From Elvis in Memphis [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Elvis Presley

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 1969
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered, Original recording reissued
• Label: Bmg / Elvis
• ASIN: B00004T0UT
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,487 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Lean, Mean, Singin' King!, May 19, 2000

By	T. Schmidt "strangebird" (Mansfield TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the single best collection of Elvis' 1969 comeback recordings. The first compilation of this material, _The Memphis Record_, suffered from muddy sound quality and horrible mixing (especially in the removal of the brass and strings from "Suspicous Minds"). Last year's 2-CD _Suspicous Minds_ contained the masters in their entirety, including a handful of fairly weak tracks. The reissue of _From Elvis in Memphis_ compresses the best of these sessions onto one smokin' disc!

The original 1970 release of _From Elvis in Memphis_ contained 12 tracks, with "In the Ghetto" as the torch-bearer. The new reissue pads the original 12 tracks with another 8 which were initially released as singles around the same time. The result is perhaps the best single Elvis CD ever released.

While the King is generally regarded as a "country boy", it is the R&B tracks which are most memorable. "Wearin' That Loved On Look" kicks off the proceedings with a fiery energy which sustains itself throughout the entire CD. "Long Black Limousine" and "Power of My Love" easily justify Elvis' title as the King of Rock n' Roll. These are the performances of a man reborn; a man eager to reclaim his place in the rock and roll hierarchy.

No Elvis record is complete without a country influence. This CD does more than satisfy. "It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'" and "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" both come across as heartfelt performances while Glen Campbell's "Gentle on My Mind" gives this reviewer goosebumps.

The true centerpieces of this incredible CD are the three smash hits culled from the '69 sessions: "In the Ghetto", "Suspicous Minds", and "Kentucky Rain". Need I say more?

While Elvis would go on in the 70's to reach new isolated musical heights (the _Elvis Country_ album, "Burning Love", "Promised Land", "Way Down") this would be the last time that he would be so consistent in the quality of his output.

If you're an Elvis completist, you'd probably be better served by _Suspicous Minds_ or _From Nashville to Memphis_. But if you want to get to the core of what Elvis was all about circa 1969, this is the one to get!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elvis' finest album, November 16, 2001

By	D. MCGOVERN "Derek McGovern" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Elvis was 34 years old when he recorded this brilliant collection of pop, country, blues and soul music. It's an eclectic mix, and probably not to all tastes, but one thing is abundantly clear - Elvis was at his peak when he set foot in the American studios in Memphis that winter of 1969.

Vocally, this is a very different Elvis from even two years earlier, when he was still producing the sweet almost-crooning sound associated with soundtracks such as Blue Hawaii. Here his voice is stronger and darker, and the raucous opening track (Wearin' that loved on look) shows he is not afraid to sacrifice beauty of sound for a more dramatic effect. That's not to say this album doesn't contain some mellow singing as well - In the Ghetto is proof of that.

But what makes this album great is the sheer individuality displayed in every track as Elvis gives each song his trademark commitment and energy. Stand-outs for me include Only the Strong Survive, in which Elvis transforms an otherwise standard song into a very personal statement; a definitive Gentle on My Mind; After Loving You (with its brilliant vocal gyrations); Any Day Now; and the haunting and moving True Love Travels On A Gravel Road.

The bonus tracks include two songs that should have been on the original album - Suspicious Minds and Kentucky Rain. It's great to have them reunited with their companion pieces from the same recording sessions.

Just one tiny criticism - why has BMG included a photo of the Hollywood Elvis on its cover? It's precisely THAT Elvis that this album seeks to escape from! Perhaps they were being ironic?

The liner notes are excellent, and complement a masterful artistic statement from pop's greatest icon.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elvis Returns to his Roots, August 16, 2000

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

When Elvis released From Elvis in Memphis in 1969, it marked a return to his country roots. The original album contained the first 12 songs on the cd and they were excellent. His version of Jerry Butler's "Only The Strong Survive" seems appropriate because Elvis backed up his 1968 comeback special with this album and showed not only could he survive, he could thrive. Leaving behind the awful soundtrack music he had been making for the prior 7 or 8 years, he was backed by a superb ensemble of Memphis studio musicians. Tracks like "Long Black Limousine", "Any Day Now", "Gentle On My Mind" and the haunting single "In The Ghetto" showed Elvis could make music that still mattered. What makes this re-release great is the inclusion of the singles from the sessions that weren't included on the original release. "Suspicious Minds" was the King's last number one single and one his best songs of all time. In "Kentucky Rain", he flexes his vocal muscles and he shows his tender side on "Don't Cry Daddy". "Mama Liked The Roses" is one of my favorite Presley songs and one of his best performances. Elvis released a couple more decent albums, before sliding into his Vegas persona, but this album stands as probably the final testiment to his greatness as a recording artist.