Title: There's Always Me (volume 2) (released in 1995)

Label: Bilko

Date: Nashville 60's studio sessions (different dates), and American Studios sessions (February 18 & 20)

Sound Quality: from * * * to * * * * + / * * * * * +

Contents Rating: * * * * * / * * * * * +

Tracks:

CD 1

1.You'll Be Gone (f.s. & take 4) 2.Indescribably Blue (take 1) 3.I'll Remember You (take 1, 2) 4.Suppose (take 1) 5.Witchcraft (take 2) 6.Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers (take 1) 7.Western Union (f.s. takes 1 & 4) 8.Slowly But Surely (take 1) 9.Blue River (takes 1, 2) 10.It Hurts Me (alt. take) 11.Stay Away (alt. slow take) 12.Singing Tree (take 1, remake version) 13.Singing Tree (alt. take) 14.Summer Kisses, Winter Tears (takes 23, 25, 26) 15.Britches (takes 1, 5, 7) 16.We'll Be Together (two alt. takes) 17.I Don't Wanna Be Tied (f.s.) / Plantation Rock (alt. take, inc. vocal repair) 18.I'm Comin Home (takes 1, 2) 19.In Your Arms (try-out version) 20.Kiss Me Quick (take 1)

CD 2

1.U.S. Male (take 1) / Wings Of An Angel (a.k.a. The Prisoners Song) 2.U.S. Male (take 4) 3.Guitar Man (takes 1, 2, 5) 4.After Lovin' You (takes 1-4) 5.Do You Know Who I Am (the session, approx. 10 takes) 6.Any Day Now (the session, approx. 12 takes) 7.Power Of My Love (alt. take)

Elvis: Elvis at full blast here! Studio (non-movie) sessions always show Elvis as a fantastic performer and here you see the "naked" recording process, it's fantastic!

Highlights: This CD was completely a highlight at the time of it's release (before some of the outtakes appeared on official releases in much better sound quality). Still the set is worth having for the American Studios tracks alone. They are the biggest highlights and a real joy to listen

Review: Looking at the list of bootlegs that have not been reviewed yet, I came across this particular release and though that it would be great to write something about this historical set. It's 10 years since it's release.

First of all, about the sound quality. On some of the tracks the sound quality (especially taking in account some of the recent BMG releases) leaves to wish better. Still, they are mostly very enjoyable to listen to. You've got to keep in mind that many of the tracks from this set have been lately released on different BMG CDs, still the three American Studio tracks on CD 2 are worth having the set.

The compilation starts with You'll Be Gone, interrupted in the very beginning by the sound engineer and while waiting for the recording process to get restarted Elvis throws a line from Mexecali Rose. Very nice though really short. The take is pretty close to master and is a nice piece (recently released on the Long Lonely Highway FTD release). We suddenly jump to June 12, 1966 when Elvis was overdubbing his vocals to Indescribably Blue. Take 2 was chosen as the master and here we have the first one. Since he was singing to an already recorded track he had not too much room to experiment with the song, but he delivers a very passionate and charming version, close to master. This shows Elvis as a perfectionist once again - having a great take he does not stop and goes further. What follows are takes 1 and 2 of the vocal overdub to I'll Remember You (from the same date). The first take was partly used in the master (whish was spliced from takes 3 and 1) and probably that's the reason we have it shortened here (not in a beautiful way I must add), still then we get to hear take 2, complete with the instrumental break, nice but weaker than the original. With the recording of Suppose we jump to March 20-th of 1967. It was just a recording of the backing track for a home recording Elvis had made with Charlie Hodge a while before. It's close to master but you can hear little mistakes by the drummer here and there.

From this point we pull back to the May 1963 recording of the so-called "Lost album". Most of these songs were recently released on official releases such as Essential Elvis volume 6, Long Lonely Highway and others. In my humble opinion, this session was one of the weakest in the long Elvis' Nashville history, Still, it's an important document, once again showing Elvis as great performer and perfectionist. Witchcraft (take 2) has a different vocal accompaniment by the Jordanaires, Finders Keepers Losers Weepers is close to master as is Western Union take 1 (missing the instrumental break though and the ending too :)) Slowly But Surely is a bit tighter in my opinion, but as in case with most of the recordings in the early 60-s - very close to master. Blue River is next and it features the "complete recording" - two takes, one of which is a false start and the other one is the master. I really can't explain the inclusion of it - it's presented in a bad sound quality and there's nothing really different in the mix. Next is It Hurts, taking us into January 12, 1964. It's a very tender rendition, close to master.

With the next song (Stay Away) we jump to January 16, 1968. We get to hear a slow version of the song, recently released officially by BMG. A nice song and it's good to have it in a different arrangement.

We go back to September 11, 1967 to hear take 1 of Singing Tree remake and then one day back to hear a take of the first version of the song. There's not too much difference in the arrangement and I must admit that it features Elvis as a perfectionist once again (shall I repeat it again in this review?)

We go back to August 8, 1960 with three takes of Summer Kisses, Winter Tears - the biggest success of the movie Flaming Star (though not included in the movie). Take 23 goes very well until Elvis begins laughing in the very end of the song. Take 25 is nice, and take 26 features a different vocal accompaniment and ends at the beginning of the second refrain. Next is the vocal overdub of Britches and it is a very funny moment. Elvis looses himself in the beginning, saying quietly "Shit". By take 7 Elvis goes almost all the way through (as far as the last few lines), but breaks in a very realistic laugh because of the stupid lyrics. It is very sad that the recording suddenly ends - it would have been interesting to hear his comments on the matter. Maybe someday...

We then move to March, 1962 with the recording of the Girls! Girls! Girls! soundtrack. Beginning with two takes of We'll Be Together - featuring different guitar arrangements. Next is the very beginning of I Don't Wanna be Tied (stopped because of Elvis' mistake in the music line) for whatever reason it is continued in the same track with Plantation Rock, part of which seems to be the 17-th take, used in the master and a repair, recorded later.

Then we go back to March 1961 with two takes of I'm Coming Home (recently released on the 6-th volume of Essential Elvis series). In Your Arms is a try-out version, very close to master, anyway. The last track on the first CD is take 1 of Kiss Me Quick, which starts with Elvis goofing around, shouting in a falsetto voice "Kiss me quick". The arrangement differs comparing to the master take, and it's a joy to hear it.

The real jam begins as we move to disc 2. Once again we go to January 16, 1968 this time to the recording of U.S. Male - one of the songs that would lead Elvis in the right musical direction. The atmosphere can easily be understood once you hear the very funny (and too much naughty) Prisoners Song. After loosing himself in the lyrics on take 4 and singing that "You fucked up the U.S. Male," Elvis hears "Do two more like that and we'll have a complete party album," from Felton breaking into a deeper laugh. The later then adds quietly: "We need two more sides..."

With Guitar Man we go back to September 10, 1967. Here we see Elvis completely focused (contrary to the recording of U.S. Male, for here he was still getting used to Felton and even more to Jerry Reed). As a result the song is a fantastic rendition, though there are a few mistakes here and there.

"No way back to the mother-fucker," Elvis declares as he goes into the intro of After Loving You. Here we have the guy on the piano (too bad that the phrase "I'll tell you what. I'm gonna play piano" didn't find it's way on to this release) on February 18, 1969. Elvis throws himself so much into the process so the song gets a very powerful and stunning rendition. Each take (four of them are presented here) are great, with Elvis breaking into laugh in the last of them. A great inside.

Even greater is the next track - an almost 25 minutes' session of Do You Know Who I Am. As the first take (which is very different from the original version) ends, Chips Moman says: "Ok," Elvis quietly adds: "I like it". After a little pause, we hear the beginning of the next take, which is already closer to the master and is played in a lower key ("It's better for me," Elvis says). We are present at the complete session and it gives a very intimate look. Great stuff here.

Next is a 20 minutes insight into the recording of Any Day Now, which sounds different without the strings and horns, for the first time I get to hear the organ playing the intro. This is song is harder to get than the previous one, Elvis' voice is breaking sometimes, but still his talent pours to our ears on this number even when he is making mistakes and comes low into the middle part of the song. It is a fantastic possibility to see an Elvis session so close, probably closer than anyone can even dream of now.

Power Of My Love (an unknown alternate take) ends the compilation (I've hoped this would never end...). I am really skeptic, but I can say nothing bad about this release. If you're a fan of Elvis this compilation is worth having for the second CD at least. If you get a chance to obtain it - I recommend you to do so!

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