This is a description and critical review of each Elvis Presley single, EP, and LP in their order of release. I have discussed the discography of Elvis Presley in greater musical depth elsewhere. Here I pay particular attention to the way in which the music of Elvis Presley was packaged and marketed, evaluating the effectiveness or otherwise of the release strategy and the extent to which it conflicted with or complemented Elvis' own artistic vision. My view is that the tragedy of Elvis' career is that not only was he competing against himself through a strategy of market saturation, he was engaged in a constant battle with his own manager and recording company.
An examination of the Elvis Presley recordings of 1967 and 1968, sessions best known for the collaboration with guitar picker Jerry Reed. The material recorded showed Elvis attempting to take control of his career and establish a new musical direction. The results were good but could have been so much better. I examine the music and the problematic relation Elvis as artist had with his management and record company.
A discussion of the material recorded by Elvis Presley in the sessions of May 1963 and January 1964. The original intention had been to record material for an album and a single release. Instead the plans were delayed and then changed. As a result the material came to be scattered over future albums and singles, effectively lost from view. This piece brings the material back together in coherent form.
In 1976 Elvis Presley could not be tempted into the studio to record. As a result, RCA sent a mobile recording unit to Elvis Presley's home in Graceland to record material in fulfilment of contractual obligations. The results were issued on a couple of very uneven albums. With proper selection, one very decent album could have been issued. This is my version of that album.
'Elvis Now' and 'Elvis (Fool)' from 1971 and 1972 respectively were very poor and inadequate representations of the music Elvis recorded in those years. Both albums contained filler and leftovers and gave a false impression of an artist in decline. In this essay I set those albums in context, proceeding to make selections which are more artistically coherent. I make the case that the Elvis of 1971 and 1972 remained a compelling and creative artist.