Customer Reviews

Honeymoon In Vegas: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a big Elvis fan, but I love this album! It's fun to hear how various modern artists interpret some of Elvis's classic hits; the results aren't necessarily better, but they are enjoyable in a different way, especially when sung by a woman [eg, Trisha Yearwood's "(You're the) Devil in Disguise."] Billy Joel has two songs on the album, and he does a particularly good job with "All Shook Up." I also like Dwight Yoakam's "Suspicious Minds" and "Jail House Rock" by John Mellencamp. I thought that Bono's "Can't Help Falling in Love" was less successful (I actually prefer the soulful Corey Hart version), but that's just my opinion. Overall, this is an excellent album that is likely to be enjoyed by a wide range of music fans and age groups, making it great for parties.

This is an excellent CD. I love the Travis Tritt and Billy Joel songs especially. I agree with the other reviews about Viva Las Vegas, though. Another question I have is what happened to the original version of this Soundtrack? I bought a cassette version (long since disappeared) back when it was new, and it had the Viva Las Vegas and some other different things. I would have at least appreciated a mention of that somewhere in the official description.

This album has the energy and degree of performance that even the "King" would be proud of. Ricky Van Shelton and Travis Tritt will make a country lover out of even the most stubborn critic with their "make it my own" versions of two of Elvis' most popular hits. Billy Joel offers a surprising rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes". His natural style is remarkably similar to that of the original artist, yet manages to keep it his own in performance and form. Bryan Ferry, who by the way, can take any song, sing it backwards and make it hit number 1 on the charts, added a flavor and temperment to the album which brought it up to the ranks of a soon to be classic. But, without question, the big, fat, give me more, runaway cut on the album is without a doubt offered by Dwight Yoakam. His version of "Suspisious Minds" will blow your ever-lovin' head off. What else can I say. Dwight has always brought forward consistant, quality albums and yet has not had the recognition which is eternally overdue. My advise is to get this album, push back the couch and get ready to dance and sing until the police come and take you away. Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has entered the building.

I haven't even bought the cd yet and I don't think I'll be going to now that I know Springsteen's rendition of "Viva Las Vegas" is not on the album. This is the best song in the movie and is the one that gets the movie rolling. Sure there are other great songs, but "Viva Las Vegas" was the main reason I wanted to purchase the cd. That's too bad.

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS was a fun movie, and the soundtrack album is equally enjoyable. Unspoiled by incidental film music or dialog snippets, this Elvis Presley tribute collection by some of the best modern country and rock artists holds up well 15 years later. A must-have for all fans of The King.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 39:51

Hearing Fools Rush In by Bono was one of the most thrilling moments for me. My husband and I used this song for our 'first dance' - it is truly beautiful. It's the perfect song for anything, but especially for that first dance!

After listening to Bryan Ferry sing "Are You Lonesome Tonight" you may NOT EVER want to hear anybody else cover that song!! The sax is profound and sensuous. This song alone is worth the entire CD.

The other best one is Billy Joel "All Shook Up" The intro just makes you want to clap and tap to the sound. The tune is true to the original Elvis song. "Burning Love" is excellent and what can I say about Bono who has covered in his live concerts, the soothing ballad, "Can't Help Falling in Love".

The entire CD is wonderful listening!....MzRizz

This soundtrack features contemporary artists covering Elvis Presley songs. As with any tribute album, the quality varies from track to track. Most of the tracks here are good. My favorite is "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Bono. Bono gives a soulful performance, backed by the voice of Elvis giving a press conference right before he went overseas with the army. This song always chokes me up, it's like Bono is singing about his love for Elvis. "Suspicious Minds" by Dwight Yoakam is also a great song. Most of the songs are good, with two exceptions. Amy Grant has a good voice, but the arrangement of "Love Me Tender" is too "adult contemporary" for my taste. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Bryan Ferry is awful. I don't like his voice or the arrangement of the song. If you saw this movie and liked the songs in it, you will probably enjoy this soundtrack. By the way, I know that some people were disappointed that Bruce Springsteen's version of "Viva Las Vegas" was not included on the soundtrack. Well, that song was featured on a British Elvis tribute album called The Last Temptation of Elvis. I have a copy of it, but it's out of print now, so good luck finding it.

Great renditions of Elvis Presley classics by modern all-stars, had to buy a second copy since I wore out the first CD.

As with most albums of this nature (basically a "tribute" album, even though it's a soundtrack), there are winners and losers. What you like or don't like will probably depend on whether or not you like the artist covering the song. I like most of the artists here, with a couple of exceptions. Also, with albums such as this, the cover versions are rarely as good as the originals. That, too, is true of 'Honeymoon In Vegas.'

Unfortunately, the one song that comes close to the original (keeping in mind that several of these, as done by Elvis, were actually covers of songs he liked) is not on the soundtrack album. That would be "Viva Las Vegas" by Bruce Springsteen, famous New Jersey rocker and longtime Elvis fan. Springsteen was smart to avoid a carbon copy of the original, a great Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman composition. He gives the pop song, which was quite original in Elvis's hands and one of his most underrated movie tunes, a very loose, rockin' treatment - almost a roadhouse feel. Springsteen sings the song as a lovable loser, busted and heading back to Bakersfield. (Singer/Songwriter Freedy Johnston portrays a similar character in "The Lucky One" on his great 1992 album 'Can You Fly') I don't think Springsteen's version of "Viva Las Vegas" is available on any of his official releases, but find it if you can. It is on a very hard-to-find import charity CD titled 'The Last Temptation of Elvis' which, as an Elvis tribute album, I enjoy more than 'Honeymoon In Vegas.' I would also recommend another related, hard-to-find import titled 'Elvis Chante (Sings) Pomus & Shuman.' It includes Elvis's version of "Viva Las Vegas" as well as the songwriter's demo.