The Smiley Smile Message Board

Seen on the FECC-messageboard, it looks like "Elvis - The man and the music" reported that a Legacy-edition of "Today", Elvis' 1975 album during which sessions Brian Wilson stormed into the studio to play Elvis some tracks, will be released:


"The next RCA/Legacy release will be 'Elvis Today', featuring the original 1975 album plus undubbed session mixes of its ten tracks. It'll be paired with the 'composite' concert pieced together from recordings made on tour in May and June 1975 and first issued as part of the Elvis Aron Presley 8xLP box-set".



(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/Today.jpg)



The album features some standout tracks like Presley's version of "Green, green grass of home" and Don McClean's "And I love you so".

I will enjoy this one.

I tend to think this is one of his weakest efforts. Pretty drab and boy do I love Elvis. Several notches down from Promised Land.

I actually just listened to the album this morning while cleaning house. I agree that it is one of E's weaker albums, but it's enjoyable, nonetheless.

I'm a big fan of the "Promised Land"-album, Outtasight!


It's certainly not his best. It has some very cool moments though. T.R.O.U.B.L.E. was originally written with Jerry Lee Lewis in mind but he never recorded it. It is the only recording on this album that has Duke Bardwell on bass, though he played all the sessions. Elvis didn't like his playing and had Bardwell's parts overdubbed. The single was released before another bass part could be recorded though. Jerry Scheff re-joined in '75.
The lead single was played regularly by Presley in his shows. "And I love you so" also became a regular feature as well as "Fairytale". Unfortunately he settled on a key too high for the studio recording.

1975 started very promising after Elvis was in hospital for a detox. He played some very strong shows with diverse setlists. One of my favorite shows is available on bootleg as "Back with a bang", recorded in March '75. His weight had gained so he had to wear two-piece outfits like this one:

(http://www.elvisinfonet.com/image-files/Todayaction1X.jpg)

When he had slimmed down he took again to his famous jumpsuites. This is a very well known shot of him in Memphis in 1975. It became the front cover for his next to last studio album:

(http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/img/elvis/70s/75/1975_june_10.jpg)



All in all, many of the '75 shows were really rocking with cool versions of "Burning love" and "Mystery train/Tiger man". The show we'll get here was released in 1980. It's taken from these shows:

May 6, 1975 Murfreesboro, TN.
June 5, 1975 Houston, TX.
June 9, 1975 Jackson, MS.
June 10, 1975, Memphis, TN.


Thanks to elvisinconcert.com (http://www.elvisconcerts.com/cds/dallasrca.htm)

It's been re-packaged for bootleg releases. You can listen to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fCOzGqi5Ro



But the decline couldn't be stopped. Come '76 and it was completely over.

Elvis decline is very depressing. I agree that his live shows held up through 1975 but by '76 it was very obvious that something was seriously wrong. The reissues over the last 15 years have however made his 70's output make a lot more sense. The Burning Love album is a case in point. It shows he was still on top form, something not obvious from the original releases during the period.

This album has Pieces of My Life, a fairly morbid, reflective ballad, beautifully sung by Elvis. If you're in the right mood, it is very powerful and the lyrics just describe Elvis' life up to that point so well, you can tell that's why he's really into the song. It's almost the pieces of Elvis' life -

Pieces Of My Life

A water glass full of whiskey
And women that I never knew too well
Lord, the things I've seen and done
Most of which I'd be ashamed to tell

I don't know how it started
But that's what makes a man a man, I guess
Now I'm holdin' on to nothing'
Tryin' to forget the rest

I'm lookin' back on my life
To see if I can find the pieces
I know that some were stolen
And some just blew away
Well, I found the bad parts
Found all the sad parts
But I guess I threw the best part away

Lord, the pieces of my life,
They're everywhere, they're everywhere
And the one I think I miss most of all
Is you and you know who

Yes!  Pieces Of My Life is fantastic.  I love Elvis Today.  And the it closes with the best version of Green Green Grass Of Home.  I'll be interested to see what they do with the second disc. 

Damn.

It was after "Pieces of my life"'s session ended that Brian Wilson stormed into the studio and had Elvis listening to some of his recent recordings.

Here's Charlie Rich's original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwBQOu_R0zk

This gives me weird visions of Elvis in a deep, melancholy reverie, looking back over his somewhat mispent life at the end of the session for 'Pieces of My Life', only to be interrupted by a hyped-up Brian Wilson storming into the studio going, 'Hey, Elvis, wanna hear the awesome bass sounds I've found on my new farty synthesiser?   :lol

 ;D Playing him "Ding dang" ? :-D

It was during the California Music sessions and we also have a picture of Brian from around that time.

(http://www.morethings.com/music/beach_boys/beach_boys-brian_wilson-1420.jpg)

It always amazes me to read of Brian making music in 1975, because the officially told story is always "I spent 3 years in bed", he didn't want to make music, just wanted to take dope and sleep.