Elvis Presley - From Elvis In Memphis

The rebirth of a recording legend

The 1968 comeback TV special reminded fans that there was more to the 30-something Elvis than interchangeable movie roles with dubious accompanying soundtracks, and the following year found him making what was, to all intents and purposes, his most complete and fullyrealised album.

Cutting 32 tracks in sessions totalling little more than a fortnight, the end result was a portrait of a mature, richer-voiced talent that had relocated the ability to leave listeners awestruck. True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, Burt Bacharach’s Any Day Now and the poetic social commentary of In The Ghetto offered passion and wisdom to replace the frenetic sexuality of the pre-army love god, the sound of a man addressing the world as an insightful adult.

August being the anniversary of Presley’s death, it’s a ripe time for reissues and repackaging. This is one of the most respectful and considered we’ve had, with the inclusion of 1970’s Back In Memphis album (from the same two-week sessions) and its elegiac reading of Percy Mayfield’s Stranger In My Own Home Town, mono mixes of singles, plus other bonuses such as his gospel-tinged take on Hey Jude. In a perfect world, all commemorative releases would be as dignified as this.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

SonyBMG/Legacy | 88697514972 (2-CD)

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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