The legend of Elvis in his final years concerns wasted talent, prescription drug abuse, physical decline and shaky performances. Way Down in the Jungle Room, a collection of his final recordings, aims to dispel that dark view—explicitly in the jacket notes and implicitly in the music. Recorded at Graceland in a state-of-the-art mobile studio, Elvis sounded comfortable with his eclectic bag of material and in command of his voice. Much of the material was released years ago on From Elvis Presley Boulevard and Moody Blue, but disc two consists of unreleased banter and outtakes, giving a vivid sense of Elvis as relaxed and at home.
