Editorial Review:

Album Description:
2002 release features 100 previously unreleased tracks all digitally remastered. Live recordings from Little Rock, AR 1956 & Las Vegas 1969-1970. Outtakes from many historic recording sessions. Newly discovered duet with Ann-Margret. Track by track commentary. 4 CDs in a hard-back digi-book.

Amazon.com:
Elvis Presley changed the world when he spontaneously kicked an obscure blues number called 'That's All Right' into high gear, providing as likely a starting point for rock & roll as anyone will ever be able to pinpoint. Spontaneity became harder to come by as Presley's career progressed, which makes this four-disc assortment of outtakes, alternate takes, and live recordings such a treat. Dating from the 1954 date that produced 'That's All Right' to February '76 Graceland sessions, Today, Tomorrow & Forever captures every phase in Elvis's career--frequently from lesser-explored vantage points. Here's the super-charged hep cat of the '50s charging through versions of 'Heartbreak Hotel,' 'I Got a Woman,' and 'Hound Dog' before a rollicking Little Rock, Arkansas, audience. Here's the matinee idol trying to breathe life into increasingly moribund material. Finally, here's the comeback kid of the late '60s and the flailing Vegas attraction of the '70s. Indeed, late-period Presley benefits particularly well when it's stripped down to its alternate-take essence. Colin Escott's rewardingly frank liner notes ('Elvis had good reason to sleepwalk through 'The Love Machine,'' he notes of one mid-'60s soundtrack throwaway) and a generous assortment of vintage photos complete a package that will certainly appeal to aficionados and will win over more than its share of non-devotees. --Steven Stolder









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Disc 1:

1. Harbor Lights (alt. take 3)
2. I Got a Woman (alt. take)
3. Shake, Rattle and Roll (alt. take 2)
4. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (alt take 13)
5. Heartbreak Hotel (Live '56)
6. Long Tall Sally (Live '56)
7. I Was the One (Live '56)
8. Money Honey (Live '56)
9. I Got a Woman (Live '56)
10. Blue Suede Shoes (Live '56)
11. Hound Dog (Live '56)
12. Rip It Up (alt. take 14)
13. Don't Forbid Me/You Belong To My Heart
14. I Beg of You (alt. take 5)
15. (There'll Be)Peace in the Valley(For Me) (alt. take 1)
16. Is It So Strange (alt.take 10)
17. Got a Lot O' Livin' to Do (movie master take 17)
18. Loving You (farm version) (alt take 6)
19. Treat Me Nice (alt take 6)
20. Young and Beautiful (alt take 4&5)
21. I Want to Be Free (alt take 3&4)
22. Steadfast, Loyal and True (undubbed master)
23. Doncha' Think It's Time (alt. take 48)
24. I Need Your Love Tonight (alt. take 4)
25. I Got Stung (alt. take 16)
26. The Fool (alt take 1)

Disc 2:

1. Make Me Know It (alt takes 17 & 18)
2. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (alt takes 1&2)
3. G.I. Blues (alt. take 5)
4. Pocketful of Rainbows (alt. take 3)
5. Flaming Star ('Main' and 'End' title versions) (alt takes 4&1)
6. Swing Down Sweet Chariot (alt. takes 2&3)
7. Lonely Man(solo) (alt. take 1)
8. There's Always Me (alt take 2)
9. Can't Help Falling in Love (alt. take 26)
10. I'm Yours (alt. take 5)
11. Follow That Dream (alt. take 3)
12. Anything That's Part of You (alt. take 8)
13. King of the Whole Wide World (alt. take 3)
14. Gonna Get Back Home Somehow (alt. take 2)
15. A Boy Like Me, A Girl Like You (alt. take 4)
16. They Remind Me Too Much of You (alt. take 4)
17. Mexico (alt take 2)
18. Witchcraft (alt take 3)
19. Today, Tomorrow and Forever (Duet) (version take 2)
20. Ask Me (alt. take 2)
21. Roustabout (alt. take 8)
22. Puppet on a String (alt. take 10)
23. My Desert Serenade (alt. take 7)
24. Please Don't Stop Loving Me (alt. take 10)
25. This Is My Heaven (alt. take 7)
26. Never Say Yes (alt. take 1&2)
27. Hide Thou Me

Disc 3:

1. Love Letters (alt. take 2)
2. If the Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (alt. take 4)
3. Come What May (alt. take 3&4)
4. Indescribably Blue(alt. take 1)
5. Long Legged Girl (alt. master)
6. The Love Machine (alt. take 3)
7. You Don't Know Me (movie version take 3)
8. Big Boss Man (alt. take 9)
9. We Call on Him (alt. take 8)
10. Stay Away (alt. take 14)
11. U.S. Male (alt. take 7)
12. Wonderful World (alt. take 15)
13. Guitar Man (Opening version) (alt. take 1)
14. Where Could I Go But to the Lord (alt take 4)
15. Memories (stereo master)
16. Almost (alt. take 6)
17. In the Ghetto (alt take 20)
18. True Love Travels on a Gravel Road (alt. take)
19. Let Us Pray (alter master)
20. Baby What You Want Me to Do (Live '69)
21. Funny How Time Slips Away (Live '69)
22. Runaway (Live '69)
23. My Babe (Live '69)
24. What'd I Say (Live '69)

Disc 4:

1. See See Rider (Live '70)
2. Polk Salad Annie (Live '70)
3. Walk a Mile in My Shoes (Live '70)
4. The Next Step Is Love (alt. take 6)
5. Life (alt. take 2)
6. Snowbird (alt. take 2)
7. (That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me (alt take 9&10)
8. Until it's Time for You to Go (alt. take 5)
9. Fools Rush In (alt. take 9)
10. A Thing Called Love (rehearsal)
11. I'll Be Home on Christmas Day (alt take 9)
12. Where Do I Go From Here (alt. take 5)
13. No More (alt. take 1)
14. Take Good Care of Her (alt. take 3)
15. I Miss You (alt. take 1)
16. I Got a Feeling in My Body (alt. take 4)
17. If You Talk in Your Sleep (alt. take 5)
18. Promised Land (alt. take 2)
19. Your Love's Been a Long Time Coming (alt take 10)
20. Pieces of Life (alt. take 1)
21. For the Heart (alt. take 4)
22. She Thinks I Still Care (alt. take 10)
23. Hurt (alt. take 5)

Rating: - Today, Tomorrow & Forever
What can I say.... it's Elvis!!! It's GREAT!!! This 4-cd set has previously unreleased songs and alternate takes on it. I love listening to the alternate takes. It gives you more insight into Elvis and how he worked a song!!!! There are some alternate takes that I think are better than the version originally released.

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Rating: - He's winding up his leg and here he goes with "Heartbreak Motel"!
This is a four CD collection of previously unreleased Elvis tracks. The songs themselves have all been released by Elvis before, but these are different versions of those songs. The idea was to have unreleased tracks from all of Elvis Presley's recording sessions, but that wasn't always possible, particularly with the 1950s recordings. The highlight of the '50s recordings is a complete Elvis concert from 1956, which was broadcast on the radio. There are alternate takes from nearly all of Presley's '60s and '70s recording sessions. Unfortuntely, at some of his soundtrack recording sessions, there weren't any good songs recorded. So, we have alternate takes of bad songs like "My Desert Serenade" and "The Love Machine". But most of the songs are good anyway. The alternate takes sometimes aren't that much different from the master takes, but they will be of interest to hardcore Elvis fans. Actually, hardcore Elvis fans are probably the only ones who really need to get this collection.

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Rating: - A worthwhile collection
This is certainly an interesting and entertaining collection for avid Elvis fans. It spans his entire career and includes previously unreleased alternate takes and live performances. My favorite disk is the first one, which focuses on his early career. The live radio performance from 1956 is like going back in time and the sound quality is better than many of his other performances from the period. I also really like the alternate take of "I Beg of You" which is more of a rocker than the hit single version. "Treat Me Nice" is also very good. The highlight of the second disk is Elvis' duet with Ann Margret, the title track "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever." Why this version wasn't released back in the 60's I don't know. I really enjoyed "Runaway" and "My Babe" from the third CD. "Promised Land" on the last CD is interesting; the guitar really rocks but since it was only the second take, Elvis is still just walking through the lyrics.

All-in-all while this is overkill for the average fan, it is certainly a worthwhile set for avid Elvis fans.

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Rating: - Today, Tomorrow and Forever is Elvis
He (Elvis) never ceases to amaze me... adding to his music in this 4-disc set are the insights and photos in the accompanying booklet .... this collection priceless!

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Rating: - Not Just Another Repackage
Why? was my reaction when first seeing the advance notice for "Today, Tomorrow and Forever." Why was BMG giving Elvis fans yet another redundant compilation of repackaged hits, misses, and assorted outtakes? I immediately dismissed the box set. Fortunately for me, though, my thoughtful wife ignored my pessimism and the four disk collection ended up in my Christmas stocking. I was pleasently surprised! Yes, the set contains more than a few repackaged hits, a couple of misses - most notably, the movie tunes "Mexico," "My Desert Serenade" and an insiped cover of the Anne Murray hit "Snowbird" - and a whole slew of alternate take recordings, but the entire 100 song repertoire plays out like a fresh introspective of the King's entire career. TTF offers up an exciting collection of alternate studio cuts, movie tracks, and live performances; most of which appear for the first time in the presented format. CD #1 feautures a raucous seven song set from one of Elvis's early 1956 concerts. The disk also contains several great alternate cuts, highlighted by "Rip it Up," "Doncha' Think It's Time," and "Got a Lot O' Livin' to Do." CDs 3 and 4 focus on late 1960s and 1970s output. The disks present a couple of great live recordings that are not the usual fare...of the bunch, "Baby What You Want Me to Do," "What'd I Say," and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" are the best offerings. The studio tracks are also noteworthy. "Long Legged Girl" - heretofore dismissed because it was released on the "Double Trouble" soundtrack - emerges as a rollicking throw back reminiscent of early Elvis. Ditto with the 1967 release "Big Boss Man" and 1968's "Guitar Man"; the latter featuring a smouldering version of "Trouble" as an intro. Movie tunes "The Love Machine" and "Let Us Pray" are infectious sing-alongs and the 1969 studio track "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" begs the question why was it never released as a single? "U.S. Male," is one of the few misses...I was nine years old when the song was released in 1968 and it's tough-guy lyrics quickly became my mantra...now, however, hearing Elvis utter the phrase "I catch you 'round my woman champ, I'll leave your head like the shape of a stamp" is embarrassingly hokey. CD #2 is the most rewarding disk of the entire collection. It features four wonderful Don Robertson ballads that highlight Elvis's subtly powerful vocals..."Anything That's Part of You" is the best of the foursome. The up tempo "Witchcraft," is such a strong performer I was left wondering how it ever ended up the B-Side of "Bossa Nove Baby." Disk #2 also offers up the box set's title track "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" - a great duet with Ann-Margaret from the movie "Viva Las Vegas"...another song in the "why wasn't it released as a single" catagory. Lastly, "TTF" features the most thorough and candid assortment of liner notes I have ever read...interesting, honest, and insightful. I highly recommend this box set...it is a masterful collection of music offering something for eveyone.