Memphis Sessions

The first thing you will notice about this CD is the sound; this is the best sounding Elvis CD ever. Essential Elvis 5, 69 Anthology and Fame and Fortune don't even compare.

What is on this gem of gems is alternate, undubbed outtakes and versions of the songs from the sessions that produced the likes of "Suspicious Minds" and "In The Ghetto."

The vocals and astonishing delivery of the songs cannot be flawed. From the gritty blues of "stranger in My Own Home Town" to soul, countryb and rock, this is a CD that should be part of any collection...a cliche, yes, but true, oh so true!

How many times will unreleased material; be it rare versions of songs, unreleased songs or alternate takes continue to be so mesmorisingly good. In the space of merely 1 year, we have had "The Memphis Session", "Spring Tours", "Fame and Fortune" and soon "Today, Tomorrow and Forever"......it seems the well will never run dry, and the fans of the King will be amazed and surprised for many years to come.......The Memphis Sessions is the best of the best; nothing; not Sgt Pepper, Pet Sounds, Blood on The Tracks or Thriller can touch this or "From Elvis in Memphis"......buy it and be amazed!

Although any self-resepcting music fan should own From Elvis in Memphis and the Suspicious Minds compilation, this is in a different league. It's Elvis, the bare minimum of instruments and songs that any singer would kill for. Suspicious Minds, In the Ghetto, Wearing that Loved on Look (hear Elvis lose his voice!). Hearing him sing Without Love, he should have heeded the words for they were his own life story towards the end. A version of this is on Suspicious Minds, strings and all, but this lets the artist shine. Although you come away with a new respect for the man, you also come away with "if onlys". As one of the musicians said at the time "it was only Elvis, not like playing for Neil Diamond" whose session was cancelled for this. However, he soon changed his mind. Elvis or Neil Diamond, give me a break!

It is magnificent. The best FTD release to date. As with the Jungle Room Sessions, this lets you hear the man and not all the production stuff added on later. Ernst at BMG has, yet again, done a brilliant job.

I cannot recommend this highly enough. You could not get a body of work like this for any of today's artists, they just ain't good enough.

The music, among the very best he ever made, is here, raw and undubbed and still as great 33 years on.

The likes of Suspicious Minds and In The Ghetto have become legendary, whilst Power of My Love and Wearin' That Loved on Look are just as good and are perfect here for discovering all over again.

My only criticism is that once again a great opportunity has been missed, as a CD this good cries out to be be promoted at the charts. At least it should have been the 6th volume of the Essential Elvis series, a comment that also appplies to the fab Jungle Room Sessions.