Search - Elvis Presley :: Elvis 75 (1 CD)

Career spanning single CD skims the surface of Elvis' greatn

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 01/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This single CD, issued in celebration of Elvis Presley's 75th birthday anniversary, includes twenty-five tracks selected from the more thorough 4-CD Elvis 75 Good Rockin' Tonight. Much like the box set, this disc covers the length of Elvis' career, including early sides for Sun, incendiary rock `n' `roll for RCA, hits from the movies, post-Army comebacks, gospel, late-60s Memphis gems, live performances and later studio work from 1972. Unlike the box set, you'll miss his pre-Sun acetate and his post-72 recordings. More importantly, each phase of Elvis' career gets only one or a few cuts here, and the lesser known tracks that provide compelling context in the box set are dropped.



Obviously, a career as rich as Elvis Presley's can't be summed up in a single disc. Even his Top 10 hits won't fit on a single CD, and there's so much material beyond the charts that a fair hearing of the King's catalog really takes multiple discs or sets. 30 #1 Hits painted a picture of Presley's career through a recitation of his best-known hits; it's a fair summary, as is the broader 2-1/2 CD Essential 3.0. But none of these short collections, this one included, provide enough depth on Elvis' innovations, failures and resurgences to really essay the full arc of his career. A single disc such as this can serve as a map to an artist's career, but it's no substitute for a more thorough hearing.



What's here is fantastic. From the early rave-up of Arthur "Big Boy" Cruddup's "That's All Right" through the deeply-felt "Always On My Mind," Elvis is nothing less than brilliant. The disc is nicely programmed and plays well, but with so few tracks to provide context, you'll have to figure out for yourself how Elvis got from "Viva Las Vegas" to "How Great Thou Art." If you want to dig deeper, seek out the 4-CD box, or sets that survey his 50s, 60s and 70s masters, soundtracks, sessions at Sun and American Studios, his '68 comeback special, and his numerous live recordings.



The disc is delivered in a two-section digipack featuring a pair of full-panel Presley photos. The 16-page booklet includes a short biographical essay by Billy Altman (seemingly excerpted from his much longer essay in the box set), additional photos, and recording and chart data. If you think you only need one disc of Elvis Presley's music, this isn't a bad place to get an earful, but be forewarned that it's a gateway to a large catalog that you may find yourself unable to resist. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]"

Outstanding single disc compilation marking the 75th anniver

Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 01/08/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since RCA/Legacy never misses an opportunity to issue new Elvis compilations the release of the single disc compilation Elvis 75 hardly comes as a surprise. Having said that the folks at RCA have outdone themselves on this one. Here is a 25 track disc that covers the entire gamut of Elvis Presley's fabulous career. This is a disc that is perfect for both the casual Elvis fan and for younger people interested in sampling the extensive body of work that was left to us by the King of rock and roll.



Elvis 75 opens with a pair Elvis' earliest rockabilly recordings from his days at Sun records. I have always loved "That's All Right" and enjoyed hearing it again here. When Elvis signed with RCA Victor in 1956 he reeled off an impressive string of #1 hits. A half dozen of those chart-toppers including "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", "All Shook Up" and the rollicking "Jailhouse Rock" are all included in this collection as well. In the early 1960's Elvis started recording more ballads. Sample several of his most memorable ballads including "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" on Elvis 75. If you know anything at all about Elvis you know that he loved to sing spirituals. In fact, he recorded a number of gospel albums during his long career. Perhaps his most famous gospel recording "How Great Thou Art" can be found here also. Elvis experienced something of a drought in the mid 1960's but returned with a vengeance in 1969 with a pair of huge hits. Enjoy once again "In the Ghetto" and the #1 hit "Suspicious Minds". Outstanding!



Included with Elvis 75 is a neat 16 page booklet featuring biographical info and chart data for each of the tunes in this collection. This is great disc for the car or for those younger people who have never really explored the music of the king of rock and roll. Those looking for a more extensive anthology should be aware that RCA/Legacy has simultaneously issued an impressive 4 disc box set featuring 100 remastered Elvis favorites. Very highly recommended!"