Elvis In Memphis
Last Monday I listened to the Legacy's reissue of From Elvis In Memphis, a masterpiece of singer meeting the right songs. Put together right after his 68 Comeback Special was a ratings hit, Chips Moman got his best session musicians together, gathered some great new songs and old covers and pushed Elvis to his best studio vocal performance since 1960's Elvis Is Back.
But the bigger point I want to make is that this album refutes a lie that hardcore 50's Rock and Roll fans have been making for years: that Elvis never made anything good after he came back from the Army.
It was as if Elvis wasn't allowed to mature. By the time of the 69 album he was all of 34 years old. But the rockabilly Elvis was long gone, and soon would be the movie one. There's some searing white soul here, some Country crooning that would make his idols proud and the same sense of excitement that permeates the Sun stuff.
If you were one of those that jumped off the Elvis ship during his miserable run of 60's movies, go back and listen to From Elvis In Memphis.
But the bigger point I want to make is that this album refutes a lie that hardcore 50's Rock and Roll fans have been making for years: that Elvis never made anything good after he came back from the Army.
It was as if Elvis wasn't allowed to mature. By the time of the 69 album he was all of 34 years old. But the rockabilly Elvis was long gone, and soon would be the movie one. There's some searing white soul here, some Country crooning that would make his idols proud and the same sense of excitement that permeates the Sun stuff.
If you were one of those that jumped off the Elvis ship during his miserable run of 60's movies, go back and listen to From Elvis In Memphis.
posted by Tom Lane at 5:36 AM
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