It starts off good though. Again Elvis makes country in a slightly funky style ("I´m movin´ on" is very funky). It´s not the strong voice of 1970, but here he´s relaxed enough and doesn´t overuse the vibrato.
But next up we have a track that I find hard to like. Maybe I don´t understand this type of christian music. But vocally, Elvis would have done this track way better both in 1970 and 1972.
What Felton had in mind when he decided to include "Hey Jude" on the album is hard to figure out. I know that Elvis often picked out the singles, but how about the album tracks? At the time when "Now" was released, I can´t believe that they already knew that Elvis more and more growed tired of record in the studio, so it couldn´t have been desperation (like "Let it be there" on "Moody blue"). It should have stayed in the can and showed up as a nice surprise on the 60´s box set, just like "My way" on the 70´s box. But it´s to late now. Wonder what Elvis thought when he saw the track list?
"Put you hand in the hand" seems out of place here. Elvis makes an ok job here without sweating, but the arrangement is boring. As someone else here wrote, James Burton makes one of his less brilliant solos here.
Side one ends in a better way with "Until it´s time for you go", but Elvis singing isn´t flawless. When he sings "Don´t ask why, don´t ask how", the vibrato is badly controlled. There is better live versions of this song.
"We can make the morning" starts off side two and the song itself is just average, but coming after hearing "Miracle..." and "Hey Jude", the song sounds better than it really is. Elvis makes an ok job here.
I share Shanebrowns opinion in his excellent "Now revisited" about "Early mornin´rain". For me, it´s the absolute highlight of the album. Elvis sings it so relaxed. The drums and the marvellous guitar pickin´ are so great. God only knows what album we could have expected if our man hadn´t cancelled the rest of the march sessions...
A strong voice can be heard on the next track, and the clue is..it was recorded one year earlier. It´s not he best from 1970, but on this album, it sounds fine with me (I had a teacher once named Sylvia and she wasn´t beautiful at all, and also a bit unpleasant at times, so lyrically, this one is a bit hard to like
)"Fools rush in" sounds terrible in my ears. In 1971, Elvis couldn´t handle this type of light weight material. Too many similarities to the "Never again-vocal".
For those who owned the "Elvis country" album, it must have felt a bit cheap to find "IWBATTYA" at the end of this album, but it´s still nice to have it. Good performance!
What do you folks, think of this alternative track list:
1) Help me make it through the night
2) I´m leavin´
3) It´s still here
4) It´s only love
5) Until it´s time for you to go
6) We can make the morning
7) Early morning rain
The first time ever I saw your face9) (That´s what you get) For lovin´ me
10)Don´t think twice, it´s all right
Please vote on!
Regards Björn
