Following the scheme of last year’s Elvis Presley compilation Memphis, the five-disc Sunset Boulevard collects recordings from a single place, exploring the vaults of RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood. Spanning 1972 to 1975, this intriguing set finds The King’s devotion to rock’n’roll waning, although he can raise an occasional ruckus when the urge strikes.
The high point is the master recordings on the first disc. As with the previous project, Matt Ross-Spang has remixed the music by removing the overdubs, giving a clearer view of Presley’s still-awesome vocal power. Sad Elvis dominates the 1972 songs, featuring such tortured melodramas as “Separate Ways” and “Fool,” although the rowdy “Burning Love” (his final Top Ten hit) is a glorious exception. The mood lightens slightly on the 1975 sessions, which mix country weepers like “Green, Green Grass of Home” and livelier fare, including “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” and the Pointer Sisters’ “Fairytale.”
The other four discs offer outtakes and tour rehearsals, all worthwhile for hardcore fans who want a fly-on-the-wall experience. The uninitiated should start with a hunka hunka “Burning Love” and proceed from there.
