as he focused on soundtrack music that was typically less dynamic and innovative than the songs that had made him famou. There’s little of that soundstage polish on the soundtrack for <i>Elvis</i>, which was seen by many as a comeback effort. The performances captured here find Presley wailing and growling with some of the same fervor and impulse he’d brought years earlier to his earth-shattering Sun Records cut. And <i>Elvis</i> is a testament to the singer’s wide-ranging talent, as it finds him performing not only with a full orchestra, but also in a series of stripped-down set-up, complete with dialogue and crowd noise. It’s a richly realized and deeply personal portrait of a singer who so often came off as larger than life. .

via Apple Music

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