Since Elvis Presley’s death over 40 years ago, his material has been reissued dozens of times in every form imaginable. From small greatest hits albums to huge box sets that have been pieced together from previously available material, every song he ever recorded has appeared over and over again. Now, however, someone has had an original idea.

During June of 1970, Elvis went into the studio and, in several marathon sessions, recorded three albums worth of material. Later, background vocals, orchestration, and some duets were added before their release. Now, all the additions have been erased. What remains is just Elvis and his basic backing band, which makes for a very different listening experience.

The first two CDs in the set contain the undubbed masters of all the issued songs. Elvis was recording live in the studio and his voice dominates each song without any distractions. Songs such as “The Fool,” “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me,” “Mary In The Morning,” “Love Me,” and “Life” are re-invented and re-imagined in their simplicity.

The final two discs contain the outtakes from the sessions. I think they have all been released previously but have not been collected in one place. Now back in their original context, they make sense. Elvis was recording live in the studio and so tracks with multiple takes show him in total control. It is a good presentation of his creative and recording process.

This is another one of those albums that will appeal mainly to Elvis’ hardcore fan base. It is not that there is anything really new here, but rather, the appeal is in the uniqueness of the presentation. Forty-four years after his death, that is enough.

Rating: B+

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