Elvis Is Back

ELVIS IS BACK is a reissue of the first full-length record that Elvis Presley recorded after returning from his famous two-year stint in the U.S. Army. The disc includes a handful of tracks not included on the original, all of which seem just as strong as those that made it onto the vinyl release.
The album marks something of a crossroads in The King's career. Whereas such tracks as "Stuck on You" and "Make Me Know It" are of a piece with the kind of pelvis-grinding, R&B-informed tracks that made Elvis a star in the mid-to-late '50s, a cut like "Fame and Fortune" sees the beginnings of a move more toward smoky-voiced balladeering. The song is noteworthy for its occasionally jarring swings of vocal pitch-a technique for which Elvis would later be caricaturised. ELVIS IS BACK also brought forth Elvis' indispensable interpretation of "Are You Lonesome Tonight", a track that makes it difficult for even Elvis' most ardent detractors to question the sincerity of his delivery.|