Love, Elvis

1	Are You Lonesome Tonight? 3:08
2	Can't Help Falling In Love 3:02
3	Always On My Mind 3:36
4	It's Now Or Never 3:16
5	Love Me Tender 2:43
6	I Want You, I Need You, I Love You 2:41
7	Don't 2:50
8	(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I 2:39
9	Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be) 2:15
10	Surrender 1:55
11	Hawaiian Wedding Song 2:51
12	Doin' The Best I Can 3:13
13	Fever 3:33
14	It Hurts Me 2:29
15	I Just Can't Help Believin' 4:41
16	The Wonder Of You 2:41
17	Let It Be Me 3:33
18	It's Impossible 2:53
19	For The Good Times previously unreleased / Alternate Take 3 3:12
20	There Goes My Everything 3:00
21	And I Love You So 3:40
22	You Don't Have To Say You Love Me 2:31
23	Unchained Melody 2:32
24	If I Can Dream 3:10

Barnes & Noble

On the occasion of what would have been his 70th birthday, Elvis Presley is the subject of a raft of retooled reissues from BMG, but this particular disc is a new, and most impressive, entry in the King's vast catalogue. As a balladeer, Elvis had few peers, and the sharp focus of this 24-track set is on precisely that aspect of his artistry. One can question the inclusion of "If I Can Dream," E's socially conscious 1968 hit single, in a collection of love songs, but it happens to be a great performance and a magnificent production, so who's complaining about a little conceptual inconsistency? The 23 tracks preceding "If I Can Dream" do fit the bill, though, and offer an overview of Elvis's vocal growth over the course of his career. The early tracks remain incandescent -- the tenderness he brings to "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," "Love Me Tender," "Don't," and "It Hurts Me" is stunning in both vocal precision and depth of soul, whereas the unbridled passion he brings to "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," "Surrender," "Any Way You Want Me," and "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I" is practically a wonder of nature, a force unto itself. Some of the later tracks are hit-and-miss -- Perry Como did all right with "It's Impossible" and "And I Love You So," but both songs are bit lightweight for the King -- but "I Just Can't Help Believin' " and the moving "Unchained Melody" reveal the mastery of shading, tone, and phrasing that Elvis developed in his maturity. In the end, Love, Elvis hits its mark dead-on and transcends critical appraisal, because it's the heart that matters, and the King, in opening his fully here, moves the listener at a fundamental level. Happy birthday to us all. David McGee

All Music Guide

BMG Heritage's 2005 release Love, Elvis is not the first Elvis Presley collection released in time for Valentine's Day, nor is it likely to be the last (although, to be fair, it's likely to be the first and last collection to bear a picture of Elvis visibly tongue-kissing a girl on the cover), but that doesn't immediately discount its merit. For one thing, it's a far more generous collection than other previous love song albums from Presley, weighing in at a hefty 24 tracks, which makes it a good value for the money. Secondly, apart from the rather bizarre inclusion of "Hawaiian Wedding Song" -- which may indeed work on the soundtrack for a Hawaiian wedding but is almost certain to be a speed bump on any romantic evening -- this is a well-chosen batch of songs, containing such staples as "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Always on My Mind," and "It's Now or Never," along with lesser-known hits and sides from the '60s and '70s. Only one cut is previously unreleased -- "alternate take 3" of "For the Good Times," which is fine, but hardly a lost treasure -- making this not of great interest for collectors, but anybody wanting a good romantic Elvis album will be satisfied. Stephen Thomas Erlewine