by Neal Umphred

The soundtrack of what was to be Elvis's biggest movie called for an Hawaiianesque flavor, and, while Presley's vocals are excellent throughout, much of the material is of a throwaway caliber. Of course, any session that produces "Can't Help Falling in Love" is memorable, but said sessions also gave us "Rock-A-Hula Baby," which was a worldwide hit despite being as dumb as the title implies! Within a matter of months, critical fans would look back at this album as a high point. [The 1997 CD reissue adds 14 bonus tracks.]