Sunday 30 August 2015

Blue Hawaii – ELVIS PRESLEY****

Blue Hawaii/Almost Always True/Aloha Oe/No More/Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-A-Hula Baby/Moonlight Swim/Ku-u-i-po/ITo Eats/Slicin’ Sand/Hawaiian Sunset/Beach Boys Blue/Island Of Love/Hawaiian Wedding Song

A monumentally successful soundtrack album from Elvis at the peak of his popularity. Unfortunately, this would result in the release of increasingly sub par movie soundtrack LPs over the rest of the decade. Blue Hawaii topped the US album chart for an incredible twenty weeks and spent nearly as long at the top in Britain. Includes the tremendous double A-side single Can’t Help Falling In Love/Rock-a-Hula Baby, No. 2 in the US and No. 1 in the UK. (US:1 UK:1)

Blue Hawaii is probably the movie most associated with Elvis Presley. It is also his most popular and enduring. The soundtrack would sell three million copies and spend an astounding 20 weeks atop the American music charts. This was good news and bad news for the career of Elvis. The good news was the money and continued popularity. The bad news was that because of this success the future emphasis of his career would be focused on making movies quickly and releasing accompanying soundtrack albums. Studio releases would be few and far between, and live concert performances would cease.”

“The biggest song from this soundtrack was one of Elvis' finest - the beautiful Can't Help Falling In Love. A track that remains one of his all-time greatest love songs. The beauty of the disc doesn't end there. The title track immediately transports the listener to crashing waves and rainbow coloured skies, and the King croons the listener with a comforting warmth that only he could deliver.”

“It is not 'authentic Hawaiian music', but who cares? It is entertaining, the songs are good, and Elvis turns in fine performances. Blue Hawaii, Can't Help Falling In Love and Rock-A-Hula Baby are great songs worth repeated listening. Several others have at least some staying power, but there are some weaker songs."

“This is a truly beautiful album for people who can appreciate real quality singing. The songs are mainly ballads; there are a number of highlights on this timeless classic. The first of these has to be Can't Help Falling In Love, one of the greatest and most popular love songs of all time. Next would have to be the title song Blue Hawaii. This is a less well known, but one of the many Elvis classics. Another great song is No More, a song done in a Latin style."

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