Elvis Presley: The Essential Elvis Presley - Disc 1 of 2 CD Track Listing

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Elvis Presley The Essential Elvis Presley - Disc 1 of 2 (2007)
The Essential Elvis Presley - Disc 1 of 2\n2007 RCA/Legacy\n\nOriginally Released January 2, 2007\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The problem with compiling an essential best-of compilation covering the phenomenon that was (and is) Elvis Presley is the very man himself, who has passed from this mortal coil into the iconic pop culture stratosphere where even his own death is questioned and Elvis sightings are as frequent as fleas. Then there are the thousands of performers who daily dress up as Presley himself and sally forth into the world like perfectly gyrating replicas of either the early or later Elvis (body physics dictate that you can't be both). Elvis may have left the building, but not really. His image is everywhere, and his fans are legion and devout. So how does one pick his essential sides when "Do the Clam" is a classic in the Kingdom of Presley simply because Elvis did it? He recorded Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie" in 1970. It was hardly the best version ever of "Polk Salad Annie" but it was Elvis' version of "Polk Salad Annie," which puts it in rarefied class of its own, and making it, like "Do the Clam," absolutely essential in some quarters. When you're larger than life, words like essential have to expand or be left wanting. The Essential Elvis Presley boils this imposing legacy down to two discs of 20 tracks each, and approaches the problem of what is truly essential by choosing to compile all of Elvis' significant charting hits, beginning with his 1954 cover of Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right" from Sam Phillips' Sun Records and continuing chronologically through Presley's long association with RCA Records through the year 1976. That means, while there's no version of "Do the Clam" ("Polk Salad Annie" is here, though), there are classic sides like 1956's "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," and "Love Me Tender," 1957's "Jailhouse Rock," 1961's "Little Sister," and 1969's "In the Ghetto," "Suspicious Minds," and "Kentucky Rain." There are 17 number one hits and a whole lot more. Elvis fanatics are going to complain about what isn't here, of course. Elvis is the King, after all, and therefore by definition everything he recorded ought to be essential. And everything he recorded is indeed essential on some level. But these are the sides that broke through to the deepest level of the world pop culture that Elvis helped create. These are the songs that broke him and then sustained him on radio and television and at the movie theaters. Die-hard Elvis fans will undoubtedly already have everything collected here. This is a set instead for folks who want to have at least one Elvis anthology in their collections, and want the hits they remember and don't much care if those hits are from the early Elvis or the later Elvis or the dear departed Elvis. Just the hits, bartender, shaken not stirred. That means no version of "Do the Clam," singular as it is. -- Steve Leggett\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNone Better, January 28, 2007\nReviewer: J. Fitzgerald\n\nThe Essentials series is to music what the Criterion Collection is to movies. They are quite simply the most comprehensive, highest quality collections available for the greatest music performers of all time. And The Essential Elvis Presley is no different. It is the best Elvis collection on the market. \n\nCertainly there are other recent collections that are great in their own right but none delivers quite like this fantastic collection. 2nd To None, for example, omits "All Shook Up," "Jailhouse Rock," "Can't Help Falling In Love," and "Hound Dog," amongst others. Then there's 30 #1 Hits, which is missing "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Viva Las Vegas." But that is an inherent problem with any collection of number one hits; not all number ones hold up as well over time as other songs that never reached the top of the charts. \n\nThe Essential Elvis Presley, on the other hand, has no glaring omissions at all. The diehard Elvis fan will surely argue this claim, having found one or more underrated gems absent, but the casual fan would be hard-pressed to find fault with this collection. \n\nOf course, you could always find two Elvis collections with all your favorites, and if you have other Elvis records already, you'll probably want to look elsewhere to complete your collection. But if you want a single collection of all your favorite Elvis songs, The Essential Elvis Presley is without a doubt the finest collection available.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOne glaring omission, one glaringly bad inclusion, January 17, 2007\nReviewer: BigPig (Austin, TX USA)\nWhat were they thinking when they put this collection together? Yes, it has almost - ALMOST - all of Elvis's greatest hits but where is "One Night"? And why, why, why would they dare to include Elvis's horrendous live version of "Polk Salad Annie" and omit a classic like "One Night"? It is for that glaring omission and that glaringly bad inclusion that I give this collection a rating of 4 rather than 5. Hey, I love Elvis Presley's music as much as anyone but he had no business recording "Polk Salad Annie." There's only one version of that song that should ever be heard and that's the original by the song's writer, Tony Joe White. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nEssential is right, January 7, 2007\nReviewer: R. Riis "rriis" (NY)\n\nSure, there are more than a few Elvis anthologies out there and, yes, there is nothing on this set that isn't readily available on a few hundred other compilations, but this one is noteworthy in its own way, and a great collection as well. Focusing less on hits than on great performances, "Essential Elvis" gathers a handful of Sun sides, the best of his early RCA output and acclaimed sides from throughout his career. You get the best of Elvis' many hits as well as critically-acclaimed album tracks ("Reconsider Baby", "Trouble", the live "Polk Salad Annie"), and that, for once, is a unique concept in Elvis reissues. Everyone will have differing opinions on what should or shouldn't have been included, and tob sure sure some great tracks have been left out, but this is a whale of a great collection of "essential" Elvis.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nLoud, January 5, 2007\nReviewer: Brian Shaw "bshaw20" (Orlando, FL USA)\nThis CD has essential songs in it, but of course there were several that were left off. "Hitstory" is still the recommended compilation. Actually "24 Karat HIts," but that CD is very rare and out of print. The first disc has only 20 songs and clocks in at less than an hour! It is also loud, so it does not seem natural, but this is DSD remastered by Vic Anesini and special thanks to Kevan Budd. I think they used their own remasters from their previous discs, combined them for this release, and tweaked the volume so they match. It's still a recommended purchase for completists. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA great collection, but..., January 5, 2007\nReviewer: A Fan (VA)\nThis is a great collection of songs from probably the most famous and influential rock star of all time. It includes many hits, several groundbreaking recordings from his Sun days, and a few lesser known songs. While this is a great set of music, I can't help but ask why was this released? These songs have been released numerous times through the years and most avid Elvis fans already have them. Casual fans would probably appreciate the "Elvis 30 Number 1 Hits" CD better. \n\nDon't get me wrong, this is another great collection of Elvis songs, but nothing that you can't already get on other collections. If you want an "essential" 2 CD Elvis set you can get both "Elvis 30 Number 1 Hits" and "2nd to None" for almost the same price that you can get this collection, and you would get 61 songs instead of just 40. Or if you wanted to spend a few more bucks, you could get the 3 CD "Hit Story" release. \n\nInstead of coming out with "new" compilations every few months, I think BMG/RCA would do better by pushing some of the excellent releases they already have on the market and re-releasing some of his albums that are out of print domestically with some rare bonus tracks. Or why not release the next "Gold Records Volume 6" to catch the songs that were left off the first 5 volumes of that series? If they want to keep releasing compilations, they should at least include a remix of a song to try to attract the interest of potentially new and younger fans. Just re-releasing "new" collections of the same songs that have been released numerous times is not cutting it. They need to come up with a better marketing strategy for Elvis' outstanding library of music! It appears some of the poor management practices that hurt his career and legacy have continued after his passing!\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA First-Rate Collection for the Casual Fan, January 4, 2007\nReviewer: Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE)\n\nWithout question, Elvis has been the most anthologized artist in the nearly thirty years since his death. So how is this collection different from the others? The short answer is--nothing. If you're a die-hard fan, there's no reason to buy this. But that's not true for the casual fan who's looking for a comprehensive overview of perhaps the most influential performer of the 20th Century. \n\nThis mid-priced two-disc collection covers every aspects of Elvis's career, beginning with his first Sun single "That's All Right" through the 1977 single "Moody Blue," which topped the country chart just months before his death. In between are hits from every stage of his career--50's rock 'n' roll classics like "Hound Dog," movie hits like the million-seller "Viva Las Vegas" and comeback hits like "Suspicious Minds" (his first No. 1 in more than seven years!). \n\nSure, there are missing tracks (including nine No. 1's, like "(Let Me Be Your)Teddy Bear," "Stuck on You" and "Good Luck Charm"), but for the casual fan who only wants one anthology in their collection this works nicely. However, with a total playing time of less than two hours, it could have been more inclusive. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED\n\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nThose who need more than the single-disc set of number-one singles, but less than the full box sets covering Elvis's1950s, '60s and '70s output, will be most pleased with BMG's two-disc compilation, THE ESSENTIAL ELVIS PRESLEY. With 40 tracks in chronological order--beginning with the epochal "That's All Right (Mama)" up to the title track of his final album, "Moody Blue"--this anthology is as straightforward as its name. From the early rockabilly classics to epic romantic ballads like "Suspicious Minds" and "Always On My Mind," and from movie hits like "Viva Las Vegas" to bluesy rockers like "Reconsider Baby," all of Elvis' most important tracks are on this well-chosen set. Those who know the myths and legends more than the music would do well to start here and learn just why Elvis Presley is now and forever the King of Rock & Roll.
This rock cd contains 20 tracks and runs 51min 42sec.
Freedb: 0b0c1c14
Buy: from Amazon.com

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