190 – Elvis – From Elvis in Memphis

[csberry]

I have long been indifferent to Elvis. I was hoping that From Elvis in Memphis would help me see why people go so ga-ga over him. As soon as I got into the first song, I started to get an idea about the album that the other tracks only seemed to support instead of counter - the album is a collection of Elvis soul with a backing band that is talented and smooth. Elvis on the other hand, sounds fatigued and phoning it in to me. He puts effort in flourishes or punctuations, but mostly he doesn't seem all that into the music.

Maybe I'm being too hard on him. I want to understand the absolute adoration for Elvis and had a small expectation that From Elvis in Memphis would justify that extreme love. That wasn't really fair. There have been some albums recently on the list that strike me just about the same indifference and I just chalked it up to "different strokes" or some revelation about the impact or "importance" to which I'm unfamiliar. If I were to remove Elvis from these tracks, I would say that the music was well produced and quite lush...but nothing about it really jumps out as significant - especially in the context of this being recorded in 1969.

What I'm left with is Elvis's voice. A voice in which I am familiar with but mostly his younger, higher, and occasionally raucous tone. From Elvis in Memphis's lower register, occasionally faultering voice still can be passionate, often very full-bodied, and soulful. The song selection focuses on that soulful aspect quite a bit.

Oh, and every time I heard "Any Day Now," I got an earworm of Ronnie Milsap's cover of that song from the 80's.

Songs I Knew I Liked: “In the Ghetto”

Songs I Now Like: Nothing

Songs I Don't Want to Ever Hear Again: All songs other than "In the Ghetto"