That's The Way It Is - ELVIS PRESLEY****

I Just Can't Help Believin'/Twenty Days & Twenty Nights/How The Web Was Woven/Patch It Up/Mary In The Morning/You Don't Have To Say You Love Me/You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'/I've Lost You/Just Pretend/ Stranger In The Crowd/The Next Step Is Love/Bridge Over Troubled Water

That’s The Way It Is reveals the mature Las Vegas Elvis at the top of his game. Includes the UK top ten hits I’ve Lost You and I Just Can’t Help Believing, together with interpretations of many contemporary standards. (US:21 UK:12)

“Elvis hits the Las Vegas circuit and moves his music towards easy listening waters. Big arrangements, huge vocal choir backings and lots of schmaltz are the order of the day. That said the set works and Presley sounds in his element singing big ballads.”

“That’s The Way It Is was a somewhat mislabelled title as it purported to be the soundtrack from the documentary of the same name. However, it only contained four live tracks while the other eight were from the studio. Nevertheless, it remains an excellent release as he presents songs that had never appeared in his catalogue up until that time.”

“That's The Way It Is marks Elvis Presley's transition from B-grade film star to bigtime Las Vegas entertainer. And the results are quite grand. Picking up cues from his much lauded 1968 comeback special, Presley foregoes the sit-down portions of that show for the big budget numbers.”

“This is better than nearly everything else Elvis did after the fifties, despite the fact that it didn't produce any major singles. Unlike many of his later albums, every song is well crafted.”

“This is a compilation of songs performed by Elvis that might not be well known in the popular consciousness, but are executed with a level of depth, energy, and sincerity that Elvis tapped with astonishing consistency during the early postcomeback years. He is arguably at the height of his powers here.”

“This one shows a very confident, dedicated singer at the top of his game. It was clear that Elvis was enjoying himself and was very committed to learning new material, performing them with perfection. Physically, mentally and vocally he had never been better. I am sure that this is the period he would want to be remembered. Elvis and the band were having fun while delivering the goods and he was in control.”