Customer Reviews

Almost in Love

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was originally released as a budget album back in the 70s. I bought my first copy on cassette for $3.99. I always enjoyed the album. First, I admit, part of this is nostalgic for me. But it's also a strong release. The title track is a strong song that was in the film Live a Little, Love a Little. Long Legged Girl is a rocking number from Easy Come, Easy Go. Edge of Reality is from Live a Little, Love a Little and it's probably the most unique Elvis song ever recorded. And a good one at that. My Little Friend was the B side song on the single release of Suspicious Minds. It's a subtle yet endearing song. I have always enjoyed listening to it. The next two songs have been remixed over the last few years - Little Less Conversation and Rubberneckin'. Rubberneckin' was recorded in the same studio sessions that gave us Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain, and In the Ghetto (which Taylor Hicks did a good job on recently on Idol). Rubberneckin' was later used for Change of Habit. Although the remix of Little Less Conversation didn't us this particular version of Little Less Conversation (it used a 1968 Comeback Special version), this version is excellent. Both songs, and the whole album, proved that Elvis still had it, even when recording movie songs. U.S. Male is a great little song that was released as a single in 1967 and it the first shot in the Elvis "comeback" battle that eventually culminated in the NBC special and the 1969 Memphis recordings. Charro was the theme song of the movie of the the same name. It's another great song done in a western / cowboy feel of it's day. Elvis made Clint Eastwood proud with this one. The closing song, Stay Away Joe, is the romping title song from the movie of the same name. Some releases of this album had a version of a song "Stay Away" which was used at the begining of the film but this was apparently an error back in the day.

In short, this is a very enjoyable album. It's held up over the years as one of my favorites. I'm glad to add it to my collection. I'm sure other Elvis fans will do the same thing.

"Almost In Love" was a great Elvis LP to have when it was first released in 1970. At the time, most of these songs had only been released as singles, except for the track "Long Legged Girl", which was originally from the "Double Trouble" soundtrack. The sticker on the front of this CD claims that it was remastered...however, the guitar intro on "Almost In Love" is still shortened, just like it was on the original LP. Why wasn't the unedited master used here instead? However, we do get one change here that was an improvement. The song "Stay Away", which was only in mono on the original LP, is the stereo version from the "Double Features" series. Also, the reviewer named Lon above got it backwards. The original version of the LP included "Stay Away, Joe", and was later replaced with "Stay Away" in later pressings...not the other way around. When I first purchased this CD, it did list the song as "Stay Away, Joe" on the cover and the disc, but this was soon corrected in later pressings as well. The CD now has the song listed correctly as "Stay Away". A great Elvis compilation, and well worth purchasing because of the low price.

This album was originally released in 1970. It was one in a series of low budget releases which included songs that had been recorded earlier for use in his movies or released as singles, but had not been included on an album. This is one of the best in the series and was certified Platinum by the RIAA!

While the title song sounds dated, the rest of the CD is very good! It has two top 40 hits ("U.S. Male" peaked at 28 in 1968 and the underappreciated "Clean up Your Own Backyard" hit 35 in 1969) and several other songs that were minor hits ("Long Legged Girl" 63, "Stay Away" 67, "A Little Less Conversation" 69, and "Almost in Love" 95). It has the original versions of "A Little Less Conversation" and "Rubberneckin'" which were remixed and became international hits just a few years ago. And this CD contains "Stay Away" not "Stay Away Joe".

This is an excellent collection for a budget price!

I remember buying this album on vinyl back in 1970. It's always been one of my favorite Camden albums. The songs may not all be exciting (depending on personal taste), but they're all more than listenable and well sung.

Yes, there is a printing error listing Stay Away, Joe instead of Stay Away. I should think that would make this cd even more collectable.

This cd brings back a lot of fond memories.

...and everyone thought I was nuts because they had never heard any of the songs. A couple of decades later, "A Little Less Conversation" and "Rubberneckin" finally got their due in the form of remixes. I still prefer the original versions found on this collection, though. By the way, Paul, the track listing here on Amazon is incorrect. "Stay Away" was on the original release, too. "Stay Away, Joe" is on the soon-to-be-released "Let's Be Friends", also from the Camden catalog.

Given the magnitude of Elvis' "comeback" between 1968 and 1970, it is sometimes easy to forget that the King recorded a lot of songs that really weren't big hits or which served as musical backdrop for his final movies and, because of the usually poor quality of the movies, frequently remained obscure. That's where the compilation album ALMOST IN LOVE, released in late 1970, comes in.

Although like a lot of compilation/greatest hits things it is a hodge-podge, ALMOST IN LOVE nevertheless shows Elvis as a consumate vocalist as always. Three of the songs ("Almost In Love"; the rocking "A Little Less Conversation"; "Edge Of Reality") come from the 1968 film LIVE A LITTLE, LOVE A LITTLE and, thanks in no small part to Elvis' professionalism, are far superior to the film they had been attached to. "U.S. Male", a Jerry Reed-penned C&W/blues number that was a Top 30 hit for the King in the early spring of 1968, saw Elvis making his way back towards his roots and the eventual NBC comeback special. And "Charro", a Mac Davis-penned number, served as the title song to Elvis' 1969 western, one of the better B-movies in the King's short-circuited film career.

For me, the two great tracks here are "Clean Up Your Own Backyard", a downhome kind of riposte to moral hypocrites that shockingly only registered a #35 showing on the Billboard Hot 100 in the late summer of 1969; and the sometimes kitschy but nevertheless funky "Rubberneckin'", one of the songs from Elvis' Memphis sessions that charted at #69 in January 1970 as the B-side of "Don't Cry Daddy" (itself a much bigger hit, at #6).

While this stands in the shadow of the King's 1968 Comeback Special and the 1969 Memphis sessions, ALMOST IN LOVE nevertheless is proof that some of the King's best stuff from that period consisted of rarities that needed to be heard. These songs just add to the enormous legacy of the Man.

I surmise that the powers-that-be did not expect this album to sell in huge quantities, but it did, and for good reason: it was very well-programmed, and engineered - dig the "dry echo" on Rubberneckin' and Clean Up Your Own Backyard. (Interestingly enough, songs which "came back" in modern times as hit singles - "Clean Up..." with a remade vocal.)
Strange thing is, the title tune is really the least appealing, a curious downbeat lounger, which of course Elvis saves from oblivion.
Long Legged Girl... is real rock and roll, apparently taken originally from the superior 45rpm mix, and re-mastered - wow, check out what sounds like a cookin' band in back of Elvis. (Still, most likely not what the Big El recommended, but compared to that miserable l.p. pressing from the '60s, it's a gas).
Here I got a chance to re-consider [baby] Charro. I always felt that Presley could have injected more life force into the deal, more chest tone, but it remains a strong B-side to this day.
Now I gotta look for the re-mastered Let's Be Friends!

Great nostalgic Cd, along with Flaming Star. Only problem is the last track is titled Stay Away, Joe, but we get Stay Away instead, which is a totally different song, albeit from the same movie. Apart from that not bad for a seven bucks cd

DID BMG/RCA DO THIS ON PURPOSE AS A NOD TO THE PAST?

I have two versions of this CD - on has "STAY AWAY" listed on back insert artwork and on the label. it plays STAY AWAY

the other verions has "STAY AWAY JOE" listed on back insert artwork and on the label. it plays STAY AWAY anyway! (check the song listing on the product listing. the same flaw!)

Funny thing is that this happened also in 1970 (original release with STAY AWAY JOE, which was also on LET'S BE FRIENDS) and 1973 reissue (with STAY AWAY) with the vinyl editions!

just wondering. but the cd with STAY AWAY JOE seems to be harder to find ... CHECK CUSTOMER IMAGES! THERE IS A SCAN OF BOTH BACKINGS TO PROVE IT!

I had this album as a child and listened to it over and over. As an adult, I have listened to this cd over and over too. It's a really great mix of songs and Elvis is top notch. One of my favorites on this cd is "Rubberneckin'". It always makes me laugh. True Elvis fans will definitely like this cd.