Elvis Presley - Elvis at Stax 3CD (2013)

The title "Elvis at Stax" is slightly misleading, suggesting Elvis Presley decided to set up shop at the famed Memphis recording studio so he could use their house band, or perhaps co-opt some of the Southern soul groove. That wasn't the case. Elvis chose the Stax studios to conduct several recording sessions in 1973 for a simple reason: it was close to his Memphis home. He rented out the studio twice, once in July and once in December, and brought in his crack backing band, recording enough material to fill out three CDs. This music was doled out over the years, accounting for five hit singles over three years (a B-side and a posthumous single also came from these sessions), along with three albums: 1973's Raised On Rock, 1974's Good Times, and 1975's Promised Land. These albums were all strong, but aren't often considered part of Presley's core canon, possibly because this mid-'70s run of records were often packaged like product (certainly there's not a memorable album cover among them), possibly because, apart from "Promised Land," there were no hit singles that could be called a true smash or part of his core canon. And that's why Elvis at Stax is so valuable: taken as a whole, these 1973 sessions are revealed as his last great blast of creativity in the recording studio. Essentially, he was working the same ground he began to plow on his 1968 comeback, but the aftershocks of Elvis Country are apparent, along with just the slightest hint of funky, organ-driven grooves. In this context, the preponderance of alternate takes are not tedious, but rather show Elvis' good humor and creativity as he tries out slightly different approaches on each take. What impresses is Presley's virtuosity and how he cannily constructed his performances to seem effortless: there's sweat fueling these tight, punchy renditions, and heart behind his ballads, and you can hear him work it all out on the alternate takes, then reach full flight on the finished masters. None of this was readily evident on the three LPs of Stax material, but this triple-disc, alternate-laden box lays it out plain and it's a joy to behold. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

TRACKLIST

Disc 1
01 I Got a Feelin' in My Body (take 1)
02 Find Out What's Happening (takes 8,7)
03 Promised Land (take 4)
04 For Ol' Times Sake (take 4)
05 I've Got a Thing About You Baby (take 14)
06 It's Midnight (take 7)
07 If You Talk in Your Sleep (take 5)
08 Loving Arms (take 2)
09 You Asked Me To (take 3a)
10 Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues (take 8)
11 Talk About the Good Times (take 3)
12 There's a Honky Tonk Angel (take 1)
13 She Wears My Ring (take 8)
14 Three Corn Patches (take 14)
15 I Got a Feelin' in My Body (take 4)
16 If You Don't Come Back (take 3)
17 Promised Land (take 5)

Disc 2
01 Mr. Songman (take 2)
02 Your Love's Been a Long Time Coming (take 4)
03 Spanish Eyes (take 2)
04 Take Good Care of Her (takes 1,2,3)
05 It's Diff'rent Now (unfinished recording)
06 Thinking About You (take 3)
07 My Boy (take 1)
08 Girl of Mine (take 9)
09 Love Song of the Year (take 1)
10 If That Isn't Love (take 1)
11 Raised on Rock (master)
12 For Ol' Times Sake (master)
13 I've Got a Thing About You Baby (master)
14 Take Good Care of Her (master)
15 If You Don't Come Back (master)
16 Three Corn Patches (master)
17 Girl of Mine (master)
18 Just a Little Bit (master)
19 Find Out What's Happening (master)
20 Sweet Angeline (master)

Disc 3
01 Promised Land (master)
02 It's Midnight (master)
03 If You Talk in Your Sleep (master)
04 Help Me (master)
05 My Boy (master)
06 Thinking About You (master)
07 Mr. Songman (master)
08 I Got a Feelin' in My Body (master)
09 Loving Arms (master)
10 Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues (master)
11 You Asked Me To (master)
12 There's a Honky Tonk Angel (master)
13 Talk About the Good Times (master)
14 She Wears My Ring (master)
15 Your Love's Been a Long Time Coming (master)
16 Love Song of the Year (master)
17 Spanish Eyes (master)
18 If That Isn't Love (master)