His Hand In Mine - Elvis Presley > Reviews > Moving but kind of sad too

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Elvis and Gospel work so well together
Disadvantages:	Hmmmmmmmmm, can't really think of any right now

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have alwasy loved the poignant raw emotion in Elvis's songs and I think that is never better displayed than when he does gospel. Perhaps it is more moving becuase we all know of how Elvis descended into drug, alcohol and goodness knows what dependency in his later years, and you can't help but wonder what would have become of him had he managed to stay true to his godfearing upbringing. He certainly sings like he means it on all of these songs, there is no lack of sincerity, there is a heartfelt wistfulness on many that is unsurpassed, even if the production now seems a bit dated at times - but on the other hand, that also adds to it's appeal.

There are a mixed bag here, some songs I had never heard before, some I knew well. To be honest, it was worth buying the album just for "You'll Never Walk Alone". As a Scouser I have grown up on this song and it never fails to move me, but I have to say that Elvis's version goes beyond any other, it is just full of raw emotional strength and takes my breath away.

You can really see Elvis's roots and inspiration in black gospel music with traditional negro spiritual songs like Walk Dem Golden Stairs and Swing Low Sweet Chariot which are such a joy to hear.

My only complaint would be that any gospel compilation of Elvis's should include "If I can dream", another song covered by many artistes but none with the power of Elvis. But there are other Elvis gospel albums that are more extensive.

If you are an Elvis fan, you probably already have this, or most of the tracks, but it is a nice addition to the collection, if you are not an Elvis fan, well what can I say, probably not your cup of tea, but worth giving a go just for "You'll Never Walk Alone"!