Search - Elvis Presley :: Original Album Classics

A great collection

A Fan | VA | 08/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a box set of Elvis' first three albums, 1960's Elvis is Back, and the movie soundtrack classic GI Blues. These albums were huge international hits when they were released and became the first in a looong string of million sellers for Elvis. This set contains bonus tracks not included on the original LPs, but were included on the individual CD releases a few years ago. This is a nice set if you do not already own the individual releases.



"Elvis Presley" was rock and roll's first really big hit album and probably the first rock and roll album period! This album is underrated and under appreciated for its impact on popular music worldwide. It went to number 1 on the US album chart and stayed there for 10 weeks. As originally released in the US it contained 12 great songs and was a huge hit in the US and worldwide. It was an important part of the revolution in music that Elvis was leading. Despite no single being released from the original album, an EP was released including Elvis' version of Blue Suede Shoes which became a top 20 hit in the US and top 10 in the UK. Money Honey also became a minor hit and is my favorite song on the CD. This album was historic and is a must for Elvis and rock fans!



"Elvis" was his second album and is on par with his excellent first album. Like the first album, this one topped the US album charts and sold millions. In an apparent effort to tame Elvis' alarming image, RCA used a cover shot that would have been more appropriate for a Gospel album than an edgy Rock and Roll album (contrast it with the cover of his first album). While no big hit single was included on the original album (in the 1950's singles and albums were considered separate products and hit singles were often excluded from albums so as not to hurt sales of the single), several songs were released on EP's and were minor hits including: Love Me, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Paralyzed, and Old Shep. Some other songs were international hits like Rip It Up and Ready Teddy. Highly recommended for fans of Elvis and early rock and roll!



"Loving You" was Elvis' 3rd album and his 3rd number 1 album! While it was not quite as strong as his first two, it is still a great album for the period and this release is made even better by the inclusion of several bonus songs. It was part studio album and part soundtrack. It includes the hits "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Loving You", and "I Beg Of You" as well as some songs that were hits in the UK, "Party" and "Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do". Highly recommended for Elvis and 50's music fans!



"Elvis is Back was released in 1960 and marked his return from US Army duty. The album was a big international hit and includes many strong performances like the pop-rocker "Such A Night", smooth love songs "Soldier Boy" and "Girl of My Best Friend", along with some of the best R&B tunes Elvis ever recorded "Reconsider Baby" and "Like a Baby". One of his finest albums.



This was one of Elvis' biggest hit albums, staying at number 1 on the US album chart for 8 weeks. It did this despite not producing a big hit single in the US (although "Wooden Heart" was a huge hit internationally, it never charted in the US). In my opinion, it is his best 1960's movie soundtrack (though not quite as good as some of his groundbreaking 1950's soundtracks). "Shopping Around" is an underapreciated rocker and I also really liked "Pocket Full of Rainbows" and "GI Blues". A superior collection of early 60's pop and rock!

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The Revolution in Pop Culture

Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 03/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 5-CD set is an incredible look at an iconic artist and the beginning of the rock-n-roll revolution in pop culture. Four of the five albums charted at number one in the U.S., while three are studio albums and two are movie soundtracks.



The initial three RCA albums - Elvis Presley (1956), Elvis (1956), Loving You (soundtrack, 1957) - are classics, with tracks like Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti and Blue Moon (Elvis Presley), Rip It Up, and Old Shep (Elvis) and (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear and Hot Dog (Loving You) indispensible when discussing key sign-posts in rock music.



Elvis is Back! (1960) - his first post-Army release - "only" reached #2, but shows fantastic depth in the music (Fever, Reconsider Baby, Make Me Know It). G.I. Blues (1960) includes the #1 single in the U.S. and UK, Wooden Heart.



It cannot be stressed enough that these albums hold significant places in pop music, with Presley forging a new frontier in artistry that will continue to be heard in studios and on stages around the world."