That's The Way It Is
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley’s That’s The Way It Is is a 1970 album that finds him in a transitional, revitalized phase, balancing polished studio craftsmanship with the excitement of his Las Vegas stage show. Originally released alongside the concert documentary of the same name, it is not a strict soundtrack; instead, it combines eight meticulously produced studio recordings from Nashville with four live tracks captured during his August 1970 engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The result is a hybrid portrait of Elvis as both a contemporary pop vocalist and a commanding live entertainer, framed by rich arrangements featuring rhythm section, horns, and strings.
On the studio side, songs like “Twenty Days and Twenty Nights,” “How the Web Was Woven,” and “Just Pretend” showcase a more adult, middle‑of‑the‑road pop sound, with Elvis leaning into lush balladry and emotionally intense choruses rather than raw rock‑and‑roll. The live cuts, including “I Just Can’t Help Believin’” and a powerful version of “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” capture him singing with remarkable authority and engagement, his voice cutting through the big Vegas arrangements with ease. Critics often see the album as a pivotal moment: it steps away from the grittier Memphis‑session roots toward sleek, “very classy, very clean white pop,” yet it also preserves the energy of his 1968 comeback before the excesses of later Vegas years fully set in.
That's The Way It Is
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley’s That’s The Way It Is is a 1970 album that finds him in a transitional, revitalized phase, balancing polished studio craftsmanship with the excitement of his Las Vegas stage show. Originally released alongside the concert documentary of the same name, it is not a strict soundtrack; instead, it combines eight meticulously produced studio recordings from Nashville with four live tracks captured during his August 1970 engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The result is a hybrid portrait of Elvis as both a contemporary pop vocalist and a commanding live entertainer, framed by rich arrangements featuring rhythm section, horns, and strings.
On the studio side, songs like “Twenty Days and Twenty Nights,” “How the Web Was Woven,” and “Just Pretend” showcase a more adult, middle‑of‑the‑road pop sound, with Elvis leaning into lush balladry and emotionally intense choruses rather than raw rock‑and‑roll. The live cuts, including “I Just Can’t Help Believin’” and a powerful version of “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” capture him singing with remarkable authority and engagement, his voice cutting through the big Vegas arrangements with ease. Critics often see the album as a pivotal moment: it steps away from the grittier Memphis‑session roots toward sleek, “very classy, very clean white pop,” yet it also preserves the energy of his 1968 comeback before the excesses of later Vegas years fully set in.