For Elvis Freaks and Music Geeks Only

Whether you love Elvis or dislike him, there is no denying his place in rock and roll history. While he had almost become a caricature of himself at the end, bloated by drugs and horrible eating habits, sometimes forgetting the lyrics to his songs, it was a major shock when the King suddenly passed away. I’ll always remember that day because it coincided with the very day that I moved into a small Navajo reservation town – August 16, 1977.

To memorialize that day, Elvis fan Dainon Moody (Gr8dane) has organized an all things Elvis write off. Some other fine writers have joined this occasion, so I encourage you to check out the other excellent Elvis write off reviews by Gr8dane, caravan70, fm_hunter, RodeoJoe, and auntnono.

With well over 200 Elvis recordings it can appear to be an overwhelming task to choose the most suitable collection for your needs. If you’re a casual Elvis fan, you will likely want to get one of the greatest hits compilations like the two volume 50 Worldwide Gold Hits album. However, if you’re serious about Elvis and you have the $75 to invest, you simply cannot go wrong with the 5 CD box set, The Complete Masters.

There could be other reasons for getting this set. Perhaps you’re a music aficionado who wants a representative set of historically important rock and roll artists. My original reason for purchasing this collection comes closer to this. I was the local oldies and blues DJ for a small public radio station in my reservation town and often did special shows to expose the locals to various artists, and I’d get requests to do special Elvis shows. I wasn’t a big Elvis fan and all I had available were a couple of greatest hits albums. That simply wouldn’t do, as these songs had all been played over the years ad nauseum. I couldn’t conceive of putting together a generic show that featured only his hits.

Then I heard about this collection of every Sun recording that Elvis had made during his prime years in the 1950’s. What a goldmine! It converted me from being indifferent to Elvis to appreciating his vast talent. Just having the booklet that accompanies the 5 discs is worth a great deal, as it chronicles much of the history behind the recordings. Plus, there are 140 tracks that include all his 50’s hits, gospel numbers, ballads, country songs, blues style numbers, some songs you’ve probably never heard of, some previously unreleased material, and one interview.

Two historical gems are the actual first two songs that Elvis ever recorded at a failed audition he had at Sun Records in 1953 – the tentative and plaintive sounding “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” When you hear these, you can tell that it’s Elvis but he sounds so unsure of himself that it’s hard to believe that he will rule pop music within two years.

Call it fate or luck or just being a talent who finally breaks through, Elvis certainly was in the right place at the right time. It so happened that Sam Phillips (Sun Studios) was searching for a white boy who could sing the blues, and Phillips soon had Elvis back in his studio singing every song that he knew. One of these is preserved in this collection, Bing Crosby’s ballad called “Harbor Lights.” None of Elvis’ songs blew Phillips away, but Elvis had the one quality that is absolutely essential for the blues – he threw all his emotions into each song that he did.

That quality kept hope alive for Phillips that perhaps Elvis could fulfill his dream if he could just find the right song. Phillips had recorded a number of blues artists and had a few rockabilly musicians, but he really wanted to bridge the two with the right singer. While Elvis obviously grew up in the heart of blues country between his Mississippi birthplace and present Memphis home, I’m not sure that Phillips was aware that Elvis had actually sung in black churches and loved that music as well. The magic session happened when Phillips arranged for guitarist Scotty Moore and his Starlite Wranglers group to get together with this kid who sang heartfelt ballads.

The first few songs didn’t really satisfy, but the tender “I Love You Because” from that session is preserved here because RCA released it on Elvis’ first record. During a break Elvis began messing around with a song that he knew, an old blues song by Arthur Crudup called “That’s All Right.” Scotty Moore and his group joined in. Sam Phillips was blown away. He had had no idea that Elvis would even know this song. Rock and roll began to transform at that moment.

The next song that they transfigured was “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” You can hear the original bluegrass style version on Disc 5, but the rocking version is on the first disc. Bob Dylan refers to Elvis’ rendition of “Blue Moon of Kentucky” as the first time that he understood the concept of freedom in music. It certainly thrilled and excited Sam Phillips, who realized that he now had his white boy who could sing the blues. Finally the music that black people had known about for years could be translated for mainstream audiences.

Soon Elvis would burst on the scene and gain a worldwide audience. All the hits are here from “Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, Love Me Tender”, and “All Shook Up” to “Jailhouse Rock.” I can enjoy these to some degree, but I’ve heard them so many times that they don’t thrill me all that much. One of the greatest hits albums would suffice at a much cheaper price if this is what you want to hear.

I prefer to listen to the offbeat material, the songs that you hardly ever hear. In fact, it wasn’t until I heard Elvis sing some of the blues style songs that I became increasingly impressed with his musicianship. Most of my favorite tracks are found on the first disc and the 5ht disc. “Milkcow Blues Boogie” is one fun song that clearly demonstrates that Elvis could sing with any blues band out there without embarrassing himself. He also shows that he can rock out with the blues on “Baby Let’s Play house” and Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman.” Also listen closely to the Arthur Crudup blues song “My Baby Left Me” immediately following the Carl Perkins composed “Blue Suede Shoes,” and you’ll realize that Perkins took the melody and rhythm directly from Crudup’s song.

Elvis is something of a musical Renaissance man, as he is versatile enough to sing across several genres. His actual first #1 hit song is found here, and it’s a surprise to all but the most knowledgeable Elvis fans. The song is “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” that appeared at #1 on the country charts in the fall of 1955 while Elvis was voted Billboard magazine’s “Most promising C&W artist.” Among the mostly pop rock songs found on discs 2 – 4, you’ll find a sprinkling of gospel and spiritual songs – “I Believe,” “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” and “Peace in the Valley.” You can also find a number of Christmas songs on the third disc.

The real rarities all come on Disc 5. These are previously unreleased masters and alternate takes making their first public appearance. The biggest highlight on this disc is track #9, a fabulous instrumental recorded by the Million Dollar Quartet on December 4, 1956 at Sun Studios. Featured musicians include Carl Perkins on the guitar, Clayton Perkins on Bass, Jerry Lee Lewis on piano, and Elvis on guitar. This is a pure jam session and proves that these musicians have been underrated.

My favorite versions of “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Long Tall Sally,” and “Blue Suede Shoes” are on Disc 5. These are all live versions performed at the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas in May 1956, so you can hear Elvis interact with the audience and with his band and improvise – I’ve never heard him sing “Heartbreak Hotel” any slower or sexier. Scotty Moore also upgrades his riffs on “Blue Suede Shoes” while drummer D.J. Fontana goes a little wilder than usual to make this song sound refreshed.

Those are a few of my preferences, but with 140 tracks The Complete 50’s Masters is a veritable cornucopia of Elvis material. Whatever your taste in Elvis material from his early years is sure to be satisfied with this box set. Those who have only heard his greatest hits can only know the superficial side of the man. To know Elvis more deeply will require getting to know the depth of his music, and this is the best collection on the market.