Johnny Rivers has always been one of my rock & roll heroes. "Memphis" and "Secret Agent Man" are two of the greatest rock singles in history and the truth is that Rivers rarely made a bad record. The guy has sold 30 million records which is not exactly chicken feed. In spite of that fact major record companies have ignored Rivers for years which is symptomatic of what's wrong with the record business these days.
     Undaunted, Rivers, who has always been a music business entrepreneur, decided to reactivate his old Soul City record company (which was once home toThe Fifth Dimension) and release his first studio album in 15 years, "Last Train To Memphis."
     "Last Train to Memphis" is a wonderful tribute to the blues and rhythm & blues music of this magical Mississippi River port. That age-old blues topic of not being able to get over that special woman appears throughout this album with the best cuts being Don't Let The Rain Come Down, Can't Help Myself, and Down At The House of Blues, whose lyrics are reminiscent of Heartbreak Hotel, a 1958 smash for the most famous Memphian of them all, Elvis Presley.
     Rounding out this album is a terrific version of the Casinos' Them You Can Tell Me Goodbye. Like fine wine, Johnny Rivers keeps getting better with age. - Lloyd Carrol