Command Performances: The Essential 60's Masters II [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Elvis Presley

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 18, 1995)
• Original Release Date: July 18, 1995
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Bmg / Elvis
• ASIN: B000002WTJ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #102,517 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In the '60s Elvis made 27 movies, many interchangeable, but each had a built-in excuse for him to release a soundtrack. Individually they fail to advance the legend, but when the best of each is collected in one place, as here, the results are very rewarding. This two-CD set has 62 tracks, which makes it, for lack of a better word, essential. Much of it sounds fairly na(ve now, but that's only part of the inherent charm. The personality that Presley infuses into each track is incredible, and gives the listener an idea of why he earned the nickname "The King." --Scott Wilson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the sixties movie songs, December 8, 2002

By	Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The movie songs that Elvis recorded varied in quality, but there were so many of them that even this 62 track collection leaves out a few that are worth hearing. Each of his sixties movies is represented by at least one song, but the ones with the best soundtracks are represented by several songs.

Among the classics here are Wooden heart, Wild in the country, Blue Hawaii, Rock-a-hula baby, Can't help falling in love, Girls! girls! girls! and Return to sender - all from the early sixties. After that, there are still many fine, but less well-known songs. My favorites from the second CD include Puppet on a string (not the song that Sandie Shaw won Eurovision with, but a very different song) and Frankie and Johnny (a song which exists in many variations).

There is another song here that I didn't particularly notice until a remix of it gained Elvis another international smash hit - A little less conversation - here in it's original form.

While this is not the place to begin an Elvis collection with (unless you're a movie fan), it is the best collection you're ever likely to find of his movie songs, containing all the essentials and the best of the rest.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you have the 60's Box Set, you need this too, September 11, 2006

By	A Fan (VA) - See all my reviews

If you have the "From Nashville To Memphis: The Essential 60's Masters" Box Set, you need to go ahead and purchase this 2 CD set to round out your collection. The "From Nashville To Memphis" box set did not include any of the songs from his 1960's movies. This collection was issued to complement that one by providing an excellent overview of his 1960's movies recordings. While it is no secret that Elvis was not always provided with the best material for his movie soundtracks, he always performed even the lamest songs very well. This collection contains the classics "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "Return To Sender", several other hits (Flaming Star, Wild In The Country, Lonely Man, King Of The Whole Wide World, Bossa Nova Baby, One Broken Heart For Sale, Viva Las Vegas, What'd I Say, Puppet On A String, and Clean Up Your Own Back Yard), songs that should have been hits (G.I. Blues, Shoppin' Around, Doin' The Best I Can, Blue Hawaii, and Change Of Habit), and of course several songs that helped create a negative stereotype of Elvis that probably made him wince when he sang them (no need to mention them - you know which ones they are). This collection also has an alternate take of "Follow That Dream" not available on any other CD. If you are a hardcore Elvis fan or really like his movies, you should have this 2CD set. If you are a casual fan, you should probably save yourself a few dollars by purchasing the single CD "Elvis Movies" collection.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5+ stars for disc one but less for disc two, December 18, 2002

By	Joseph A Jones (Verona, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

Ok, so you have all 3 box sets, the 50s, 60s, and 70s and now you want some of Elvis' movie recordings. Well, disc one is a great CD which features 31 of the best of his movie recordings from 1960 to 1964. It has all the huge hits such as "Can't Help Falling In Love", "Return To Sender", "Bossa Nova Baby", "Viva Las Vegas" as well as lesser known gems such as "Flaming Star", "Hawaiian Wedding Song", "Follow That Dream" (why the alternate take?), "King Of The Whole Wide World" as well as many others. Disc 2 however is a bit of a letdown. Yes, Elvis didn't stop making movies after 1964 but the quality of his songs that were featured in the movies were on the decline rapidly. The highlights on this disc are "Little Egypt", "Paradise Hawaiian Style", "Let Yourself Go", "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard", and the original "A Little Less Conversation". Sure, those are better than average songs but other tunes like "Harem Holiday" and "Poison Ivy League" to name a few, we could have done without.

If you're a strict Elvis completist, this 2 CD set may not be enough for you. You'd probably want the individual soundtracks along with the "Double Features" series, if they can still be had. On the other hand, if you only want a small sampling of maybe 1 disc of Elvis' movie music, the "Can't Help Falling In Love: Hollywood Hits", which focuses on his earlier movie music, may suit you better. For those of you who want more than a sample but dont want to spend tons of cash on mostly average tunes, this is the set for you, a perfect mix of the big hits and lesser known gems (a healthy 62 in all) in a reasonably priced 2 CD package.