The Definitive Overview.....

This review is written mainly to refute some points made by the other reviewers who are quite mistaken. This CD was not a quick release to cash in on 30 #1 Hits....in fact, it was actually released in 1996 - a full 7 years before 30 #1 Hits! Some fact checking is in order, folks. Ignore the reviewer who said Kentucky Rain and Always On My Mind don't fit in. Both are seamlessly integrated into the tracklist (let's not forget Willie Nelson's cover was a much bigger hit on the country chart than the pop chart and the fact that the Pet Shop Boys covered it - turning it into a disco hit - has no bearing on its country roots.). If you enjoy this, I recommend his 1971 Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) CD....but this is for those who want an overview and it does the job in spades. The only song that does not really work is "He'll Have To Go" because Elvis tried to be too faithful to the Jim Reeves original. Elvis almost always relied on his own instincts in covering a song and this one feels like he's trying to be ol' Jim. But this is still an essential CD.

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock & Roll

"Elvis: Great Country Classics" is BMG's latest attempt to validate Elvis's influence beyond the boundary of the rock and roll by packaging a collection of tunes rooted in the country music genre. The 24 song compilation captures the full scope of the King's career from the early 1950s to the late 1970s. Tracks like "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" depict a young Presley (a singer obviously influenced by the country music foundation germaine to his native South) successfully making the leap from country/blues to rockability/rock and roll. Before our very ears, Elvis transitions from a country music neophyte to innovative rock star. With songs like "He'll Have to Go" and "Green, Green Grass of Home," an older Elvis effectively revisits his musical foundation...in essence, the quintessential rocker becomes the consummate country crooner. Several of the CD's tracks prove Elvis could hold his own with any of the leading country stars of the era. Presley's powerful cover of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" and equally strong performances on "I'll Hold You in My Heart" and the Jim Reeves standard, "I Really Don't Want to Know" leave little doubt Elvis could light up the Grand Ole Opry with the same intensity he could rock the roof off of Madison Square Garden. Most of the remaining tracks add credibility to Presley's standing as a bona fide country music artist although Elvis falters in his attempt to cover Glen Campbell's "Gentle on My Mind." Likewise, "Kentucky Rain," a 1970 release that hit the Top 20 on the pop music charts seems out of place in this collection...perhaps included because it was penned by the late country star Eddie Rabbit. The wonderful ballad "Always on My Mind" is another question mark...true, Elvis took it to Number 16 on the Country charts in 1972, but for all intents and purposes, it's a mainstream tune that Willie Nelson, and then a few years later, the Pet Shop Boys, covered and placed on the pop charts in the 1980s. While "KR" and "AOMM" shouldn't have been included in this collection, several songs were omitted that bear mention. Of note, 1979's "There's a Honky Tonk Angel" and the 1981 release "Lovin' Arms." Both tracks are genuine country and each record hit the Top Ten on the Country charts in their respective years. Additionally, including "Faded Love," "Tomorrow Never Comes," "Early Mornin' Rain," and "Just Pretend" would have significantly enhanced the country flavor of this effort. Lastly, "EGCC" ends on a very high note with the inclusion of "Guitar Man." Recorded by Elvis in 1967, it was a very modest pop hit the same year. RCA resurrected the song in 1981 - revamped with new Jerry Reed guitar licks - and the posthumous release became Elvis's final Country chart topper, hitting Number 1!

A Little Too Much Pop

This collection is a quick reissue to cash in on the success of "Elvis 30 #1 Hits". For the collector, the CD includes five alternate takes, decent liner notes, good photos and the hard to find "Guitar Man" remake. The songs get a 4 star rating, but I took off 1 star because the title is misleading. The CD only sounds Country on about half the songs, creating an uneven album flow. It also lacks continuity due to the change in The King's vocals from the 50's to the 70's. If you want Elvis in this genre try "Elvis Country" or "The Sun Sessions". Also strangely missing is "Flaming Star", "The Yellow Rose Of Texas", "U.S. Male" and "Too Much Monkey Business". Maybe one day RCA will really give us Elvis very best in this catagory. Don't bother with "Great County Songs". There are better collections of Elvis already available.

Just a good 'ol country boy at heart

Before it was rock'n'roll, it was country. This is the first-ever documentation of Elvis' interpretation of the Southern musical backdrop he grew up in. In his first public appearance in 1945 at the age of ten, he sang Red Foley's sentimental 'Old Shep'; at his last recording in Graceland in October '76 the final number was 'He'll Have To Go'. Both songs are included here.

Other tracks on the album feature compositions by Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and include some of "the greats"--'Your Cheatin' Heart','From A Jack To A King', 'Funny How Time Slips Away', 'Always On My Mind', 'Guitar Man', plus never before released recordings of 'There Goes My Everything', 'Green Green Grass of Home', 'Just Call Me Lonesome', 'Help Me Make It Through The Night' and 'Fairytale'. The combination here is irresistable.

Elvis Country At Its Best

This is the collection that shows why Elvis is in the Country Hall Of Fame. If you still have doubts buy this CD, put it in your player, sit down, push play and listen with an open mind, you'll be convinced.

A great collection of fine performances.

This collection features some of the more country-oriented songs that Elvis recorded in his 20+ recording career. From "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" in 1954 to "He'll Have to Go" in 1976, Elvis puts a lot into these performances.

Highlights on this collection include "Kentucky Rain", "Make the World Go Away", and "Always On My Mind".

For the collectors, there are outtakes of "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Just Call Me Lonesome", "There Goes My Everything", "Green Green Grass of Home", "Fairytale", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night". Also included is the 1981 remix of "Guitar Man".

Nice collection, considering some of the lesser compilations that RCA has put out.