When Elvis Presley swaggered through his storied 1968 comeback
television special, he handily proved wrong F. Scott Fitzgerald’s quote
that there are no second acts in American life. Then again, Presley’s
creative resurrection was an unlikely occurrence given how he spent
most of the 1960s starring in hack films. The From Elvis in
Memphis recording sessions were an outgrowth of the television
special, which had been originally envisioned as a sappy Christmas
special.
Presley’s return home to Memphis found him recording at producer
Chips Moman’s storied American Sound Studio. Here, his recent mannered
and bland approach was supplanted by Moman’s rootsy Memphis Boys
session musicians. Having put a soulful stamp on prior hits by Wilson
Pickett and Dusty Springfield, Moman’s crew infused sorely needed grit
into Presley’s return to his roots. From the opening number “Wearin’
That Loved on Look” and its mix of twangy guitar and fat organ lines,
Elvis’ phrasing has an edge that rings through Hank Snow’s chugging
“I’m Movin’ On” and the harmonica and brass-soaked declaration “Power
of My Love,” where you can practically feel Presley’s sneer through the
speakers. Moman skillfully tapped into the King’s skills as a
balladeer, be it on Jerry Butler’s “Only the Strong Survive,” with its
perfect balance of female harmonies and strings, or the gospel
inflections sprinkled amid the twang of “After Loving You.”
From Elvis In Memphis is that rare post-1960 example of
Presley’s musical depth and relevance, helping quash images of an
overweight and sweaty icon clad in a jumpsuit and cape flashing karate
moves. (RCA/Legacy)
