Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
1956
Album Summary
Elvis Presley (released in the UK as Elvis Presley Rock n' Roll) is the debut studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Victor, on March 13, 1956, catalog number LPM-1254. The recording sessions took place on January 10 and January 11 at the RCA Victor Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and on January 30 and January 31 at the RCA Victor studios in New York. Additional material originated from sessions at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 5, August 19 and September 10 1954, and on July 11, 1955.The album spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart in 1956, the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the charts, and the first million-selling album of that genre. In 2003 and 2012, it was ranked number 56 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and at number 332 in a 2020 revised list. Elvis Presley was also one of three Presley albums to receive accolades in the reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It was certified gold on November 1, 1966 and platinum on August 8, 2011 by the Recording Industry Association of America.The original 1956 UK release called Rock n' Roll on HMV Catalog Number: CLP 1093 has five different tracks.
WikipediaI fully expected to give this album a 1 star review. Maybe it's because I had to listen to Abba yesterday but, in comparison, this is ... not offensive. And really, that was Elvis's whole deal, right? Let's take music being made by black people and remake it so that it's just white enough that white people won't be offended by its blackness. And it worked. And it had a lasting impact on the world because it - this album - helped bring Rock and Roll into the mainstream. Every track is still a shadow of the original but they're not bad. Just ... whitewashed.
Today it all seems so easy -- RCA signs up the kid from Memphis, television gets interested at around the same time, and the rest is history. The circumstances surrounding this album were neither simple nor promising, however, nor was there anything in the history of popular music up to that time to hint that Elvis Presley was going to be anything other than "Steve Sholes' folly," which was what rival executives were already whispering. So a lot was unsettled and untried at the first of two groups of sessions that produced the Elvis Presley album -- it wasn't even certain that there was any reason for a rock & roll artist to cut an album, because teenagers bought 45s, not LPs. The first of Elvis' RCA sides yielded one song, "Heartbreak Hotel," that seemed a potential single, but which no one thought would sell, and a few tracks that would be good enough for an album, if there were one. But no one involved knew anything for sure about this music. Seventeen days later, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released, and for about a month it did nothing -- then it began to move, and then Elvis appeared on television, and had a number one pop single. The album Sholes wanted out of Elvis came from two groups of sessions in January and February, augmented by five previously unissued songs from the Sun library. This was as startling a debut record as any ever made, representing every side of Elvis' musical influences except gospel -- rockabilly, blues, R&B, country, and pop were all here in an explosive and seductive combination. Elvis Presley became the first rock & roll album to reach the number one spot on the national charts, and RCA's first million dollar-earning pop album.
An absolute chore to listen to, and I say that as some who doesn’t mind a little bit of Elvis. I think we need to ask the hard question though. Was Elvis really that good? Or was 1950s America that racist that they wouldn’t give the time of day to arguably much better African-American recording artists of the time? I’m going with the later and think we should stop looking at this album through rose tints. Highlights 1. Money Honey (cause it marked the end of the album)
I absolutely loved listening to Elvis, especially knowing that this was during his most hopeful times. There's a bittersweetness that will always be a part of the Elvis listening experience. And, that version of blue moon!
The first album by the King. Actually, it accumulates some singles, outtakes and other things from the Sun sessions and brings them all together in a surprisingly cohesive album. It's Presley without the bells and whistles, the way he was meant to be heard. Lots of rockers and ballads, all compressed into less than a half an hour, yet still the best of the best.
Some awesome vocal performance and playing. This is how country and R&B became Rock. Shades of Robert Plant, later Dylan, influence on the Beatles.... The cover of Tutti Frutti doesn't hold up as well as I Gotta Woman. Blue Suede Shoes must have been a revelation and revolution in its' time. Feels in the moment more than 60 years later.
Every song is 2 minutes. Pop perfection. Feels like walking into a smoky bar in the 1950's. Looked at the Wiki page and Elvis didn't write any of these songs. Meat puppet. Forgot how much I liked "Blue Moon".
His name definitely creates a confirmation bias, but to me this album is legendary and perfect.
Elvis' first proper album, and talk about energy. Even the ballads have a raw but poppy feeling that mixes the past and the present (at the time). Knowing the history for this album helps as well. He covers black artists, unheard of at the time for a white artist.
Having listened to Elvis Presley my entire life, I wasn’t expecting any really new insights. Oops - turns out that a lifetime of listening to greatest hits collections denied me some of the excitement of early Elvis. Elvis recorded this between the ages of 19 - 21 and it is remarkable how polished his sound is. While there are a range of song styles Elvis transcends genre and brings it all together. He makes every song his own. A few interesting moments: “One-Sided Love Affair” I really enjoyed! I don’t recall hearing this song before, but his delivery is great. “Just Because” stood out to me. I don’t recall hearing this before. Love the guitar in this one. Elvis’ singing in “Trying to Get to You” is particularly good. “Blue Moon” is so pared back and haunting. A bit unusual and really showcases Elvis’ vocal skills. I did not expect to love this song but it is one of my favorites on the album. I initially thought it might be tough to drop in and rate the first album of an artist so ubiquitous as Elvis, but listening to this album felt surprisingly fresh. For a few moments I could feel the excitement of listening to Elvis for the first time. That cleared up any doubt that this deserves a 5.
I mean this is the start of something special. Definitely tight, punchy, and leaves you wanting more. Downsides are in shallow writing and a lack of fully developed sound
First Elvis LP I ever listened to all the way through, I get what the fuss was about now. Sparkly poppy rocking stuff from when it was all new.
There’s this trend of saying “pop music today is so formulaic; it’s all written by algorithm.” Listen to this and just realize how paint-by-numbers this all is. The cover of “Tutti-Frutti” is just as bad as Pat Boone’s. Elvis said he hated his “chicken squawk” voice pre-army, but I really prefer it. This is only on the list for its history of being one of the first “albums.” Favourite track: “Blue Suede Shoes”
Ce matin, je lançais cet album au moment de me préparer un bon thé matinal. Alors que ma tasse était à moitié remplie d'eau bouillante, Elvis s'arrêta soudain de chanter. Je me demandais ce qu'il pouvait bien se passer. "Peut-être un problème de connexion" soupirais-je. Je dévérouillais alors mon téléphone pour vérifier la qualité du signal wi-fi, mais la connextion semblait impeccable. J'ouvrais donc l'application Spotify, et c'est là que je compris: l'album était déjà terminé.
Comme je vous l'expliquais dans ma critique de Kraftwerk il y a de cela quelques mois, j'ai pour habitude de sortir avec les anciennes fréquentations de mon compère d'écoute et ennemi juré eltrapeze. J'effectuai récemment en ce sens quelques recherches dans le but de savoir quelles étaient les dernières en date et pris contact avec elles par courriel. Après leur avoir fait passer à chacune un entretien virtuel, j'annonçai à l'une d'elles qu'elle avait été choisie pour me rejoindre en Basse-Saxe et ainsi pouvoir sortir avec moi, Robvestiaire. eltrapeze étant interdit de séjour dans cette région, elle n'avait absolument rien à craindre. Celle-ci prit son billet et me rejoignit dans le nord de l'Allemagne. À son arrivée, nous nous rendîmes à l'hôtel. Une fois la porte de notre chambre franchie, elle me déshabilla, me jeta sur le lit et m'embrassa de la manière la plus sauvage qui soit tout en proférant des propos injurieux à l'égard d'eltrapeze. « Attends, je vais mettre de la musique. » l'interrompis-je soudain. Je me levai, connectai mon enceinte JBL à mon portable, cliquai sur l'album Elvis Presley, et la posai sur la table située au bord de la fenêtre. Croyez-le ou non, au moment où je regagnai le lit, l'album était déjà terminé. Je décidai de me rhabiller et de raccompagner cette demoiselle à la gare.
An afternoon/evening/workout (not a morning) album; after listening to a lot of jazz in 2020, this was a bit of shock to the system, but in a good way. Appreciate Metallica's musicianship quite a bit.
Album histórico e extremamente importante. Destaque para: Blue Suede Shoes, I'm Counting on You e Trying to get to You. Dá pra ouvir muito de Beatles nas duas últimas
Classic album, start to finish. Elvis raw as ever and about to start killing it in his career!
Disco referencial. La primera piedra del mito sustentada en rock&roll primigenio. Obra maestra por el impacto, por el momento y por las formas.
14th July 2021 Listened on the living room speaker while in bed on my first day at the FT! Feels very strange but the sun is out and I have coffee in bed. An album that signalled the birth of rock and roll.
Theres seriously nothing like Elvis Presley out there. Such an all around enjoyable album. Maybe because he was a defining force of todays popular music, it's culturally easy to listen to, but it's still a 5 for me, also considering the impact of Elvis and his style in the popmusic industry.
As a native Memphian this one hits close to home. Growing up the guy became a gimmick and eye-roll when suggested by someone outside of Memphis, but I had forgotten how successful an artist he was. Good album, would listen again. Even with the cover.
Hi: I Love You Because, Just Because, Blue Moon Lo: None It's amazing how Elvis hit the ground running with this debut album; Every vocal is buttery smooth, every plunk of the piano deliberate, every strum of the guitar purposeful. Yet parents at the time hated it, thinking that the inevitable hip-swinging would bring about an immoral apocalypse of promiscuity. 65 years later, Elvis just sounds quant and wholesome enough to play in nurseries and Sunday school. Does it hold up? If you peel away all the influences and echos in today's music, this is the framework that would be left, and who knows what rock n' roll would look like today if this album had never existed.
I didn't expect to give this 5 but it's great. Can't believe I had never listened to it from start to finish before.
How odd to simply listen to an Elvis album. These songs and this sound has been so ubiquitous that it's hard to imagine a time before they existed. This was great. I'm so impressed with the musicianship and the marriage of blues and country. Very enjoyable.
I am a fan of Elvis, but I was surprised that I enjoyed this album as much as I did. I guess I didn't expect it to have a good of sound quality and energy. It was great!
The King's début! It's an artifact as much as entertainment. And it is entertaining. The intro to Blue Suede Shoes is maybe one of my favorite album openers, ever. Love this song. "One-Sided Love Affair" is a new favorite. "Tutti Fruitti" is an old favorite. It's true that part of my love for this album is as a historical document, but I do love this music!
Classic Elvis at his early best, I really am impressed with the quality here and justifiably on the list. Great record that, like the Beatles, changed the whole music scene. "Blue Suede Shoes" & "Tutti Frutti" stand out tracks and also Ray Charles's "I Got A Woman" but the sheer musicianship of the bands he worked with stand out. I would definitely have it in my collection. Although I prefer the Clash's 1979 Pastiche cover for London Calling (Which is in my collection)
Great album - Elvis really can sing, excellent band and timeless classics, you can see how he repackaged black american music for white ears but it's still a five star
Not just 5/5 because it's Elvis - it's so good. What must it have been like to hear this at the end of the 50s? It really rocks
This is the king of rock'n'roll. I've got this album: nice album! Here he makes some covers, great covers. And all the songs are very good.
Swinging great tunes, massive historical impact, know they're all covers but what music isn't? 4.6
És difícil no donar les 5 estrelles al disc, malgrat el seu contingut ha quedat ja tan superat. Bressol de tot plegat, punt d'inflexió musical, cultural i sociològic al segle XX. Va ajudar a construir la cultura pop a la qual vivim i els seus temes són ja estàndards del rock i d'una època
It's the King's first album. Pretty much all of the music in this list wouldn't be there without this. It's five stars just for it's importance. The tunes are great as well. Let's face it, he was an alien wasn't he? Best Tracks: Blue Suede Shoes; Tutti Frutti; Blue Moon
Awesomely paced album. I’d never listened to it, but I can see why he had such musical influence.
Amazing songs (NOT written by Elvis) that are sung by an amazing performer. Looking at it strictly from an entertainment and enjoyment perspective, this is a solid 5/5 album. The vocals are just so solid, energetic, and magical. The songs as originally sung by their respective artists are great as well, but Elvis' voice is just something special.
It’s important to remember that all those rappers who shit on Elvis back in the day are all playing cops on TV right now...so fuck all of them. This shit is older than me and still slaps...and not the Will Smith kind either. If you can’t get with this, you’re so square, baby I don’t care.
This is rather timely for me, seeing as how the Elvis biopic is coming out soon (or is out? I don't know, I only keep tabs on arthouse films). It had to be him. You know how things were in the 50s when it came to nascent rock and roll. The prime originators of the genre, who happened to be Black, wouldn't get the most out of the notoriety that Elvis put forth. So he had to be the blueprint. Rock and roll had to be molded in his image and it's an image that still captivates in these two centuries, from album cover on down. Sure, the songs are all covers but there is also conviction and purpose and Elvis had that in spades. If it wasn't for this album, who knows how the next several years would turn out. Maybe it'd be dismal, maybe nothing would change. We'll never know because the path forward only takes less than thirty minutes.
"Blue Suede Shoes", the covers of "I Got A Woman" and "Tutti Frutti", that incredibly moody "Blue Moon" ballad... Here are a few of the highlights from Elvis' historical first LP. Everything here points to a landmark album, contrary to that "Elvis Is Back" record that's also part of this list for reasons that have more to do with marketing than genuine influence. This one is the soundtrack *par excellence* for every American diner out there, from Memphis to Tokyo. Of course, Elvis is not the originator of true rock n' roll, African Americans were. But it's hard to deny the appeal and cultural imprint this seminal record left on... well, almost *everything* that came right after it! And even far later than that (see the lettering on the cover of The Clash's *London Calling*, for instance...) So 5 stars, if only for that. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 862 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 76 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 34 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 29
So this was his 1st album! That's what I call hitting the ground running. Lots of really good songs on here: Blue Suede Shoes, I Got A Woman, Tutti Frutti, but my favourite is the less know song Blue Moon. (The Blue Moon Boys was the nickname of the band on this album) He is the King and this is one of the precious few LPs before he went to the army and died.
Fun to drive to. Interesting to hear all the “filler” tracks to get a sense of what people were listening to back in the day. Blue Suede Shoes is a classic but hearing everything else gives it more context. Cool piece of rock n roll/pop music history.
It arguably all started here. What is not arguable is that this was the first rock and roll record to hit number one. In retrospect it is a bit uneven, but that is a minor quibble. Elvis is the King.
What a great artist and this is a collection of some of my favourites by Elvis.
Lively and lovely. Love classical style of Presley. Got some inspiration from lyrics.
Well, he is after all known as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Music was different back in the 1950’s and it’s evident Elvis set the world on fire with this record, even though it could be seen as boring by contemporary standards.
"Blue Suede Shoes" is my impression of Elvis Presley, the classic ever.
He had a really great voice! He went out on a limb singing the kind of music that he loved. He changed the course of popular music at the time, rather he opened the flood gates. The songs on this album are great, enjoyable songs. There is really no filler. And because of all this it deserves a solid 5.
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Blue suede shoes, I’m counting on you, I got a woman, Just because, Tutti frutti, Trying to get you, Money honey
I've recently watched the biopic Elvis from 2022 and really really enjoyed learning about his life and music. I already had a lot of love for this album but it's so fun to listen again fully since watching the film. I find Elvis' start in show business so amazing and inspiring and think this is very impressive for a debut album. When I think of where he came from and where his inspiration came from and how he fought the pressure from conservative Americans to water down his music and personality, I feel all fired up and inspired and emotional haha! And oh ma Gadddd Elvis' voice in unmatched in its field if that makes sense hahaha. Love an album that can make me feel this much. Also there is great variety and originality in this album. Love the diversity of dynamics throughout. I really appreciate the album artwork which is very cool too. Highlights for me are Trying to Get to You and I Got a Woman and Money Honey also Blue Moon ugh, incredible tracks!!!
First time with this 3rd album, more familiar with the first two. Very different and moody, but also very good.
I think my grandmother will disown me if i didn't like this haha but yea, this is good music and not my first time listening to this
Where it all started. Nothing like some good, straightforward rock and roll!