Elvis: The Great Performances

"A decent, fine boy" was how TV variety show impresario Ed Sullivan described Elvis ("the Pelvis") Presley following his ratings-shattering performance of "Don't Be Cruel" on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 6, 1957. Even though this was Presley's second appearance, Sullivan had earlier said he wouldn't have the hip-gyrating, lip-curling, Memphis dynamo on his show--period--for any price (and manager Col. Tom Parker's fee was not cheap)…until he discovered that 50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong. Elvis: The Great Performances is, in some respects, a typical Rhino presentation, which is to say a hodgepodge production built around a surefire bestseller of a concept. Comprised of three discs, the first two--"Center Stage" and "The Man and the Music"--are a 1990 compilation of many of Elvis's greatest hits performed on various shows and stages, featuring between-song narration by Presley pal George Klein. The final disc, "From the Waist Up," is a 1997 production with narcoleptic sounding overlaid narration by U2's Bono. The package's chief virtue lies in its comprehensive collection of early Elvis performances showcasing his phenomenal talent, presence, and indefinable (pre-Beatles) swoon-inducing charisma. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, the set features over 25 uninterrupted performances of hits such as "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender," "Jailhouse Rock," "Don't Be Cruel," "Return to Sender," and "Suspicious Minds," with another dozen-plus song snippets on the last disc. Remember, however, that this is a "visual" greatest hits compilation, not a musical greatest hits collection--several tunes are missing, notably "Burning Love," "Can't Help Falling in Love," and "In the Ghetto." Featuring, as advertised, great performances, archival footage and home movie clips, and an optional (and tediously irrelevant) trivia track, Elvis: The Great Performances--very handsomely packaged in a blue suede jacket--is sure to be popular. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)