Elvis Presley’s final decade is often remembered for the drug abuse, obesity, spotty performances and erratic behavior that climaxed in an early death. But in 1970, the King of Rock and Roll was at the top of the game he chose to play—it wasn’t usually rock anymore, unless he dipped into his bag of early hits (“That’s All Right,” “Heartbreak Hotel”), but pop music sung with evident sincerity, enveloped in choruses of female vocals and brass. The 1970 concert film, Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, documented Elvis’ big show through a series of nights in Las Vegas at time when he was still able to pull off the spectacle.
A new release, Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (Deluxe Edition), collects everything from that final pinnacle in the King’s career. It contains the original theatrical release of the film and a later revision on two DVDS, plus an expanded edition of the original LP with a raft of outtakes filling eight CDs. The Deluxe Edition is probably the ultimate compendium of Elvis’ aspiration, present from the beginning of his career, to be an all-around entertainer who could sing anything well.
