Elvis [Original Soundtrack]

by Elvis / O.S.T. (Gate)

Overview

With 2022's Elvis, director Baz Luhrmann turned the life of the legendary rock icon Elvis Presley into a cinematic fever-dream fairy tale. So, it's fitting that the soundtrack follows suit, offering a mix of Presley's original recordings (albeit heavily remixed and edited for the film) alongside cover versions by contemporary artists and some newly penned songs inspired by the singer's life and work. What's interesting about the remixes of the legacy recordings featured here is just how well they work. Tracks like "Suspicious Minds," "Craw-Fever," and "Burning Love" reframe Elvis' warm vocals in vibrantly amped sonic textures, beats, and instrumentation that feel like hyper-colored versions of the original recordings. Similarly, the few original tunes are highly stylized, as with Doja Cat's swaggering hip-hop anthem "Vegas," which juxtaposes her contemporary rap against a sample of Big Mama Thornton's 1952 version of "Hound Dog." The cover tunes, some of which are meant to mimic the original recordings for use in the film, are more faithful in tone. Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaak's wryly campy duet on "Cotton Candy Land" could easily have hit the charts in 1963. Also surprisingly compelling are lead actor Austin Butler's versions of Elvis classics like "Hound Dog" and "Baby, Let's Play House," both of which sound like they could have been recorded live at Sun Studios in the 1950s. The same is true of former American Idol singer Les Greene's goosebump-inducing inhabitation of "Tutti Frutti" that feels like he's literally channeling the spirit of the Little Richard. Elsewhere, we get equally inspired versions of Presley tracks, like Kasey Musgraves' low-key bedroom pop version of "Can't Help Falling in Love," Maneskin's garage power-ballad reading of "If I Can Dream," and Jazmine Sullivan's gospel and R&B-infused take of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." While none of these recordings will supplant Elvis' original work in popular culture, they work as post-modern homage to his legacy and nicely reflect the eye-popping aesthetic of Luhrmann's film. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	11/18/2022
Label:	House Of Iona / Rca
UPC:	0196587457716
Rank:	17221

Tracks

1. Suspicious Minds [Vocal Intro]
2. Vegas]
3. The King and I
4. Tupelo Shuffle
5. Can't Help Falling in Love
6. Cotton Candy Land
7. Edge of Reality [Tame Impala Remix]
8. Don't Fly Away [PNAU Remix]
9. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
10. If I Can Dream
11. Power of My Love
12. I Got A Feelin' In My Body
13. Suspicious Minds
14. In the Ghetto [World Turns Remix]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jack White   Primary Artist
CeeLo Green   Primary Artist
Eminem   Primary Artist
Elvis Presley   Primary Artist
Lenesha Randolph   Primary Artist
Jazmine Sullivan   Primary Artist
Pnau   Primary Artist
Chris Isaak   Primary Artist
Diplo   Primary Artist
Les Rythmes Digitales   Primary Artist
Stevie Nicks   Primary Artist
Yola   Primary Artist
Tame Impala   Primary Artist
Kacey Musgraves   Primary Artist
Doja Cat   Primary Artist
Swae Lee   Primary Artist
Maneskin   Primary Artist
Austin Butler   Primary Artist
Paravi   Primary Artist
Nardo Wick   Featured Artist