Elvis Is Back

This somehow sounds 20 years older than it actually is. Not my favorite Elvis album.

The age old question returns: Do we separate the art from the artist, particularly if the artist in question is dead? With that being asked, let me say he still had one of the greatest singing voices of all time. Favorite Track: "Such A Night".

It’s Elvis. It’s fun but nothing revolutionary anymore

calming. listened to it during a 5k

solid but not memorable

The faster songs are great. The slower songs are shmaltzy. I would love a collection of faster elvis songs. Guy can sing.

Somehow, Elvis has returned. The songs seemingly are sequenced from fast, slow, fast, slow so that everyone is pleased with what Elvis is singing. Girls don’t have to wait long for a slow one and boys don’t have to wait long for a fast one. I don’t know if too many people have considered Elvis to be an album-oriented artist, yet I think this is the 3rd album from him in this book. He still feels a bit like a caricature to me than an actual musician/artist, a sort of avatar for what people wanted and see. I gave the other two albums three stars but I do enjoy this one a bit more. Not sure we needed three Elvis albums in the book but this may be my favorite of the three. My favorite tracks were: Make Me Know It The Girl of My Best Friend I’ll Be Home Again Thrill of Your Love Such a Night It Feels so Right Reconsider Baby

This is my 500th album, the supposed midpoint of the list overall, and I'm feeling good. This was like a checkpoint, nice and breezy. I feel confident in finishing this without losing my mind, thank you The King.

Not my cuppa but appreciate the quality

Respect the artist - not for me

Absolutely fine Missing burning love. Would be better with burning love

I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this as I never really thought I was a fan of Elvis. I especially enjoyed his version of Fever! And great vocals all throughout the album!

Fucker is JAMMIN

Respect to Elvis but this is not the style I love listening to. Not a bad album but I’m just not an Elvis fan.

Ich kann schon verstehen, dass er mit dem Aussehen, Bewegung, Stimme ein ganz großer geworden ist. Aber er ist eher der "Live"-Typ, der das Publikum um den Finger wickelt. Auf Platte funktioniert das nicht so gut.

Favourite track: Fever

Public Enemy said it best in Fight the Power: "Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me". As an angsty teen, this was my go-to stance on Elvis, and I was always eager to go on about it at length. In a time of segregation, Elvis was a commercially viable entity to bring rock 'n' roll and and blues music to a white audience. The core sound and spirit of which originally came from Black artists, many of whom never saw the same recognition or financial success. Elvis stole the limelight from the black artists who had actually created the music. To clarify though, I don't think Elvis the person was necessarily a racist or a thief himself - from what I've heard he was a big fan of the artists and music, and rather than theft, it was more from a place of respect that he wanted to play their music. But that doesn't change how Elvis (the commodity) benefited enormously from systemic racism in the music industry. He got opportunities that many Black musicians, often far more innovative, were denied. OK, we've gotten that out of the way. But it's necessary to understand my position on Elvis, and his legacy. Of course I like Elvis' (early) music, but for all of the reasons above, I could never bring myself to become a fan. Let's talk about the music specifically. This album is far from his best. It feels flat and dull. I know it sits as a key moment in "The Elvis Story", where he was transitioning more towards pop after his military hiatus, but judging this as a standalone album of music, there's nothing spectacular here at all. A lot of bland doo-wop tunes, and besides one higher tempo number ("Dirty, Dirty Feeling"), one bluesy number ("Reconsider Baby") and a strange cover of "Fever", it sits as background music, never interesting enough to fully capture my attention.

I wasn't familiar with any of these Elvis tracks. A mixture of Rock-and-Roll, R&B, and Blues. A bit dated, but I quite liked it, especialy his cover of "Fever", and the Blues track "Reconsider Baby".

Classic, but too old.

I get that once the 'album' was introduced to the world, consumers didn't look to greatest hits packages much anymore, but w/ certain artists - Elvis, Chuck Berry, James Brown - those collections of singles make a whole lot of sense. That's not to say that a record like Elvis Is Back! isn't worth your time - it absolutely is. It's to concede that what you're getting are deeper cuts rather than the tracks that made the man into the cultural icon he was, deservingly or not. Elvis's fourth studio album is not always a rockin' thing, but that's not exactly lamentable: I prefer the soulful version to the white-guy-gets-the-chicks-to-dance-edition. If you want who the world recalls, this Elvis isn't that. But if you want who he was at bottom, this Elvis is it.

5/10 Mostly covers, and not particularly interesting Highlight: Fever

Vitifierad musik som de svarta borde ha mer cred för

Enjoyed this much more than I thought. 3-4 range. Favorite song Fever (yes, I know it’s a cover)

Музыка определённо приятная. Хоть многие и говорят, что Элвис после армии был уже не тот, я с этим не согласен. Точнее, согласен, что музыка его стала другой, но по мне так это наоборот плюс - песни стали интереснее и разнообразнее. 7 из 10.

Is he, though?

Classic Elvis

3 - BAD

Love this. Classic

It was good. I don't think I've looked into one through and through

Easily Elvis’s best album on this list. I feel like this is the peak of Elvis as an artist in his own right; no longer blatantly stealing from black people, but before he got fat and sad. Seems like the army was a positive influence on the guy.

My favourite Elvis so far

Classic era, very enjoyable

The peppier, spicier first half makes for especially good Elvis, before it settles down into his take on some more typical ballads. Fever is a weird and hilarious listen, but not unenjoyable. An above average Elvis record.

Another Elvis album that I enjoy two songs from and don’t mind the rest being on in the background, high 2/5

That's not my taste in music - But ok

Even if Elvis isn't my personal favorite in listening pleasure, I cannot deny the impact. He may not have been the best writer in music history (obviously, given how many of his biggest hits were covers). But I think Elvis is a contender for one of the most timeless voices. Tons of artists from his time sound very dated, but if you pop Elvis on at any chill Christmas party or something, his voice flows so well to modern day that it's difficult to skip. Not for my pleasure, but still very important and a discography that I think everyone should listen to at least once

Good but not among Elvis' best... very solid 3 stars

I truly can't fathom the fact that rock and roll went from this to Led Zeppelin 1 in 9 years. Maybe this was good for it's time but after this were the Beatles, Stones, Zep, Hendrix, Floyd. Saying Elvis is one of the best artists is like saying that Wilt Chamberlain is the best basketball player. What they did then is now being done by middle school boys. There's nothing left to enjoy. It's not listening to Newton explaining his first law, it's a professional ball player showing off that he can throw with his left hand. This stuff is C plus work and it was given A's because the rubric was easy. Stealing songs from black people is like getting a foreign exchange student from Canada on your hockey team, or a Spaniard for your soccer team. You get credit for being clever, not for being good.

I feel like there are going to be more Elvis albums on here, because this doesn't have any of the really big hits. His voice is still less goofy on this one, but it's more of a collection of songs than any sort of cohesive album. The session musicians behind him are tight and play everything well, especially the backing vocals. I don't know enough about who he inevitably took these songs from, so I can't comment on the history behind it. I suspect it's not great, like so many industry creations of the time. Anyway this was pleasant, nothing really standout.

It was ok, but just that. Of course his voice is amazing, but the songs are just ok.

Much more "Elvis" than his first album, earning this an extra star, even without the big hits.

Elvis is Meh

Like an Elvis impersonator. Then sings about chaining his girl to a wall. Last song is good.

A bit disappointed from my first elvis record on here. Kind of expected not to be thrilled by any innovations since it's a template for so much that came after, but I was hoping that the quality of performances and personnel involved would see it through for me. Instead I just couldn't really get into it. I didn't find the quirks of his voice particularly effective for the material in this case. Kept thinking that I wish I were listening to Sam Cooke perform the same material. Still look forward to more Elvis though.

He was a damn good singer! I do question the necessity of adding in the 1 and a half minutes of dirty, dirty feeling where he eventually promises to chain his honey to a wall?? But this was fun overall, the classic roster of love song topics haha

Good

Genre: Rock & Roll Well, it’s Elvis. Great singer, and a rock and roll legend, but this album was just meh. Some decent rockers, Fever is a good moment, but otherwise best used as background noise for a themed event. 3/5

He shouldn't have bothered. This is just a huge pile of steaming keech! I've heard others doing many of these songs. In every case these were FAR better than Elvis. His vocals are awful, particularly on Fever. An insult to the entire American people.

Maybe I would have liked this in 1960. But being armed with the knowledge of what Elvis does after this makes Elvis is Back seem boring. Its like a collection of B sides or C sides, D sides...

the fact that Elvis was drafted is mindblowing to me. many have already cracked jokes about it but i can't imagine anything like it nowadays. i suppose the BTS boys doing their mandatory service counts. loses me a bit as it goes on but not a bad experience. Elvis' voice does some fun little croaks on Such A Night. i wish that the album format had a bit more polish in the early 60s because they would just dump anything on these and it really hurts to have this be the big representation to the modern album audience. but such is life. deserves to be one of the 1001? it has a good case of being one of the most important points of the Elvis story, and there are some good songs even if none were huge smash hits. i think the three Elvis albums on this list are decent picks. maybe i would lean towards a singles compilation for this time period if i didn't wanna follow the rules.

Favorite Track: Fever

Generic Elvis

This album has all the hallmarks of an Elvis record but not a lot of the spark that made his best work so iconic. The performances are smooth and polished, the production is tidy, and Elvis himself sounds in great voice, but it feels like the edges have been filed down too much. It’s got the style, just not the bite. There aren’t any real standout classics here, and much of the tracklist leans toward easy-listening ballads and mid-tempo numbers that never quite catch fire. It has that unmistakable sense of being held back, as if he wasn’t really allowed to lean into the raw rock and roll that made him famous. Elvis Is Back! is perfectly listenable, but it’s more background than bold statement. It shows his versatility as a singer, sure, but it doesn’t capture the energy or danger that defined his best work. It’s Elvis, just not at his most exciting.

Guess who's back: Back again. It's Elvis, he's back. Back from what you may ask? Mandatory service in The U.S. Army of course, which is as good a reason to slow your artistic output as any. But, as we've already established, Elvis is back, and he has approximately 31 minutes of new material to sustain his horde of admirers. If you've heard an Elvis song, you could probably tell me what this sounds like. Which isn't to say that this is bad, it's just that Elvis is so ingrained in music as a cultural reality that we have a Seinfeld syndrome situation. The 65 years since this came out saw music like Elvis, and the Rock and Roll that he was inspired by being built upon, mutated, stripped back, hardened, baked, fried, and boiled so many times, by so many people, and in so many different ways that I just can't really find Elvis' music exciting. That being said, for the rare situation in which I want to hear an Elvis song, any of these would do, but I just don't really need them *all* together as an album. I will say that Such A Night is unquestionably my favorite here, so I guess I advise you check it out first. But everything here is deeply "Elvis" as well. Basically, for better or worse, this is just 12 Elvis songs in a row, so your mileage may vary depending on your enthusiasm for the idea of listening to 12 Elvis songs in a row.

276/1089 - It was fine.

Ah, some classic Elvis! Some try to say no, but the early 60's was a really good Elvis phase. In Elvis is Back, one thing you can notice, is that the audio is way more better than the previous ones. My favorite here is "Reconsider baby", a housebreak blues in the best meaning of the name. 5 stars of course.

It was alright, it sounded like Elvis

I really dig Elvis Presley records and while this one is a fair to good album, it is clearly not as culturally or musically earth shattering as ALOHA FROM HAWAII VIA SATELLITE, which is nearly as important to his career as the '68 Comeback Special. When you look at the albums that were chosen from this artist you see the impact of the stupid singles and soundtracks rule on this list in action. Most of Elvis Presley's most culturally and notable tracks were either from soundtracks (G.I. Blues, Blue Hawaii, Viva Las Vegas...) or were from a time when selling singles was more important than selling LPS (Jailhouse Rock, Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear, All Shook Up...). So, you cannot really get a grasp on the influence of some artists without including soundtracks or singles compilations. Now back to this record. Even on an album such as this, he is still THE KING, and can make weaker songs sound fantastic. He makes what he is doing sound so easy, when it is far from.

This is truly from a whole different era. Was 1960 really that long ago? Yep - I guess it was. That was a fun listen. L actually remembered some of the songs. L = (2.75*s) It’s hard to believe that this was risque and the start of rock ‘n roll. J = (2.9*s) Oh, the music world musta been quite excited that Elvis Is Back…

Deferring any special treatment in Special Services and serving as a regular soldier served the King well. Probably the smartest move by the Colonel to put him in a good light and earn respect from his fellow Americans who may have thought negatively about him. If only the old hound dog hadn't courted a 14 year old while in Germany. Elvis is Back! with this record. His return from the army and to old school rock 'n roll is what I expected here. I am not that into the music era but Presley can carry a tune and cause a swoon. 1.7 stars.

More of what I expect from The King. Evidently I like this era of Elvis a little more than the prior entries. The ensemble of pop rockability love songs with some added accompaniment and backing vocals make it a little more fun than crooning gospel country songs. There was a time and place for this and he was influential no doubt but it does little for me in 2025. Not bad but I don't expect I'll ever listen to this again. 1.80 stars

Fav: Such A Night Least Fav: Fever It’s easy listening, but with nothing standout. Kind of a running theme with his albums imo

1/10 Send him back. Fucking Elvis. The vinyl they used to press this record could have been the siding on a slaughterhouse. boring. Fever is a great song and he just drones it like his quaaludes just kicked in. sounds like he has an actual fever and is sipping soup while singing. What the fuck, why this guy? 10-16-2025

Strong 3. While this album is a bit boring and lacks any of the Elvis gusto you hear about, I do understand why buttoned-up White folks emerging from the 50s really at up this (for the time?) funked-up White boy.

Back to where? Not the top.

Was going to say "at least only half an hour", but I actually enjoyed a song or two.

yeah i dont see why americans are obsessed with him

Starting with the good -- this album sounds great for the time of recording. Production is extremely clean and crisp, with vocals sounding fantastic, mixing giving a lot of space to the instruments, and the individual instruments sounding clear and punchy. This album also has quite a bit of variety ranging from blues (Reconsider Baby, It Feels So Right) to Doo-Wop (Make Me Know It, Soldier Boy) to "beach rock" (The Girl of My Best Friend) to Rockabilly (Dirty, Dirty Feeling), which keeps things interesting. However, I found it made for a bit of weird sequencing (especially the first three songs). Favorite songs were the absolutely spartan blues song Fever, which is built entirely around a ponderous bass line, snaps and the occasional drum roll; Soldier Boy, a languid and beautiful ballad; It Feels So Right; and the closer Reconsider Baby. Otherwise, the songs are all fine, but sound like a thousand other songs I've heard from this era. Can't see myself coming back any time soon, but this was a fine ride to start the day. 3 / 5

This is a pretty cool album. Another one where I would love to be able to hear it as if it were actually 1960 and it was the bee's knees. Very unique sound with a great voice. Don't think it's quite enough to get it to a 4, but I can understand why Elvis was such a huge deal after listening to this album just once.

Elvis Presley > Elvis Costello. Just a smooth singing 30 minutes of classic music

Fever is a jam. The rest is just ok. Don't really think I'm the biggest Elvis fan but its not outwardly bad. Meh 3.

2.5 rounded up

Really? Only 3 Elvis albums in the 1,001 and this clunker is one of them? A so-so collection of songs, but always love me some Fever. Maybe it’s on the list because it’s the first one after getting out of the Army, and right before a string of mostly mediocre (with occasional great tracks) of soundtrack albums that Col. Tom Parker made him do to make money.

Neither of these Elvis albums has been bad, but I’m still disappointed there’s a third one in our future

This might be one of the best albums I’ve heard from the era, at least from white guys, but maan I just can’t help but feel like all of these songs were stolen from artists, who sung it even better. I’m gonna give it a 3, because I enjoyed it, but I have a sour taste in my mouth.

Sort of freaked out by his voice sometimes... Have to be honest and say I didn't particularly enjoy it. Although again, I didn't hate it, and guess it was okay... I'm gonna be kind and give it 3, even though I'm leaning towards a 2... Might change my mind

On the plus side, Elvis has a voice that cannot be surpassed. His vocal delivery is perfect. On the down side - as Lennon said, 'Elvis died when he joined the army' - this is thin gruel compared to the raw power of Elvis before the draft.

This is alright.

Fine nothing crazy or notable

- Typischer Elvis Vibe - Macht gute Laune - Hat mich jetzt nicht ganz vom Hocker gehauen aber hat Spaß gemacht es anzuhören Topsong: Fever

It’s ok, feel like the other two made for enough Elvis albums though

2/10 - boring honky tonk music, every song the same as the others, honestly never understood the hype or obsession with Elvis

Pretty good album! I like Elvis, not like a die hard or anything but he's definitely got some good music and this was a pretty good one!

Pretty bland. Reading on it I get it must've had an insane amount of hype due to the army break but there's nothing on this that feels mandatory.

Elvis has a great voice and his use of it as an instrument is well done. There is some fun music and the mixing is pretty dynamic. A song like It Feels So Right has an interesting use of the Blues, not so on the nose. I'm not so sure about it's construction as an album. It doesn't flow nicely, but I enjoyed the listen.

This is a good album. But it does not demonstrate what made Elvis a cultural icon. It lacks the energy and seductiveness of his earlier live and television performances. And it lacks the showmanship of his later Vegas years.

own

I was quite skeptical when I got this one, but I enjoyed it just fine! Dude can sing. Guess that's why he's the king of rock, huh?

Ugh. More Elvis. I just don’t get it. He didn’t even write the songs. I tried. I really did. Just absolute saccharin. Lacks substance.

96/1001 :: Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back! Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: Yes Fav Songs: Fever, Dirty Dirty Feeling, Reconsider Baby What can I say, I’m a fan of The King. Guy was a professional. I know he didn’t write much but that voice is unmistakable and his arrangements were cool. This album was a good example of that. The album sounded very 50s but it was a sound that he had perfected at this point. Another cool thing about Elvis is that for the time, he didn’t play it safe. He was a massive pop star but to his credit a lot of his songs had bite, both stylistically and from a content perspective. People love to hate on the King but Reconsider Baby is a badass blues performance any way you slice it.

My only experience with Elvis Presley is hearing some songs of a compilation album (the 30 #1 Hits) when I was a kid. My parents have the CD and they used to play it a lot in the car. However, I can't remember almost any of the tracks, except for 'A Little Less Conversation'. Back to the album, this marks as my first real experience with an actual Elvis Presley record, and I must say that it is just fine. It basically works more as a compilation of tracks than a cohesive project. Not that it is a bad thing, as a lot of great records do the same thing, but in this case it doesn't work as well mainly because most of the songs feel very standard rock and roll with nothing interesting going on. What I can say is that I find his voice quite appealing (as so many people did back in his days) and the production to be incredible good. I must have heard a remixed or remastered version without noticing it, because it sounds incredibly clear for its time. In the end, a project which sounds decent but that doesn't have any real substance to make me come back.

Thoughtful and catchy arrangements that connect to deeper feelings as you listen

Ok album

Fever is a great song, striped down and quiet. Lots of good ol sappy rock tunes and of course that voice is iconic. Warm and Warbly

När Elvis och de andra 1954 gick in på Sun Records i Memphis förändrade världen. Denna skiva kom när det redan var gjort och får bedömas för sig..

1960 Elvis is back from the war! He mashed to get her Blues and pop and rock in this 31min album. It was rocking throughout.

Ain't got nothing against the King but I've always wanted to appreciate him more than I actually do. It's nice to like things! I certainly like his music but rarely love. Almost every song here is a 3.5 teetering on a 4 so I should definitely give this record some more plays. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be a top 10 record among aficionados; I've got so much more to explore to fully understand the appeal. I think I like sad Elvis and gospel Elvis the most but the #1 hit singles ain't bad either, none of which appear here although "Such a Night" reached #2 on Billboard. The non-album single "Stuck On You" reached #1 before the release of Elvis Is Back. It's a goodun.

Look, Elvis is super cool and one of the most important folks ever in music - his voice is one of a kind and he revolutionized popular music. This is definitely a strong collection of songs, but its not the most memorable, especially on the back half. I'm not sure about the incessant background vocals on almost every track, but otherwise it's hard to argue with the instrumentation and arrangements. The mix is surprisingly lively and most of the songs sound really good. Personally, it's closer to a 3 star, but we'll round up since there's only one Elvis.

Elwood Parsley was always more about image than music. Shakin’ Steven’s tried the exact same shtick, and his career shows how well it aged. This album is just boring rock and roll, which has never been my thing. There is maybe one track that is more rootsy / bluesy and is infinitely better than the rest of the doo-wop crap. This is not awful, but it is not good and just cements that whilst this may have been the foundations of modern music, like in buildings, I don’t want to spend time experiencing the foundations when the soaring edifice built on them is so much more enjoyable. There are too many Elvises on this list.

I've seen this described as Elvis going more of a "sophisticated pop" route but it's uneven. Recorded and released after his return from the army, it's clear that they just wanted to pump as much material out of this guy as quickly as possible. His record label even kept releasing old unreleased tracks during his military service. Side A is so sleepy outside of Dirty, Dirty Feeling which is a scrapped King Creole track but it's a nice jolt. Such a Night is a great vocal performance and arrangement. The three bluesy songs out of the last four tracks are serviceable. All told, if you're not sold on Elvis, I don't think this will sway you, but it's got some juice.

Elvis Schmelvis! Boring!

Objleloeoenss Yeah I’m fucking Elvis’s penis yeah. Thank you very much

That version of Fever was anemic lol

Not even the Army could hold Elvis back. Elvis returns with new material after a two year hiatus and probably sounds the most polished he's ever sounded. As a result, things are maybe a bit more subdued than one would come to expect compared to energy of Elvis' previous performances. Regardless, there still is some range and variety here; blues, crooning pop, and R&B. It's a quick listen on top of all that.

Ok

Sure

A laid back and versatile Elvis album. Smooth, often romantic and sometimes soulful. Not the rock and roll Elvis i prefer (Dirty, Dirty Feeling aside) but a good listen all the same. Crazy to think that over half the songs on this album are covers, imagine an artist doing that nowadays. The Jordanaires are fantastic in the background, really adding to that smooth, rich textured tone. A few too many very similar ballads and basic blues tracks to really get me excited but i did enjoy the couple of spins i gave it. Favourite tracks - Such a Night and Reconsider Baby (love the brass and jazz piano) 7.5/10

I didn't like this. I had to force myself to listen to it though. I get that Elvis like, changed music but I just don't get it. 2 stars for being iconic but really my heart says 1.

on the commute I would usually listen to this album, I listened to "Blue Lips" by ScHoolboy Q, not relevant except it was funny to imagine I was still listening to a 1960 Elvis Presley album.

I like some Elvis but this isn’t his best work.

ugh i just am not the biggest elvis fan.

He's just not for me. 2.4.

You can tell that Elvis worked on his vocals for this album. I feel like Elvis is less of an artist that does albums and more of an artist that does singles, so overall I felt this was not a great album, but I'm not sure what other of his albums you would pick to represent him that isn't a compilation. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

2.6 Definitely up there for one of the most overrated artists ever. This was one of his better albums, although there's about 3 "flavours" of songs here that are rinsed and repeated. Helps that it actually ends on a decent track, but so many are just so damn boring. Also, how the fuck was this guy a sex symbol. JD Vance levels of punchable faces.

It's just boring. Didn't age well considering what music was like just a few years later

How do you objectively assess Elvis? Im old but he was a legend and died before i was born. To me, he was presented as some sort of cultural icon rather than an actual person. Like King Arthur, Robin Hood or Jesus. Who else spawns an industry of copycats (maybe MJ), so many albums and films and a look that still holds. His hits are part of the fabric of western society. Listening to this album was a treat. His voice really is a thing of beauty and i know he didnt write the songs, but they are great and really evoke an era.

No my favourite genre but it’s elvis so there’s that. 3.5

Fever is such a banger song that I appreciate every cover of it that has happened so yeah well done Elvis. Feels like a bunch of singles but hey it’s elvis so one cant super complain.

Without any major hits, this just shows Elvis’s insane talent. Just a sweet and beautiful voice that really does not age. Always appreciate an album of his.

It was better than I expected! Not my style, but I still enjoyed it.

Solid Elli. Ekki meira en það. Man varla eftir einu lagi á plötunni degi síðar eftir 4 hlustanir. Nema fever. Sem hann gerði ekki nærri því jafn vel og Peggy Lee.

Ósköp fínt og þægilegt en ekkert meira en það.

Never listened to an Elvis album all the way through before, pretty solid! Favorite tracks: Make Me Know It Fever (cover) Soldier Boy

It's Elvis alright, but in just "meh" form.

The King is boring baby

Not some of my favorites, but an ok album

The genesis of my interest in Rock music starts with the Beatles, so Elvis feels a bit too old fashioned in comparison. This is not too bad though.

Hard for me to get through this album. Its ok, but I'd rather listen to the artists Elvis was listening to. Decent songs, good recording.

One Elvis was enough. There will no doubt be more.

I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. Classic Elvis sound, but there just isn't a noteworthy song on this album. Every track feels like filler or b-sides to his better work.

It's ok 4/5

Pas vraiment de saveur, ce serait bon pour Paul qui ne tolère pas même le cumin.

Meh. Oubliable comme l'autre de Elvis. Me semble un peu plus inventif, avec par exemple Fever qui est pas mal.

Pretty fun, actually. I will be listening to the original versions of these songs, since I highly suspect that at least most of these are covers. But this really wasn't that bad.

Elvis strikes me as more of a singles guy than an albums guy. This one is fine. I like the variety but it also feels poorly organized.

I can see why the ladies went crazy over him. He has a ton of albums, I hope more of them pop up on this list. Favorite song: The Girl of My Best Friend

I've never found the music of Elvis all that interesting. This did not change my mind. He has a nice voice but the music is so boring.

100% average to below average Elvis. Nothing to replay here. Not even his Fever rendition

Meh. Not very inspiring. Even lacks a big hit of his. 2/5 Won't listen again.

Makes me think of That Thing You Do. I'm not a huge Elvis fan. I can see why he was successful. I haven't seen the Elvis biopic. Spikes of nostalgia. This one is hard to rate and I've been stuck on rating it for a while so I'm just going to give it a 3 and move on with my life.

I wouldn't have ever thought I would enjoy that much Elvis Presley. I loved the first album I was assigned and, now, this one has been excellent. It is funny, varied and really entertaining.

Blah

Loved this and Elvis

*1960. 4th studio album. *Solid, polished sound. *Enjoyed pretty much every song, but nothing memorable and probably wouldn't revisit. *Would rate higher if Elvis didn't have better albums. RATING - 6/10

3.5

This was very much what I expected, it didn’t really have any of Elvis’s iconic songs though and nothing massively jumped out. Pleasant enough.

I was going to make a jest about the album title being changed from “Elvis Is Black” but I couldn’t really figure out how to land that plane across the 24 hours I had with this assignment so here’s… this as my review blurb instead. Workshopping, people.

Yes he’s back. Did he ever leave.

Dull. Appreciate times have changed but Elvis was away for 2 plus years, this was the big comeback?! A bunch of soulless covers and insipid love songs.

But boring

I promised myself that I'd go into this album cold and not research it. So, here's my inference-based thoughts on this LP. Elvis is back? He must be fresh out of the army. Time for a bunch of crappy movies and the stepping stone to a Vegas residency/being built like an ostrich. Oh, boy! That Tom Hanks movie really stunk. Elvis can sing! He's got a lovely range. Unfortunately, the album does not. 'Fever' (again, inferring here) is a decent cover. But, the rest of the album is very similar. A lot of that 50s rock piano. And blues progressions. He belts out and shows his range as a singer, but there is a serious lack of 'rock' (and/or roll). A lot was similar in the writing/arrangement. 3 Stars. From a guy who starred in an Elvis themed musical.

This album gives the vibe of a gentleman in the twilight of his life looking at a photo album and remembering the love of his life - his now-deceased beloved wife. While he sips a brandy, he thinks of their first date at a night club, their romantic holidays driving to beach towns, and sitting on the porch of their moderate home while watching their children play. Picturing himself cuddled up on the outdoor two-seater with a blanket over their laps, he is filled with an inner warmth. He puts the album down, and smiles to himself, thinking back to his lively youth.

Good tunes from a long lost time

Звучит новаторски как для тех лет, и это звучание будут использовать ещё и в девяностых различные артисты. Очень неплохо, но не для моего плейлиста.

Fever is the only one that moved me. This is not my favorite Elvis music. ★★★

It's Elvis. It's ok.

Elvis was deemed a danger to the US for promoting black artists and fostering cultural connection between black and white people during a time of great civil unrest. He was stationed in Germany and spent lots of time around high ranking military personnel, got introduced to his wife and came home after a few years. This album was his triumphant return to the spotlight. As far as the music goes, it's Elvis. As per the usual, couple of covers that I don't prefer his version of, some fun voice stuff and well produced sound. Unfortunately, I just don't care about the music that much. I have a copy of the 2018 version of this book and mostly it talks about how big of a deal it was that he was back, making music again. Other than the cultural moment surrounding this album, there's nothing interesting for me to say about the music. What IS interesting is the theories that Elvis was different when he came back stateside. There are even theories he was exposed to mind altering drugs like LSD in order to attempt to brainwash him and become even more of a US military asset. I don't know if I believe all that, but it makes sense for the military to draft him at the height of his popularity, get him inside their circle, make friends with him and change his viewpoints to more align with what the US wants for their citizens, not what the citizens want for the US.

Admittedly not my favorite Elvis.

Fever - loved his version! Tingy and groovy. Released the wiggle

I get why black people are mad at Elvis

Unlike a lot of older albums, this is timeless. Loving this.

Make Me Know It 3.8 Fever 3.7 The Girl of My Best Friend 3.8 I Will Be Home Again 3.4 Dirty, Dirty Feeling 3.2 Thrill of Your Love 3.5 Soldier Boy 3.4 Such a Night 3.6 It Feels So Right 3.5 Girl Next Door Went A-Walking 3.4 Like a Baby 3.3 Reconsider Baby 3.5 Score: 3.508333333

Franchement ça s’écoute bien c’est très sympa. C’est court et bon

Pas écouté mais 2 pour la hate

It's fine, but I'm yet to hear an Elvis album which felt like an album. You could take a random assortment of any of his albums and smash them together and it would work just as well as an album as this does. Might've been interesting 60/70 years ago, but it's rather unremarkable now.

listened to this while washing my face so i didnt pay attention to the lyrics a lot besides fever and girl of my best friends but deffo a jazzy-esque(?) album

‘Elvis Isn’t Coming Back’ was one of Houmous & Chutneys famous myth busting albums. If anyone knew that Elvis was definitely dead it would of course be Len Houmous & Ken Chutney! 4.3 5/12 Dirty, Dirty Feeling

I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of these songs before. But Elvis is Elvis and I still thought the album was pretty good.

i only knew one of these songs (Fever rules 10/10), but this is exactly the kind of Elvis stuff I really enjoy

"I'm gonna chain you to the wall". What the‽ That's fucked up even for 1960.

Elvis is back from the military. Fever is a banger, Pleasant and easy to listen to.

I like it. Thank you very much 🕺🏻

Just a fun album. Probably not Elvis's best, but it's a great album.

Elvis. Pleasantly enjoyable.

Nice to hear some of his other songs than just the very popular ones

Not my favorite Elvis album.

Excellent!

Huh thank you very much

This is really showing it's age IMO. Not that it's bad, but it feels pretty dated and it's hard to imagine listening to it again purely for the enjoyment of it.

It’s Elvis, so his voice is gold, but I really only liked a couple songs. The rest were a bit too bluegrass for my taste.

This boy will go far

Nice typical Elvis music, nothing wrong with it but no great songs on it. It brings back memories of my Memphis trip but that is not enough for four stars… 3.4 stars

Dad- 5 Mom- 8.5 Mike- NA Lori- 4 Michael- NA Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 5.83

To say I’m well over half way through this process I think that this is the first Elvis album I’ve been served up. Does this mean he has less albums on the list than the more famous 😉 Elvis AKA Elvis Costello? I say all this because despite all the plaudits the more older Elvis has and his historical place in the annals of music, I am totally ambivalent towards him and if he had never existed I wouldn’t have missed him. But that raises the question of if Elvis P had never existed would we have music today in its present form and would I have the same musical heroes responsible for all my favourite albums? One to chew over whilst listening to this album. At the conclusion I’m still at a loss as to how any of Elvis’s stuff influenced all the musical greats. But I’m an imbecile without any musical talent so what do I know? But I know what I like and this does not include this album. My gut instinct is one star but with a nod to those who know better I’ll stretch to 2. 2/5 1/8/25

There is a certainly no one quite like Elvis, and this album, though light on the hits, proves why the man won over the hearts of Americans everywhere.

Don't call it a comeback, The King will remain here for the remainder of your years and innumerable years after that.

S'alright. I have some love and respect for his hits, but this didn't really feel like it had any.

I am very bothered by the way he pronounces "reminisce" as "riminesce"

I asked an AI thingy how many rock/pop albums had been released since 1958. Its conservative estimate was 3-5 million, its more inclusive estimate was 8-12 million. So quite what this dross is doing on a list of 1001 ‘must-hear’ records is beyond me.

Off the cuff remark: I have always been bewildered by the love of Presley. There ARE some good possibly some great songs - none of them on here. But to me contemporaries like Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochrane, Fats Domino and Little Richard are better. There, said it. Standout track: It Feels So Right Revisit?: probably not. Though there is nothing to be offended by on this album.

This isn't a great album, but it's easy to listen to and had some really fun songs

The King becomes a Queen! Somehow the king of rockabilly morphs into a crooning easy listener. Tragic.

Like Elvis but this isn't a great album

Elvis ain't an album guy for me. Up there with Queen for all time Greatest Hits Only artists. 2.5/5

just cant get into elvis.

I've never actively listened to Elvis but I know all the 'hits'. So it was interesting to me to hear some of the lesser known songs. Its good. I don't think he adds anything to the music, just a white guy making blues more accessable to white folks at the time... if you know what I mean. Just a watered down version of the good stuff.

I've never been the biggest fan of the King, but he's definitely one of those musicians where I completely understand why he was so successful and beloved.

Fever çok çok iyi şarkı. Diğerleri biraz fazla pop bence ama güzel yine de.

nicer than expected

Come on…It’s the King! How could it possibly fall short?!

Would have been better without the Jordanaires.

Fever is incredible. The rest is decent

RnR, 1960 -> 3

Okay, this one has a bit more variety than the other two albums.

Elvis is so iconic that people don't dare question his greatness, and while he really was an excellent performer, albums like this just confirm that he was merely a vehicle to sell black people's music to a largely bigoted white audience. If you listen to any great black musicians of the era, you'll find incendiary passion that Elvis rarely approaches on this or other records. He even croons his way through a well known blues standard Reconsider Me. The upside is that it is still largely an enjoyable records but unlike the music of his black peers (and quite a few white ones), a large part of it sounds a bit outdated and milquetoast. I love Scotty Moore's guitar work though, as well as Elvis's somewhat subdued performance of Fever.

I probably wouldn't stick this on voluntarily, the legend has kind of overshadowed the music for me. But I see the appeal and I love what he influenced. I do prefer the Cramps' cover of Fever though!

3/5

Doesn’t sound vital

Elvis, the King! A bit tamed, but with a merciles distinctive voice. Good.

It was fine. Standout song: Fever

Oldies this week. I don't know the impact of this specific album in 1960 but I fully understand the mark Elvis left on American music. I've never listened to this album and really don't know any of the tracks as none of them made his Greatest Hits or #1's album. Upbeat intro with "Make Me Know It". His version of "Fever" is good, but definitely not the best. Pretty vanilla stuff I thought. "I Will Be Home Again" & "Thrill Of Your Love" bored me to sleep. There was better music being released in 1960, I'm sure of it. Favorite: "Such A Night". Kind of slow and sleepy, not quite the 'Elvis Is Back' bang I was expecting. 3 stars for being listenable but average at best.

Oh Elvis? Right, fine. Let's have a look at the "King of the Rock n Roll" or how I like to refer to him, the man who got famous stealing black people's music and maybe writing a couple of his own songs. Knowing he probably wrote none of the songs on this album does take away from the attempted enjoyment of this album. The album starts well enough, very 60s swing and early signs of what eventually became rock n roll. Fever can sod off, it's the delivery of the entire song stinks of ego. "Don't ya worry I'll just snap my fingers the entire song, that's all I need". Elvis does do well in his delivery throughout album, most notable tracks being The Girl of my Best Friend, Dirty Dirty Feeling, which is a upbeat 2 minutes swinging track, it would be even better if he wrote the cunt but anyway. Overall it's an album, the credit goes to the backing musicians more so than anything else and if you want to listen to the actual origins of Rock n Roll, listen to Sister Rosetta Tharpe who was doing what Elvis stole in the 30s, 40s and 50s. 1.8/5 MTW Good fucking god here we go. In a shocking turn of events, I do infact agree with MTW, I objectively quite like Elvis, subjectively is a bit touch and go. The lore of this album is a little bit nuts, fresh off his stint in the army, Elvis has a new depth to his voice; his interpretations were increasingly sophisticated; the group was probably the best studio band in the business; the song selection is imaginative and varied (alas, this is simply nothing to do with him), the technical quality is absolutely excellent. Most surprisingly of all, for Elvis. this album pointed in no one musical direction, it's almost as if Elvis had invented his own brand of music, broken down the barriers and included everything he heard in all the kinds of music he loved (stole). I have very little else to say, as I find the morals hard to approach. It's good, but not his. 2.5/5 - HF x P.s - He is a nonce This is not a record you need to listen to before you die. Elvis as a whole is someone you need to familiarise yourself with before you die. You should probably watch a few documentaries about him (not that god awful biopic with the man who now talks like Elvis full-time). You should probably even watch his comeback special in the full leather pervert outfit, because it's actually class. You do not need to listen to any Elvis record before you die. To paraphrase Alan Partridge; "My favourite Elvis album? I'd have to say... the Best of Elvis". But even then you could probably have a decent enough time without listening to fucking Hound Dog. The majority of tunes on 'Is Back!' have been performed by better artists who produced better versions. A record of no highlights that you could play in a pub and people would probably be okay with it (although they'd hear the voice and perhaps lament it wasn't one of the more familiar Elvis 'hits' playing). An overall dull experience but a necessary figure in music who moved along the theft of blues, soul etc from black people so we could have Led Zeppelin. Cheers you paedo. 1.8/5 JF

Elvis sucks. That is all. That’s the review.

mid for Elvis. still has that great voice, nice harmonic backing singers and melody. nothing stood out.

Never listened to an entire Elvis album. Appreciate his place in music history, but not sure if I’ll listen to another Elvis album, unless there are more in this list. A couple of classic songs here for sure, but this sits on the border of the crooners and rock and roll and I prefer things after we’ve crossed that border firmly into rock territory.

Appreciate the voice, appreciate the talent. Just not my thing.

The king

1960 OMG 😨 Elvis is back… in 1960?! This album is too old to be considered. Unlistenable.

Can’t go wrong with elvis

Pretty good pretty good.

Elvis could most certainly sing but I've never been much of a fan. He had already peaked before I was born and by the time I became interested in music, the music world had pretty much passed him by. Outside of "Fever" which was pretty bad, this was kind of fun nostalgia of a bygone era of popular music and the short run time wasn't long enough for this to wear out its welcome.

Ordinarily I don't much care for Elvis but, driving along at 5.30 earlier this morning, this just hit the right mood. Really enjoyable, and glimpse perhaps, of why he was so revered.

Still not an Elvis fan. Best song-Fever

Man, old music was weird, listening to ten different people's versions of the same song over and over again, is Peggy Lee's Fever my goat or is this slightly-different version from slightly-later a real game changer? I'm so glad Bob Dylan graciously invented singer-songwriters a few years later, I don't know how long I could've lasted back then What's the answer to the Fever question? I don't know, they're just both there. This isn't my mess, the '50s did this, Elvis is just another casualty of society. The music sounds neat. I like the first song and it doesn't have its own Wikipedia page so it's probably original. That is super swanky and at least partially on fleek. "Elvis Is Back!", more like, "Elvis-es, BACK!" which is, actually, what I say when I'm warding off a pack of feral Presley/Costello albums on 1001albumsgenerator.com. Some of Dimery's elite assassins, they are.

Not bad, but not great. Didn’t mind it but there weren’t any true standouts on this album.

Pretty good!

My mom always told me that you were either an Elvis person or a Beatles person. Turns out I'm a Beatles person I guess. I liked Fever, but that's not an original to Elvis, and arguably done better by Peggy Lee. Hunka hunka boring album.

Honestly, awful boring not what I expected out of an Elvis Presley album at least there could’ve been one good song. There wasn’t even one good song.

Not a big Elvis fan but this was pretty good.

Enjoyed the Elvis educational. Again a sound ive heard countless times, still, a pleasant ballad. Origin of pop is here.

I appreciated the length of this album! I have never been a fan of Elvis but I must admit to having a lot more empathy for him since watching the recent biopic.

Elvis wrapping up a mediocre week - maybe I would have felt differently if I'd heard his music in the landscape of other musicians at the time? Huge cultural impact, but his music doesn't do anything for me. At least it was a quickie.

the way she walks, the way she talks

Never been an Elvis fan. I've listened to his music and just can't get into it.

This guy's got a good voice.

A pleasing album that dares to be a bit adventurous. While some of it doesn't leave too much of an impact, it definitely feels more intentual as an album than one of the earlier records I've heard. It almost sounds like he was trying to convey different personas for certain songs which I find interesting.

Great vibes. Surprised I didn’t really know any songs.

It’s pretty good. Doo-woppy backing vocals really elevate it for me. Excited for where this challenge could go.

Elvis has some great tunes in his catalog, but he is not an albums guy. That said, nothing on this album really stands out as great.

I simply have no interest in Elvis music. 2 stars or D.

Elvis is 'The King'

Uno podría pasar la vida entera escuchando solamente a Elvis. Y a lo mejor debería.

Lots of better ither Elvis

I'm not really sure how I feel about this album, nothing memorable the next day when writing the review...

A bit hokey at times, but some good tracks mixed in there.

I love Elvis music. I think this album has great production, good music and backing vocals, and the classic pre-drug Elvis voice. A great album from beginning to end.

Not bad. Never been a huge Presley fan. Never listened to a whole album from him before, but this wasn't bad.

I find it interesting that all of Presley's big hits came from singles, not the studio albums. So is this an album I need to hear before I die? It's pretty mediocre Elvis stuff.

The back story of Elvis joining the army and having this as his next release is epic. Deep album

Ik begrijp Elvis nog steeds niet helemaal

I can't lie, I was a bit disappointed by this album. There were no real standout tracks, nothing that remotely sounded like a classic Elvis track (in my opinion). I made it all the way through and 2 stars feels about right.

That was a good one :)

Wow, Elvis two days in a row!

Elvis is back and he doesn't disappoint.

It’s an Elvis album. It’s not bad, and obviously it has historical significance, but it’s not something I feel a need to revisit after listening once. Favorite: Fever

I couldn’t wait for this album to be over. The entire piece just feels like a challenge to record the same song as many times as possible. As soon as one song about being hopped up about a girl ends, it’s immediately restarts. The one relatively unique song, ‘fever’, is a cover and therefore can’t earn an additional star. The cultural impact of Elvis is undeniable, but from a pure listening experience, I’ve had few worse.

Look, I get it. It's good.... but something about Elvis just doesn't click with me. Never has.

GOAT musician. Some of the downtempo songs are trying a little too hard to be sexy but dude's the man. I take it this album in total is downtempo compared to his others. Masterful tone setting, the best to ever do it, wonderful harmonies and each instrument is pronounced and doing something interesting always. Short with no bullshit filler. Intended to be replayed and danced to. Doo wop and gospel. American. Listened to it twice today. Any modern artist could easily cover one of these and make a shit ton of money.

Relatively unremarkable album with a few standout tracks and many that have become very dated. 2/5

First time listening to Elvis. Enjoyed it.

Where did he go? Elvis reminds me of my childhood as my dad was a big fan, it all sounds the same to me and if you are looking to listen to Elvis you might as well throw on a greatest hits album because it's all about singles and not albums back in Big E's hayday

Hes back from a crazy 1 year hiatus

Elvis

Fuck. I actually like Elvis now

Eh. I was fine with it for like 3-4 songs. Maybe microdosing is the way to go with Elvis

Didnt like it

Fun listen!

• 3/5 • Stylistically varied and polished performances, but nothing that really stands out

Definitely Elvis!

Saucy stuff. Not as criminally good as Elvis in Memphis, but he indulges in a dirty, lowdown sound that’s a lot of fun.

Elvis is always 5 stars. No other voice like his.

Meh

Not my favourite Elvis record, but I can see this one being a good vibe for driving to.

I didn't expect the amount of doo-wop that was in this record, and I am all for it. I enjoyed most of the tracks, and there was enough variety to keep my attention. The highlights in this track are the blues-heavy tracks, especially in the last track, "Reconsider Baby", where the band puts up a remarkable performance. There wasn't really a lowlight in this record, but if I had to choose, it would be the sombre tracks, specifically "I Will Be Home Again". It wasn't a bad performance, but it did feel a little out of place considering the brighter tracks in this record. Favourite Track(s): Thrill of Your Love, Reconsider Baby Least Favourite Track(s): I Will Be Home Again, Dirty, Dirty Feeling

Such a throwback. I remember bopping to this at the local hankypank with slippin jimmy and my new squeeze Betty Williams.

Saai

How good is the production on this album. Genuinely blew me away how great the recording sounds compared to early Beatles when this predates it. Unreal, with great songs, this will come back to me again

Elvis Is Back - Elvis Presley (4.5 Stars) Just gave Elvis Is Back a listen for the first time, though I've definitely heard classics like "Fever" before. And wow, I really enjoyed this album! It's got such a cool vibe. I'm seriously going to hunt down the vinyl version of this one. Those "Living Stereo" recordings are something special, and I bet it sounds amazing on wax. It might not be a chart-topper like some of his other albums, but I truly dig it. It's all about "Taking Care of Business" on this record. Definitely a positive listen!

Pretty standard Elvis fare. Good take on Fever. Whoever wrote the lyrics for “The Girl Next Door went A’ walking” should feel embarrassed

Not really into Elvis or the genre for that matter. The late 50s and 60s doesn't give me much. Whilst listening I could imagine all the girls swooning and screaming the first time they heard it. It's commercial, produced to generate image and money. Some songs are pretty good, don't get me wrong, but I don't believe Elvis had much input - just his image and that sultry voice. The song writers and studio artists were in top form. With that said, I enjoyed it. It doesn't really tickle my fancy so to speak, but it's enjoyable and seductive. It's hard to fault the voice, the blues numbers, the typical rock and roll of the era.

2.5/5

I guess they don’t call him the king for nothing.

Ik vond dit niks

# Album Name: Elvis is back # Artist: Elvis Presley # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: There is no doubt the man has the voice and hips of a legend. But the albums ive heard so tend to drag. Elvis is definitely more of a singles guy to me. His greatest hits if you like. I still do not put him in the same category as the beatles. Who are far superior imo. The fact he doesnt write any of his songs doesnt help the cause. Couple of good tracks on the album though. The rest was largely forgettable. Love his vocals though. # Top Tunes: Fever / Such a night # Would I listen to it again? Parts of it.

Always enjoyed Elvis and this album is no exception. His version of Fever is top notch.

in terms of cultural relevance or impact, i can't really argue with elvis's inclusion on this list but that doesn't mean i have to like him or his crappy rip off music

I like some Elvis music -- songs with a little more gusto -- just fine. This seems way too languid.

I just don’t get the hype

pretty good i suppose...

Some decent tunes on here but overall felt very middle of the road and too slick; for someone who is deemed the king of rock'n'roll there was a lack of energy and spirit as well as any real energy or... rock'n'roll. The backing vocals also sound very cheesy and dated, generally don't see the appeal despite a few good tracks

He’s called The King—and Elvis the Pelvis—for a reason. I don’t think anyone was doing sexy croon quite like him. These songs are inconsequential and pleasing as hell.

Soooo good

Pretty medium, but I do like tambourine man

More boring Elvis. *sarcastic yay*

fever ... lalala ... da gab's damals schon ein paar nette Sachen

2.25

Alright

didn't like it but I enjoyed it

Even considering the age of that album, I think it's a bit boring. It does have a few good songs, but maybe it's just not my thing. fav track: Fever

Always a pleasure listening to Elvis