ALBUM REVIEW: Elvis Presley - Loving You

    As I'm sure many folks know by now, Elvis' 1956 into 1957 saw a meteoric rise from local success story to national star off the back of two successful studio albums and a myriad of beloved rock and roll singles - if ever there was a case for Presley to truly claim his title as "King of Rock and Roll", it was during this time period of unfiltered energy and presence - every major single an immediate chart-topper, from "Heartbreak Hotel" to "All Shook Up", and many of them are nearly as acclaimed to boot. It was also during 1956 that Elvis' film career began to take shape, with him starring in the Civil War drama Love Me Tender, which itself would yield Presley another chart-topping hit - if you're curious, the film itself is perfectly fine, and really Elvis' energy is probably the strongest aspect of the picture. I'm not here to rattle on about films and how they would go on to destroy Elvis' reputation, though (not yet), but I'm here to cover his second film soundtrack! Loving You did more than just yield Elvis yet another hit, although you already expected that because my readers are the smartest people alive, but Loving You does, in a few ways, help cement what makes great Elvis music at points. With that said, this is probably Presley's weakest studio endeavor yet, where some great tunes don't manage to fully wash out just a touch of drivel in the middle.

    I'm gonna give some quick credit to Elvis here - the construction of the album itself is decently put together, keeping the film songs to the first side, and saving the second half for new studio material, not dissimilar from say a Beatles soundtrack less than a decade later. You probably already expect this material to sound like your pretty standard Elvis affair, his trademarked vocals backed by the Blue Moon Boys and the Jordanaires, which is practically a winning formula at this point - it's this team that had already brought Presley plenty of chart-toppers, and on this album it leads us to some solid cuts like the energetic "Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do", a certifiably stomping Presley rocker through and through, the exact kinda thing that made him such a phenomenon in the first place. The same can be said for album opener "Mean Woman Blues", which I was initially indifferent on but have since grown to appreciate with its driving rhythm and lively start to the album. We, of course, have the 1-2 punch of "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" and the title track "Loving You", which released as a single ahead of this album and topped the charts ("Loving You" even managed to make the top 20). "Teddy Bear" is some Presley pop-rock, not quite of the same caliber of "All Shook Up" from earlier in 1957, but still a fun enough number, and "Loving You" is a sweet and slow ballad, reminiscent of the eternal "Love Me" on his previous studio album. There's also the mysterious "Lonesome Cowboy" smack dab in the middle, which makes for one of the most interesting moments in Elvis' catalog yet - really a great sorta deep cut. If only the first side didn't completely sputter out at the end with the songs "Hot Dog" and "Party", tunes whose lessened energy and more standard feel can't make up for the even more shabby lyrics - disappointing.

    That leaves us with the non-soundtrack, and shorter, second half of the album, which ultimately leaves a tiny bit to be desired. Compared the more energetic and lively first half, much of the second side is filled with slow ballads that hvae a harder time getting off the ground compared to the instant gratification of the rock on the first side. That isn't to say its all a bust, but even some of the highlights of this second half struggle a bit to really bring the momentum - this is blatant on Presley's rendition of the stone-cold Fats Domino classic "Blueberry Hill", where Elvis does as good of a rendition of this tune as he can, but ultimately can't quite match up to the immortal power of Fats' original (I'm sure if you asked him Elvis would say the same; he once said in an interview that "I can't sing like Fats Domino can."). The second half is made up of all slower, more ballad-y moments past the opening "Blueberry Hill", and while some bring the goods like album closer "I Need You So", most of it proves a bit underwhelming throughout - the 1-2 slap of "Don't Leave Me Now" and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" does very little for me, and it doesn't help that the former really plays like a weaker "Love Me" from his previous studio album. What this second half desparately needs is some energy, be it from a single like "All Shook Up" or a leftover track like an early version of "One Night of Sin" (which later released as a single with "I Got Stung"), both of which would have done wonders for this second half to break up the monotony. Ultimately, though, that didn't happen, and the result is a back-half that feels more like a nudge than a punch.

    Don't see this as the Elvis train already slowing down, because the following Elvis albums will show that there was plenty left in the tank, but Loving You does prove one thing - the King wasn't invincible. While Loving You has plenty of star-studded moments, too much of it lacks any real punch for it to elevate the record above his previous two endeavors, and if you want to factor in the Sun Sessions? The two aren't in the same lane. There's still fun to be had with this Presley affair if you're willing to go in - after all, this was back when Presley was truly in his prime - but it can't quite make up for the fact that what we've got here in the weakest record in his catalog at the moment. Still, it makes for a fun enough listen, and by the time you get to his 1964 material, you'd wish he was making stuff this good.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Loving You.