From Elvis In Memphis

Ms Donna Jean Godchaux! Have never lists to an Elvis album before.. better than I expected

I loved this. So much soul and power in this album. There's a lot of criticism on this generator about this era of Elvis, but personally, I love it. Found the music quite powerful in parts. Suspicious Minds was my favourite song of the album. In The Ghetto and I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms) - my fav first listen - were my other highlights

Its 1969.Elvis is completely off the pace with acts such as the Stones, Beatles and Hendrix amongst others ruling the roost. He knows he needs to get more contemporary. So we get this. It does try however the first few tracks are pretty awful. It's starts to get better near the end of side one and side two is a vast improvement. If Suspicious Minds was on the original album it would have got 4 stars but 3 it is.

Much like our first Elvis album, started off with a good song so I had my hopes up. Didn’t last too long. I thought this was slightly better than the first one, but still dated and not my thing.

I can see how Elvis was an icon of his days despite this album being extremely dated. He was quite the singer with a bold, powerful voice that includes his unique southern twang mixed in. A good listen but nothing earth shattering on this album.

Elvis Presley is just 1950s Rick Astley with tighter pants. There’s some cosplay at work here, and it’s dressing him up to play the part that belongs to soul singers of a darker hue. He mumbles, he shakes, he broods, but he doesn’t do much in the way of music. Hard pass on this and the racist indoctrination that made him popular.

King of rock and roll huh? This felt more Country than rock and roll. I'm sour because I don't like Elvis and his idolization really steams my clams. He was a white face slapped on music written by either black artists who were robbed of their ideas, or generic record company song writers. The king of rock and roll actually created absolutely nothing. This is the second Elvis album we've gotten, not a single writing credit on any song. His image was curated for him, hell the signature vibrato in his voice was copied from the very same black artist whose songs he stole. Elvis is a fraud. Okay, I'm done. Just needed to vent, feel much better now. Anyway.....I didn't like the album.

So instead of being a blatant ripoff of African-American r&b Elvis is now ripping off soul? I really don't get why anyone would want to listen to this over the source material. Skip this one and listen to Aretha Franklin, Al Green, or Tammy Terrell.

He's the king for a reason

Review - this album's a bit bland. Not great soul, not great rock n roll, not great country. Suspicious Minds is a banger, but this is another example of an album that's on this list cos it's got one very good song. Score - 3.5/10 Need to listen? NO

So in reading about this album, it sounds like Elvis had gotten tired of only releasing music related to the soundtracks from the movies he was in. He decided to record a real album and bring serious musicians onboard to make the album. It definitely has a different sound to it, as you can hear Elvis start to make the transition from straight "pop" cheesy movie soundtracks to more of the "Vegas sound" he'd be known for towards the end of his career. Other than the last two songs, I wasn't really familiar with any of the other songs, so it's an interesting choice to be on this list when there is so much great Elvis music out there. My guess is that this album is on the list more due to the significance it played in the transition of his career than it is for the quality of the album itself.

I mean he's the king for a reason. I've wanted a reason to hate Elvis my whole life and aside from the cheesy commercialization of him, his music is really something special. Many songs on this album spoke volumes to me, and his performances were all so lively and iconic. Perhaps this is not his Opus but its a really good collection of songs. Pretty good thematic tracklist, and not as one other fan said "a coppled together collection of greatest hits". I liked that statement I had to borrow it.

Hell of a comeback album to shift from his campy pop songs to deep country & soul ballads that were deeper than you'd expect from Elvis.

I wouldn’t have known if Elvis has left the building cuz I’d bail before he was done. This has never & still doesn’t do a thing for me, I find Elvis to be a total lamewad. Also I was really high & I kept thinking that Elvis looked like the original red power ranger, could’ve played a teen with ‘tude.

The worst version of Elvis. Give me rock n roll Elvis

Very solid group of songs

Du classique d’Elvis sympa, ça fait un peu des musiques à écouter pour danser ou pour voyager en voiture. Mais en même temps j’ai entendu des musiques d’autres albums de lui que je préfère (Burning Love par exemple)

To some, the apex of one of the most polarizing figures in the history of recorded music. And I truly see exactly why it’s seen that way; it has some classics on it: “In The Ghetto” is one of the greatest songs to ever hit the mainstream (the way it’s written alone: “Buys a gun, steals a car / Tries to run, but he don’t get far, and his mama cries.” It’s visceral, it’s implicit, subtle, and heartbreaking), and there are a few other songs on here that mark high points in the album, and in a career riddled with way too many releases of poor quality. Elvis is a strange person, occupying a space that is attacked and adored by pretty much all walks of life. When you live where I do, in Chicago, as in a big big city, you could drive around and get 50 different opinions on Elvis Presley and they would probably be split completely down the middle. Some people love him because of his music! Some because of his influence! Some hate him because of his character! Some because of the fact that he profited off the art of Black artists who never got the amount of recognition that he ultimately did get! Opinions, opinions. But his music has undeniable moments of quality. His voice, not unlike Johnny Cash’s, just smoother and perhaps more youthful and energetic at times, lends itself to the good days of a certain kind of life, a certain time, decades ago. His songs, not to my taste, but they can err on the side of good, and even great. The songs themselves? More than passable. Standouts like “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road” (an undeniable predecessor to Cameron Winter’s 2024 number “Love Takes Miles”) and the soulful and instantly iconic “Power of My Love” sound awesome, and are well-performed. Songs like “It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’” on the other hand lend a much sourer element to the album, one of definite staleness rather than undisputed nostalgia. The album, however, maintains a good standing in my mind. Good sequencing, ends on a beautiful high note, and absolutely important. 7.8/10 DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: YES REASON: Relevance, impact, place in discography

Good not great

I’ve always thought this was the most “album” feeling output from Elvis if that makes sense. I mean most of his records just look like an assortment of greatest hits. This one feels a bit more cohesive, and to me is what I think of when I think of Elvis. Elvis and anything Tennesee related will always be my favorite of his. Although, I can’t believe his 68 comeback special isn’t on here. Especially as live albums go, that shit is fire.

What a great set list. This was such an interesting time for live recordings it’s like an artistic studio recording essentially. The live aspect of an audience isn’t there like in most live albums. It’s also cool to hear different versions of songs and how Elvis has changed. The video is also iconic this was also 69 Woodstock and this interesting. I liked this and it’s emotional and powerful mama liked the roses 😭

Thoroughly professional, well-put together.

You know what? Not bad. I still got bored by the end but I think I like the more mature Elvis style.

It says Elvis on the cover but it took a village of background musicians to make this sound this good. 13 keepers in 16 (81%). 1 banger (6%). 87

Loved The Memphis Boys' addition to this album. Horns always make songs better!

A boring album that teeters on offensive 2/5

My third and final Elvis album on the list and definitely my favourite of the bunch. There were a couple of tracks in the middle I wasn’t massively keen on, which ultimately kept this out of five star territory, but there wasn’t anything I would call bad. Top Track - Suspicious Minds

I can't help but feel that by 1969 music had moved on without Elvis and here he is just being Elvis still. Maybe I'll appreciate his earlier albums more, but in a year that brought us Abbey Road and the Court of the Crimson King you think that he'd experiment a bit more.

Sort of one song bleeding into the next and a surprisingly low-energy performance by The King.

“Suspicious Minds” was able to keep this at 3-stars, otherwise pretty boring tracks from Elvis

Favorite songs: I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms), It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’, I’m Movin’ On, Gentle on My Mind, Any Day Now, In the Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain 5 for In the Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain

He's the king for a reason. So much better than I expected

Weinig boeiend

Only the strong survive 50 minuten Elvis luisteren. De vorige plaat was ten minste bijna de helft van de runtime. Stomme man en stomme muziek. Fun fact: nog geen jaar na deze plaat kwam het debuut van Black Sabbath uit. Grappig, het voelt alsof die platen een 20 jaar-gap zouden moeten hebben.

Nice & good rock & roll album!

Right down the middle for me. 5/10

After leaving a whole generation of white American teens all shook up and a brief spell in the army in 1960, Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker took the bizarre decision to focus his career into making cheesy B movies and soundtrack albums. Not surprisingly, Elvis grew increasingly unhappy with this arrangement and after his legendary 68 comeback special, wanted to record a new LP in Memphis with a change of musical direction. After some wrangling over publishing rights and contracts, he finally got into the studio and recorded a set of songs with styles ranging from Memphis Soul to country and blues, with a touch of gospel. This album is a great showcase for Elvis at his vocal crooning best, even if some of the songs are on the mawkish side. This re-release includes some non album singles including the great Suspicious Minds but offset by the atrocious Don’t Cry Daddy. Ghetto-tastic!

So good! I do have a soft spot though.

Amazing album. One of his best

I know it's his big comeback but in the end it's still Elvis. You could put any album in there Anand it would sound the same.

I like this soulful bluesy Elvis era. 3+

Better than his early stuff

The king! A strong 3, needs a banger. I stuck burning love on after in the ghetto and it made the album a 4

Yeah good this

Better than I expected Prefer later polished Elvis I think. Opening Song, 'Long Black Limousine' and 'Movin' On' my faves 'In The Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds' obvious highlights

Another case of pre-judging before I listened to it. I really enjoyed this - and no one is more surprised than me. Very melodic, Elvis as a frontman is more of a craftsman than I have him credit for.

Some big tunes but padded out by mediocre ones. 3/5

It's not very often I see an album where the last few songs are more listened to than the rest. Most albums I experience in the modern day are frontloaded and the back half aren't typically worth paying attention to. Coming from the metal scene the natural distortion that Elvis uses intrigues me. The bass line in the opening song is worth paying attention to. It has a nice groove. I will say that it is disappointing to me to know that Elvis is really just a voice. His songs lose substance knowing that he isn't the song writer. I think he really is an incredible singer with a very unique voice but as a musician Elvis wasn't special. This album isn't cohesive. I see it more as a collection of songs performed by a man with no real emotion or meaning behind the words to sell the big ones. From Elvis In Memphis is a good collection of songs if you're a fan of Elvis's voice. If you're a fan of music and human creativity then I would look elsewhere.

Suspicious minds one of the best Elvis songs, not in love with the first half so far. soft spot for in the ghettoooooo. Don't cry daddy is quite sweet

Hot take: Elvis can really sing? He's so beautifully emotive and interesting to listen to- I was also pretty amused by the emotional whiplash engendered by listening to the full tracklist in order. Buuuut... this album is a little too long, and gets a bit dull!

For every Elvis song there's a black artist that's done it better, and seeing as how most of his best songs are actually covers it pretty much cements him not as a great songwriter or musician, far from it actually. He's a great performer. But not here. this was way, way worse than I expected. I love bits and pieces of Elvis, he is The King, after all, but this is cloying, limp and underwhelming and, frankly, behind on the times. It feels dated by 10-20 years, beign relased in 1969. I regularly see the world's #1 Bangladeshi Elvis impersonator, Sal, and he is way better than this album. There's a plasticity and an insincerity to Elvis here that prevents a lot of the material from landing. He goes for a plastic soul sound that has neither the ferocity of early sexy Elvis or the bombast and the silliness of fat weird vegas Elvis. I would rather listen to black soul and r&b singers that have done it first and done it better. It's no wonder the music industry left him behind for Beatlemania, but it's weird that this acted as a catalyst for him to make a comeback.

Bon album, il se différencie de ses premiers albums par cette touche Motown. Bien moins répétitif et des structures plus intéressantes. Encouragement pour le petit Elvis (3.5)

Classic Elvis.

I like this album, some songs are emotional but the unique voice of this legends is what carry this album Fav songs - Power of My Love, Mama Liked the Roses 4/5

Started super strong. Soulful that I hadn’t heard before. Closed kinda weak

Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me, you see / Straight out racist—that sucker was simple and plain / Motherfuck him and John Wayne!"

I've never actually listened to a full Elvis album before. Liked some of it, listened to the expanded version which has one of my favorite songs (Suspicious Minds). Some of it was really good, some of it (when he really leans into that warbly crooner voice) was borderline unlistenable. Right down the middle 3.

ummmm i didn’t finish this one so i feel bad rating it but i think i have to to log my notes. elvis has a gorgeous voice and the church choir in the back is great. i actually shockingly could see myself coming back to this album

Oh my god

I don’t dislike this, but by 1969 I feel like music had progressed past Elvis and his signature style. He’s still doing the typical Elvis routine and standard song structures, but there isn’t anything new that he hasn’t done before.

Insufferably Elvis!

halvmysig liveplatta

Great album, "Suspicious Minds" is always amazing.

Ohhh mama

Nice performance from the Konh

Turns out, I like Elvis!! Who knew?? The energy of his performances om this album really made clear to me why Elvis is considered such a legend. And I knew he had pipes but woo-ey! That boy can sing. Some real Melodrama(foreshadowing) on some of the tracks, like In The Ghetto and Don't Cry Daddy, but it feels par for the course for that era of music and his performances are just flawless every time. Choice Cuts: 'Wearin' That Loved On Look', 'I'm Movin' On', 'I'll Hold You In My Heart(Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)

There's nothing bad about this one, but the Elvis soul sound isn't for me and sounds a bit dated.

i think i am straight elvis pilled now. presleymaxxing. in my memphis era. this one didn't astound me like Elvis Is Back but the sound really does capture you, even when it stays in one musical lane. my favorite song is maybe I'm Movin' On or Power of My Love, but Suspicious Minds is obviously a killer. very strong 3

Rating: 5/10 It simply is the most average music there is to me. It's not actively bad but not good to me either, old school country pop isn't for me in the fist place. I liked the way I'm Movin On turned into a bit of a jam, Only the Strong Survive is a pretty good song, and In the Ghetto is a soul classic for a good reason, easily the strongest song here

ei ees ollu niin paha, loppua kohden (kiitos tiedosta että vaan 12 biisiä huh) alko jopa olla ihan ok fiilis. mutta joo. en tykkää elviksestä. en koe elvis-maniaa.

Tää Elviksen aikakausi ei oo ehkä oma lemppari, mut onhan täällä helmiäkin. Tylsästi lempparit oli aikalailla hittiosastoa, mut oli muitakin aivan hyviä. Also: mikä vitun nimi tää on studiolevylle, olin ihan loppuun asti varma että tää on joku todella outo livejuttu.

Tää aiheutti jostain syystä aika kovaa epäkiinnostusta ennakkoon ja oli kamalan vaikea tarttua tähän. Mut lopulta ihan jeppis kamaa ja varsinkin bassolinjat oli paikoin oikein maukkaitakin.

Ihan mukavaa, ei mitään merkittävää. Meni siinä töiden ohessa. Onhan sillä ääni mut on noi myös vähän toisteisia.

Fine. 2 stars for Suspicious Minds

A vibe! Standout Track: Suspicious Minds

The first Elvis Presley album I've hit on the list, and I liked it more than I thought I would. It didn't blow me away, but it was a nice listen. Very soulful, very slow, kind of a mixture of country, gospel, and soul. It was more dreary in tone than I expected, but I had a nice time discovering some good Elvis tunes; 'In The Ghetto' was the only song I had heard before off this album. Yet another one that I'd give a 3.5/5, but I'll have to settle it with a strong 3/5. It was good, but I don't think I'll be revisiting any Elvis album on purpose.

#246 There's a sweet spot in Elvis's career, before he became the too bloated version at the end, and prior to that during his Aloha shows, where he was peak. The jumpsuit era was not fully realized, but he was feeling out that sound he was going for. The band was tight. The best example of this is his concert footage from That's The Way It Is which came out in 1970. This album feels like what he started going for. The songs have a groove at points and the album has some unmistakable hits on them. I love this captures that sound, I was on multiple listens before I even knew it. Biggest Hit - Suspicious Minds Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' Hidden Gem - In The Ghetto

My introduction to Elvis came at a young age when I first saw Lilo and Stitch. I was instantly hooked and my parents got me his 30 gold hits album. That was the Elvis I grew up listening and was most familiar with. This is my first exposure to Elvis outside of those 30 songs and I really liked what I heard. This album leans more country than his normam blues rock but as someone who likes early country (rather than modern country) this album scratched that itch usually scratched by the likes of Dolly Parton and Marty Robbins. Some reviewers see this as country filler but what does it say about an artist when his "filler" tracks are better than other artists non filler tracks? 4.5/5 rounded up to a 5/5

It was good. Suspicious Minds is such a great song. Having read his biography I know Elvis basically recoded his albums starting at 10:00 or 11:00 at night until 8:00 am.

It's Elvis. Good stuff. Heard it before? ❌ Listen again? ✅ Rating out of ten? 7️⃣

I mean ????

I love Elvis but some of these songs didn’t hit for me

I’m not normally an Elvis fan. It kind of passed me by and was already passé when I got here. I watched several quite bad Elvis movies as a kid and that’s my reference. This wasn’t bad, some better than others, but overall meh. The soul influence definitely improved it, but in the immortal works of the Colonel; he’s white.

Haven't heard it before. This is probably my favourite Elvis album I've heard so far. Really love the strong soul influence, makes it sound really interesting 3/5

Yeah, not the biggest Elvis fan but this was pretty good. 3.5 stars.

country suits elvis

Elvis is always a classic. Is it his best album? Probably not. But will I play In The Ghetto over and over again? Absolutely.

Элвисик

Featuring powerful themes such as "you look like you cheated", "I miss touching you", and "my breakup made me sad". DNF

It is so dated of course, but he was so good at that particular type of emoting those sappy lonely heart, Momma songs. That vibrato! The Memphis Boys and the backing vocals all so perfect for this over the top type of production. Fun listen for looking back at Elvis' trajectory.

I’d call myself an Elvis neutral indifferentist. I rate his debut pretty high, and otherwise pretty much whatever hits are floating around the airwaves don’t really register. I don’t understand the worshipful acolytes. But do acknowledge no one else quite sounds like Elvis. Maybe the Righteous Bros capture it. That sort of rich-mellow but churchy overdrama, but executed in such a casual, natural way. Seems an uncommon skill. This record hits pretty good. Just a bunch of pretty solid jams, no attempt to link it all up, but everything sounds like good fun. Doesn’t make me want to go out and listen to more, but I could see myself getting down to this album from time to time in life.

Elvis was an abstract concept for me. I was obviously aware of him, but void of any organic exposure. I went through nearly four decades of life without ever hearing Elvis on the radio, having anyone I know put on an Elvis song, or any greater context beyond Forrest Gump. I still have similar levels of awareness of the Soviet Union and fondue. That being said, I heard a throwaway line somewhere that Black people don’t like Elvis. Being an impressionable rube, I instantly embraced a “fuck Elvis” ethos in solidarity. It served me reasonably well. This all changed about three years ago. Mob was moving through town, and they were getting loaded in a park near the supermarket, making an absolute ruckus by the public toilets. It honestly looked like a good time, a better time than I was having shopping for eggs and cheese and what have you. Anyway, they were BLASTING Elvis from the most dogshit speakers you’ve ever heard. It was so loud I felt like I was in a bus filled with old paint cans speeding down a mountain road. I felt alive. Adjusting my shopping bags, I pulled out my phone and shazamed the song: Burning Love. One guy saw me and must have figured out what I was doing. He raised his wine bottle and yelled something good-natured but utterly incomprehensible at me. It made my day. This album does not come close to capturing the riches and wonders of my Elvis shopping experience. It sounds like music, popular music that is fundamentally bland - a prerequisite for mass appeal. But I certainly would’ve shat on this a lot harder without an organic Elvis encounter. My “fuck Elvis” ethos has softened a bit further.

The title would suggest it's a live album--but it's not! This later Elvis album is soulful and full of pretty good covers. Top tracks: "I'm Movin' On," "Any Day Now"

Uh-huh huh, mumbling, hips wiggling. Uh-huh huh Meh

Liked it more than I thought I would but not my thing

Listening to Elvis always reminds me of two things: 1. I love the blues 2. I would rather listen to anyone else besides Elvis sing the blues

I'm going to be honest here and not have my rating swayed by the fact that it's Elvis Presley. Not much stood out here, perhaps there's other albums that are better? I like In The Ghetto, but each song seemed a bit samey to me.

Ok I get some of the Elvis love. I'm still not going to be buying anything of his but I I think live the way to experience his work. It's a solid album. I think he would be fun live, maybe not in the mid 70's but this one worked for me.

I'm not a big fan of Elvis, so this album didn't really so it didn't really resonate with me at all.

Props to Elvis for what he did and what his music is. It was never my thing though.