Elvis Presley - Promised Land

Elvis ...pure and through !!!!!!!!

One of the best ! This album continues to show that Elvis was recording HIS style in the 70's, instead of catering to any type of group. This album has emotion, excitement and passion. I like also that RCA didn't try to hide that Elvis was getting older and displayed a recent 1974 picture of him on the cover instead of some 1970 picture. Elvis was who he was and the fans loved him no matter what. On the CD, Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" kicks things off with a fast tempo. "It's Midnight" shows his passion for his relationship that he lost in his life along with "Thinking About You". Having the extra tracks on here beyond what was originally released makes it even better yet. "My Boy" is redefined with Presley's passionate vocals. "Lovin Arms" is another one that looks into the heart of Elvis and his pain yet produces beauty for all of us to listen to. A+++++++++ 100 Stars !!! December 7, 2007

I Dunno

I love both the original LPs that are on this cd. What I don't like is when the remastering alters the orginal sound so much that it completely changes the performance. On both "Promised Land" and "Loving Arms" the background voices are all but edited out. While I realize that some listeners like it this way, I would prefer if the intergrity of the original were preserved. The added harmony vocal on the second verse of Promised Land was great, but without it the performance seems bland compared to the original 45 and LP. This has been a hallmark of some of the reissues of Elvis material in recent years, I wish they'd cut it out and just punch up the original mix. September 16, 2007

A gem from Stax

This was another album produced from Elvis' recording sessions at Stax studios in Memphis.Elvis' voice gives no indication of let up.He sounds strong as he often did on these late 70s tunes.The title track lets Elvis have some fun and It's Midnight lets him tell a story.The stand alone track from this set is If You Talk In Your Sleep.That song was a real show-off piece for Elvis.He makes it his own.Solid album.As Elvis neared the end of his life...his music and his voice were as strong as ever. July 8, 2007

Mostly country crooning

This is not a bad album, however titling it after one of Elvis' great rock songs (Promised Land) may give people the impression that it is a rock album. It is not. "Promised Land" is the only real rocker on the album and it does include the pop hit "If You Talk In Your Sleep", but the rest of the songs are mostly 70's era country ballads. That doesn't make it bad, in fact several of them were hits on the US country charts, including the moving "Help Me".

This CD is made stronger by the inclusion of bonus tracks from his "Good Times" album. They include the powerful "My Boy" (which was a Top 20 hit on the Pop chart and number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart) and the rocking country song "Talk About the Good Times", which in my opinion should have been released as a single. It closes out with a moving performance of "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues". But buyer beware. If you are not into country, you will probably not be into this CD.
September 15, 2006

Best of Elvis in the mid-70's is great

PROMISED LAND is one of the two or three best studio albums Elvis made in the last seven years of his life, that is, after 1970. The emphasis is on slower country ballads, but as with any Elvis album there's a mix of styles, from the infectious rocker "Promised Land" to the exotic romance of "Spanish Eyes." Several are spiritually oriented: "Help Me," "I Got a Feelin' in My Body," and "If That Isn't Love." Though Elvis's health had declined some by 1973, there's little evidence of that here - his voice was still strong and he sang with much conviction. Still, the material and Elvis himself seldom equal the benchmark he set in his great 1969 Memphis sessions (check the CD SUSPICIOUS MINDS), but that was perhaps the peak of his career.

As with most of his '70s recordings, PROMISED LAND has a very "lush" background of instrumentals and vocals, but in my opinion this is seldom excessive ("My Boy" being an exception) and never is Elvis himself hard to hear. The stereo sound quality is very good, apart from an occasional background hiss.

PROMISED LAND is one of three albums that came from Elvis's 1973 "Stax Sessions" in Memphis. Tracks 11-18 on this CD were not on the original album, but are the best songs from the album GOOD TIMES, making this a really great deal. The weakest of the Stax albums, but still well worth having, is RAISED ON ROCK. Together, they disprove the common notion that Elvis was no longer making good music by 1973. Listen to these recordings and hear that he was still The King. November 28, 2005

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