CAPT OF A B737-300 WAS HIGH; AND CLOSE IN; WHEN ISSUED A SECOND APCH CLRNC.

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ON AUG/FRI/97; ACR FLT X WAS ON A 355 DEG HDG ON THE HOLLY EIGHT EIGHT ARR AT MEMPHIS INTL ARPT AT AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 8000 FT MSL TO LAND ON RWY 18L. ACR X WAS TALKING TO MEMPHIS APCH ON FREQ 125.8. WHEN ACR X WAS APROX 3 DME N OF THE APCH END OF RWY 18L MEMPHIS APCH CTL SAID RWY 18L WAS BACKED UP BECAUSE OF DEPS AND TO EXPECT RWY 18R. MEMPHIS APCH THEN GAVE ACR X A TURN TO THE W AND ISSUED A CLRNC TO 3000 FT MSL. ACR X WAS APROX 5 DME N OF THE ARPT AT 8000 FT MSL WHEN MEMPHIS APCH ISSUED THEIR NEW CLRNC. THIS APCH WAS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THE CREW OF ACR X WAS PULLING OUT THE APCH PLATE FOR RWY 18R. THE ACFT HAD TO BE CONFIGURED FROM CLEAN AND 210 KTS TO GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 40 DEGS TO FLY THE APCH. ONCE THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED IT WAS VERY HIGH AND CLOSE TO THE ARPT. ONCE ACR X WAS ON THE GND THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR SUPVR (CTLR AT PHONE NUMBER) TO EXPRESS HIS CONCERN AND DISPLEASURE AT SUCH AN APCH PROC BEING ISSUED TO ACR X. ATC CTLR WAS VERY CONCERNED AND SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO THE SIT. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR MEMPHIS APCH TO ISSUE SUCH AN APCH.