Valentine Gift
RCA was never at a loss repackaging Elvis Presley material even during the King's lifetime--and it's only accelerated since his death. This 1985 compilation of '50s and '60s ballads, both bluesy and soft, comes from a period when the label was assembling theme compilations, the concept behind this one obviously being love. And it covers all those contradictory Presley bases--that is, love in all its forms--from raw sex ("Fever," "It Feels So Right") to rejection (the wonderful "I Was the One," "Are You Lonesome Tonight?") to his stock-in-trade sincere tenderness (a majority of the tracks here, including, of course, the obligatory "Can't Help Fallin' in Love"). "Fame and Fortune" remains one of his greatest post-Army ballads, and his underrated version of Kitty Lester's "Love Letters" matches the original--but the major buzz at the time of this release was the inclusion here of Dylan's "Tomorrow Is a Long Time," previously available only as a bonus cut on the dreadfulSpinout!soundtrack. As Dylan related to an interviewer, this is the cover version of his own material that he has "treasured the most."--Bill Holdship