Elvis Soundtrack Reissues: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In his afterlife, Elvis has become the king of reissues. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of his birth, Sony/RCA is cranking up the pressing plants once again. Last year saw the 2-CD reissue of Elvis in Memphis and the 4-CD Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight. Sony/RCA now adds eight soundtrack albums to the party.
Elvis shot 33 feature films, and most spun off a soundtrack album. A few really shouldn’t have been afforded an entire LP, as the soundtrack writers couldn’t produce enough passable material to keep Elvis engaged. Soundtracks for Roustabout, Frankie and Johnny, and Clambake, for example, include some truly embarrassing material.
Of the latest batch of reissues, two standouts are Viva Las Vegas and Girl Happy. The former pairs Elvis with Ann-Margret, and the electricity between them powers the soundtrack to heights unreached by the average Elvis film. The latter is a simple but charming summer break film, but its songs have a breezy charm that escaped Elvis’ typical formula pictures.
Individual reviews can be found for:
Clambake
Frankie and Johnny
Girl Happy
Roustabout
Viva Las Vegas
Fun in Acapulco
Girls! Girls! Girls!
G.I. Blues