Best track on "That´s the way it is" LP 1970

Post by **dreambear** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:49 pm

This one is a tough one to arrange a poll around. Here are no fillers at all in my opinion (those were saved for a may 1971 project...), Elvis sings splendid all the way through and the playing/overdubs are generally tastefully done. But still there are 5 or 6 albums that are better than THWII including the debut album, Is back, From Elvis in Memphis, Country and maybe one of his gospel albums. Why? Well it´s hard to pick reasons, but maybe one or two more rockers in the style of "Patch it up" could have been good for the album. BUT one thing´s for sure. Elvis never did a better "Late night in the bar with a nice single malt whisky"-type of album. It´s good to relax to and the songs aren´t too sad either. The track that stand out a little bit are "I just can´t help believing" and it´s gonna get my vote. The rest is solid. Maybe "I´ve lost you" is a bit repetative, but it has it´s merits. The must of excluding two tracks are mission impossible here, but it will be "You´ve lost that loving feeling" and "You don´t have to say you love". Not because they aren´t in the same class as the other tracks, but I promise to include those two in the future Madison square garden poll (The THWII versions are slightly better though).

Vote on!

Regards//Björn

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:07 pm

Very tough, but "Bridge Over Troubled Water" will always get my vote. To me, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Sail on silver girl, sail on by..........

JerryNodak · Post by **JerryNodak** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:28 pm

My favorite track has always been "How The Web Was Woven." Thank goodness we will finally get the studio versions of "Patch It Up" and "I've Lost You" on the FTD version of this album. I've never been crazy about the live versions.

Post by **Mike Eder** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:40 pm

If it was the studio cut I've Lost You, but I have always liked how "modern" The Next Step Is Love sounded. Great vocal and production on that.

Post by **ColinB** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:44 pm

I'd forgotten what a strong track list there was on this !

Apart from the repetitive Patch It Up, they are all pretty good tracks !

In the end, I went for Just Pretend, but How The Web Was Woven was a close second................

Post by **familyjules** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:08 pm

My fave Elvis album. I love, love, love I Just Can't Help Believin', but ultimately it has to be Stranger In The Crowd. That songs just rules.

Jules

Post by **familyjules** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:10 pm

ColinB wrote:Apart from the repetitive Patch It Up, they are all pretty good tracks !

I love the live version of Patch It Up. Never think of it as repetitive. It's everything the studio version wants to be - loose but tight, and with lots of rock and roll.

Jules

Post by **familyjules** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:10 pm

JerryNodak wrote:My favorite track has always been "How The Web Was Woven." Thank goodness we will finally get the studio versions of "Patch It Up" and "I've Lost You" on the FTD version of this album. I've never been crazy about the live versions.

It's the other way around for me. I prefer the live versions.

Jules

Post by **familyjules** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:11 pm

Mike Eder wrote:If it was the studio cut I've Lost You, but I have always liked how "modern" The Next Step Is Love sounded. Great vocal and production on that.

Sure is. Dammit, the whole album is great! I'll shut up now.

Jules

Post by **dreambear** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:32 pm

familyjules wrote:
JerryNodak wrote:My favorite track has always been "How The Web Was Woven." Thank goodness we will finally get the studio versions of "Patch It Up" and "I've Lost You" on the FTD version of this album. I've never been crazy about the live versions.
It's the other way around for me. I prefer the live versions.

Jules

A minor minus on the studio version of "Patch it up" is the brass. It sound a bit out of tune here and there. Otherwise I love the distorded guitars.

//Björn

Post by **Joern** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:25 am

That's a tough one indee. My vote goes for "I just can't help believin'".

On another day I would choose probably "Bridge" or "Just pretend"....

Joern

Post by **Joe Car** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:12 pm

ColinB wrote:I'd forgotten what a strong track list there was on this !

Apart from the repetitive Patch It Up, they are all pretty good tracks !

In the end, I went for Just Pretend, but How The Web Was Woven was a close second................

You're so right Colin, great tracklist!

Post by **Elvis_Priestly** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:53 pm

ColinB wrote:I'd forgotten what a strong track list there was on this !

Apart from the repetitive Patch It Up, they are all pretty good tracks !

Hooray! Someone else who feels like me about Patch It Up. The only Elvis song I actually dislike: for its repetitiveness, and, so often I wanna shout "Charlie! Give Elvis back his mic!"
[Don't try to convince me otherwise please - disliking one Elvis song is the only thing I have that proves to me I ain't an Elvis freak

]

Back to the album...
This album is my absolute #1, I don't know how many copies I've bought of it over the years as this is what I give to my friends as a gift so they'll appreciate Elvis like I do. [OK, sounding a bit like a freak there - The Management]

Nearly impossible to pick a favourite track from it: Mary In The Morning .... Twenty Days and Twenty Nights ... Bridge ...etc, etc.
But I finally voted for Stranger In The Crowd just love the rhythm, story and imagery in that and I can never hear it without seeing a video in my head of Elvis standing on that corner with a cigarette. [FREAK! - The Management]

Post by **gwsells** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:23 am

I have had this in my cd player in my car for months....I voted for "Just Pretend". But almost all the other songs come in a close second.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:28 pm

"Just Pretend" gets my vote. This along with "Bridge" are two songs that work equally well in their studio and live forms and I don't think the album would have been weaker for it if a live rendition had been included instead of the studio master.

"Bridge" is outstaning but the original album master falls down for the unforgivable fake applause added at the end.

Regarding "Patch It Up" and "I've Lost You" - I prefer the studio versions for both these songs. "Patch It Up" rocks hard! The live version is limp in comparison. There is just something unique about this studio recording in the Elvis cannon, tight, modern, heavy rock almost. James' guitar solo at the end - I just want this to go on and on.

Overall an outstanding album in the Elvis catalogue.

Post by **bajo** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:34 pm

This is a tough call, since most of the studio tracks on here are outstanding. Still, I've always had a soft spot for Stranger In The Crowd!

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:43 pm

bajo wrote:This is a tough call, since most of the studio tracks on here are outstanding. Still, I've always had a soft spot for Stranger In The Crowd!

Nah - Elvis can keep his overflowing cup of love along with his milk and honey.

Post by **kuenzer** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:31 pm

Stranger In The Crowd and The Next Step Is Love I've always considered to be attempts to do some up-to-date songs with up-to-date lyrics. Like a wave, my cup of love was overflowing. Fun, fun, look at us run, we've yet to taste the icing of the cake. As opposed to a timeless song like Just Pretend.

Post by **Mike Eder** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:39 am

Just Pretend didn't stick out for me until 1992 when I got a video of it on the Lost Performances. I like it very much now. While Stranger is my least favorite song on here, again seeing the outtake of him animatedly performing it turned me around. Next Step does have a few lyrics that are creaky but I stand by it as my favorite here because Elvis' voice and the production are both breathtaking. I've Lost You and Patch It Up were better to me in the studio cuts.

Post by **jeanno** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:54 am

Very tough, but "Bridge Over Troubled Water" will always get my vote. To me, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Exactly my opinion. His rendition of Paul Simon´s song is just fabulous. The pace, the ambiance, every instrument, every word, everything falls into place here. Just perfect (without the applauses at the end, of course). Pure delight although IJCHB, YLTLF and JP are masterpieces too.

Post by **sylvain** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:22 am

This is one of my favourite albums
I voted 20 days and 20 nights

Post by **dreambear** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:02 am

sylvain wrote:This is one of my favourite albums
I voted 20 days and 20 nights

That track is a bit underrated I think.

//Björn

Post by **familyjules** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:31 pm

dreambear wrote:
sylvain wrote:This is one of my favourite albums
I voted 20 days and 20 nights
That track is a bit underrated I think.

//Björn

The whole album is underrated!

Jules

Post by **sylvain** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:45 pm

familyjules wrote:
dreambear wrote:
sylvain wrote:This is one of my favourite albums
I voted 20 days and 20 nights
That track is a bit underrated I think.

//Björn
The whole album is underrated!

Jules

Not just this album

Post by **familyjules** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:23 pm

sylvain wrote:
familyjules wrote:
dreambear wrote:
sylvain wrote:This is one of my favourite albums
I voted 20 days and 20 nights
That track is a bit underrated I think.

//Björn
The whole album is underrated!

Jules

Not just this album

That's true. Elvis is underrated! He is. People of an older generation think he's silly kid's stuff who mumbled his words and wasn't as good as Frank Sinatra. And younger people think he's an icon of kitch.

If you say you're a Beatles fan then you usually get nods of agreement. Say you're an Elvis fan and you get people looking for signs of irony.

I guess the legend got too big. Elvis became like Superman and Batman. It's hard for people to see past the glitter and flash and hear the quality of that voice, and see the natural charisma of the man rather than the suits and capes.

Elvis is underrated.

Jules

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