Platinum: A Life in Music
The four-CD box-setPlatinumwas released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Elvis's death. While much of the material here is made up of familiar hits, there are also 77 unreleased performances spread over the set. Of course, unreleased doesn't necessarily mean better. The original versions of "Heartbreak Hotel," "Rip It Up," and "That's All Right" are so firmly embedded as the foundations of rock & roll that the new versions here add little luster. But what makesPlatinuma real treasure-trove is hearing Elvis off mic, whether off-duty or working up songs in the studio prior to recording. Presley had an instinctive grasp of all manner of music; as you can hear on these tracks, he could slip with ease from rock & roll to gospel, ballads, or the blues. Among the most revealing recordings are of Elvis relaxing at home, tackling such diverse material as "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "Blueberry Hill."Platinummay not be ideal as an introduction to the music of Presley, but--filled as it is with rare photos and a sensitively written song-by-song commentary--it provides an illuminating insight into the man whose shadow casts itself long into the 21st century.--Patrick Humphries