Elvis Presley

1. zhoez - 1.5 2. counting - 1 3. uuoman - 1 4. love affair - 0 5. becauze - 1.5 6. juzt - 1 7. fruti - 1 8. trying - 1 9. cry - 1 10. go - 1.5 11. blue moon - 1 12. honey - 1

Früher Rock, viele bekannte Sachen 4/5

A proper showing from the King of RnR on his debut album.

Another album full of covers that aren't as good as the originals. It did get my foot tapping though.

ljómandi fínt.

I enjoyed it, I understand its problems and the problematic singer but I totally enjoy it

The king

My first Elvis album! Honestly? I don't get the hype around his "Elvis twang". It just sounds so mumbled and off putting. Another thing is that I was surprised he didn't have the twang for every song. He sounds completely different without it! The songs just aren't very good at all unfortunately.

It's Elvis! Probably my first actual full album, but excellent. Amazing instrumentation and incredible versatility of Elvis's singing. Lyrics are obviously bland and of the time, but very impressed!

This music feels both very of its time but also timeless. Listening to this in 2024 means that there’s little surprises here, because pretty much every aspect of the music on Elvis Presley(1956) has been expanded on in some way in the 67 years since. Nevertheless, this is still a really fun listen, the version I listened to *sounded* really good, and with a runtime of 28 minutes it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Not a huge Elvis listener but I do like this album I especially like Trying to Get You which has some really intricate guitar work and I Got a Woman is great too.

Not my cup of tea

I listened to Blue Suede Shoes, and it sounded a little hollow, so I listened to Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins' version right after. And then Folsom Blues. What a song! Can't wait to listen to the whole album. Where was I? Right, Elvis. Probably a really relevant album and so on, but most of the songs are rather cringy or bland, or both... Tutti Frutti comes along and feels anemic. So I immediately listen to Little Richard's version. What a classic! I get it, Elvis laid the groundwork for Rock and Roll's success. This is album the foundation upon which other people built castles. But only nerds visit a castle and are interested in its foundation.

Not the biggest Elvis fan by any stretch but this one is actually pretty fun.

At least each song was short. Most of Elvis's work sounds to me like a soulless cash grab, and this is no exception.

3 for legacy

Excellent album, but quite intense for a Monday morning…

Cool!

Always a good listen, obviously packs less of a punch today than it did when it came out. But Blue Suede Shoes will always be a banger, regardless of era.

This didn’t have a lot of the Elvis classics that I love. Although it did have “Blue Moon” which is great. Otherwise it’s fine. 3/5

Elvis gives me the creeps at the best of times. Having to listen to him sing swooning love songs to what I can only assume are 13/14 year old girls (his favourite) is tough to get through.

Delightful. Calling something “world changing” usually seems like an exaggeration, but it seems appropriate for this album. Hail to the king/thief.

This is the Elvis I like, more than the melodramatic Elvis (though there’s nothing wrong with that Elvis.) I love the reverb, the smoking guitar solos, but of course some of the lyrics are a little retrograde. Overall a solid album.

This displays how fantastic of a performer Elvis was. There’s some great songs and some not great songs, but, man, it’s fun to imagine that guy singing all sorts of different types of music. Can you imagine him fronting, like, Aerosmith?

Not great. Sounds like a novelty album to me. The greatest hits albums worked much better. The version of Blue Moon is excellent though.

This album will inevitably lead to the Elvis debate about authenticity and privilege. Yes, he got credit for music already being performed by marginalized peoples. But that was going to happen. Someone had to be the acceptable (for a racist time) bridge to popular culture. And if that's the historical hand being dealt, I'd rather it be Elvis who had some connection and admiration for the source material than someone like Pat Boone. This record still has some soul for '54 and it sure opened the flood gates.

The fact this is all after his Sun Records stuff (“Mystery Train”, “That’s All Right”) means I have a bit more digging to do in the early Elvis catalogue before I get the complete picture. Despite the raucous album cover, a lot is subdued crooning, but I don’t mind it. The simple, echoey production is timeless in a way Elvis is Back! wasn’t for me HL: “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Blue Moon”, “I’m Counting On You”, “I Love You Because” June 8, 2024

I think for every fast there was a slow song and that was nice for a change but I also feel like as an adult I realize how much Elvis used black music to make it and I’m not sure how much he gave back to that community in return. I will need to look that up but this also wasn’t my favorite in terms of his music overall anyway.

"Well it's a one for the money..." this record sets out it's stall in the first few seconds, which must have hit like an earthquake in 1956. For a 68 year old record, this is remarkably fresh, and listenable, probably because it changed musical culture forever and popularised what is now the basis for popular music. If you strip away all the culturally iconic elements and the tragic story of Elvis' life, you're still left with an outstanding voice singing some all time classics of the American songbook. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Blue Suede Shoes Date listened: 07/06/24

Awesome listening to his first full album

Road to the Kingdom.

Elvis Presley

I was expecting better, I realize this is the very early stuff, and was probably groundbreaking at the time, but it really underwhelmed.

When the king is rocking it rocks, but the crooners can be real snoozers.

Old school rockabilly that gives a great showing of the star that Elvis will became.

Very fun album!

Hmm obviously great artist but also not immensely catchy

Excellent

Four, as it was the first time I was given this.

The performance talent is undeniable; one of the many reasons his music and legacy is still around. Not something that I'd go out of my way to listen to, but it's a fun time when it comes on.

Classic Elvis. He was good wasn’t he. Although questionable morals.

You can tell he stole from black people but he jamming so let him cook

Not an Elvis fan, but I don’t hate him either. But with this as a debut album, it’s easy to see how he could become such a phenomenon. His swagger is evident in those rockabilly roots.

Nothing wrong with Elvis Presley being Elvis Presley. He hardly wrote any songs himself, stole his image and style from black artists. Then again: nothing wrong with this rock 'n roll album.

Funny to have two albums this week with “Tutti Fruiti” on them. Anyway, this is obviously a stone cold classic and one of the most deserving albums on this list. I could listen to this type of thing every day.

Elvis sucks ass, worst thing to ever happen to music.

nice enough, a few classics, good listen

I've never listened to an Elvis album before. I don't really think much of him either way as a vocalist. If you told me the phrase 'pales in comparison' came about describing the role of Elvis in popular music, I'd believe you. Still, I'm a sucker for the kind of guitar Scotty Moore plays on this. My favourite George Harrison guitar parts are him copying this stuff. music: failed to hate. (⌐♚_♚)

I’ve been a low level Elvis Hater for a while, but now have some time for the later live recordings. So coming into this one, I had a more open mind than I might have a couple years ago. This is good when it’s good, but man for a 28 minute album there is a lot of filler here. Elvis is not my King.

excellent album from the King !!

the king!

4.7 - Honestly this was a blast. There is a lot of joy that comes from this album and it's just great feel good shit. Great voice too

Overrated. Didn't even write his own songs. 2.2/5

Great album, especially inventive and modern considering it a 50s album.

Great!

i was just grooving

Fun Little Rock and roll album. Never listened to straight Elvis before and it was alright!

Between 2 or 3 here…. It was ok, obviously influential and I liked more of the ballad-y songs, the ones that were more Roy Orbison… the whole thing has a real Hayes Code horniness to it. Glad it was short!

Some cute songs!

first off - album artwork is just undeniably epic... dude is singing his heart out, artwork looks extraordinarily modern considering this thing is 68 years old, love the colorway ... I am pretty shocked to see that most of these songs clock in at 2mins & something as I see a frequent criticism of contemporary rap music and 'tik-tok era music' that the songs are too short! Meanwhile this guy singing standards is left unbothered with his 2min long songs... I am curious to know when we got it in our heads that a long song = a good one because clearly that is a post 60s idea, however I feel very comfortable blaming prog rock for this. I was trying to parse out why old people like Elvis so much, beside the fact that he reminds them of their youth... in my teens I was searching for the most abrasive and offensive music I could find, so far in my twenties I have been interested in coming back to earth through calming music, now that I near my thirties, I have been increasingly searching for the sublime, looking to classical music and opera to find the most beautiful music my ears can hear... while I find Elvis to be generally deplorable - there is moments of devastating feeling in this album, deep seeded emotion and undeniable beauty... it feels as if he's singing right to you and I found many of these songs to be deeply moving and heartbreaking. bad man, okay album but some really beautiful moments ...

Classic and very influential, despite its own obvious derivativeness. (is that a word?)

Boring. I don't get Elvis.

Look, Elvis was obviously a huge thing, even if he did just repackage black music. But listening to this compared to black musicians from around the same time...this just sounds dated. Nothing against the King but probably just 3 stars from me.

Understand the importance but most renditions are just ok

Elvis is good, but not the kind of thing I'd listen to over and over again

pretty listenable

ya, it sure is elvis

12 songs in 28 minutes. I appreciate it. Liked it. Loved Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti.

I’m generally a fan of Elvis music but I’ve realized that he is not an album artist. He could crank out hits but, at least with this one, there’s one true hit and maybe one decent one then 20 minutes of boring crooning which only serves as background music for when two 50s high schoolers fuck in their car in lovers lane or whatever. If you’re going to steal black music you might as well make it interesting in some new way. This is literally the exact same sound even down to the vocals.

It was interesting hearing Elivs not sound "Elvisy" on some songs. Tutti Frutti by anyone other than Little Richard is just wrong. It's not a genre I normally listen to but I like the boogie piano style. I wouldn't listen to this album again though.

Okay... I've hated Elvis all of my life. Public Enemy didn't help with my anti-Elvis world view. I've recently softened a bit considering his influence on other acts such as the Beatles. Still not my thing.

Elvis is a bit of a mostly positive mixed bag for me. This album is classic and still sounds great today, and his vocals and musicianship in the backing band totally still hold up. He gets a lot of flack for not writing most of his music, which I think is unfair given the trends of the times, where most crooners and singers worked with songwriters or a standard songbook. However, his sound and style are very much built on the backs of uncredited black musicians, and his white washing of the blues genre for the white audience is undeniable, and unfortunately tainted his legacy. Still, I think his actual music does hold up , as problematic as its origins might be. I’d say I like Elvis, but I prefer the black musicians that he emulated.

guys it's me jacob elordi stop fighting (nf)

It’s up there as one of the best

Eh

Classic. It surprisingly doesn't sound extremely dated.

This isn't as great as I expected it to be. It's the first from Elvis so that means something. Blue Suede Shoes is a fantastic cover and a great way to kick of the album. But it never reaches that height again in the next 25 minutes. Wonderfully produced and good order. There are just better Elvis albums out there

The album isn’t terrible. It’s just that I’ve heard this style of music done better.

Exactly what I’d expect an Elvis album to sound like. It was interesting to hear his version of I Got A Woman, it’s substandard compared to the Ray Charles original. A 50’s classic but very middle-of-the-road to my ears.

I listened to From Elvis in Memphis earlier this week and I was not impressed. I’m not a fan of later Elvis. This is the Elvis I like, he’s still hungry and trying to prove himself. Not every song is great but there’s good energy throughout. A solid debut album.

4.1

Más lento de lo esperado. Un 4.

It's classic, but I haven't enjoyed this music for a long time.

Amazed that this is the first time I’ve listened to this full album. That’s all.

In 1989, I saw Elvis walk out of the gas station of the rest area Taunusblick-Eschborn, A5 near Frankfurt. When he spotted me recognising him, he did his little a-bop-bop-a-loom and told me we should all move on. He seemed nice.

It's Elvis. I'm sure it was groundbreaking and new at the time but it's never been for me. I'm just not a big fan of Elvis's vocals but you do have to appreciate the new sound and pioneering an upbeat country/rock and roll sound. 5/10 (2.5/5)

Juvenile. Lovely. Fun!

Man, I was close to giving this a 5. In the end I couldn't tell if it was Elvis or the glass of wine I was having. But just excellent music.

Transformational! Such a talented and brave artist.

Quite nice.

2 stars because at least it was short, and inoffensive. impossible to listen to without considering how he was just copying much better black artists.

Also reminds me of my grandma

4.5/5. King shit, influential, genre defining.

Probably Elvis’s best album until his comeback era, it’s iconic and pretty much introduced the world to album rock and roll, But under a modern lens, it feels incredibly disjointed, as if every song were recorded at a different studio with different production styles. The album wasn’t the musical standard in 1956, so this can be mostly forgiven for really helping to promote the format as the norm. That said, while it’s a great collection of songs, it feels about as cohesive as a greatest hits album. And since Elvis has so many hits, a greatest hits album may be a better bet to listen to than his album debut. The compilations The Sun Sessions and Sunrise present his music that was recorded at Sun in Memphis, and in my opinion present a better, more cohesive time capsule of early Elvis.

Classic Elvis. What more can I say? You either like it or don't. I didn't mind most of these songs. There were some slow songs that were easily skippable though. It's crazy listening to these songs in a new light, hearing the influences... And understanding how much he ripped off African American singers. You can't NOT hear that in this record. Regardless, this record was pretty ok.

If I rated his ability to steal songs from black people, it's be a 5/5. But I am solely rating this album, so it's gonna be a 1/5. Not a fan of his voice. A-bop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom

Did you ever hear of this guy? LOL! A lot of the major hit attributed to the King. "Blue Sued Shoes", "Tutti Frutti". The ones I enjoyed were the slower ballads (" I Love You Because") - old school country

One thing about Elvis is he can sing! Classic American music.

didn‘t like it; his voice is not agreable to my ears

Meh

It sounds like it’s been a one take singing in to a can quality. All songs are covers of popular songs, but Blue Suede Shoes definitely stands out. Blue Moon is interesting.

Hail to The King...of cultural appropriation. But seriously, there's a reason this guy became a legend. It's good!

Classic - early songs stood the test of time

Pretty good, not Elvis' best work, still great for the time it was released in

Lots of classics

Not a fan of Elvis

A great of bum with a lot of the classic Presley songs like Blue Suede Shoes and Tutti Frutti.

Great to hear why everybody loved Elvis so much

Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley is exactly what it says on the tin... It's Elvis Presley. Of course I know who he is. Though I can't say I've ever listened to an album before. This seems to be divided into "songs you know" and "boring songs". I guess it's good because it's early stuff? But then "suspicious minds" from his Vegas years is great. I guess if I was interested in Elvis, I'd have to do a compilation of his best songs - or the ones I liked best. But otherwise it's just part of the background noise of culture. I sort of know about it but don't need to listen to it by choice. You just here Elvis songs around. I much prefer the Jimi Hendrix version of Blue Suede Shoes. Is "Tutti Frutti" an Elvis original? I thought it was Little Richard or someone like that? ...Yeah if you search for it, it's the Little Richard version that comes up. I like that all the songs are short. They don't hang around. Isn't Blue Moon more famously done by someone else? I'm going to give this a three as "average" but it's probably more like 2 and a half. I don't hate it. It's not unpleasant to listen to. But I will probably never choose to listen to it again! I liked "Blue Suede Shoes" "I Got a Woman" and "Money Honey". I also liked "Tutti Frutti" and "Blue Moon" but I don't think they are the definitive versions and are done better by someone else.

Good stuff!

As distinct as a ginger

Not really my thing, but acknowledge the ground breaking impact he had on RnR

Almost 70 years later, there has been a movement to redefining how Elvis has done nothing but stolen black artists music. White washing the soul of the music. But, the historical significance of influence in this album is palpable. Leading to the music of 70s and 80s, where my earlier musical favourites exist. Sometimes it is the lowest denominator that survives the test of time. But, one can find a tiny shade of his greatness hidden in these songs.

groundbreaking, I knew several of the songs. Hard to diminish the impact on music.

I've never been an Elvis guy. The affectation in his voice has always rubbed me the wrong way. "One-Sided Love Affair" is the most ridiculous example of this. It's goofy af. And that must be it because I've fully enjoyed other musicians playing similar whitewashed "blues"/early rock n roll who don't sing like this. Blech.

I always forget how short Elvis's songs are, 12 songs in 28 minutes... I appreciate this for what is it. I like a few of the songs, but not enough to come back to this album. I do not, and never have understood what all the fuss was about in the 50's.

Listened to this on the way to Henderson, in the U-Haul. I loved it!

I’m all shook up

Actually really good for my first Elvis album

Blue suede shoes!!! What a tune. I was excited for this album as I know it’s the big one for Elvis. It didn’t disappoint. So many great songs and such a fun and easy listen. What a great voice. I had no idea that I got a woman was sung by Elvis. Favourite song: I got a woman and Money honey. Least favourite: Trying to get to you. Album artwork: Brilliant.

“…he’s white?”

I guess you had to be there.

What strikes me the most is that most of the better tunes on this record are all covers. Elvis was a phenomenon, one of the first true cultural icons of rock and roll, but that doesn't mean that his records are high art, or even required listening. This collection isn't bad, but everything that is good on it was done better by someone else... Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti and on the extended version Lawdy, Miss Clawdy and Shake, Rattle and Roll.

Early Elvis that was a bit before my time but was well loved by lots of the parents in my life. Just not mine. :D

I prefer his slower songs, but there are a bunch of hits here

He's the king for a reason, and his influence is obviously felt throughout the whole history of rock music. But when it comes to this album, outside a couple tracks there's nothing here that really makes it a stand out.

90% of this passed me by. Nothing really happens, it’s just there. Couple of decent little bits, quite like the guitar on ‘Just Because’, and Blue Suede Shoes is decent. Can appreciate this mustve sounded like the future in 56 but I’m glad it wasn’t. 1.5

Elvis' persona and the rock and roll thing must have been completely revolutionary because otherwise it feels like a huge practical joke that I'm not in on. He can't sing anything that isnt a proper crooner, and even then he's not great. It feels like a parody of Elvis most of the time, until you remember that's what Elvis sounds like. And he's singing a load of songs they have been done loads better by other people! I think blue suede shoes is okay and there's enough about it to get through one listen but it's really bad. 1.5.

I don't really get it either. Blue Suede Shoes is decent.

This was okay, I liked parts of it but he can barely sing. The originals tracks are far superior to anything Elvis covered on this album. This is especially evident on "I Got a Woman" where Elvis sounds out of breath most of the time. The original by Ray Charles is better in every regard. Highlights: Blue Suede Shoes One-Sided Love Affair

Better than the last Elvis album we had, but still not great. I thought there would be much more up tempo tracks like blue suede shoes, but most is quite downbeat really. Still don't think you're for me Elvis. 2.5

Hurts my heart, but I'm going to give Elvis three stars. The rockabilly is solid, but I think the songs that have been done better by black artists make these versions sound bland by comparison (I've Got a Woman, Tutti Fuitti). He just isn't the King here.

Great debut from the King

Mítico.

I can see the appeal of the more energetic Presley songs, Blue suede shoes in particular

It's Elvis. Whatever.

Great album

Classic album, But not that great..!

Hard to imagine how much impact this album had. Not the greatest listening experience by today’s standard, but enjoyable nevertheless. Blue moon is definitely my favourite from this album.

Funky

Some pretty average Elvis. But I’ve got to say, it put me in a great mood. 7.5/10 Top 3: 1. Blue Suede Shoes 2. Tutti Frutti 3. I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)

I forgot how pure his voice sounded right from the start. I realize there is a remix on this album but that’s OK because it was a great song. What a debut. The first million-selling album of the rock and rock genre. You can hear the rockabilly and touches of how he will sing gospel as well.

Definitely dated but also definitely still good. Low 3.

I like Elvis, but I wasn’t captivated by this one as much as I was some of his other albums. That being said, it’s still quite good, and I enjoyed most of the songs.

My grandma would go wild with this, if she wasn't in a communistic country

Elvis was such a blatant thief. Most of these songs are cheap imitations of better songs. Enjoyed it okay.

Amazing that these songs still sound good

ну не понять мне это, видимо видеть надо в репрессии

It’s an important album, but I know understand every claim of appropriation

1/10 Holy hell, do I not like this. The rock is ok, but it is done better by those who came before and after. The slow country and ballads are the sleepiest horseshit. There is no passion here, only technique and even that's lacking. In summary, no, sir, I don't like it. 4-4-2024

I can see why people back in the liked Elvis, but its not for me

The Goat

The quintessential one-star album. A talentless predator riding on the coat-tails of better men and better artists. 0.5/5.0: Unlistenable

Historically interesting but rather a hodgepodge as an album.

I currently live in Memphis—he’s still huge here. Wish he had stuck to the music and dumped the awful movie career. He was type-cast in those awful 1960s movies which were a damning indictment of how Black Listing talented writers/directors/artists in the movie and television business made a big stinking mess of movies made for the mass (lily white bread) audience…As decided upon by white talentless businessmen. Absolutely detailed Elvis’ musical talents. Too bad he got himself literally worked to death for a dead-end career in Vegas. That so cheapened his ability and natural talent. Enjoyed the listen. His voice was really chirpy at that age. I did visit Graceland and my sense of him was that he truly was a decent person who tried to do the right thing. If he had just fired the manager, canned the movie aspirations and spent his late 30s into 40s back here and between Memphis/Nashville/New Orleans working strictly on music with the especially talented musicians from our area—it might have been a better life that suited his character and background.

It’s 50’s Elvis, fam. Classic. Sure the guy lifted all his best moves and sounds from Black artists but we all knew that. Fun album, lots of fun tunes. Just remember the guy married a child and died on the crapper.

Didn't like this one as much as Live from Memphis. He's not at full strength yet, as you should expect from a debut album. Wonder what happened to him.

Elvis is nostalgia for me; having been something my parents introduced me to. Despite this, and my love for this era of rock n roll, he is NOT my favorite. His debut LP showcases his voice quite well, and the cover image alone probably helped draw countless young people to this new form of music, whose roots were firmly in the taboo. And that's about where it ends. Elvis only plays guitar on a couple of tracks here, and piano on only one. Not a single song is written by him. This is the beginning of a 70+ year long music industry practice of taking a pretty face, and selling pop records with it. The music here is well played (great session players on here) but it lacks the raw power, energy, and innovation of artists like Chuck Berry or Little Richard. It's a fun listen and a historic artifact, but it's hard for me to not contextualize it as the colonization of rock n roll

- A more "old-fashioned" album, in the sense that the tracks are all fine but not connected together outside of the fact that Elvis is performing them. - The real bangers are all the ones you know, "Blue Suede Shoes," "Tutti Frutti," and "Blue Moon." None of the rest are disappointing, but they are just not particularly memorable.

Oh yeah, I knew quite a lot of the songs from this album. I am very happy with this suggestion. Even pretending like I am not biased, I enjoyed the album. HOWEVER, there are better Elvis albums, which is why this is not a 5-star rating.

Certified classic, I mean, this is peak rock n roll. SO MANY of these songs are classic bangers. In my mind, Elvis is as timeless and iconic as Ray Charles, Johnny Cash or Stevie Wonder. Very peak music from the fat, jelly donut eating wonder. (We should watch that Elvis movie and watch Walk the Line with Joaquin Phoenix)

I was never an Elvis fan but I appreciate his brilliance. 2

I watched that movie Priscilla and now I have no choice but to hate Elvis :( His music is not too bad though, just old

There is absolutely very little that can surpass this album as one of the greatest of all time. How so? 1) It's Elvis just as he's becoming ELVIS 2) One of the mosts iconic album covers / photographs 3) The Jordanaires (which really is the number 1 reason… but I digress 4) Elvis' best backing band before Tom Parker screwed him up - Scotty Moore; Chet Atkins; Floyd Cramer; Shorty Long; Bill Black; and D. J. Fontana. Anybody that rates this any less than a criminal 4 is out of their mind and has reason to be listening to anything on this list because none of it would be on this list had it not been for this album. 5/5

Fun but I didn't love it. Any time I recognized a song, I liked the other artist's version more and I wished I was listening to that instead. I like Elvis's goofiness and energy, and Scotty Moore's guitar especially. I enjoyed having it on, but probably won't be going back any time soon. A+ for album cover. 6/10

None of the songs really stood out but I was jamming. Especially tutti frutti

Eh, IDK

I didn't like it as much as I thought I would like it. It had a few super famous songs on it, but the other ones didn't do a ton for me. All around I still enjoyed it and wouldn't complain if someone else put it on. My favorite songs were 'One-Sided Love Affair', 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Blue Suede Shoes'. 6/10

The album that started rock and roll

The king

Quite liked this overall, it's upbeat and saccharine but not without depth, in addition to the energy that enabled Elvis to get so famous. Favorite track: "Blue Suede Shoes."

I had no idea London Calling modeled the album cover off of this. It's almost a bit of a boring album nowadays but for the time it was setting trends and needs to be looked at through that lens. Elvis himself almost seems to play a smaller part on this album vs his later works. Not surprising but interesting to hear where he was at from the start.

Pretty good album art. He has an interesting voice and makes interesting vocal choices to catch your attention. Great pop song track lengths. Tryn' to Get to You is a new stand out for me. At the end of the day this is not a great album, it's a collection of songs and it made an impact. 3.5 rounded down.

What can you say about the legend. Suffers only so slightly from the practice of the time of keeping hit singles off the albums but still great top to bottom.

A perfect rock and roll album

Solid album. Some songs had more of a country feel than I was expecting. More like a 3.9 but not a 4

It’s okay but nothing that gets me excited.

Not too much to say. The album is a positive, fun experience. Elvis has an iconic voice which makes the songs feel special. I’m Counting on You was my favorite. Very tender delivery. Standouts: Blue Suede Shoes, I’m Counting on You, I Love You Because, I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darling), and Blue Moon - Take 9/M.

So, I know Elvis Presley is... well, Elvis, right? He's called 'The King' for a reason. Problem is that the King is dead, and this album, while probably a perfect fit for its time, is nearly twice as old as I am. I've listened to it so I can cross it off the list, but I won't be going back to it.

I surprisingly didn’t mind this album

The best Elvis album in my opinion.

Rip off artist Elvis has ironically been ripped off to the point where his music is no longer interesting. Especially 70 years later...

Great

4 for innovation - though yung boi mostly just sung ray charles and lil richard worse, with affectations he probably borrowed somewhere else. Still blueprint for rock and roll can be found here and scotty moore and chet atkins (! news to me!) laid down some hot fucking guitar. Cool cover too.

The OG of stealing black music and giving nothing back

Since Elvis is so ridiculously well known, it almost felt comedic to listen to this and try to separate it from his legacy. Not that you have to do that in order to fully appreciate the work but still. It's funny. But separate from that - as a dancer, I felt immediately that a good chunk of his music is so intimately tied with dance and the dance culture of the 50's. There were times that I couldn't help but tap my foot or shimmy a little. In the same vein with how people make fun of country music's lyricism for being "truck, beer, dirt road, hard work"-core, I could see the influences of what was popular topic-wise in the 50s as the majority of the album's tracklist were either these sweet, nearly hawaiian style love songs or sock-hop, spin your lover girl in a circle kinds of jams. Long story short, I enjoyed it at a base level solely for its historical value and danceability lol

Blue suede shoes!

Kinda snoozeville and sounds different in every son

He's the king baby. So many fucking bangers.

Pretty good stuff for the mid-50s. No wonder he got so famous, the bar was just to do something even mildly different from everybody else.

Not my kind of music. The two well known songs are okay for me but the rest ist too slowly.

He was never a favorite but I did enjoy the album. A lovely voice but his choices ran a bit maudlin for my taste.

If there is an artist people give a lot of credit to that I could probably do with a lot less of in my life, it would be Elvis. If I never heard Elvis again for the rest of my life, I would not be complaining. I just don’t get it. People listen to Elvis in the 21st century, unironically? People are allowed to enjoy whatever they want, but those who live and breathe Elvis just confuse me. This happens to be within the top 5 oldest albums on the list. And this proves to me that the 50s were by no means a strong decade for music. Especially not in comparison to the stuff we would get only a decade or so later. This OG rock & roll genre just sounds like white people trying to jack all of the ideas that the African Americans came up with during the 20s and 30s. When they eventually ditched the roll part is when rock started to really evolve. Elvis is just the poster boy of this era. And I simply don’t like him, or his music. I find it to be very plain and uninspired. And it feels rather pointless when considering the heights that other artists were reaching even in the same year. I know people who love his music. And I’m sure they probably grew up around those who listened to it themselves as a kid, and also grew up around Elvis fans, and so on. My opinion is not going to change how eternal this man is as an icon. But that doesn’t mean I’m forcing myself to like his music. The best thing that came out of this is London Calling’s album cover. Rating: 4/10

Even though I don’t play this much, I have to rate it highly for its significance in music history. You can’t dismiss the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

This is a must-hear for sure for someone who has never heard it. I had not heard this entire album before, but was familiar with almost all songs. It was fun listening to and am still in awe of how much this white boy from the south had such a huge impact on the music we listen to freely today.

THIS is your king?!?? ...Sus Black people made much better blues / rock n roll in the 1950s. Yet this cringe white dude gets title "king" of rock n roll... Curious. Something something overthrow the monarchy something something no gods no masters

Can appreciate the breath of fresh air he likely offered at the time, but his style of music is not for me.

I liked the uptempo songs. Blue Suede Shoes is an all time classic. Otherwise, not for me.

I mean, I would also get catty if my ex-husband was serenading his wife on stage at the PTO fundraiser (and sang better than my current one). Uh oh!

B- Blue Suede Shoes 3 I'm Counting On You 3 I Got A Woman 3 One-Sided Love Affair 3 I Love You Because 3 Just Because 3 Tutti Frutti 3 Tryin' To Get To You 3 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) 3 I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') 3 Blue Moon 3 Money Honey 3 Elvis doesn't go lower than 3.

It's hard to hear these songs and not imagine them being sung by an impersonator.

Legendary album, definitely deserves its place on this list.

Nobody beats the king but the king

London calling

Definitely starts strong with Blue Suede Shoes. Great to hear the sound of the room and that super thick slap back reverb.

I know, I know, it's Elvis. But for a guy who only sings other peoples' songs, he doesn't perform them any better than other artists. Blue Suede Shoes is really the only worthwhile track here.

Das erste Elvis-Album. Wow!

Pretty ok album. I suspect you had to be there when this came out to really appreciate it. Now that you've heard Presley dozen of times the initial shock reaction is not very strong. Regardless, 'Blue Suede Shoes' stands out as the best song, but otherwise it was pretty bland.

I mean it's mostly just a bunch of covers of other peoples music. I have trouble seeing how this would've been popular if the original artist weren't black and therefor not regarded as "good". Anyway, the country songs and ballads are better. His voice is undeniably powerful. Still I think there is so much better stuff out there. Blue Suede Shoes is a classic though. Strong 2.

Dal Libro della Genesi: "in principio Elvis creò il r'n'r..."

I’m counting on you, I got a woman, I love you because, trying to get to you, I’ll never let you go

Actually just kinda banger

It was alright, just not my taste truthfully.

Some very classic Elvis songs on this album. Really enjoyed the Ray Charles cover.

I did not fully know what to expect because he’s Elvis. His album was good he was to the point in his songs and wasn’t dragging it out for like 10 minutes for no reason whatsoever.

I mean it's Elvis, I like his voice and "Blue Suede Shoes" is a great song but honestly other than that I feel like his songwriting was pretty mid. The album seriously slowed down after the first couple tracks and his guitar playing was also not great. Maybe that had something to do with the recording equipment that was available at the time, but I didn't think his guitar skills were very good. Overall just kinda meh.

never listened to an Elvis album before. enjoyed the variety of musical styles-pretty wide range. liked his original tracks more than his covers.

A couple memorable songs...but that's all they are. Did not do it for me.

I’ve never listened to an Elvis album before now-only heard singles! It’s good, though his work on the covers sounds less enthusiastic than on songs that are more his.

Never listened to a full Elvis album. I can understand his popularity a lot better. Dude had chops.

This record was likely massive for popular music in the 1950s, but it hasn't aged well due to some controversy. It does feel like Elvis was stealing what black artists had already done. There are some discussions of whether Elvis was recording these songs in order to bring attention to black artists at the time, but I'm not sure there's much evidence of that. All the being said, Elvis's voice alone is iconic. Few things scratch a nostalgic itch like hearing "Blue Suede Shoes".

There is some great rock-a-billy on here, and plenty of tracks to remind me why I was never a fan. I like some songs - this version of Blue Suede Shoes, for example.

Only 28 minutes long, but I would cut 26 of them. Blue Suede Shoes comes out of the block strongly, but after that I was amazed how twee it all sounded. I've Got A Woman was especially watered down. The 'Elvis made black music accessible to easily frightened white folk' is an old trope, but listening to this album it's difficult to see it as anything but a cynical money grab. Elvis is in there trying to get out, but he's being compromised from the start.

Classic album, not a personal fave

Better album than those of late - understand from the time why Elvis became legendary! Easy happy music, would listen again

Spanning multiple genres, Elvis delivers an electrifying vocal accompanied by razor sharp instrumentals. Every performance is passionately delivered. Had he trimmed the filler tunes (Tutti Frutti?!?!) and included Heartbreak Hotel, this would arguably be the most import rock album of all time that wasn’t made by four guys from Liverpool.

I love the way he experiments with his voice. Back in the day I probably would have worn this record out.

Still fresh and what a voice! Highlights: Blue Suede Shoes, Blue Moon, Money Honey 5/5

This album is historically relevant, but I can't find a good reason to listen to Elvis in 2024.

I forgot how much I enjoy Elvis's early stuff. Blue Suede Shoes is such a great opener, and would have been thrilling to hear back in 1956. At various times during this album I felt like he and I were riding across the prairie, or sitting around a campfire with some buddies, or hanging out in a jam shed with other musicians pulling out some cracking blues progressions. There's a little bit of filler, but Elvis has such energy and sincerity that he kinda gets away with it. Very fun, I'll revisit this a bit more.

Thanks. Listened to this before. I might have even owned it as a Cassette. Appreciated the history that this young man had before him was visible in this fun, tight, snappy piece of music. Is it an album to respect, yes. Is it an album to listen to again? It's context is important. A bit of research helped appreciate what a magnificent effort that first album of young, yet to be discovered Elvis was. I didn't appreciate how he moved through styles and genres, how it was the first real Rock and Roll album and how it was a young man with a guitar just giving it his all. Just for the love of music. No other real reason. Not money. Some fame. Just music. 4 stars. But, being honest, I'm not likely to listen to it again all that much.

Elvis had a very iconic timbre of voice, but he just wasn't as fun as Little Richard

Probably pretty good for it's time but honestly just too old for my taste.

I mean, c'mon, it's Elvis.

He’s widely acknowledged as the King for a reason. His early records on this album are examples of why. Youthful exuberance, incredible vocal chops from singing in gospel church his entire childhood, kinesthetic awareness…he was more than ready to be in the right moment in R&R history. Perfect

Als Cornelis Willem Heuckeroth een album vol covers op de mat legt wordt 'ie verguisd. Wanneer Elvis het deed, gecombineerd met een flinke bak culturele toeëigening, was het blijkbaar legendarisch. Dat is toch lastig te verkroppen, in ieder geval voor Gordon. Ik ben niet helemaal kapot van dat hele nogal dik er bovenop gelegde Tennessee stijltje. Ik vind het sowieso flink gedateerd klinken, wat ook niet gek is natuurlijk. Lastig. Ik vind dit best aardig maar ik kan geen enkele situatie bedenken waarin ik dit ooit zelf zou opzetten. Tenzij het me geld, bier of seks zou opleveren, zo simpel zijn we dan ook wel weer.

meh

una verga

Elvis is fun

Despite the relatively poor quality sound, the recording leaves you in doubt as to the charisma and impact of Elvis. Album opener Blue Suede Shoes would remain his calling card- thumping, energetic bluesy rock sung by a man in a hurry. His versions of old classics, delivered in an almost offhand manner with curled lip just adds to the cool appeal - no wonder the old crooners were terrified. Popular music would never be the same again.

I liked two songs from this (I'll Never Let You Go and Blue Moon) but not really my kind of thing

Never was a fan. This just reminded me of that personal fact.

Better than previous elvis album, but still not my thing. 2.5

The last ten years or so have not been kind to Elvis’ legacy. He’s been widely considered by younger audiences as a “racist”, “thief”, etc. and while I strongly disagree with most of these harsh criticisms, there is some truth in that the man did not write his own songs. And whether it was his intent or not to take credit for them is irrelevant. And I would label any one of the artists he covers on this album as the Real Kings of Rock n Roll. But I’m not gonna sit here and deny that the man was a once in a lifetime vocal talent and showman, the likes of which we’ll never see again. He single-handedly shifted pop culture. And his death was a tragedy that summed up a life of struggle and addiction due to the massive fame that came with his talent. But how’s this record? It’s…good. Elvis sings the hell out of every track, even if they don’t necessarily hold a candle to the original artists who sang them. You can hear him playing around with different styles and finding what would be his distinct sound in his later career. It’s fascinating, if kind of plain.

Whether you consider Elvis the “King” of Rock and Roll or of Musical Appropriation, there’s really no denying his singular ability to meld influences into a style and presence all his own.

solid record. Elvis did his thing from the beginning. even tho his career is based off uncredited black music he was still a good artist i guess. Elvis Tutti frutti through me off for a bit... i mean if you hear little richards version than you see tha elvis version is the crying baby against little richards hydrogen bomb

Some good rockers on this monumental record.

Yeah that's Elvis after all.

This album is not a masterpiece, but damn it must have kicked some ass in 1956!

Besides the album opener "blue suede shoes" i wasnt familiar with any of these songs. The band is super tight and the production is sparse, which is cool in that old school rockabilly way. Elvis does some funny stuff with his voice on "one sided love affair" and "just because". Not sure if its meant to be comical but i laughed. In fact, much of this album came off as a little silly. I can appreciate the importance of this album and it's impact on popular music but the songs sound a little unserious and superficial. It doesnt have the emotional depth of later Elvis which I much prefer. That being said, i still liked it, but in a more acedemic, historical artifact kind of way, rather than a visceral and emotional kind of way.

Solid debut album. Some tunes show their age but great energy overall.

The undisputed King. I can’t imagine what the reaction was when this first was heard. I would not listen to this often, but enjoy the reminder of how great and groundbreaking Elvis was.

What came first, the Clash or Elvis. Some iconic songs on this one, including some covers he made his own. It's not something I would typically go out of my way to listen to, but I enjoyed the carefree feel of the era.

Presley.

A record that has to be on this list, because of how important it is, but as a record isnt especially good. The singles are fun, but the rest is weak material, especially compare to what came later in Elvis career.

Classic Elvis. Never loved him but appreciate the musicianship

The beginning of the King. One can imagine listening to this album in 1956 and having one’s 1950’s mind blown. I know my Mother did…lots of memories for me of her fandom for the King. So I became a fan too.

Elvis is alright

this album feels more like crooner Elvis than rock Elvis, great voice as always but so much of it blends together. While listening to this album I missed more than one track change due to similarities. Its alright, the best had yet to come.

I like Elvis. He has a phenomenal voice and his presence is undeniable. This album is Blue Suede Shoes and then a bunch of B sides at best. Definitely not required listening

- Stone cold classic - Not his best though

Elvis is a bit dated and kitschy in 2024, but nonetheless still obviously important to the history of rock and roll. I can appreciate Elvis for what it is - a ground breaking album for its time.

Ik kan dit niet niet leuk vinden.

Jaa mooi dit

I listened to this twice in a row and couldn’t even tell since all the songs sound the same

He’s the king for a reason. It’s a very solid album, albeit short. I do like hearing more of Presley’s rocky songs versus some of the ballad sounding songs later in his career, although I do like both.

I know this is an important record and I know it has to be on this list. But I am going to give it two stars for the same reason that if it were 1500 B.C. I would be amazed by staring at a fire, but in 2024 I'm not. The world has moved past this sound and I personally find it pretty basic and if I hear that generic rockabilly riff that has been used in 8 billion songs one more time I'm going to kill myself. That being said, if I was a teeny-bopper in 1956 I'd be losing my fucking shit over this album. Also, Elvis is one lucky motherfucker. Race is a social construct but culture is real. And while cultural appropriation - in the sense of just adopting signifiers of other cultures as a fashion accessory - is wrong; cultural exchange is admirable and is how you get basically every genre of music. Different cultures are constantly mixing and blending and stealing from one another's musical traditions and creating new types of music from the weird Frankenstein babies that they make, and its great. Cut to the 1950's and there is a giant blockage in the mixed streams that lead to new music being created and shared because colonizers and slave traders invented the concept of race in the 1660's to justify their rape and pillaging of other peoples in the name of profit. And almost 300 years later, there was still this artificial separation between musical traditions in America. That left millions of white teenagers with no idea that black Americans had invented a new sound called Rock & Roll. So who comes along but a talented boy singer from Memphis who had charisma and a unique vocal style and a pretty face and could dance. But more importantly, he could do pretty decent versions of all this great music that those millions of teenagers hadn't heard yet and that allowed him to become the best selling artist of all time based on a decent amount of talent, but no more than thousands of other artists who were nowhere near as successful. Congratulations Elvis, the Atlantic slave trade allowed you to become famous enough to spend twenty years popping pills, having pillow fights with 14-year old girls, making shitty low-budget movies, posing with Nixon and then dying on a toilet in your huge tacky mansion.

This is just a classic album. It's still fun to listen to, and even though I won't put this on normally, any time I do listen to it, I"m going to realize the huge impact and the fact that it is still very much listenable today, unlike some other things from the time.

Lowkey hype. Reminds me of fallout and I was not expecting it to be that good.

Listen, I don't care if we're not supposed to like Elvis, his music fucking slapped. 5/5

Elvis is a classic. Gets annoying quick tho.

wub wub wub

Lead singer is talented, entertaining, and fun. Genre influences, jazz, country, rock, gospel, etc. are apparent, as well as the far reaching influence of this album.

Gave the album a listen and it just isn't the type of music I dig. It's a little bit too old school and outdated for me.

Definitely a reason Elvis is famous. He knows how to make an album

Wait…Elvis is incredible? 4.5 or 5/5-ill do 5 to honor but it’s what you think Elvis is but not satirical, just great! 5/5

Not an Elvis fan affects my rating

A thoroughly enjoyable album, definitely a classic.

Never a big Elvis fan. I do like a few songs and do think he has a good voice.

Undoubtedly Elvis was a notable natural singer, and his impact on the music scene, through this first album, started a revolution in the music sound of the 50s and on. That said, although there are a few versions of tracks on this album that became his trademark sound... the album is still mostly Country tracks which were given the Rockabilly twist. But it was of an era. I do get why Elvis influenced the music world, and growing up in the 80s I heard him played a lot by my aunt and uncle, but he's still not my thing.

Though I generally prefer the 1950s Rockabilly Sun sides for the sheer ramalama, this Colonel approved polish job does have "Blue Moon". "Blue Suede Shoes" is killer. "Tutti Fruitti" just feels jizz-less.

It was Ok

Just the King. Excellent

I thought this would have more wow factor, but of course it's not 1956 any more. It must have been so impactful then, but I just found it OK. Sorry, Sun Studios/RCA.

Nice enough. Is all I have to say about it.

I think, for me, Elvis has always suffered from being so popular with the generation before mine. Therefore very much not cool. By the time I was even aware of music, he was seeing out his time in Vegas and then dead. I tried to be receptive but it just feels very samey. At least it’s brief. Much prefer the Ray Charles version of I Got a Woman.

Average collection of songs overall. A couple of great tracks but not enough to push it past 3 stars.

This is the most Elvis I've ever listened to. Really fun album, love the reverb soaked guitar and quirky little lead lines. Elvis drips with style and swagger on this album and this album doesn't drag at all.

I understand this was a hugely important album in modern music and had vast cultural significance, so I'm not going to be too harsh. Overall, there's a few catchy songs and a bunch of forgettable tracks. The biggest reason I can't score this higher is that Elvis didn't write a single song on this album. To me, Elvis is more of a performer, not an artist.

I really enjoy rock and roll and I appreciate the impact this record had on rock and roll but it is hard to fully appreciate it when it's almost fully covers of black artists. I know there is debate on Elvis and how much of a culture vulture he was but B.B. King claims that he was alright. The songs are great and Elvis does a great job covering them but it's just too bad the black artists that wrote the songs didn't get as much credit as they deserved.

Very fun. I love the way he uses his voice. Its rock n' roll, but its also crooning like Bing Crosby. The country and rock-a-billy flows are fun. I like how the guitar leads are solid tones without any bends, it meshes nicely with the boogie keys. I can only imagine what people in the 50s thought about his weird vocal inflections, especially in songs like "Just Because." It's pretty weird, but also kind of wild.

What an explosive entry into the world of music. Blue Suede Shoes gives listeners everything they need to know about Elvis Presley at this time: dynamic, youthful, and maybe a little bit dangerous. Of course, people thought of him as a threat to American culture. 1956 was a landmark year for Presley not just because of this debut album, but because of his cultural impact as shown by reactions from fans and critics alike. He was unavoidable. He was America. Of course, he's at his best when he's upbeat. Presley knows how to drive a song and make it work. Rock & roll broke through to the mainstream thanks to Presley and it's no wonder why when you listen. While some of his covers don't quite eclipse the originals, it could be argued that a few of the songs on this album are the definitive versions. Presley is rightfully praised for the quality of his performances on his debut. Well done.

I didn´t expect to get an Elvis album. It sounded like the 50s and I would not listen to it again even though I like Elvis

I like some of his songs but mostly I’m not a fan I think I enjoy his later in life songs the most. It’s amazing how different his voice is in some of the songs.

Complicated rating, because he basically whitewashed Black music. Also, Elvis cannot sing in a higher register. But it’s still a very nostalgic album for me.

Nice dancing around the house music

Not a fan of Presley. He's a talented performer, but none of these songs are his own.

Fabulous

I respect Elvis, but not a fan 2.5

Really liked this.