On Memphis Rock and Soul Melissa Etheridge brings her powerful voice and passionate vision to some of the era-defining treasures of modern music - the Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself", Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)" and "I've Got Dreams to Remember", Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming", Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign", Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love" - as well as some real discoveries she found in her explorations deep into the Stax catalog.

The latter yielded such delights as "Memphis Train", which opens the album, and the irresistible dance-inducing "Wait a Minute". The writing credits are no less monumental : David Porter and Isaac Hayes, William Bell, Mack Rice, Booker T. Jones, and B.B. King among them.