From Elvis In Memphis

Late era Elvis...by this time, he sounds less like a guttural, saucy rockstar and more like a Vegas pop performer. That doesn't mean the music is bad, but it sounds like the kind of music that an audience at a bar would half-listen to while ordering drinks not realizing that it's really good. The talent is still there and the lyrics are more mature than older Elvis music, but he's missing a lot of the grit and energy. Maybe Hollywood or the war took it out of him. Maybe this is just over-produced. Regardless, I did like a lot of tracks on the back end, enough for me to adjust to the style and realize this is still a great album, even if it's not what I was expecting. "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds" are more than worth the price of admission. Favorite tracks: Suspicious Minds, In the Ghetto, True Love Travels on a Gravel Road, After Loving You. Album art: I like the picture, especially with what I hope is thousands of Elvis impersonators in the background. But you can tell from his outfit that this is the dawn of a new age of Elvis. He's got that ascot/scarf on, maybe a streak of grey in his hair--this is the beginning of Elvis the aging Vegas performer. 4/5

I've come to the conclusion that I really hate Elvis.

Look how fit he is on that cover JESUS CHRIST. Production so crisp, like what? Is that Cello on 'In the Ghetto'? Chelloooo we got a bass. I can't tell you how long I've been looking for a good Elvis collection. Insane.

Please give me early Elvis! The hungry, innovative, inspired, edgy, bluesy Elvis. The Sun Records Elvis. I can listen to THAT all day long! Not this! Uninspired, bloated, saccharine, sappy...those God-awful, elevator-music strings...mind-numbing horns....Hollywood orchestra chorus. I'm sorry, but this is just vapid and insipid....the beginnings of Elvis's eventual movement towards the sad parody of himself that he would ultimately become at the end. Don't despair, though....go listen to the good stuff. There's plenty of it! This is NOT it. 1/5

I get that Elvis was highly influential and popular back in his day, but not in 1969. Take a look at the list of albums released in 69, 68, 67.. Surely there are other, earlier works from him that are more essential. These songs are fine, but 1001 albums you must listen to should set the bar a bit higher than 'fine'. In 1969 Moondog released his highly acclaimed self-titled album of experimental jazz/classical and minimalist fusion. It's avant-garde, spacey, yet strangely accessible. More importantly it's significantly different from anything else on this list. Moondog is not on this list. Go listen to Moondog instead. There are 2 other better Elvis albums on here anyway.

Other than Suspicious minds and In the ghetto, this is just standard Elvis country music filler. He's going through the motions, but there's nothing there of any interest.

Elvis has been one of the most surprising things I've learned from the list so far. Once you get past the hype and the stagecraft, his albums are truly dreadful. He slurs and lurches through this one, sounding just like the tuneless, aging barflies I've heard.imitate him a thousand times. No amount of hammy howling can give these songs any soul and his lyrics die the moment they leave his ludicrously curled lips. Music for annoying drunks.

This is my favourite Elvis album

Elvis is on fire here. I had heard some songs off this album before but holy smokes I liked this record. His voice is fried but it suits the songs that he is singing very well. The playing on this album is insane for an Elvis record. The focus is supposed to be on him but I couldn’t help but wander to the bass and guitar parts holding it together. This is an incredible Elvis record and I liked it a lot. Favorite song: Suspicious Minds Least favorite song: Daddy Don’t Cry

2 lots of Elvis in a week eh. Weirdly (maybe), much preferred this to the debut that I listened to previously. Yes, by this stage he's very much the veteran crooner but Suspicious Minds people, SUSPICIOUS MINDS.

Not a fan of some of the crooning which hasn't aged well but the more upbeat stuff is 🔥

An Elvis relic rather than a rock 'n' roll one. And one that's only good enough. No more, no less.

excelente album, nunca habia escuchado en profundidad su música pero a raíz de este disco creo que voy a comenzar a interiorizarme un poco más..

Great performance, lots of emotion with epic buildups.

Very good listen

I know it's cliche, but I really do love Elvis. What a voice. Great songwriting. One of my favorites is 'Suspicious Minds.' Underrated musician and guitarist. And I'm a sucker for the Hagstrom guitar he's holding in the album cover photo. So freaking cool!

omg actual good music i am having such a pleasant time ☺️☺️ ok i literally love this also wearin that loved on look is code for fucked-out face, right? RIGHT?!?!? THIS WAS SO GOOD elvis slaps idgaf

Great album.... Elvis was so young...

love how he aligns the drummer against "I said Ill hold you in my heart..." at the start cool album - love Elvis!

I love this project because of how much it shows off certain artists and how they are up my alley. Elvis is a perfect example of this. His voice is incredible and there is a reason he is called the King. Album starts strong even with lesser known longs. Middle gets a bit tiring, but Suspicious Minds is incredible. Side note: One of my first CDs was the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack which is half Elvis!

i get why elvis was so big now. great old 50s style funky organ classic old rock. enjoyed alot

Fantastic

It's the king! Elvis has always been a part of my life, so much so I was almost named Elvis. My dad is a huge fan and I became one very quickly at a young age. This was a fantastic album with a few classics like In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds but I found a few other gems like Wearin' That Loved On Look and True Love Travels On a Gravel Road. I thought this would be a live album but it didn't seem so despite what the title and cover show. I hope we get more Elvis because I can always listen to him.

Surprisingly great album and think it's strong all around. In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds are most popular song but others are great too. 9/10.

Awesome.

Classic

I ain't never heard a song from this album before, and boy was I a fool for that. I thought that much of Elvis' discography was like "Hound Dog" - early rock n roll. But clearly Elvis was much more diverse, branching into blues and Western like I never imagined. This album has songs that I feel are the natural evolution of the narrators from Robbins' "Gunfighter Ballads", and I love it for that. I think it will be my next on my record hunt...

Fantastic album. Was trying to choose favourite songs, but they were all brilliant. Southern soul sound. FSs: (All), Suspicious Minds, In The Ghetto, Long Black Limousine, Only The Strong Survive, True Love Travels On a Gravel Road

Like most of Elvis' oeuvre, this has peaks and troughs, but because it's Elvis, on this album the troughs are still higher than many artists peaks.

Never been an Elvis fan. This was not something I’d choose to listen to again.

I think I need to reappraise Elvis. I’ve written him off for a few years for being derivative. This album really reopened my eyes to what Elvis can be. Beautiful, emotive music gospel/soul really fits Elvis. And when you’re the world’s most famous musician of the time, you can afford to hire unbelievable musicians and engineers. Good stuff.

The mores, beliefs and underpinning cultural iconography of the United States are particularly mysterious and prominent right now for unfortunate reasons, and because I’ve been given a rainy weekend to listen to “From Elvis in Memphis”, a record I’ve owned but never spent much time with in the 21 years since I visited Presley’s grave by his swimming pool, I’m gnawing at what exactly is this thing. Bear with me here, Simon. Consensus deems “Suspicious Minds” part of this set, so we’re doing the bonus, deluxe, long black limousine version. This is intentionally a juggernaut product, the star manoeuvred by competing parties into slamming out a set of bangers to a crack band for maximum audience. Where the man himself sits in this is unknowable, as by this point he was the nexus of a teeming mass of hucksters, producers, hangers-on, quacks, chefs, cutthroats, pilots, god botherers, writers and musicians, warring to bring out the King’s essence, his ideal form, and sales allege that they were successful. How deliberate is the Gospel in his voice? He leans heavily into his church voice throughout, which gets weird when he gets sexy, and maybe that’s a hook. Apart from the Christianity, pop folklore is pumped through the subjects of the songs. The writers knew their stories, knew who they were writing for. “Wearin’ the loved on look” warns against signs of happiness in a beloved. “Only the strong will survive” tells you to listen to your mum and be ready to crush your lovers. In “I’ll hold you in my heart” the physical intimacy turns his voice rubbery, his words to nonsense, his assertions becoming mockery. Here comes God again on “True love travels on a gravel road” to declare that love, similar to happiness, is only valid through constant suffering. The Chicago of “I’m the Ghetto” is a Southerner’s nightmare of the multiracial metropolises of the North, yet this is the liberal song. “Suspicious Minds” is his best song and might be about paranoia, but he sings it as if he is singing about anything or nothing. The bass tattoos itself on memory, the whole band is a blast. Crucifix in one hand, willy in the other, shotguns aimed high in salute, an enormous sandwich stuffed in face: this is America.

I'm torn a bit on this - later period Elvis has the better songs when they're good (come at me, rockers), but also a ton of half-arsed cheese. This album is a good example, with some of the best and the worst of the Tennessee country/soul sound. "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain" and "In The Ghetto" drag it across the finish line

Elvis wasn't just the 50's Rock n' Roll artist that brought the genre to the masses, he also changed genres as he matured. This album sees him adapt into a Soul stlye featuring much less prominent guitar and much more soulful vocals combined with his usual Rock n' Roll, Country and R&B blend. It stands as a new chapter in his musical career as well as one of his best recieved and best known. The single only 'Suspicious Mind' became a classic single and helped the album (that didn't feature the song) to rise to even more sales. The album opens with 'Wearin' That Loved on Look' which perfectly showcases the way Elvis mixed the Soul Vocals with Country Pop music especially present with the guitar. The background singers add a theatrical feel and the bass really sticks out at times. It's a really good opening track with a lot of energy that still has a lot of the feeling that made Elvis' so loved in the first place. 'Only the Strong Survive' is a much more relaxed song that seems to convey raw and hurtful emotions in a true Country fashion but with even more Soul influence. It's a lovely track but it does take a little long to get to the point that I like the song which makes the first moments pretty boring even with the spoken word intro. The tenderness of the vocals is played even more with on 'I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)', a song with a couple of really intricate vocal highlights but I overall don't really care for what is done both lyrically and musically. The songwriting is alright as some moments are really great but a lot of the "in between" feels a little left alone which really lowers the overall enjoyment of the song. It's okay but nothing special and songs in that style can be very effective but also easily f-ed up and turn out boring and uninspired. With its slow start 'Long Black Limousine' might feel like the last song all over again but as it builds up and adds more organ and backing vocals it gets better. It's not really a great song but it's good. A pretty passable song with a nice horn bridge and a delightful chorus and great ending. The legendary Country classic of 'It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin'' is presented in a pretty good way by Elvis. He definitely does the song justice. His performance and the songwriting are both really great. It's a definite highlight on the album. Just a very well made song. I think there are still many people that doubt that this is Country but if they still think that after hearing 'I'm Movin' On' I don't know how to help them. This is as Country Pop as Country Pop goes at least in a sound perspective because the song itself is pretty boring and slightly annoying after a while. The lead guitar is great but the rest feels kinda soulless at the start. It does pick up a little towards the end and that makes the song much better but that's mainly the outro, so overall it's still an average track. The albums second side starts with 'Power of My Love' in a very bluesy fashion. The guitar isn't the only highlight because everything this song does is very well made: the arrangements, the songwriting, the flow of it. It's a pretty great song. The Country returns with 'Gentle on My Mind' another sweet song that has a really longing and outcast feeling to it which I find very fitting with Country in general. The song feels very honest and pure in Elvis' hands and the strings here add so much. It's a geniuine song that really embodies the greatness of where Elvis was at that time. 'After Loving You' is sadly the opposite of that. It feels forced and not genuine and pure. I think it's jsut a pretty boring song with not much to it. It isn't bad and doesn't drag the album but it's nothing that I enjoy at any moment. I really like the guitar intro on 'True Love Travels on a Gravel Road' but once Elvis gets to the microphone the magic feels destroyed. And the whole song feels kind of ruined to me for some reason. It feels dull and unfinished. The performance and the songwriting both feel forced and emotionless. I don't like this song at all but it's not awful or anything. Luckily the album does pick up again with 'Any Day Now'. It's a beautiful song with some great strings and a really good performance on some really good songwriting. The bridge works great and if the song would've been a little rougher and rawer with its emotions it would have the potential to a perfect song. Like this, it's great. And to close the album, 'In the Ghetto', the albums best known song, closes it with a nocturnal and deeply emotional performance. It's lovely and easily a great song but it's the simplicity that really sets the song apart from the rest. It's different but it needed to be like that to work. It's a really good song but I just don't enjoy every moment of it, sadly. favourites: Gentle on My Mind, It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin', In the Ghetto, Wearin' That Loved on Look least favourites: True Love Travels on a Gravel Road, After Loving You, I'll Hold You in My Heart, I'm Movin' On Rating: light 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Groovy. Lower energy and more mature lyrics than some of Elvis's earlier work, but there's a soft-spoken introspection here that I really enjoy. The instrumentation isn't spectacular but it does its job, weaving tastefully between the vocal lines and creating a kind of jazz-blues feel. 4/5 Key tracks: In the Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, Wearin' That Loved On Look, True Love Travels On a Gravel Road

Honest.

Elvis has a special charisma to his voice few other ever obtained. He himself can transcend any song into greatness. However incredible the gospel sound Elvis has on here, the album sort of teeters off near the end until "In the Ghetto". The bonus tracks from the 1998 CD release (it adds the best song from the sessions, "Suspicious Minds" and 3 other great ones) would have brought this album to a 5 star, but judging off just the original release, I can't give it higher than a 4

L'Eddy Mitchell américain nous prouve avec cet album qu'il peut assumer la comparaison et proposer un projet au moins tout aussi bon que ceux de son homologue.

Avant de démarrer la critique de cet album, il faut que je vous remette un peu de contexte. Il faut savoir qu'en plus du générateur des 1001 albums, j'ai crée 3 générateurs pirates, me proposant respectivement des albums de rap français, hard/punk rock, rnb/pop/chanson française. Dans le dernier cité, j'ai récemment découvert Elvis Presley, au cours d'un excellent album intitulé Today. C'est donc avec joie que je lançais cet album de Elvis Presley, m'attendant à aussi bien voir mieux, étant donné que Today n'avait pas été selectioné par Robert dans sa liste des 1001. Mais c'était mal connaître ce diable de Robert... Souvenez vous, Robert prend toujours soin de selectionner les albums les moins intéressants de chaque artiste. Face à cette nouvelle désillusion, j'ai décidé de partager mes générateurs pirates aux plus intéressés, plus d'informations à venir dans ma prochaine review d'Elvis Presley.

6 AM Shower Thought: “Elvis In Chains” - Alice In Chains songs performed in the style of Elvis Presley or maybe vice versa. I was thinking ‘68 comeback special-era Elvis, but it’s open to interpretation. Feel free to use this idea as your own….You’re welcome. In fact, here’s a freebie to get you started: 🎶We can’t go on together, in this Jar of Flies🎶

Not a fan

The king! His voice sounds at his best. His country roots are strong at this point yet his voice elevates it to pop/rock. Truly a game changer. No notes. 5/5

Somehow, I grew up never listening to Elvis. Experiencing this was FUN. He is in a old Vegas mood and I don't mind the higher production on the album. It was a fun and entertaining album with some good tunes.

Not much to say here, very introspective, beautiful album

10.000.000 fans can"t be wrong. Elvis vorever!

awesome. I get why it was it different

The soundtrack of my childhood. Dad loved Elvis. He's growing on me, too LOL

great albumbwith several clasic songs

THE KING!

It is easy for me to see why Elvis captured people's attention. His charisma shines bright in each track on this album. Makes me wish I would have been old enough to appreciate him at the peak of his career. Loved listening to this album.

Loved this one great tracks

Surprisingly emotional, really good music. First time I ever listened to Elvis

Grande

Wearin' That Loved On Look was a good one that i hadn't heard before.

Always though I wouldn't be a fan of Elvis - his vocal style always felt a bit forced to me. No matter, this record is lit.

Great love album, love the vocals, fav songs are only the strong survive and true love travels on a gravel road

Classic rock-and-roll with elements of blues, gospel, and country.

5/5

Classic Elvis and a real peak for him.

GREAT

Leí bastantes comentarios que decían que Elvis ya había "perdido su magia" para 1969, sin embargo, tras escuchar este diría que todo lo contrario. Con canciones como "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds", el "Rey" siguió demostrando hasta el día de su muerte su vigencia, influencia e ímpetu al mantenerse fuerte como un poderoso bastión de la industria de la entretención norteamericana. En retrospectiva, sin embargo, se puede disfrutar como un gran LP de "retro-pop". Recomendable, pero no indispensable.

Better than expected

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this one as much as I did. Apparently, this was a comeback album after years of mediocre releases, and it really worked for me. I’m not much of an Elvis guy, but this album was fantastic. It’s a great balance of rock, soul, and country, and you can tell that Elvis was older and more experienced by the time he recorded it. The album has a mature and sophisticated feel, and his voice is deeper, delivered with so much confidence and presence. You can tell he was fully committed to this project, and it shows in every track. I’ve finally found an Elvis album I’m going to keep in rotation for future listens.

Horn

Elvis accompanied by a big production! What’s not to love? The arrangements are gorgeous and Elvis sounds incredible.

Classic. I think I listened to this 5 times since it was suggested

Hadn’t heard this and it was pretty great

wooo mama 10/10

Cool

I never knew I loved Elvis. This sound has not aged much at all. Catchy and soulful, rocks harder than modern music by far. I love the combo of the acoustic guitar, powerful voice, with occasional horns and female backing vocals. Also, I know he didn’t write the songs, but I love this style of story songwriting that seems not done any more.

Elvis loomed large in my childhood. In third grade music class, we spent an entire month on an Elvis module. Mrs. M believed he had faked his death to escape his celebrity status, and she made a bunch of nine year olds sit cross legged on the floor and watch a documentary about how it was actually a wax body in the casket. My first encounter with a good conspiracy theory. Later in high school, Brian would regularly perform Elvis songs with a pretty great Elvis impression at all-school assemblies. And at Sunday mass with my family, there was always an off-duty Elvis impersonator in the congregation, doing his best to blend in with jeans and a t-shirt, but given away by his huge black-dyed pompadour. To the music, I always thought Elvis was incredibly corny - an over the top personality who doesn’t even write his own songs. But I really enjoyed going through this album. I love his voice, even the silly Elvis vibrato, and his arrangements (which I believe he had a bigger part in) really bring to life some rather simple songs. Long Black Limousine, True Love, and Suspicious Minds stand out. Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars for this album, with an extra bump for nostalgia. As Mrs. M said, the king is alive.

There’s some really good tracks on here.

Love this 4.5 stars

You know what, this holds up pretty well. Elvis rightfully holds his place in the canon of modern music.

I think I like old fat sad Elvis the most just for the pathos, but hot young stud Elvis at the height of his powers is pretty great too

Really good. I get the Elvis hype, makes me wanna get married in Vegas w an Elvis impersonator officiating

Great album actually. 8/10. It is such a great album, masterpiece actually. Very slow and sorting, perfect for a long road trip. His voice is anything but annoying, I could listen to him sing for a long time. Anyway, would definitely listen again!

Such a beautiful, soulful singer. The powerful emotion in his voice and lyrics. He deserves the title of king.

Excellent

SHUTUPSHUTUP!!! This performance of “Suspicious Minds” did something to me. This album is part of the Elvis come back…. Post ‘68 comeback, the return of THEE Elvis. I’m so sorry Sofia Coppola you can’t make me hate Elvis. I love the choral singers; I especially noticed it on “Long Black Limousine.” And the cover of “Gentle on My Mind” got to me… I didn’t know he did that! It’s slower and I kinda like it. Glenn’s is still the best, though. Oh also “In the Ghetto” is on here. This album just makes me think of Memphis… which obviously it would but y’know it just does. Even “Kentucky Rain” sounds like Memphis.

Look, I had an Elvis wedding. I can't fairly evaluate his work. 5

The king

Later Elvis truly is the best Elvis 🔥 Kentucky Rain, In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, True Love Travels Down A Gravel Road and Burt Bacharach’s lovely Any Day Now are superb.

Rock, soul, country, blues. Varios megahits. Venga, vinilo.

In the Ghetto. Suspicious Mind.

🤴

In the ghetto

I stand corrected. Elvis did actually made a good album. The production, the choir, his delivery of the songs... it's perfect, despite the usual lack of singles ("In the Ghetto" is its only single, while his masterpiece "Suspicious Minds" is actually a bonus track).

A surprisingly enjorable listen, a bit more digging revealed that the backing band is the same as the Dusty Springfield album from monday, both were recorded at the same studio. I really like his voice and the instrumentals are very good and soulful. Great backing vocals throughout. 4.5/5

When I was coming up, Elvis was already a nostalgia act. Tacky velvet posters. The crazy jumpsuits. The "karate." The hair. I couldn't get it. Why was this guy the "King of Rock and Roll" when there was so much *better* rock and roll out there. I basically ignored Elvis and the myth around him for the better part of my life, minus a trip to Graceland where I thought, "Damn. This is tacky as hell." Fast forward to me in my 40's, drinking and getting high with my best friend. I have no idea how the conversation got to where it did, but he asked me "Have you ever seen Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii?" which is the christmas special he recorded in 1973 at the beginning of his long fade. For the first few songs of the set, he's dope-addled and bleary -- and I'm like "this is embarassing for him." And then lightning strikes. The pharmaceuticals either balance themselves out, or Elvis just decided, "You know, I'm going to kick some ass tonight." And like a switch was thrown, there he was -- one of the great showmen and voices to grace a stage. He just had so much power in his vocals. His version of "Steamroller" is still one of my favorite rock and roll moments. So when this came up -- this big-band album from 1969, I was determined to approach it with an open mind -- and I'm sure glad that I did. Everyone's heard In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds, but the whole album is Elvis just going for it. The back-to-back of "I'm Movin' On" and "Power of My Love" is just sexy blue energy. A great listen. Unexpected bangers: Long Black Limousine, Kentucky Rain, Mama Liked the Roses.

Great album will listen again.

God damn, man. So good. Just in awe.

Um, it's Elvis. So. Ten outta ten.

Not his well-known songs but still good. There were a few songs I knew towards the end of the album.

First off: Elvis is King. Elvis had 4x number 1 albums (and a #2) before the Beatles recorded their first single (“My Bonnie” with Tony Sheridan singing). Elvis had 149 Top 40 hits (in USA) including 18x #1s. But by 1969, when this album was released, his musical star had faded a bit. He had been more focused on movies, with 15 movies in the previous 5 years. And at 35 years old, the girls who swooned over him in the 50’s, were (probably) Moms. This was his first non-soundtrack in over 2 years, and only second since 1962, and reflected his return to a focus on music. This is a very solid album, the start of Elvis’s later stage. The arrangements are bigger, it is all very polished. You can see the Vegas version of Elvis starting to emerge. There was only 1 single on this album, “In The Ghetto”, which only made #3 in USA, but is a brilliant song. And everything is solid, it is a good listen. The version of the album includes some great bonus tracks recorded at the same sessions, but only released as singles. This includes the hits “Suspicious Minds” and “Kentucky Rain”, which are both brilliant. I’ll come back to this one for sure. I was torn between 4 and 5, leaning towards 4 until I got to the bonus tracks. That sealed the 5.

Best album to sand a table to.

Good! Weird…

Really enjoyed this one but my enjoyment was slightly clouded by having recently watched the Priscilla biopic. Elvis seemed like a kinda scummy dude who loved to gaslight. Despite that, this album is a certified banger. Enter age-old discussion of "separation of art from artist, yada, yada, yada..." Still really liked this album and would listen again. 5/5 in my book.

Such a great album. Made me realize I need to listen to more Elvis.

It’s easy to forget how good Elvis really was. There’s a nice range here. Anyone else would bungle this. But he really managed to strike a sense of sincerity in his music. This is unironic authenticity. Wearing That Loved On Look, I’m Moving On, Power of My Love, True Love Travels on a Gravel Road, Any Day Now, all solid AF. And then along comes In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds. It’s a pretty great record.