Elvis Is Back! in Bloomington, MN

Although they have common recording origins, two of the three singles,
"It's Now or Never"
and
"Are You Lonesome Tonight,"
were very quirky by the standards of
Elvis
songs at the time -- the former inspired by
's admiration for
Tony Martin
's 1949 hit
"There's No Tomorrow,"
while the latter was recorded at the request of
Col. Parker
as a favor to his wife. They add to the diversity of sounds on this record, which shows a mature
Elvis Presley
.
"Dirty, Dirty Feeling"
"It Feels So Right"
showed he could still rock out and challenge authority and propriety, while
"Reconsider Baby"
"Like a Baby"
offer some of his best blues performances; but
"The Thrill of Your Love"
(a very gospel-tinged number),
"Soldier Boy,"
"Girl of My Best Friend,"
"Girl Next Door Went a' Walking,"
also displayed the rich, deep vocalizing that would challenge critics' expectations of
playing rhythm guitar throughout. He also comes off better than on any of his other albums since arriving at
RCA
, as a musician as much as a "star" (he'd always had a lot more to say about running his sessions than the critics who loathed his
years indicated). ~ Bruce Eder