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In the ongoing quest for new ways of marketing their wares, the custodians of the Elvis Presley archives have come up with a good one, compiling music recorded only in his hometown. The five-CD Memphis presents a fascinating, albeit sobering, history lesson, offering a chance to compare The King’s glorious mid-‘50s work on Sun Records with his more grown-up efforts in the late-‘60s and ‘70s, culminating in his final sessions. While the contrast between early and late Presley is unsettling, there’s still fine music to be found at the last, if less of it.
The first disc contains the essential Elvis, who mixed r’n’b and country without realizing he was going to change the world. Possessing all the energy of a wild colt, Presley unleashes firecracker takes on such songs as “That’s All Right,” “Mystery Train” and “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” in the process leading the charge for rock’n’roll. Other artists got the ball rolling before him, but Elvis sent the music into unstoppable overdrive.
The second disc features brilliance of a different sort. These 1969 performances took place during a triumphant comeback that began with his 1968 TV special, resulting in such stirring hits as “In the Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds.” Matt Ross-Spang has remixed the music by removing the overdubs, allowing for a fuller appreciation of Presley’s still-electrifying voice. “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road,” “Long Black Limousine” and “Stranger in My Own Hometown” underscore his strengths as a bluesy, down-to-earth performer, while “I’m Movin’ On” crackles with badass country swagger.
Found on the third disc, Presley’s 1973 sessions at Stax Studio are less satisfying. Ross-Spang again subtracts the overdubs, but a larger cast, including a host of backing singers, diminishes the thrilling sense of intimacy found on the 1969 songs. Although Elvis shows little loss of vocal power, he sometimes indulges in broad, sentimental gestures, perhaps reflecting the influence of his extravagant live show. Still, he infuses Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land” with rollicking spirit, and delivers a heartbreaking version of Tony Joe White’s “For Ol’ Times Sake,” resisting the mawkish excess he embraces elsewhere. Speaking of live concerts, the fourth disc contains a grandiose 1974 set, complete with “Also Sprach Zarathustra” intro, brisk renditions of the hits and a powerful “How Great Thou Art.”
As heard on the fifth disc, Presley’s voice shows some wear – no great surprise after more than two decades in action – at the 1976 sessions held in “jungle room” of his Graceland home, but he remains tremendously expressive when the mood strikes. Decluttered by Ross-Spang, “For the Heart” brims with exuberance and “Way Down” verges on funky. If Neil Sedaka’s “Solitaire” drowns in self-pity, Presley’s charming cover of the classic Johnny Ace ballad “Pledging My Love” is a reminder he could still deliver the goods.
Sadly, the story ends here. But what a story!
