Beyond the Sun

iTunes Review

Recorded at Memphis’ legendary Sun Studios, where Elvis Presley began his career, Beyond the Sun features Isaak paying tribute to the music that first inspired him. He includes many songs that were recorded at Sun Studios but allows himself some leeway with touching renditions of later Presley tunes such as “It’s Now or Never” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” plus Johnny Cash’s classic “Ring of Fire.” He gives a convincing performance of “My Happiness”: the song Elvis recorded at Sun for his mother, which led to his signing. Sun artists such as Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis are represented with their key songs, “I Walk the Line,” “Dixie Fried,” and “Great Balls of Fire,” respectively. It’s a carefully styled collection, true to Isaak’s cool reserve and the music’s wild abandon. The deluxe edition includes an additional 11 tracks, including Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” (a natural fit for Isaak) and Howlin’ Wolf’s “Everybody’s in the Mood.”