Elvis Presley BACK IN MEMPHIS

Personnel: Elvis Presley (vocals); Reggie Young (guitar); John Hughey (steel guitar); Ed Kollis (harmonica); The Memphis Horns (horns); Bobby Wood (piano); Bobby Emmons (organ); Tommy Cogbill, Mike Leech (bass); Gene Chrisman (drums); Mary Greene, Mary Holladay, Donna Thatcher, Susan Pilkington, Sandy Posey, Sonja Montgomery, Millie Kirkham, Dolores Edgin, Joe Babcock, Hurshel Wiginton (background vocals). Recorded at American Studios, Memphis, Tennessee, January 13-23 and February 17-22, 1969.Digitally remastered by Dick Baxter at BMG Recording Studios, New York, September 1991.One month after Elvis' 1968 "Comeback Special" aired on national television, Presley set out to revive a once-brilliant music career that had been reduced to life support by numerous interchangeable movies and awful soundtrack songs. Working in the legendary American Recording Studio with producer Chips Moman, Presley parlayed a particularly strong collection of songs and a great group of supporting musicians into some of the best recordings of his career. Two albums, FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS and BACK IN MEMPHIS, resulted from the American sessions, the second of which was originally released as part a two-record set called FROM MEMPHIS TO VEGAS/FROM VEGAS TO MEMPHIS in 1969. RCA later reissued the two records separately, with the Vegas segment released as IN PERSON.The American sessions were successes on both an artistic and commercial level, producing three hits and initiating Presley's transition from teen idol to a singer of brooding "adult" pop ballads. BACK IN MEMPHIS would be worth owning if only for the extraordinary "Stranger In My Hometown," a track so impassioned it practically erases the decade of mediocrity that preceded its release. The other nine tracks, however, are nearly as good, making this an essential Elvis album.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Pop