Elvis Presley “Elvis Is Back!” (1960)<i> RCA</i>

Elvis’ recordings generally fall into four groups: his astonishing sessions for the Sun label in 1954 and ‘55; the great pre-Army sides cut for RCA between 1956 and ‘58; the dreck from his “Hollywood years” between his induction and his return to live performances in 1968; and the often-powerful tracks that followed.

This album is the towering exception to that third category. Recorded in 1960, immediately upon his release from service to Uncle Sam, “Elvis Is Back!” proved that while the King may have surrendered those wavy locks for his country, he didn’t shed one strand of talent. Heavy on R&B; and blues, the album produced no big hits--which is surprising, as several of the vocals are among the best he ever delivered.

His reading of the Peggy Lee hit “Fever” is so sensual that it could melt titanium tweeters. He’s lowdown gutsy on Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby.” And then there’s “Such a Night,” which this listener thinks is Elvis’ best performance ever. The lyrics look almost laughable on paper (“it was a night, ooh what a night it was, it really was, such a night”) but Presley coos, croaks, pants, snarls, groans and exalts each syllable in a way that practically guarantees to leave you needing a cold shower.

It all sounds better than ever since it was remastered for CD. This one’s a must for Elvis fans who only have the greatest hits albums, for younger listeners wondering what all the fuss was about, and certainly for any serious rock collector.