Rockin' in the '50s with Elvis Presley

The King of Rock 'N' Roll : The Complete 50's Masters is the first and best of three 5 CD sets of Elvis Presley's RCA recorded output. It is also the most complete, as the '60s and '70s sets trim away the fat that literally and figuratively plagued Elvis in his last 15 years. A beautiful booklet full of pictures, essays, and annotated discography complements the discs.

The first four discs are devoted to Elvis' master takes, arranged chronologically. Which means the set actually opens with Elvis' country-blues and rural rock n' roll cuts commonly known as the Sun Records recordings, a collection so invaluable that the rest of the box is just icing on the cake. But what a flavour it is! Naturally, all of his '50s hits are included, beginning with "Heartbreak Hotel" (or as he sometimes referred to it in concert, "Heartburn Motel"). Classics like "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "All Shook Up," and "Blue Suede Shoes" sound vibrant and fresh, especially when removed from the standard "Greatest Hits" package and heard in context with the other material he recorded.

In addition, all of his LP tracks are here, too, rendering the individual albums non-essential. Also included are the soundtrack recordings from his 50's movies, arguably the best collection from his spotty second career. So, you have "Love Me Tender," "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" "King Creole," and "Jailhouse Rock," still the greatest song about homosexuality to hit #1 (listen to the lyrics very carefully, then get back to me).

Disc 5 is devoted to demos, alternate takes, and live performances. It also gives a glimpse to Elvis the performer and personality. Between song banter from a night in Las Vegas show him to be wittier than the poor, dumb country boy history has tried to make him. The set concludes with a press conference granted by the Army before Elvis was shipped off to Germany. In it, Elvis provides anecdotes of his time in Basic Training and politely responds to reporters who seem smugly assured that, with Elvis in the military, rock and roll will at last die. Ah, the naivete of the times.

That last sentiment is all the more reason this set is precious. I won't say that rock and roll was born with Elvis, because that is denying the many artists like Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, to name just two, who were midwifing the same elements of country, blues, and R&B. Let's just say that Elvis was instrumental in the development of rock and roll because he was able, fairly or not, to present it to a mass audience.

The King of Rock 'N' Roll : The Complete 50's Masters is Elvis at his hungriest. This is the young Elvis, full of excitement and energy. Finally, this is one of the corner stones of rock and roll and no serious collection can be considered complete without it.