Elvis Presley: Moody Blue

 

 Christmas 1977. Evans City, PA. We were at Grandma's house for the holiday and my parents gave me the blue vinyl of Elvis's last LP. I LOVED this album. It's funny I listen to it today and don't remember a couple tracks, but they haven't changed obviously. Growing up I had listened to my parent's Elvis albums (Aloha From Hawaii to name one) and loved listening to him. So getting this was awesome. It was released in July 1977, and I knew I wanted it. I was young and didn't know exactly what I got, but I played it over and over.

A month after it was released, Elvis died and the world wept. This was the last album he would ever create, and although there would be albums released after, they were recordings from far before his death. But nothing could change that delight of playing that clear blue vinyl on the turntable. Listening to Moody Blue and Way Down, my musical taste was beginning to build.

The album itself was a hit, probably because it was his last. It was a mix of live and studio performances. Side one was the live side. Staring out with a different version of Unchained Melody and If You Love Me(Let Me Know) as well as Little Darlin. He'll Have to Go and lastly with Let Me Be There in a honkytonk style. In the background you can hear JD Sumner's deep voice vibrating. When I listen to it today I can hear Jerry Scheff's bass guiding the band(trivia: Jerry Scheff's son, Jason played bass for Chicago!)

Side two was the newer songs recorded for this LP. Way Down led this side, a song which Elvis meant to be a sequel to Fever or so I read years ago. And the other standout on this side is the title track, both were songs I replayed mostly to my family's chagrin I reckon.

Forward to 2015. My High School friend Chris had a used record store back on Pennsylvania so contacted him and had him save me a copy. I came back on vacation(from Florida) and picked it up. I had picked up months before, a briefcase record player and set out to get those vinyls that meant so much to me. This was a prize that I relished. When I got back to Orlando I put it on the turntable and was transported back to 1977. It sounded better than I remembered. My years had given my ears a better appreciation for this. I heard more than I had, more details and different nuances.