Reviews (page 11 of 14)
I wanted to like this more than I did
Alright. Everyone already knows Elvis, so it's impossible to write a first impression review. I grew up listening to the oldies station at home, so by age 13 I already hated him purely from overexposure. I get Elvis. I get that he brought a new and exciting genre to the white folks. I probably would have been just as nuts for him as most teens in the 50s. But I'm a 40 something in the 20s now, and it's a no from me. I just don't like his voice. I hate the typical Elvis uh-huh thing, and I hate when he's not doing it too. It's seriously lackluster and sometimes just whiney. So thanks for all you did, Elvis, but we've got it from here.
Interesting hearing the start of the Elvis revolution. Elvis's debut album is mix of slow intimate songs sprinkled with high energy hip shaking songs. Not a cohesive album, but a good listen.
Elvis Presley off Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley
I think if this album had come up earlier in my 1001 journey I would have rated it higher. As it stands this is my 685th album, and it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb against other Rock albums of its era. I literally had Little Richard doing Tutti Frutti earlier this week. This pales (word use intended) in comparison. A lot more plain. A lot more boring. A lot more white.
Some fun stuff but the original versions of these songs are mostly way better. Breaking ground doesn't always age well.
Although of course outdated and primitive compared to some modern music, this album is still worth listening to if not only for its creative contributions to both music and performance in general.
A-bop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be (though the slow songs are a bit of a slog). Pretty fun to think about this being on the radio back in the day.
It's Elvis
Some of the rockier ones were okay. Really not a fan of the ballads, and I thought his version of Blue Moon was really not very good. As the Beatles had covered a number of these tunes and done them much better, I was left with the creeping feeling that Elvis is really overrated.
I've never heard this album before. I'm not a fan of Elvis, but I am familiar with his standards and acknowledge that he's a phenomenal performer. I'm a little surprised this is included as a "must listen" album. There must be a better example of Elvis magic. This isn't it for me. There are some impressive performances IMO, but it feels like a first album. Nothing in particular shines above what I know Elvis becomes. If the point of "must listen" is hinged upon the influence this album had in 1956, I can't relate. I wasn't there and I can't imagine. I can only judge this album by my personal feeling when I listen to it as a whole and how that relates to everything in my music knowledge. This album is not cohesive, it seems like an odd collection of song. I feel that I have been moved by Elvis before, and I do like some of the songs here, but none of the songs on this album spark much for me. My highlights: Trying To Get To You, Blue Moon, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry
Despite my Elvis phase as a kid, this wasn’t my favorite album. I’d be happy if it was playing in the background because it was good, but it isn’t something I’m going to listen to on repeat
What a voice! I knew I would like this album. So easy to listen to. But, as it was common in pop music back when, most of these songs are covers. And some of the originals are WAY better. That being said Elvis is pretty great.
I really like Elvis. And to start an album with Blue Suede Shoes seems like this would be stronger than it actually is. The cover of Tutti Frutti is just over-indulgent. I'm sure this had an effect on some people, just not me.
Clearly it is iconic and legendary in the what it meant to the changing landscape of music and the beginning of Elvis' career. I'll give it credit for it's role, but overall, not of fan of pretty simple-sounding rockabilly/blues. Fine, but it isn't something i would listen to today.
I like Elvis' Sun Sessions material, some of which is used here. It has a raw vitality and moodiness to it that he never quite captured again as he became a more polished pop act. This album was an absolute phenomenon, which, as we move further away from its release, becomes harder to understand the true depth of its significance. I know that culturally this should be a 5 for its impact. It's one of the keystones of rock and roll, upon which everything else is built, and sort of tipping point for the genre, but the thing that really gets to me is when he covers things like "I Gotta Woman" or "Tutti Frutti," and they just pale in comparison to the originals. Drags the whole thing down. Also, mixing the Sun and RCA material gives it a weird, unbalanced feel. I will give him one thing though; he is a hell of an emotive singer. As a purely subjective listening experience this is a 3 for me (though the Sun material is more of a 4-5).
1956, mad. maybe it's been remastered every coulpe of decades but the quality of this is high well higher than i'd expect for nigh on 70 years ago. don't enjoy the ballads, but the rock and roll stuff is good fun.
I heard a girl did step on his blue suede shoes and Elvis lost his mind and beat her to death. The guilt caught up with him, he ate himself to death and died on the toilet having a wank into a massive sandwich.
I don't really know how to rate this album. On the other hand, apart from Blue Suede Shoes, I found most of it boring and unrelatable. I can't decide whether I love or loathe Blue Moon, the guy sounds like he's singing from the bottom of a well. On the other hand, it's the debut of ELVIS and was undeniably influential.
Most of the songs are pretty fun and entertaining. Some did not age well, with some sexist lyrics though. Majority are mildly good, with classics sprinkled in as well. 6/10
6/10. Yeah, if I lived in the 50's and had never heard of Rock 'n Roll, this would rock my world.
Actually just kinda boring. 6/10
Very typical 50's rock. Not an ounce of fat on this album, I like it.
Elvis is The King of course, but I don’t find this impressive more than that it’s fun to listen to. His ballads are still his best.
A quick 29-min, 12 song album. Mostly really good songs that are a great snapshot of early Elvis but I'll probably always find myself listening to greatest hits rather than coming back to this record as a whole. I can definitely see how this was important but there are just lots of covers and filler that's common for a first record that make it less essential for me personally. Blue Suede Shoes - a classic, still great. Best song on the album. I'm Counting on You - croony, paint by numbers country song. I Got a Woman - not as good as the original but fun cover. One-Sided Love Affair - fun, upbeat 1-4-5 song with interesting vocal affectations. I Love You Because - nice, slow, down tempo love song. Just Because - country skiffle song, pretty good but not a big standout. Tutti Frutti - not as good as the original but decent cover. Trying to Get to You - great vocal performance and cool lead guitar. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) - good, simple 2 minute song that just sounds very standard early Elvis. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') - very down tempo love song. Not a standout. Picks up unexpectedly in the last 30 seconds. Blue Moon (Take 9/M) - best cover on the album. Really nice vocal performance. Longest track on the album at 2 min 44 sec. Money Honey - another great vocal performance. I really like the piano. Guitar is a bit surfy.
Still not a huge Elvis fan, but I appreciated how fast this moves.
So much fun! I had never heard many of these, which made it feel surprisingly fresh. Just judging this as an album of music, it's beside the point whether these records are as good as the sources. The blend of musical traditions gave them a special flavor that's worth experiencing. It all feels very human, and even the flaws made me smile.
Es un álbum con un sonido pionero que resalta el talento de voz y guitarra de Elvis, sin embargo, a momentos se siente como una grabación seca y faltan algunos complementos, de resto es un buen álbum.
Almost where it all started.
You can definitely hear the seeds of a dozen other albums in this one.
Good when it's good but so much average in here and kinda prosaic musically, although that might've been revolutionary at the time.
A little underwhelmed by this - Here's Little Richard came out a year after this and feels so much fresher and full of energy. There's tastes of it here - Blue Suede Shoes and Tutti Frutti have that oomph - but it's a bit too croonery for my liking. Doesn't feel like a revolution. 3/5, closer to a 2 than a 4 though.
Another one I liked more than I expected to. I don't know if I'd listen to this on the regular, but it's quite catchy. 3.25/5
Enjoy the guitar playing and vocal delivery. Probably wouldn't return to it, but enjoyable.
Prefs: Blue Suede Shoes, I Got a Woman, One Sided Love Affair, Just Because, Tutti Frutti, Tryin' To Get To You, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You), Blue Moon, Money Honey Moins pref: I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')
Undoubtably a important album. Find it hard to appreciate how unique this must have sounded upon release.
This was a fun little blast of a listen. Rock n Roll but without the horns I usually associate with the genre. I'm not really a fan of Presley but he was undeniably electric here. The super short 2 min tracks of the time feel quite odd these days.
Clearly seminal stuff, but also it's Elvis, so it's a bit of cultural appropriation and never going to be as good as the Beatles
faz bater o pe, algumas musicas/solos de guitarra nao deixam concentrar. musicas short
Early Elvis i guess... hard to imagine the impact it made tho
I know around half the songs. More guitars than later crooning material, but I don’t like the change in register of Ellis’ voice in a few of these. Not as iconic as I was expecting. 1968-1973 might be a better period, so a low three.
De wat snellere tracks zijn leuk, de slomere doen me niks
Elvis!
Seguro que es un clásico de la época y mucho de lo que se escucha en este disco vendría a influenciar casi todo lo que vendría después en la música popular. No es un disco que escucharía constantemente, eso sí.
Average.
The elvis movie came out recently and learning more about elvis and how much of a creep he was makes it hard to separate the art from the artist. now that the narrative of elvis and his actions/life are more prevalent in pop culture, i am just jaded in regards to him and his music and don't necessarily like him. that being said, I'll try to be as objective as I can in listening. lol I guess this is his first album so it holds an important place in music history. setting the blueprint for the music to come. one sided love affair is low key annoying, the way he's singing. hearing him sing higher is weird. blue moon is the song from this. overall good album, easy to listen to mostly
I like the rockabilly twang and his delivery on songs like Blue Suede Shoes, I Gotta Woman and One-sided Love Affair. It's easy to se how he would have turned a lot of heads in the mid-fifties. His voice seems off-pitch and wavering on the ballads, which aren't my cup of tea. Great album cover.
The influence of Presley on Rock & Roll is undeniable. But I also see that these are all covers and he didn't write any original material so that must be factored in. I'm not sure if he credited and/or paid royalties to the Black musicians that originally wrote most of these songs either (see Led Zeppelin), but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. For me, the only stand-out song on this album is Blue Suede Shoes and the other songs are pretty meh, but I'm sure lots of girls swooned and fainted when he performed them live back in the day.
For possibly being the album that helped launch or break through rock and roll, there's a lot of slow and sappy country and western on "Elvis Presley." If only it all could have been as exciting as "Blue Suede Shoes." But instead, "I'm Counting on You" and "I Love You Because" are boring, "One-Sided Love Affair" and "Just Because" are a bit annoying, and Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" is much better. Elvis is electric and dynamic and charismatic, but it's a bit unfortunate that it took this white pretty-boy to popularize a sound that was largely being created by black artists like Little Richard and others. That said, while this album does have an indelible place in rock and roll history, it has some tracks that really pull down the vibe and the score.
Wikipedia tells me this is "the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the [Billboard] chart." Even though I will never actively chose to listen to Elvis, I can't give this anything less than 3 stars for the cultural significance and for bringing rock and roll into the mainstream.
This more like the hip shaking Elvis I’ve been wanting to hear.
Not quite as swing-y as I was expecting Pretty mellow with lots of acoustic vibes
Some absolute classic songs on here, and his performances are out of this world, but poor recording quality and short basic songs hurt this album a little
As Elvis' first album, this was a short and sweet listen, but not much more than that. I can see myself bumping this album while playing New Vegas. Or I'll just stick to the in-game radio...
Overall pretty good, but ya know, it's Elvis 😬 👍
p24. 1956. 3 stars. Primeval white rock'n'roll. Even after this time, the voice is terrific. Fabulous guitar solos from Scotty Moore, and Bill Black and DJ Fontana are rock solid on bass and drums. Set against that, there is an awful lot of filler, especially on the maudlin ballads, and some of the covers don't add anything to the originals. When this is good it's excellent - it's there are just too many average songs to give this anything other than a 3. But that voice...
2.9
Elvis. Don't dislike it, don't hugely like it. For me, the definitive 3/5
People must have been desperate back then. A little energy in simple melodies combined with lirycs mostly about physical affection. I took a sigh of relief when it ended. I understand the cult of Elvis and impact of this album on a generation, maybe more, but I wouldn't consider it a great record. Highlight: Tutti Frutti (for deep lirycs)
Znowu Presley?
A combination of rock n roll and folk songs. Sounds good, but maybe not my cup of tea.
I've never listened to an Elvis album start to finish, though I do like lots of individual songs. Weirdly the album cover makes me think of an Izod ad or something. I'm going to leave aside the problematic nature of the music, album, and Elvis' success off the back of cultural appropriation. While relevant cultural context it's not something I feel like I can comment on intelligently. Sticking just to the music this album just roars out of the gate with Blue Suede Shoes. They definitely knew how to rock and roll back then. The songs are each a little sparkly burst of joy and energy, like fireworks that delight and quickly disappear to make room for the next explosion. Although some of the ballads, like I'll Never Let You Go, are more miss than hit. And there's maybe a little more twang than I would strictly prefer. Overall, though, fun from start to finish.
When an album opens with Blue Suede Shoes, you immediately land in familiar ground. Even if you don't love Elvis, he's ingrained in our psyche and this album is him at his rockabilly best with a brief interlude for I Love You Because.
It’s Elvis
Well .. it has Blue Suede Shoes and is a Culturally Important Artifact. But also it has two of the weakest, most milquetoast covers ever, of I Got A Woman and Tutti Frutti. It made me want to make a theory that Elvis was the first Ed Sheeran. But I couldn't be bothered.
It seems really strange now that an artist could put out an album composed entirely of cover songs and use it as a platform to become one of the most famous people on the face of the earth. It's a testimony the Elvis's charisma that he is able to pull this off. This album doesn't feature many of what I would consider to be Elvis's best songs. Instead we're treated to a bunch of songs that had been released in the years before this album by other artists who did more definitive versions. There are some exceptions. I think Presley's versions of Blue Suede Shoes and Blue Moon may be better than the originals. However, he adds nothing to songs like I Got a Woman and Tutti Fruity. Presley gets a lot of credit for bringing the music of black artists to white audiences, but I'm not sure that that helped the black artists all that much. This album sounds okay. Elvis's style is very distinctive and is already well-developed here. The lack of originality in the compositions works against him here. It's fine that he didn't write his own music, but I can't get over the fact that Elvis got famous doing cover songs that were substantially similar to artists who were still trying to be discovered by the world at large. This album did a disservice to people like Carl Perkins and Little Richard. It makes the album feel a bit shallow, since Elvis's looks seem to have a lot to do with why he was so successful where original artists weren't. He is a talented musician, there's no denying it, and his voice is heavenly. It just feels like he's stealing other people's glory with this album 3/5
Not bad. I like the song Tutti Frutti, there were other songs here I hadn't heard before.
Solid. Gaman að hlusta á heila plötu með Elvis, ekki bara eitthvað best of.
Historical but not great today. Enjoyable in places, but often samey and with poor production.
It's cute how controversial this was. Elvis had a great voice. I enjoyed most of the songs.
Decent. “Blue Moon” has serious “Just You” vibes.
5/10
The King
My mother in-law is a big Elvis fan. So my wife knows a good deal more about him than I would. I do listen to him from time to time, so I was familiar with a lot of these. While I know a number of rock songs were later sung by white artists, hearing "Tutti Frutti" sung by Elvis is just... weird. It's just such an iconic song, and having someone else do it and not change it up more... it doesn't sound right. I'm sure there's stuff of mine that my kid thinks "that's Dad-music." But he has been listening to Rush and Zeppelin, so I don't know. I really consider this "parent music," and it's just nothing I get into. Roll into that people calling him the King of Rock and Roll when they basically ignore a huge percentage of the population, it does take some of the enjoyment out. Still, what he does he does well. It's just not for me.
I totally get why this album is on the 1001 albums list. The historical significance of it cannot be disputed. There are also some great session musicians on here including Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer. The songs are catchy and pleasant enough. With all that being said this album doesn't really do much for me with the exception of the two blue songs: "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Blue Moon". I found the songwriting on Elvis is Back which came out a few years later to be a bit more interesting.
nenni ekki ad hlusta a thetta
I like Blue Suede Shoes
A few great tracks on this but a number of songs too slow and the same. Was still a fun listen, I had never head the full album before and glad I gave it a go
It was fine. Kinda ended up not listening to the songs as they were pretty cliche most of them and short
name three elvis presley songs i dare you
Can very much appreciate the impact of this as The King's first proper album. I've never listened to it in full but the songs are classics. Blue Suede Shoes was a pivotal moment in rock. The swagger and legacy of the King makes this an important album but Tutti Frutti and the like are overly sanitised and, for that reason, it's 3 stars.
I'll give this some credit as a groundbreaking LP at the time it came out and there are 3-4 songs that have held up pretty well. But not that great an album on its merits.
Pretty good, not my thing but we enjoyed it
Quite honestly, I know I *should* be using words like "groundbreaking" and "revelatory" etc etc etc. But on listening back to this, with about four exceptions, it really just isn't that great. In fact, in places, it is downright awkward. Elvis hadn't discovered his 'voice' yet and flits between some pretty bizarre vocal affectations that sound really quite bizarre in places. And, stone me, the songwriting isn't all that either.
Alright. 6/10
barely average 50s album. I like old fat Elvis, but can see why this was probably a big deal at the time.
Elivs è piacevole e piuttosto moderno per la sua epoca, però alla fine è "pop" anni '50, dopo pochi ascolti stufa.
Det var väl cozy
Don’t understand the hysteria on this one.. just old r’n’r standards!
A classic record to be sure, with plenty of fun to be had. Favorites: "Blue Syede Shoes", "I Got a Woman", "Trying to Get to You"
I enjoy listening to Elvis for the historical angle but it is still enjoyable enough on its own.
6/10
Very Elvis.
That's alright Elvis
Pretty standard elvis album, shows the overlap with original black rock and roll but not really that special
The King, does sound very dated now and he didn’t write any of the songs, but deserves to be in this list.
Gran inicio de una de las voces más importantes en la historia de la música. Me cuesta un poco calificar este disco porque siento que no debo contar I Got a Woman ni Tutti Frutti, que tenían 1 y 2 años de haber salido. 3.5 estrellas que bajan a 3. Songs: Blue Suede Shoes, Trying To Get To You,
О легендах говорят либо хорошо, либо ничего.
Let's first acknowledge the African American songwriters and performers who originally wrote many of the tracks on this album. Elvis - he's cool but he's also a bit of a dick in that rock n roll way. This album is full of swagger, a very self-assured debut. The track that surprised me the most was his version of "Blue Moon". It's weird and haunting. If that were to show up on the Spotify EP of a contemporary bedroom R&B artist, it would be cool. But Elvis was doing that 75 years ago. Young Elvis was also absolutely bringing it with the LP cover design, his name in pink.
So funny that this music was completely scandalous when it came out. I find that I like the ballads more than the rock n roll numbers.
2.8 - solid album. Can hear why it’s influential, but not something that really sticks out to me, especially for the time. Very vocal heavy. My favorite songs on the album were probably the ones I was most familiar with from other artists (e.g. I Got a Woman).
It's ok, I guess. You probably needed to be around when it was released to really appreciate it. Sure, he created the cliches, but they're still cliches.
6/10
I knew a lot of these tracks going in, and I'd like to know more about the originals, just to breath a different sort of life into them. But Elvis does good here.
Lively
Classic 50's rock, very recognizable that it's Elvis even on songs I hadn't heard before. Can definitely see how this sparked such a movement in music
Great Elvis album. Not many super hits, but consistently good. And succinct. I love an reasonably lengthed album.
Elvis innit
Some good tunes I've never given a serious listen to, though also a fair few songs that aren't to my tastes. I never knew I've Got A Woman in the Kanye West song came from Elvis! Will try to listen to this again.
This is culturally significant, but I can't see myself putting any of these in rotation. background instrumentation sounds like a high school jam band
Elvis is poppy blues, very talented singer and musician but I prefer raw blues. 3
I would have never suspected the debut album of the man that rocked the world to be this tame. This album has both some true rock'n'roll classics as well as some slower ballads. Pretty good but not as good as some other R'n'R artists Elvis "borrowed" from.
By today's standards, not even a good acoustic. Back then, so very rebellious. Nod to the King
solo porque su voz es malditamente icónica y las canciones son lo suficientemente cortas para no aburir, voy a darle a este álbum 3 estrellas.
Average songwriting
Great rock n roll but some boring songs in there
It really feels more like a compilation (that switch from Blue Suede Shoes to I'm Counting on You, plus his early crooning makes him sound like a completely different person), but still quite enjoyable with maybe one of the most iconic opening lines of this whole list. Drags too much in the middle and there's some slop like Tutti Frutti, so a ~3.5 rounded down. Saved: Blue Suede Shoes, I'm Counting on You, Just Because*, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry, Blue Moon
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Blue Suede Shoes, I'm Counting on You, Just Because Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Old-timey rock and roll/blues/country. Nothing crazy but still fun and surprisingly varied sound throughout. I guess that's what happens when you don't write your own songs.
3.5
Expected that this is gonna be good and it was. Surely is an remarkable album. Not an Elvis fan, so a strong 3/5.
groovy but a little plain.
I know this is a classic, but I couldn't really get into it as much as I had hoped for. That being said, it's a quick listen and not one song lasted too long. A very distinctive style here. 3.5 not quite a 4 yet for me, but I definitely understand why it's on the list.
Like a county Little Richard with less flair
Jo men det är trevligt. En stark trea.
He has nothing on Little Richard! 3 thanks to the album cover.
it's listenable, but not much more than that
meh, I'm in between with Elvis, not a bad album but nothing crazy either. 3 seems fair.
Very good. Not a big Elvis fan. Overall 3/5 Standouts: I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin'), Blue Moon, and Blue Suede Shoes.
I wish I could listen to Elvis without all of the image of poor impersonators coming to mind. The album is good. "Tryin' to Get to You" and "Money Honey" are the two tracks that I might listen to again. "Tutti Fruitti" sounds better from Little Richard. There were a couple tracks that I'd want to skip. This album gets an official "it's okay".
Elvis Presley always feels a little mysterious to me, as he was unfortunately dead before I was born, but had such an impact on bringing a fusion of genres to the masses, Undoubtedly one of the most significant albums in the history of contemporary music, setting the scene for rockabilly. Blue Moon sounds so good.
Not the best
Blue suede shoes is a bop. Tutti Fruity slaps. The rest of the tracks don't come very close to they quality of those two. Generally good though, Elvis has a great voice. Even though there really aren't any interesting themes, it's a solid record.
Fun and you can hear the pop influence but then Sam Cooke came on and likes that way better
Pretty various and has decent and nostalgic tunes!
Not an Elvis fan, it’s good music but he is very over rated and to my ears plundered the material of true Mavericks of the era.
The King of Rock's first album! This platinum album and its singles made Elvis - as well as Rock and Roll - famous. This is a classic, but for some reason I still can't get down to Elvis' music.
Not really my kind of music
This is a real mixed bag. The "Good songs" are I got a woman, Blue suede shoes, Just because, sit right down, and money honey. The "okay" songs are I'm counting on you, trying to get to you, and tutti fruiti. The awful songs are I love you because, one sided love affair, I'll never let you go (It's terrible except the last 30 secs), and blue moon (this song clearly isn't done). If some of these songs came on the radio, I wouldn't change it, but there are some stinkers dragging it down. 6/10.
Elvis was a pretty good singer, it turns out!
I like Elvis, but I love problematic, late-career Elvis - the Elvis that abused laxatives, went on incoherent quaalude rants, married a teenager, flew in his private jumbo jet at 3am to rural Kansas to get a PB and banana sandwich. The idea of Elvis as a King in head to toe sequins who began his concerts with the theme from A Space Odyssey. This is just Elvis. Which is fine. Clear standouts for me are "I'll Never Let you Go" and "Blue Moon", minimal, soaked in reverb, and deeply deeply haunting. Interesting that he pioneered (white) rock n roll but its his ballads that really stand the test of time. B-
Interesting that we get Elvis as a followup to Fats. Fats was to Elvis what Chuck Berry was to John Lennon—his black predecessor and muse who could never expect to achieve the same amount of success as his white protégé. Seems like they had a real great friendship though. This album comes from a time when albums weren't albums, but collections of tracks. It's all over the fucking place. Short and sweet, pretty fun listen.
Quite fun to listen to
Net als het vorige album van Elvis vind ik het moeilijk te beoordelen als album. Het is Elvis en die heeft heerlijke Rock 'n Roll nummers. Lekker om te dansen, dat zeker
Three and a half
Skinny Elvis in his prime!
Good.
Nog zeker niet zo spannend als de wat latere Elvis platen.
Niet spannend, wel ok.
I hate that fat elvis is so popular. I enjoy this sound a lot more. +1* *going to use this shorthand for albums I add to my library in Spotify*
Not a big Elvis fan
Classic early Elvis with mostly blues and rock and roll covers. Blue Moon is probably the best song of the album, it has a dreamy and mysterious vibe, being the others just catchy and basic rock and roll hits for the dancefloor. The originals, especially the ones from Little Richard and Carl Perkins, are better. I prefer their voices over Elvis's, which I appreciate more on ballads.
Es swingt hart, bietet sich an und verlangt alle Aufmerksamkeit, die ich durch die zeitliche Distanz nicht immer aufzubringen vermag. Opa erzählt vom Rock’n’Roll und wie er ihn erfunden hat. Das ist nicht böse gemeint. Songs sind klasse, aber sie bleiben Unterhaltungsmusik. Auch hier benötigte ich die 10er Skala. Im Meilenstein eingeritzte 2.5
This guy fucks!
3 stars
buen album, pero no me dice nada elvis ahora mismo
A fun old school rock and roll album. Not particularly my style, but I can understand why it was huge back in the day. A fun listen through Favorite Track(s): “Blue Suede Shoes” and “One-Sided Love Affair”
I understand why Elvis was a big deal in his time, and I’m very grateful for his contribution to later bands, just his music is not my favorite
I definitely appreciate the album for what it did for the future of rock music, however I rate albums based on my personal enjoyment rather than “how good” or “how prolific” I think they are which is why I can’t go higher.
Honestly, didn't love it as much as I thought I would, some songs are catchy to dance to!
Not an album I would choose to listen to, but I love to think of how incredible this must’ve sounded to young people in the early 1950s, hearing this kind of music for the first time. They’re well crafted song that were so edgy for the time. Elvis had a passion for that kind of music and just went for it! I think that’s really exciting.
Elvis fans are weird. Grown men with sideburns and shit. Blue Suede Shoes is good. Not a lot of variety but hard not to nod along to a handful of upbeat two minute songs. Liked it more than I expected.
"Mr Burns, darsh em full buff an daschun, brrr houn-dawwg"
Pretty good!
Everyone can make a ok album if its 28 minutes
I don’t love Elvis but man he’s undeniable.
It was good but could be better
Not an Elvis fan but those are my personal issues. Decent.
7.5
Production: 14/20 Songwriting: 12/20 Innovation: 14/20 Bangers: 10/20 Emotional response: 12/20 =52 A piece of history
Interesting how much of the earliest stuff is unfamiliar, and the how exaggerated the vocal styling is on some of these tracks
good
Fallout like. Not bad tho kinda old for my likes. Elvis
Classic Elvis, same as previous album of his
Ein weiteres Beispiel, dass man Kontributionen und die damit verbundene globale Entwicklungen und Einflüsse wertschätzen kann, ohne sie gut zu finden. Aus heutiger Sicht nichts bemerkenswertes für mich zu hören. Lässt sich dennoch gut ertragen. Abwechslungsreiche Stimmung der einzelnen Tracks. Interessant zum einmaligen hören, aber dadurch nicht sinnvoll für mich zu kategorisieren, also ungeeignet zum erneuten hören. Fazit: Kurz und schmerzlos.
Some good songs but Elvis a stealing black culture punk lmao. Also wtf were those lyrics bro lmao tutti frutti bro ??
Decent however the songs sounded too similar and only the first song was a big hit
Never really understood the obsession with Elvis tbh
Tutti Fruiti really enjoyable. One sided love affair is powerful too. Overall didn’t enjoy as much as I thought.
Some good ones but something felt lacking. Like this was a b sides album.
The King.
ok
Simpel, charmerende 50’er pop, fængende, korte sange
Between the weirdly chaste songs (maybe excluding "Tutti Fruiti") and Elvis occasionally trying to sing like someone else, it's a weird one. Feels like the label didn't know what to make of rock n roll, or Elvis, yet. Still dorky and kind of fun in spots. Favorite tracks: "Blue Suede Shoes", " Trying to Get to You"
Hmm, I don’t know. The cultural impact of this album is immense, but...I don’t know. I feel like the original versions of the big songs here are better, and some of the ballads are easily skippable. I do like the reinterpretation of Blue Moon, and One-Sided Love Affair is pretty good, but the album as a whole is...I don’t know. How about 3 stars?
423/1089 probably worth disclaiming that my ratings etc are essentially completely personal taste based i’m just not a fan of this (the music or the man) it’s fine in movies etc and the impact is obvious otherwise idc 24/100
This has been easily the oldest album I've had so far with 1001, 70 years removed and this album's influence is immeasurably great, however 70 years removed this rockabilly classic may not be for everyone
Straightforward songs and covers, good voice. There's no way he knew what 'tutti frutti' meant...
Today I learned that Elvis didn’t write his own songs. They were clearly still learning how to record things.
Yeah he’s the king of pop but all these songs are covers.
So So, old and raspy
Too old
Really not a fan of him singing ballads.
Classic Elvis, but a little before my time.
08/31 Meh
This is the first Elvis album and therefore the beginning of the Elvis cultural construct. However, it's a pretty shit rockabilly album. It has some redeemable songs like "Blue Suede Shoes", but most of the album is samey-sounding crap. The vocals on this album range from mediocre to downright abysmal, and Elvis is very unconvincing as a bluesman. That means that the main reason for his success was a mixture of Jim Crow-era racism and clever marketing rather than any talent he may have had. Good God, I've had 2 Elvis albums and they both aged like milk. This album is ranked #4 of 5 albums for 1956. Other 1956 albums rated by me: The Wildest!(2/5)-3
Actually it was like…fine
Entiendo porque pudo haber sido importante, pero realmente no me gusto
This is another record that I appreciate in the context of history but otherwise have no interest in. This had to happen for what follows to happen. That doesn't mean I like that it had to happen. Or that it's particularly good. Room temperature, historically accurate take? Everything good about Elvis he got from black artists who did it better but were overlooked due to the color of their skin. Elvis got lucky. He was in the right place at the right time with the right amount of skill/talent/looks/melanin deficit. In the fullness of time, though, he's mid. (TIL: I don't like Elvis' ballad voice) One star for historical significance. Another for sheer, dumb luck. Thank you for your contribution. Next.
i don't think i've ever knowingly sat thru an EP album. i don't mind this as much as i thought i would - coming at it with a 1956 mindset. happy to have heard this once before i die i guess?
First & last songs were ok. Sandwiched between was a load of dross
i just don't care
Just a couple interesting things. The rockabilly sound is so monotonous. Innovative for it's time, but I really wonder how much he actually influenced music after that.
As important as Elvis is to the history of pop music, his legacy is a bit more controversial these days as plenty of other reviews talk about. I am not going to get into those things though, because the main problem with this album is something that doesn't require careful cultural examination etc, it's that this album is just really boring
I guess I can die now.
This may be sacrilege but this was not the album for me.
I'm not a big elvis fan. It was interesting to hear the roots of blues and even a bit of ragtime. The intro track was the best, good old blue suede shoes
Holly shit this is old. Dude be hitting that e major chord like a boss thoug. Im losing it, someone in a review called Elvis "The Mr. Beast of the 50's" 😭. Yeah this aged badly. Its really boring, all the songs are super short so it makes it hard to like them. The songwritting is hu... typical of its time. Its amazing how this guy aged so bad when the beatles (and a lot of other 60's band) who started making great music only 10 years after him still sound good to this day. Or even jazz artist from the 50's. 2.5/5
Very Elvis
The people he copied did this stuff better.
Inte min sorts rock’n’roll. Någon klassiker men mycket som låter lite likadant
Surprised by how much I genuinely did not enjoy this, wow.
Thought I’d have a tough time reviewing this one, the proliferation of his music and persona, and the worship of the bloke by many over multiple generations well and truly fatigued me. But trying to be objective, it’s not a bad album. But I can’t quite shake the feeling he just ripped off talented black blues musicians
I don't like the best example of rock'n'roll today, I really hope past me wouldn't have like this. I respect it for it's influence but I kinda don't think it does anything I like. It's also exceptionally boring for rock'n'roll. I've bothered to look up what that boring bassline is and learnt about 12 bar blues is thanks to this album. I hate it.
baladas são bonitas, as outras não me chegam muito a guitarra no blue moon é maravilhosa amo como está tudo contido e a voz dele brilha sem ser bruta
50 yıl geç kaldım kb
Absolute dog water. Nothing worth listening to here.
Ok, I suppose I get it. To whatever degree I can so far removed from the time & cultural context. Honestly my initial reaction was “oh my god this is so much worse than Rayray Chuck’s original” for that one tune. And same for Pequeño Ricardo’s, but to a lesser extent because I’ve always thought that song was idiotic. Thing is that’s a ubiquitous criticism and there’s no doubt it has had *some* degree of influence on my baseline take. Then there’s that other one about the hue of a particular celestial body. Love that tune, do not like this version. And I’m normally a sucker for covers of great songs. I should probably add the obligatory “yet” to provide space for a possible future change of heart. In terms of my personal aural enjoyment this is honestly a 1. I’mma put it at a 2 tho for respect to its cultural significance. Probably deserves higher even for that reason alone.
Not a big Elvis guy
The great artists of the 50s were done poorly by albums; the art form by that point was not yet fully understood or taken advantage of. Singles were the main vehicles for artists’ expression, and albums were secondary. So it is with this record, which does little more than demonstrate that this Elvis dude is a talented guy, even when his talent is wasted on poorly arranged ballads rather than the fast rhythm and blues he did so well. That’s why this album’s clear highlight is “Blue Suede Shoes,” the only Elvis classic to be found here. The rest is good enough, but forgettable. Best track: “Blue Suede Shoes”
It's Elvis. Do I think this album belongs on this list? Not really. Do I think ANY of his albums belong on this list? Probably, yeah. I don't believe this album is bad, and I recognize its place in the grand tapestry of musical history, especially in the United States. However, many of the songs presented are done better by other artists. Elvis does have his particular charm and energy, and "Blue Suede Shoes" is a solid opener.
classic album cover. love the clash
Y'know... It's Elvis. Iconic babbling that the previous generation went nuts for. It's not really anything I enjoy. He was a good performer though and this album is one of the ones of all time.
I can understand how this was genre defining when it was released but listening back I don’t get it.
It's prob a 2... It was influential for sure, but I would only listen to like one or two of these songs still
Middling album. Mostly half arsed covers of novelty songs like Tutti Fruiti and Lawdy Miss Clawdy. Bland.
so goddamn boring omg wheres the stupid ass hound dog ai elvis remix
2.5
Nothing to say, just a boring and uninteresting album
The album that white people first heard rock and roll. Of course this album has to be on this list, because it definitely affected the course of rock. You can argue about whether that's a good thing or not, but it definitely changed things. I personally don't love a lot of this 1950s rockabilly stuff, it sounds too antiquated for me. I prefer rock in the mid-60s, when it really took off. His cover of Blue Suede shoes is a classic though. I guess the main problem I have with this album is that none of these tracks were originals. They are all covers, many of them from songs that had literally just come out the year before. So other than being white and good looking, what did this guy have in terms of talent? Maybe you had to be there, but I don't get it. He has a unique voice and delivery, I'll give him that. 2/5
2/5 1. Blue Suede Shoes - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆2. I'm Counting on You - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 3. I Got a Woman - SKIP 4. One-Sided Love Affair - SKIP ☆5. I Love You Because - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 6. Just Because - ☆ 7. Tutti Frutti - SKIP 8. Trying to Get to You - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) - SKIP ☆10. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 11. Blue Moon - Take 9/M - ☆ ☆ ☆12. Money Honey - ☆ ☆ ☆
Guys this was kind of meh. I liked the first Elvis album better. It had a couple of the classic tunes but overall a snooze
With all respect to king Elvis, this was just kind of a bore to get through. I like his style and all, its just kind of dated I guess, and all cut from the same cloth of sound. But good for him for paving the way back in 56 for rock n roll. 1 for the money, 2 for the stars, 3 to get ready to go ahead and hit vote.
Meh
Elvis, a debut album of songs by other people. It’s 30 minutes of Elvis’s sound It’s not unpleasant it’s just music from another era. It certainly doesn’t deserve the virtue signaling hate it gets. You know who you are
Finding this nearly impossible to rate. Feels more like engaging with history than actually listening to an album.
It wasn't my favorite at all
I'm sorry but I just do not care about Elvis. It was short at least.
I don't recall ever being into Elvis, or really knowing anyone that was into Elvis.
I mean, it's definitely Elvis, no doubt about that. He's one of those artists that I can acknowledge as good, but he's not quite an album guy for me. This was just fine. One or two memorable songs, that's it.
Definitely belongs on this list for musicalsignificance. Incredible that this album came out in the year of my birth! 70 years ago. They were rockin' then. There's such a mix on here. Typical (boring) old 50s music mixed with basic rock n roll.
Very influential at the time but not a great listen in the modern era of music
Peak cultural appropriation music
De AI-gegenereerde 'Elvis sings...' slop op youtube klinkt in veel gevallen beter.
дада, но скучно, но классика есть классика, хотя бы короткий альбом 2/5
This all sounded pretty dated. Totally inoffensive, sometimes fun, but not something I’ll go back to.
Some of these tracks are undeniable but a bunch have been done better by others and the rest are snoozers
I was always more fascinated by Elvis the cultural phenomenon than by Elvis the actual musician. This album reaffirms my stance. It's fine - and short. But it's basically a fine collection of covers rendered in Elvis' unique singing style, which still has quite a few moments here that sound gimmicky rather than good (on One-sided love affair in particular). But the ballads don't sound quite as shmaltzy yet as his later ones would. So yeah... Probably justified this is on this list, but it really doesn't thrill me. And in hindsight it's a bit like being at a vintage car show... If you hear a single Elvis song on the radio today, it stands out as a nice change from today's fare. Same as a single vintage car in the road does. But go to a vintage car fair or listen to a whole Elvis album and you realise that there was a lot of formulaic stuff back in the day as well, some of it of questionable quality.
Elvis really feels like a "you had to be there" musician. I just can't find my way in.
mid. good tracks
Best Song: Blue Suede Shoes. This has just about the only glimpse of the rock & roll artist that he will become. Worst Song: I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin'). Wretchedly maudlin. Overall: Elvis before he became "The King". Many of the tracks here are actually unrecognizable against the persona with which he later comes to be associated. As much as the "character" of Elvis feels more like a meme in the modern world than a genuine artist, this green and authentic version of the man is far less interesting.
Thank god for this list - now I can finally know what Elvis sounds like.
unpleasant
Man this is bad. Lyrics are shit, music is uninteresting. Cheesy. I understand the cultural significance of Elvis, but I can’t stand most of his music. It’s just not good in my view.
Eh, most of it was covers and the stuff that was his was just all the same rhythm. It’s a very repertory album with covers.
It’s Elvis…I’m not the biggest fan.
Very overrated
Surprised by my enjoyment of “Early Elvis,” upon a more considerate listen, despite the passing common familiarity. Simple, stripped down, and resonant of a simpler time. Still would probably never purposefully listen to again.
Never liked him that much
149. oh
Elvis Presley Вот спокойные треки по типу I Love you Because, Blue Moon - на них я прям залипаю. Напоминают Blue Velvet. Остальные трекичи с этой скаучщей манерой мне не сильно заходят. Хотя Money Honey прикольный. Короче - норм!
Influential? Sure, I guess. Hard to take this without the context of Elvis basically making black music more palatable for a white audience, including covers of Ray Charles and Little Richard that are way worse than the originals. Blue Suede Shoes is undeniably great but not a lot else here that really grabbed me, including songs with multiple hundred-millions of streams I had no idea even existed. Most of this barely rocks and has almost no grit or soul to it. Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry is probably the best of the rest but most of this is kinda forgettable.
ain't nothing but a hound doggggah
i like it but not enough to add alot to playlist
Not a huge fan of Elvis, I know he impacted music a lot but I just can't get past the funny voice he puts on. You can really tell when he sings normally on a few of these tracks then switches back to the uh huhh honey voice. He also didn't write any of these songs!
I think for me to appreciate this album more, I'd need to have a better understanding of what was happening culturally at the time. While not a bad album, I just didn't vibe with it.
Elvis doesn’t really make bad music, but nothing on this album outside of Blue Moon really stands out. He has so many other albums that deserve to be on this list, not sure this is one. Keep his gold records on here but cut this one to make room for new artists.
Too Elvisy for my taste!
Not a huge Elvis guy.
Yeah, definitely weaker than I expected. Elvis was a Gretest Hits guy.
Not a good album. His voice isn’t for me. The playing is good. Some songs taken from black artists lyrics changed to make them suitable for white audiences
I get why this would’ve been great in the 50s but as someone else on here said - I would have been amazed by fire in 1500 BC, buts it’s 2026. I think that rings true.
Primer disco de Elvis. Nunca me conmovió tanto, excepto temas sueltos.
Best Song: One-sided love affair
It’s ok, but the songs are very repetitive (i know it’s because of that time). People liked this album because of it’s a vibe. Id listen to it maybe when im going for a coffee or at a cozy bar at night
- Elvis was a sexual predator (pedo & violent abuser). - This album clearly cemented its place in history, full of problematic issues (that you can read all about in that highly rated comment in the reviews). - He has a great versatile silky voice. - Boring lyrics all about love as usual from these earlier rock-and-roll albums. Also, the musical ideas obviously have been overdone by now (2026). And, he didn't even write them... - Short album that still felt way too long.
Early rock n roll. Don’t particularly like Elvis, and this is extremely dated. The bluesier numbers are alright. At least it’s short.
I have never really gotten the Elvis hype. In the end, his music reflects a white man’s interpretation of the black music he grew up around. It is particularly annoying when people pretend that he was wildly new, assigning monikers like “king”. Racism is a powerful thing, I suppose. The music executives at the time knew there were new sounds ready to break out to a broader audience and they needed a white man to carry them forward. Elvis found himself in the right place, at the right time. All that said, I can see why people went crazy for this album in 1956. Songs like “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got a Woman” and “Tutti Frutti”, were likely far from what was coming from most radios at the time. This was certainly an important album to include in the book because it remains an important part of music history. I just think it doesn’t live up to its hype.
I'm convinced this album is popular and notable and important because of racism. Finally, white people en masse could enjoy black people's music. There were a few songs on here I knew but I knew the original versions, not the Elvis ones. I've never been into Elvis and this album didn't change anything for me.
Primitivna varijanta Elvisa. Meni su drugi albumi bili daleko bolji.
É ok, mas escutar essa versão do tutti frutti depois de escutar a do little richard diz tudo sobre as limitações desse álbum.
It's fine? Not a style that I really enjoy, though I somehow know every song. Its tough to separate the original from the cliche. I wish I had other music from that time period to compare it to to understand its significance. Though, I'd probably just be mad that it is just whitewashing better artists.
Its alright
I really hate Elvis. I don’t know why I have such a strong aversion but I was dreading those 28 minutes… surprisingly, while I didn’t enjoy it, I wasn’t actively in pain the whole time, so I guess that is a positive
Hard to see what all the fuss is about now really. Its historically important and therefore interesting. But it's not particularly engaging to modern ears (at least not mine). 2
I can confirm this is Elvis.
Pas du tout mon style mais je ne peux que reconnaître qu'Elvis avait du talent
Fine Not my thing
My wife would divorce me if I gave this one star so I’m giving it two. But it is pretty terrible by current standards. I don’t see why this mess of sappiness with an occasional rockabilly song would be so dynamic shifting other than racial.
I don't know if Elvis needed to be the first artist that we get a repeat album from (is the order random? I forgot.) on a couple songs I was surprised to hear a voice that didnt sound like the Elvis I was familiar with; maybe because it's an older album of his. I was also surprised to learn that Kanye West's "Gold Digger" quotes "I got a Woman" directly.
he's got a very unique vocal delivery that is almost fun, but becomes grating quickly. because I'm not a teenage girl in the 50's, I'm not impressed
Wieder eins wo mir der Musikalische Weitblick fehlt um das wirklich einzuorndnen. Was macht das jetzt besonders? Oder ist das nur aus Prinzip dabei weil Elvis auf soner Liste nicht fehlen darf? Alles mit Schwung kann man schon machen, die ruhigen hab ich fast alle geskippt weil furchtbar. Grundsätzlich war ich froh das es nach 28 min vorbei war. Ich mag Elvis halt nicht.
That sure is Elvis. Didn't hate it, didn't blow my mind or anything.
this fuckin guy
About what I expected. Some jangly backing music, not particularly interesting in its own right nor are the lyrics or the singing. Definitely overhyped for being an anomaly for the era perhaps. Like if Eminem was shit.
I just find this dull. I do enjoy the odd banger as nostalgia element but it's always in the context of sounding old. It's not timeless. "Tuttie Frutti" is classic example of toe tapping nonsense that just doesn't appeal as an enduring anything. "Just because" is a slightly less soppy strained warbler where I tune in on a lovely recorded blues guitar section which is ruined by some maracas. Sums it up. Hard to hate it all but not much to interest me.
Listening to this has made me think that Elvis Presley must be the most overrated artist of all time. I mean, it's not terrible but it's not very good either. Firstly, his singing is pretty average. Affected warbling to one side, he manages fine in the lower register but often drifts way off key in the higher notes. Secondly, the music at best is just the blues and at worst it's a flaccid smooze fest. I'm not arguing that it's awful music, but I simply cannot see why this was so revered. My strong suspicion is that he performed a much needed service to a racist white America: finally allowing them to admit that they liked blues music.
Didn't hate it. Didn't love it.
Not for me
Having never listened to an Elvis album I didn't know what the expect. What I got was a while bunch of ideas masquerading as songs. Each one undeveloped as if it didn't really matter whether the song went anywhere because that's not what he was really about.
Makes total sense to be on the list, Elvis is Elvis. But naturally sounds incredibly dated as a result of being such early rock and roll. Fun hearing "I Got a Woman" which I know is a Ray Charles cover and was used for "Gold Digger". Incredibly disappointed to report that this version of "Blue Moon" pales in comparison to Sinatra's