Country singers rule this soundtrack of
Elvis Presley covers, which is every bit as flawed, frivolous and fun as the film from whence it came. While
Billy Joel parodies "All Shook Up" and "Heartbreak Hotel,"
John Mellencamp labors to avoid parodying "Jailhouse Rock," and
U2's
Bono transforms "Can't Help Falling in Love" into an obsessive parable about hero worship, folks like
Ricky Van Shelton and
Trisha Yearwood just sit back and sing the things, which at least makes them pleasant after more than one plaing.
Dwight Yoakam's power-chord-country version of "Suspicious Minds" and
Travis Tritt's "Burning Love" rank with their best remakes. Breaking the trend are pop crooner
Bryan Ferry, who sings a seductive British soul version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and the usually trustworthy
Vince Gill, whose
Pat Boone-style rendition of
Arthur Crudup's classic blues "That's All Right" cleans up the grammar. ~ Brian Mansfield