Elvis Presley

Easy listen. Very nostalgic. Hard to compare with modern albums as the production is very basic and composition basic but obviously that’s a product of the time. Definitely will listen again.

Maybe it mattered in the 50s, but it’s not great anymore. I get where others built from this, but not making any playlists for me

Got to give credit. I've never been the biggest Elvis fan, but listening to this I can see why so many consider him The King. The album itself has high points and low points, but even the lows aren't that low. I definitely prefer the livelier tracks to the mellow ones, but the kids wanted to swoon as much as dance.

Well its the classic Elvis ... isn't it?

I wish I listened more attentively, which I probably will today. But yes this is a great album

tutti frutti oh rudy tutti frutti oh rudy tutti frutti oh rudy tutti frutti oh rudy 4 stars?

Mama i just want to wiggle

coole Musik, klassiker. bisl schwulstige mucke bei den balladen aber ansonsten kann ich gut verstehen, warum insb. die schnelleren titel so ein mega hit waren. like it a lot

Loved this one in contrast with Ray Charles purely because of the amazing lyrics and unique jazz old rhythm, i’d say it’s a 7,2/10 considering it’s an artist that never goes out of style

While I wouldn't put this on to listen to on my own, I enjoy this enough but I really appreciate it for what it was in music history

Elvis back then when he sang Rock n Roll and was badass

A lean 28 minutes! Enjoyable the whole way through with a few less memorable moments. A glimpse of what was to come.

was ok

My mother-in-law passed away last year. She was a huge Elvis fan. It was a pleasure to listen to this album.

Oh the time of 2 minute songs. Mehlvis. Heard before? Some Owned: Yes: 41/165 (24%) Will I get? No

Elvis sucks

no sabia q hoy era su cumple AJJAJ no me gusta nada elvis, esto parece encontra de mi voluntad la vdd no se q tanto opine pq en general no me gusta nada este genero ok? ok entiendo por completo pq a la gente le gustaba tanto elvis no dejo de ver a jacob elordi como elvis muejejeje q fea la font de la portada en resumen no me gusta elvis uwu no lo termine de escuchar

Can honestly see why Elvis was the original Eminem

lo and behold, the debut album of a very young and energetic elvis presley. seriously, why bother writing an intro? looking back at it, he was quite the breakthrough artist especially at the time. in an american world that was modest and heated. a moment to apologize to all the long-gone mothers of boomers who genuinely were horrified seeing this man in action... he was a hottie. as a gay man writing this, if you were a young lady and you saw that on television, you'd grip to your chair. i feel like this energy and... charisma so to speak is more than enough to explain why this album is notable to me. all the other nerds out there with their one-trick pony doo-wop, then you see this man with a pomp sweating his ass up on stage, strumming his guitar so hard his fingers would probably bleed.

Ik heb nooit met aandacht geluisterd naar Elvis, maar ik realiseer me opeens dat hij helemaal niet zo'n goede zanger is. Ergens legt dit wel de ziel van commerciële muziek vast, namelijk het verwateren van interessantere versies van hetzelfde genre. Ray Charles' versie van I Got A Woman is zo veel beter! Wil je nou naar de origins van rock-n-roll luisteren, luister dan naar Little Richard, Big Mama Thornton, Chuck Berry, Lavern Baker, Sister Rosetta Tharpe etc!!!! Het feit dat hij enkel witte muzikanten gebruikt, terwijl het genre zo beïnvloed is door zwarte muziek. Ik ben geen essentialist en denk dat etniciteit niet bepaalt hoe goed je bepaalde muziek speelt/bepaalt of je recht heb om bepaalde muziek te spelen (muziek is altijd uitwisseling geweest), maar let's be real, geschiedenis is hier van belang. Het is natuurlijk uiterst goed gespeeld, maar als je naar sommige originele versies luistert, mis je een groove en een soul. De vrijheid die in de originele versies zit, klinkt begrensd bij Elvis, misschien komt het ook omdat hij niet een geweldige zanger is. Er is geen waardering voor de geschiedenis van het genre en dat is zo jammer. Qua productie vond ik het interessant dat er niks over Elvis Presley staat in m'n boek over popmuziek productie, terwijl Big Mama Thornton en Les Paul er ook in staat. Niks interessants over de productie te zeggen, behalve dat het wel typisch 50s is. Excuses voor mijn rant. Het is een iconisch album en het is ook echt goed, maar het is toch ook minder interessant dan albums van andere grootheden.

Heel moeilijk te reviewen. "Blue Suede Shoes" is een klassieker, en "Tutti Frutti" natuurlijk ook. Ik zou het album niet uitzetten, maar ook niet zo snel aan. Het klinkt gewoon heel verouderd.

iconische albumhoes !! het is wat eentonig, maar goed ze hadden de rock'n'roll ook pas net uitgevonden. elvis toen 'ie nog de pelvis werd genoemd, wat een tijd. blue suede shoes swingt heerlijk; i got a woman heeft een heerlijk rockabilly gitaartje; okay ik ben inmiddels bij i love you because en de eentonigheid wordt een probleem. misschien is dit leuker als je een tienermeisje bent in suburbia in '56. ja de rest van het album was meer van hetzelfde. zo ging dat. doe mij dan toch maar london falling van the clash

Smooth clear vocals Im counting on you - great vocals Love Blue Moon

Favourite Song: Blue Suede Shoes I can see why it was a hit at the time, some of the songs weren't particularly to my taste (a little too much swooning), but others (Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti) were a fun listen.

An album full of classics, that you don't realise were Elvis (at least I didn't) "I love you most of all because you're you, no matter ehat the world may say about me" "I love you for the way you never doubt me" (I added this song to my wedding playlist" Love the longing in Trying to get to you. Like is this album talking about the same woman? He has a lot of conflicting feelings if it is lol Omg the juxataposition of "I Love You Because" to "Just Because" LOLOLOL WHAT Elvis a savage. Faves: - Blue Suede Shoes - I Love You Because - Trying to Get to You - I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') - Blue Moon (i think this is like my fave? His voice the sound omg, CROONNNINGGGG)

My mom loves Elvis. I even met up with her in Memphis to go to Graceland together. I recognize his influence in rock and roll and music in general, and I really like a lot of his later work, but this particular album doesn’t sustain a must-hear status to me.

bland and unoriginal

კარგია. i love you because უმარტივესი შედევრია

Never heard of this guy tbh. He's pretty talented, but I don't appreciate how he stole his name from Elvis Costello. Plus he's not as good looking.

Obviously iconic. Feels a bit like reviewing architecture and someone asks you to look at Stonehenge though. The opener is a classic but I’ve never really liked it that much. Some surprisingly great tracks on here that I’d never listened to before. A strong 3, there are other Elvis albums I’d much rather listen to though. Highlights: I’m Counting On You, I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)

idgaf about this

Very simplistic but I do understand why it’s on here. I don’t think I would listen to this album again as a great example of Elvis’ work but I get how significant it is. Oh and Blue Moon is a travesty!

Fondamental..

The album wasn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be. Apart from that the slow songs were cool, the more lively were okay

Stolen from black people as always. Bill Campbell as well as thelma cooper

Same as my previous comments for the other Elvis album. It's enjoyable enough.

Mind-numbingly boring.

Not really my cup of tea although I can appreciate that in the context of those times it would have seemed radical and very exciting.

What is there to say? Absolutely timeless

Nada especial, solo por que es Elvis Presley. Quizas necesito contexto cultural para saber el hype, pero didnt he steal music from black people? No me informaré pq no me importa! Favorita: Blue Suede Shoes (3/5)

Loved this!

It's funny how even the greatest artists of all time have loads of filler in their albums. Some good tracks and some meh.

great. Authentic voice.

Cool to find tutti frutti here

It's a decent collection of songs but heavy on the cheese. Better when just rock n roll.

It’s fine, I guess. Didn’t know this was the reference for The Clash’s London Calling album cover. Probably not gonna listen to it again though. Stand-outs: - Trying to Get to You - Blue Moon - Take 9/M

I know this is an important record and I know it has to be on this list. My stance on Elvis has been colored by PE . I just can not get over the whitewashing 5 stars or its impact - but missing the soul so 2. Although his voice is always great to listen to - you can see why the Colonel was so keen to exploit him, erm I mean it.

Sitting 70 years later listening to this may feel like an easy thing to dismiss but it is so strong. Even if you've never listened to Elvis purposefully you know half of this album which itself doesn't waste time being under half an hour. The first 9 tracks and the last one are certainly worth a detour and though it won't be an all-time favourite, I had a good time and deserves the spot in that list.

I can appreciate it, but not quite my cup of tea unless I was listening for an era party/ dance

This definitely deserves to be on this list, compared to the other Elvis picks. I still don't love it, as this is not my favourite rock n roll thing, but I liked listening to it. I appreciate it for what it is and the influence it had on music in general.

3 out of 5. Basic but I get why it's here.

My mom hated Elvis, so I ended up avoiding really listening to Elvis for decades. I think she might have grown up in that town from Footloose, because this album just made me want to dance!

It seems as if every single rock ‘n’ roll album from the 1950s is legendary—at least the ones on this list. Against this backdrop, I find it really difficult to give a meaningful review. Yes, this is Elvis' debut and it starts off great with “Blue Suede Shoes.” Then there are other songs, but does anyone want to know about them? I don't think so. Did I mention the iconic cover artwork?

One original song, the rest are just covers, and not the best ones, to be frank. In retrospect, Presley was more about the performance than about the music. Well, he brought R'n'B and R'n'R into the mainstream by whitewashing it.

Foundation of rock n roll and popular music. I can do without so many ballads but overall gets more stars for being historic too.

Un clásico , pero definitivamente mucha canciones suenas iguales.

At least I have the self-awareness to know that I would have gone crazy for this if I was a white girl in the 1950s (instead of a white girl in the 2020s)

ELVIS!

Still the King

not a fan of the style

This is my first time listening to an Elvis record. His voice is pretty here, this is the debut so I didn't get a lot of the ahuh-huh tone we tend to associate with the star. Instead, this piece of work reflects the beginnings of the appropriation of the genre. We've got some grade A writers on here like Ray Charles and Little Richard, and these Elvis versions aren't necessarily better, just slightly whiter. It's not a bad listen but it literally shows me what direction to head in when I find it losing momentum. Props to the guitarist though, keeps the record going. 2.2/5

Foundational for music in innumerable ways. It's impossible to remove all of our knowledge of Elvis, his music, and his impact on music when listening to this, so I can only imagine what it felt like to hear this music for the first time in 1956. A culture resetting album. Blue Moon is an underrated favorite

Pretty damn good for an introductory album. I thought it was a few years earlier than ‘56 which threw me off that Elvis covered Ray Charles on his first album. 100% can hear the blues and rock influence he heavily drew from and helped turn into Pop music

If you take the impact on culture and music as a whole out of the rating (which is obviously tremendous), its not really an album i love. I dont think Elvis's version of any of the standards on here are better than other more authentic versions ive heard. The mix is really low at points, to the point it almost sounds acapella. He's got an incredible voice, but none of the music itself was all that impressive. Its a 5 if you factor in how "important" the album is, but that aside its a solid 2.

If you like rock and roll or even popular music, this is like being asked to rate the New Testament. Elvis is the King, and your favorite music wouldn't exist without him. Forget that some styles have been satirized or overdone or sound corny to our modern ears, that some songs are weaker than others, or that this isn't a real album per se....it changed everything. Feels hard to rate it, but at 29 minutes of mostly upbeat music, its an easy listen even today. The version of "Blue Moon" is one of those haunting tracks that just sounds cursed....one of my favorite Elvis recordings. You can go a long way with a three piece band and some slapback echo as long as you have a dynamite singer.

easy listen. fun lyrics . really fed into the fantasies of the girls back in the day. i get it

The hits are pretty good, the rest is kind of repetitive. Great musicians, though.

Its 50's Elvis, I can’t really say anything else. Sometimes a bit slow, sometimes upbeat, in general it’s a decent listen.

Yeahhh musical genius, just would never put it on personally

Decent album - can't really go wrong with a bit of Elvis

Highlight: I'm Counting On You. In a nutshell: the power and the passion. In 1956, rock and roll had officially arrived, and Elvis Presley lead the charge. He enchanted teens with his energy and shocked parents with his swagger. Elvis could sing. He could play guitar. With the right promotion, he could be a star. And he did. As an album, it's okay? Releasing covers were the norm in the 50's and 60's so I give that a free pass. White people covering songs written and/or performed by people of colour was no big deal at the time. And yet, it felt strange listening to Elvis cover Little Richard. Hearing anyone else but Little Richard performing Tutti Frutti is surreal and for me didn't hit the target. I didn't think Elvis recorded mellow songs without sounding like he was crooning, in his early years. Today I learned. Overall: 4/10

..

The album which is more notable for the cover than the contents. Cover versions of blue suede shoes and ive got a woman are excellent though. Elvis never veers far from very good and this is where this album sits

It's short and sweet. I think that the track placement is weak in that a high-tempo track is then followed by a low-tempo track, and then back to high tempo again. Favourite Track(s): Blue Suede Shoes, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You), Just Because Least Favourite Track(s): I Love You Because

It's fine. It's Elvis, singing a bunch of black artist's tunes and introducing a generation of ignoramus people to a genre of "jungle music." Culturally significant, musically decent.

Classic. Not an Elvis fan but a great album.

It’s Elvis

When rock n roll just rocked n rolled

I loved this one!

mid highs and low lows

I'll never be tricked into liking Elvis.

Quite good. Some of the music from this era is very dated now, and that is true of some of the songs on this album, but his infectious energy and the samples and covers of later artists display what a pioneer he was.

Do I wanna be a contrarian or is that not that good? I get this is from the 50's and really kick started rock'n'roll, but it's not nearly as good as I would have expected. Would give probably 3.5, but rounding for disappointment.

One of his earlier works, you can tell he’s raw and not as polished. Still good though.

One of the oldest albums on the list, and without it there'd probably be less than half of the list on here. Really influential for sure. It's short but all the songs on here are delivered well. Can't really blame Elvis for the racist tendencies of his era and he could deliver the music a lot better than white contemporaries like Pat Boone and Neil Sedaka anyways. It's still fun to listen to, even 70 years later.

Not my favorite Elvis album.

blue suede shoes immediately got me in the right mindset. and because of this, i ended up having a great time.

I know this was influential but I’m pretty sure damn near everything that has come out since then is more interesting.

I’m just not an Elvis fan. I understand he was an important part of music but aside from a few tracks, it just does nothing for me. Didn’t hate it, just won’t be back.

Just about what I expected, but only one hit that I remembered as being Elvis' and a few that I didn't even associate with him at all. Not long, not good, two points.

Crazy debut album. Why does it sound like each song was recorded in a different studio with various audio quality. I’ve only heard one of these songs before but they do teeter from slower loveish song to faster loveish song. 6/10

Generational talent. Generational bangers. Multi-generational impact. I love seeing what an artist's first song release is for "Song 1:Album 1" and this was one of the best ever in "Blue Suede Shoes." Elvis went big for a first album and has all the signature sounds.

It's impossible to approach this album without 70-odd years of context getting in the way, and that context might be the biggest thing about this record. It's a collection of high energy tracks (not just a collection of singles!!) which sent the willies right up the leftover '40s and turned them into the '50s, setting up the entire universe of pop and rock which would develop over the coming decades. Great voice, great tunes, great band! Favourite tracks: I Got A Woman, Just Because, I'll Never Let You Go, Money Honey

Deux artistes problématiques en deux jours, mais quelle joie ! Bon, en l’occurrence, c’est un album important dans l’évolution du rock, donc c’est pas étonnant de le retrouver là. C’est un album bien sympathique, plutôt simple, mais varié. Pas l’album que je préfère de cette époque, mais c’est compréhensible qu’il soit considéré comme important.

Early Elvis was a lot of rockabilly, kicking off with the Carl Perkins hit Blue Suede Shoes. There's definitely some blues in there, some early 50s crooning, and I was surprised to hear Tutti Frutti, performed much more famously by Little Richard.

Easy listen, Elvis has a great voice.

The fact that this was recorded at 3 different studios lends a nice variety to the sounds on the album. Strong voice, good energy, fun listen.

Blue Suede Shoes - killer opener. Then song after song of filler - not a memorable tune amongst them. A couple of (other) covers that don’t come anywhere near the originals. And finally some redemption with Money Honey. At least the middle section of the album goes by relatively quickly…… 2 stars basically for Blue Suede Shoes, the rest can get lost.

blues fast saknar känsla, svårt att koppla bort tanken att det är whitewashing av blues

Bra sjunget, bra producerat för sin tid, men det känns liksom som att det är covers av svarta människor så att en vit publik ska gilla det. Några bra låtar, men t.ex Tutti Frutti har inte alls samma energi som originalet

Melhor Música: I'm Counting on You Pior Música: Tutti Frutti

Unmistakable Elvis on opener which is quite an opener for 1956. But I’m Counting On You sounded like just another 50’s crooner. Enjoyed I got a Woman and the piano and slightly strange vocals (borderline Vic Reeves club singer) on One Sided Love Affair. Could do without I Love You Because and I’ll Never Let You Go. Like the country track Just Because. Tutti Frutti doesn’t compare to the superior Little Richard version. Even though the tracks are short I was a bit Elvised out before the end. Though Money Honey probably second best track. Would probably be a 4 if this was 1956. It’s not though. 3. Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps.

Reminds me of Top Secret.

Never got into Elvis in any way, shape, form, era.Listening to this, I just don't think it going to happen although I do quite like some rockabilly stuff.

Obviously a landmarks release, consistent but too many covers (understandable for the era). A high 3 borderline 4 - might get occasional play at Café Kelvinos

Look I get it. In the 50s white folks weren’t listening to black artists so of course you needed a white southerner to be the King of Rock and Roll. With that reductive statement aside, I have never vibed with Elvis and do not enjoy his music in almost any capacity.

He doesn't do 'Tutti Frutti' as well as Little Richard, but this is still a cute little collection of songs. There were some ('Just Because', 'Trying To Get To You') that I hadn't heard before but liked. I think I have a soft spot for Elvis because he's a bit cheesy and corny. But he's still a pretty cool guy.

It's hard not to like this! Classic tunes sung by a very charismatic performer. These aren't really my favorite versions of most of these songs, but as a collection, it's an enjoyable listen.

Last album I listened to before I took off for like 8 months. Remembered today 9/23/26 for some reason

Uh-huh. I have a weakness for basic rockabilly tunes from the fifties.

I've enjoyed Elvis's early records for a few years. His later output I'm just starting to venture into. But this one from 1956 is a stone cold classic. If you're feeling sceptical, you could grumble that he just took elements of blues and gospel and smooshed them into a sanitised concoction for white audiences. However, it does sound good, and it created something new in the process. This one has a nice mix of rocking songs and slower ballads. Running twelve tracks in under 30 mins, there's a nice concision and energy to the album. I don't really like "Tutti Frutti" or "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry", which are a bit panderingly childish. But overall, a solidly fun album. 4*

I felt like I should give it a two since, you know, but this is absolute trash

I enjoyed this, but it wasn't amazing. Considering that it is his debut, the sound that is already coming through is great. That said, it was a very short album and while there are a few really good songs on here, there are a few not so great ones too. Pretty average to me.

The hits still stand up well after almost 70 years.

Generous 2, to be fair he did well for himself given the lack of acting and musical talent.

Don't really get what all the fuss was about. Starting to think that Elvis was popular just because he was hot which in a way is progressive and I have to admire the hustle but it's not a great album in the year 2025

Goat!

This album isn't necessarily terrible, but it's definitely "of a time." I'm no R&B expert, but I listen to enough Blues that listening to this is actively distracting, knowing that there's not a song here that couldn't have been more capably handled by one of Elvis's contemporaries with a less marketable complexion.

bedankt voor de liefdesbetuiging Elvis

- Plezant - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM

Yeah the highs were high but the lows were low...Elvis at his best and worst in one record

Never listened to an entire Elvis album til now. It's about what I recalled of Elvis. Flashing back to Brian Logan's house the day Elvis died and his mom flipping out....

A snapshot in time of the man who would be King. Alongside the bona fide, toe-tapping, heart-skipping, hip-swinging classics are mediocre smoochy ballads for the house-wives and a swathe of covers originally by black folks, reminding us of the dubious white-washing at the roots of Rock n Roll. Yes, he was the King: an incredible undeniable talent - but a product of his time, with some horrible views, owing a huge debt to the black artists who came before him, and really should be better represented on this book. Props to his astonishing backing band too. The most annoying thing (and reason for the lower-than-I-would-have-wanted-for-Elvis-who-I-genuinely-love rating) is the tracklisting- alternating between fast and slow numbers in a way that doesn't hit right these days. But I guess albums were done differently back then and mayve everyone needed a slow number to calm down huh?

The King

Lots good. But also defo struck by how much better the original versions of Tutti Fruti and I Got a Woman are, my goodness. He is the king tho and I love him nonetheless.

One of the Three Kings of Rock and Roll.. along with Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed. Some tunes I never heard before that took me to a rockabilly joint downtown where the cats are cool and the chicks are hip.

this was a good album but very repetitive, just sounded like one long song

Love it.

I can't separate the album from the cultural significance... I've heard all the songs my entire life, inescapable.

I understand the significance of the album but fail to appreciate many of the songs within that showed what Elvis would ultimately become but were recorded poorly by modern standards. Lots of slow ballads etc

i know elvis was referred to as “the king of rock and roll”, but you could probably make more of an argument for that title belonging to either little richard or chuck berry. elvis didn’t really do anything groundbreaking, honestly other than bringing music that already existed to a wider whiter audience. the upbeat songs on this album were ok, but the slower ballads kind of fell flat to me. if this album was an example of how “great” elvis was, you lost me.

Terrible. I should have just listened to Blue Suede Shoes and given up. Vocals on "I Love You Because" were particularly bad. I understand it's place in history, but it's just displeasing to endure.

What a goblin.

He is the worst thing since Elvis Presley To do Black music so selfishly And use it to get himself wealthy (Hey) There's a concept that works! but he's doin it good!

Good, but not amazing. I see why he was popular, but it really doesn't hold up today.

I mean it’s Elvis. And a classic from him.

Good solid rock and roll

Norm

Кайф. 4,5 / 5

GETTING CAUGHT UP! lol the fact that so many of these songs are covers give the "Elvis stole every single thing he ever did" people a lot of credibility. there were some good moments tho

Nice and blues-y, a very "Fallout-esque" journey back home

Yah I’ll admit I’m biased, I’ve always loved Elvis since I was a very young child. My dad was a fan my grandmother was a massive fan, he’s basically been a family member in my house. This is also one of his most well rounded albums as well as being one the albums where he really got to show his range and his unique singing style. It’s also kind of a weird album to review because it’s so fundamental to all music that came after it. Reviewing this album is like reviewing cavemen banging on drums in a cave. It’s such a fundamental building block to ALL music. Also this album follows one of my favorite traits to a great album, and much is it doesn’t over stay its welcome, the whole thing is just under 29 mins. My only problem with this is his personal life, I think aligning himself with the colonel and blindly trusting him was the greatest mistake of his life behind pursuing Priscilla, which I think hurt his legacy almost as bad. But, that being said I’m biased, I love Elvis music, Sue me.

The production is so bold, the performances strong and beautiful. Technology has come on but contemporary recordings are rarely so rich. Shows what you can do with ambition, dedication and the time, space and lack of distractions.

Wasn't bad, wasn't great, but it sure was a long half hour

Short and Sweet. I dont have much to say about this Some songs are good, most are okay. I dont want to give it a higher rating just because of his legacy and pioneering, hence itll be low, sorry boomers. I acknowledge it and respect it but id like to give a rating solely on the music.

i dont want to listen to this bro why am i listening to this agh this is so not my type of music too lovey dovey im gonna complain as much as possible imma bring the score of this album so low down i hate this

Wow

Starts strong and has high and lows. He sounds great. They are all romance related songs, but that makes sense for the heartthrob he was. You can hear the upbeat blues jazzy ness that becomes rock.

Pretty good, just not a lot I found personally compelling

Solid album

He may have popularized rock but it feels so dated

First of all, I'm going to start by saying that Elvis did not appropriate black culture anymore than Charlie Pride appropriated white culture. If we all thought like that, then I guess the Righteous Brothers should have stuck with singing Doris Day covers. Anyway this album is an amazing debut by an amazing artist. He grew up listening to r&b and that's what he wanted to sing. Charlie Pride grew up listening to country and western and that's what he sang. This album is the shot heard round the world. Rock and Roll did not originate with Elvis but he brought it to fruition.

Best

Yeah, I like Little Richard, too, so I'll probably just listen to him. It was short, though, so there's that.

great fun, rock n roll guessing theres plenty better but still good stuff

i don’t get why people were obsessed over this

Tutti Frutti. I can’t accept it.

Blue suede shoes is obviously a classic but a lot of the other songs don’t yet have his distinct vocal performance

really enjoyed it, such a classic. never heard elvis before, but i really liked it.

He’s the King for a reason

I know this is a ground breaking album, and if I was a teenager in 1955 I might have loved it, but it sounds rather dated today. A solid three for historical significance...

139/1001 :: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Listen before you die: Yes People love to hate The King but he was crowned The King for a reason and it started right here. Elvis may not have written Blue Suede Shoes, I got A Woman and Tutti Frutti but he played and sang the hell out of em. I think context is import too. This album helped bring rock n roll to the masses. Lastly, I love how the cover art inspired so many. This is history.

Never liked Elvis in my youth but a fan now!

Previously rated: #574 - Elvis is Back (4/5) #656 - From Elvis In Memphis (4/5) *************************************** Album #961 This is very basic country rock & roll with some schmaltzy ballads. I'm not sure which are covers (maybe they all are?), but most are good, though he can't touch Little Richard's Tutti Frutti. This is a comfort album for sure. Best tracks: Blue Suede Shoes, I Got a Woman, and I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You).

A solid debut album with a surprising amount of variety by the immortal pioneer of rock and roll.

Elvis is back in the building! Starts off with the classic Blue Suede Shoes. I'm Counting On You is lovely, I love his slower jams. I Got A Woman had some great guitar, and I didn't realize Kanye's "she take my money" from Gold Digger was adapted from a line from this song. One-Sided Love Affair was a fun one, I Love You Because was very sweet, and Just Because was pretty good. And then Tutti Frutti just amps up the energy, what a classic. I'm used to the Little Ritchie version, but this one was a blast as well. Trying To Get To You was very smooth, some good guitar work. The rest of the songs sort of dropped the energy a bit, but it's a great album. Long live The King! Best song: Blue Suede Shoes

It's Elvis but I never got that

Very of it's time. Nice and short, which helps. Some quirky, different songs, but a lot that sounds the same. Hard to judge an album that's approaching 70 years old so a rating of 2.5 seems fair.

k...

The start of a genre!

Not new to me but classic all the same

Long live the King!

My brother needs to write his own songs

rockabilly songs go insanely hard but then there's the other ones - just made me listen to London Calling after

I liked the other one better, still good.

Was half asleep and only saw the colors/style of the title on the album cover and got super excited. Cosmo and Wanda, you ain't slick.

It was all right. I listened to it a couple of days ago and I already forgot most of it. The vocals kind of wore on me after a while. Probably closer to 2.5 but I'll round up. I do remember liking the last track.

It's an Elvis record, the first one. What to expect? Exactly what I got. It's amazing to think that was revolutionary and, to a certain extent, "heavy, devil music". A nice glimpse into what the Elvis-mania was, and I think I get it. That being said, in modern times, you listen to it for the novelty, not for being music thet you "have" to listen to. Does this make sense? I guess you need to really be into Elvis' to give it more than 3 stars, imo.

прикольно было ознакомиться, но в целом ничего особенно интересного. норм

The voice of Elvis Presley has been parodied for so long by goofballs, grotesques and eccentric amateurs that we forget how thoroughly ludicrous it was to begin with. Warbled in the upper reaches, overegged in the lower, it is the sound of a nineteen-year-old pretending to be an adult, pretending to be a libertine, pretending, in short, to be alive. He was always a parody, even before the jumpsuits. And I guess that's how pop should be. However, I was looking at some spirit photographs the other day – those turn-of-the-century curiosities where the bereaved were duped into seeing their dead relatives hovering in artfully blurred silver nitrate. They are, to modern eyes, laughably inept: all crude double exposure and vaseline smudge. Yet people believed them because the medium itself was miraculous. One can only assume that, a century from now, AI’s convincing simulacra will appear equally preposterous. So too with Elvis. The miracle has faded. What was once radical – the slapback echo, the hiccuping libido, the made-in-Memphis fuzz – now sounds like a conjuring trick exposed. Those rockabilly progressions were new once; now they’ve ossified into pastiche. Even the album cover survives only as citation - The Clash quoting it, fashion reappropriating it, history feeding back on itself. The various recordings here flatter no one. Scotty Moore’s guitar is kinetic but often turns into ectoplasmic blur, the double bass reduced to a rumour, and the piano shackled to the clichés of a style still being invented. Only Blue Moon interrupts the charade. A Rodgers and Hart relic smuggled into the repertoire, it sounds like an intruder from another century - eerie, suspended, slightly embarrassed to be here, but successful precisely because it is not dated modernity, it had already weathered time. Presley sings as if overheard rather than performing. It is the record’s true spirit photograph: a transparent illusion that, despite itself, convinces credulous idiots like me. 1.5 I like Elvis. I think he had a great talent in singing and in stage presence. He wasn’t interested in songwriting much less making ‘albums’ and that lack can and ought to be credited to his era more than some artistic deficit on his part. So let’s lay the credit for this Elvis ‘album’ at the door of RCA Victor. Here is Elvis, recorded half a dozen different ways in different places over 18 months, still figuring out how and what he wanted to sing. Some of it is iconic and some of it is bound to extract a wince even from the King’s biggest fans. All of it was singles. This is a compilation and it is a sloppily assembled one. That this compilation was consumed in huge quantities and as such represents a key artefact of a moment of cultural explosion is nothing to its artistic value which is near zero. I except the album cover from this assessment - it looks terrific. Do pink and green ever fail when they work together? Listening to this is rather like watching the whole two and a half hours of broadcast footage of the first moon walk. Everyone watched it at the time but now only those with specialist interest need bother because, honestly, it wasn’t a great show. The rest of us make do with the couple of minutes where Neil Armstrong climbs down and does his line. It’s the Blue Suede Shoes of the moon landing. 1.5/5

Absolute classic and has some bangers. Defined the American Rock genre for years to come and still remains relevant in 2025. 7/10 He only got better after this album.

It's ok but not my cup of ☕. Luckily it's less than half an hour long so it doesn't feel too long.

Time does not diminish the power and pure fun of Elvis' music. Great grandfather of much of what you will hear in pop, punk and rock and roll. So good, so good.

Ballads on these were pretty great and I imagine back in the 50s this went extremely hard. However, everything that followed this in rock was a lot cooler imo

Raw, shocking, historically seismic—and still weirdly sloppy in a way modern rock bands would kill to fake. Not perfect, but dangerously alive.

Funky, fresh and a great & groundbreaking rock 'n' roll record.

Not really my thing but enjoyable. Interesting to hear him sing not in the stereotypical Elvis "uh huh huh" voice.

First time listening to some of these tracks, but most were very familiar. Good album and clearly revolutionary, but had more covers than I thought it would, which doesn't really help beat the allegations of Elvis stealing most of his musical aesthetic from less successful black artists.

Another 50s album I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I’ve never been a fan of Elvis. I’ve been turned off by his voice whenever I’ve heard his songs. The main context I have on Elvis is his influence on rock music and that he is often accused of gaining fame by taking songs from black artists. It’s not something I’ve researched on my own. Regardless of the context, I enjoyed listening to this album. I still don’t love his voice and there were moments it made me cringe, but tolerable overall. There’s other artists from the era who did it much better, and who I would prefer listening to. Still, there’s no denying the influence Elvis and this album had on modern music. My impression is that he wasn’t an innovator, but he played a big role in bringing the rock ‘n’ roll to a wider audience. Does it say more about him or about white America in the 1950s that they needed a white artist to make rock music palatable?

It was fine, all sounds the same but pretty inoffensive

Genre: Rock & Roll …It’s Elvis! Not much more to say than that. You can definitely hear why so many people, musical most inclined or otherwise, were enamored with him. The guy radiates cool, even on the dreariest of late 50s rock arrangements, and he certainly was quite the icon. Album is alright, though. 3/5

Elvis didn't not have a great voice, but he had a distinct one, which is often far more important. On this debut, everything - including his distinctive warble - is very rushed and rough around the edges. Maybe that energy is part of what made the whole thing work. Regardless, teens fainted, parents exploded and rock and roll was born. Hindsight reveals this to be a pretty average "white guy sings black music to bring it to the masses" affair, and a fairly shabbily produced one at that, but there is no denying Presley had star quality. Pretty sure he nicked the cover design from The Clash though...

Some classics but I’m not a fan of the quavering voice

The songs get me in a better mood.

Unique voice for the time, the hits are hits and the rest is interesting exploration

Not my ham sorry King

the king

A swift, strong album from the old school days. This has some solid songs and is breezy fun. Top tracks: "Blue Suede Shoes," "I Got a Woman," "Blue Moon"

What a fun album. A true 50s rock and roll ass album. There's a reason he's the King. I've never really given the full catalog a listen because the music is so ubiquitous and in any movie about the era, but that's because it's classic shit! 4! But it gets a 3 because racism!

--Blue Suede Shoes...a classic --I'm Counting on You...Elvis is known for his baritone, but it's interesting hearing him tickle his upper register here --I Got a Woman...whitewashed as hell --One-Sided Love Affair...like the piano and walking bass line --I Love You Because...pleasant but nothing special --Just Because...is this skiffle? --Tutti Frutti...you ain't Little Richard, bro --Trying to Get to You...meh --I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry...this kicks --I'll Never Let You Go...run, Priscilla! --Blue Moon...nice and easy --Money Honey...it's fine

History is kinda my ‘thing’ and what I’m gonna say about Elvis is still lots of the artists you know and love today wouldn’t be there without him. Sure I don’t think Elvis wrote a song in his life, and lots of it was covers by Black artists who were just better (the obvious example being Little Richard and his version of Tutti frutti). But England/ America (particularly America) was just so racist at the time. I think we needed Elvis as a ‘trojan horse’ to get rock to the masses, he was a performer, so he performed. Subsequent decades would come along, artists influenced probably your favourite artist it your favourite artists, artists that people form the 50’s wouldn’t be able to comprehend came along. 4/5 for that

History showing why this album is on the 1001 list, and history showing why that is a damn shame. Honestly I saw a Tutti Frutti was here, heard it, and immediately dropped the album for Little Richard. Friggin "oh he was controversial for shaking his hips" while Little Richard was shirtless sex on a piano, also everything else.

From an impact perspective, this is undoubtedly 5 stars. But from the perspective of how much I enjoyed listening, it's a two.

Great album. Defined and influenced music for generations. Not really my style or what I want to listen to.

Not my cup of tea, but feel like it deserves a 4 for how influential it was

The voice is still iconic

Yehhhh, glad to get this. Think it might be the earliest album on the list and never actually listened to a full Elvis album start to finish… It felt a bit empty and lacking in many ways. Got the groove and rhythm but just felt pretty flat, lacking any body, and not sure that’s just production capability of the time? 12 tacks and 28 minutes is quite something too! Maybe I’m missing some context here. Was expecting a lot more and just feels meh. And ZERO of these songs written by Elvis!

A classic Ruck&Role album, also a great voice Fav song - Blue Suede Shoes 3/5

“Those blacks do make some good music… let’s steal it”. The guy does have a very captivating voice though, gotta give him that

28 minutes I’ll never get back

Thought it would be more difficult to listen to than it was. Some songs are amazing. Blue suede shoes, tutti frutti and my new fav trying to get to you.

I enjoyed the music more than the Elvis. I can see why he's considered white-washed black music.

So I like Elvis's music. There is something infectious in it that is really catchy but I had only listened to the hits. This album hits in some ways (Blue Suede Shoes) but there were a number of tracks that just didn't resonate with me. It was interesting how inoffensive the music was on a deeper listen.

Great opportunity for casual Elvis fans to hear some hits.

Listened October 2020. I'm just not a big fan of rockabilly Elvis. I get it, I see why he's the most famous person ever, I see why he completely changed the face of music, but for me, he doesn't become the genuine sensation into the comeback special. I also don't think Elvis on record is the best way to fully appreciate the King - it's live all the way.

BSS - 9 ICOY - 7 IGAW - 8 OSLA - 7 ILYB - 7 JB - 6 TF - 7 TTGTY - 8 IGSRDACOY - 7 INLYGLD - 8 BM - 8 MH - 7 4/5

Wop-bom-a-loowah, belah-bam-boom. Ba-ba-ba-baby, Hüftprothese. Elvis das Aphrodisiaka einer ganzer Generation. «Just because» ist so typisch Elvis-Voice...stell dr vor, dä bstellt so en Teller Pasta! «Tutti frutti» haut mich aus dem Sessel. Un «Blue Moon» sowieso eines meiner Lieblings-Standards. Kannte diese Version von Elvis nicht und Jeeesus! Was für eine schöne Honigmelonen-Musik...und vom Sound-Bett so avantgarde...könnte von heute sein.

ig will nochn bisschen tanzn 💃 waer ich zu dieser zeit auf den beinen gewesen, waere ich definitiv an viele konzerte mit dem groove. ich mags heute auch, aber mein 1950er-ich mags mehr.

Not really into Elvis, especially an album full of covers. At least it was short. 2/5 Won’t listen again

I guess some songs are compelling when you first heard them, but then you hear the original recordings and Presley’s version are no big deal.

Classic!

The early years are not my musical taste - but a great musician

I enjoyed some of the singles and would listen to them again no problem but didn’t gel enough with the rest of the songs to really want to come back and listen to the full album. Plus the mix on some of the songs were a bit off. Blue Suede Shoes sounds like he’s singing inches away from the mic while the rest of the band is playing in the other room.

I found myself tapping my toes to some of these. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to this album but I wouldn't mind if it were on in the background and I can understand how it captured the imaginations of white teenagers in the '50s. I have to say, though, Tutti Frutti was a really inferior cover.

Thoroughly enjoyed the energy of this album. Interspersed with some real crooners but I don't mind a soppy love song tbh. Trying to Get to You and I'm Counting On You are personal faves. Definitely an era defining release.

It's not bad, there are just better versions of all of these songs.

A couple of tracks off this album are truly iconic and unforgettable, but there's also a lot of annoying Elvis stuff that sounds very outdated (not in a good, nostalgic way either). I guess it does have a place on this list due to him being such an icon, but overall, it's not an album I'd ever want to revisit. 3 stars

Nah

Great elvis

This is Rock N Roll

Elvis’ debut is definitely one of the greatest of all time.

Diria que ja he escoltat aquest album. Coneixia sa canço tutti frutti. Tot i que n'elvis es un pioner, s'album meh

Cool ig. Changed music a lot for sure

12 songs, 28 minutes. Too much coveted music.

Only 12 songs in 29mins? Step up your game Elvis, the Ramones got 14 done in that time on their self titled album

Not even a fan but I can recognize that this is a 5 ⭐️ album

it's elvis presley

Voljela sam ga dosta kad sam bila mlađa, ali u jednom trenutku nisam mogla prestati ignorirati njegovu pedofiliju više. Still, obilježio je povijest glazbe i logično je da će biti ja listi. Gledajući samo glazbu, bilo bi 3/5, 5/10

Pretty strong stuff. I’m a bigger fan of his gospel material, but it’s clear to see why this took off.

I know its from the 50s but this does sound half-finished. Still got a couple heaters on there

I love Elvis. I really enjoyed the raw, unpolished sound of this album. I’m a sucker for all the vocal affectations and swagger Elvis exhibited. The musicianship on the album is infectiously enjoyable. I honestly would’ve given the album five stars, but I know Elvis gets SO much better a few years down the line.

Enjoyable but not revisitable for me

Interesting to hear The King finding his voice.

Doesn’t this album just make you want to rip your panties off and throw them at the stereo? Well, no, me neither. It’s odd to think that Elvis, and his thrusting gyrating “dance” got so many people all is a tizz. But Elvis was instrumental in breaking the musical mode and bringing rock and roll to the masses. Helping to give the band hole music industry a jumpstart into a more modern age. This, his debut album at 21, is packed full of hits - the whole album was released as singles in the US - and spent 10 weeks at #1 in the US. It’s a pleasant listen and doesn’t make me want to dive for the off switch (or fling undergarments) towards the stereo. Not someone I’d listen to a lot, but wouldn’t switch radio stations if he came on.

It's kind of just a historical oddity now. There's nothing here that hasn't been improved on since.

I ended up listening to this along with Life of a Showgirl.(A track from one then a track from the other) Oddly enough this increased my enjoyment of both and pushed Elvis upto a four.

When you already recognise pretty much every song before putting the album on there's already a baseline of this being notable. Some really good stuff on here even if a bit dated.

I question some of the choices of material (especially the ballads). I question some of the instrumentation and production choices. I question whether I can ever really hear this the way it must have sounded in 1956. I hear the iconic "one for the money, two for the show / three to get ready now go cat go" and I'm mesmerized. What was the question again?

Meh

Inte så bra som jag förväntade mig. Naturligtvis en klassiker, men med flera svaga spår mellan de bangers som finns. Elvis sjunger naturligtvis gudomligt, men kompet känns väldigt daterat. En svag fyra.

It's interesting listening to Elvis songs that aren't the standard songs you usually hear. Seems like this first album is slightly less refined (in a good way) than the 4.8 million albums that followed. I dunno, but this alright. It's fun.

Elvis is our foremost culture vulture and his debut album features the kinda scattershot output you'd expect from someone grown in country music but with a foot in rhythm & blues. He's my first repeat artist on this after a mere month but I found this lacking. This was released firmly in the era when everything actually rhymed so I don't know how the laziness of Just Because passed muster. There's some great piano on One-Sided Love Affair. There is never a scenario where I will reach for these versions of I Got a Woman and Tutti Frutti over Ray Charles and Little Richard.

Great debut. And definitely some new favourites

Fun album of mostly covers/standards. I've never been a big Elvis fan, but I liked these

Classic. Pretty easy to listen to. Not my favorite but has a surprisingly good time listening to the album.

I can see why young (and not so young) women lost their shit when this came out in 1956. Prior to Elvis, most pop/rock stars were polite, buttoned up gentleman. And then here comes Elvis the Pelvis, looking hot and shaking his hips at you. Or crooning lovingly into your eyes. He was pretty dreamy after all. The music on the other hand, not so dreamy. Starting with Blue Suede Shoes was a tease. Fun rock and roll song, upbeat, makes you want to move. I would have enjoyed an album with more of this, but it went downhill after that. Then there’s the whole issue of him culturally appropriating black music. A complicated subject, too much for a 1001 albums review. As a Ray Charles fan, I’ll say that I Got a Woman wasn’t even close to Charles’ version. Overall you cannot deny the influence of Elvis and he absolutely should be on this list. It’s just not for me.

Classic sounds of the start of rock & roll from the 50’s. Elvis’ silky, smooth voice is easily recognizable and I imagine was extremely unique at the time of this recording. Really good album and I enjoyed listening to it from start to finish.

A good blues album that turned into rockabilly. Elvis’ vocal tone is super weird on lots of these covered (read as stolen) songs. Nice to hear some simplicity in the phrasing and styles before he gets high on his own supply. As a person, Elvis sucks. But I try to review the album not the artist.

Not a fan of Elvis, came in with very low expectations but was pleasantly surprised with the energy in Blue Suede Shoes. I enjoyed it and was ready to listen with an open mind. But that is the one and only track on this album I liked. The rest of the album was terrible. Lowest of the low was tutti frutti, shockingly bad. I don't get the Elvis thing, with few exceptions he produced mostly bad songs and worse movies.

Bun!

It's Elvis with his classic songs. Not as much rock as I'd come to expect, but you can't deny the album.

The singles were great! But the rest of the album was a bit uninspiring.

I never got the Elvis hype. It might be a generational thing, or maybe just my own personal sensibility, but I never managed to enjoy his music. I still did my best to give a chance to this album. To make things simpler, I’ll just go with the questions I usually ask myself when rating an album : 1) Is it original ? Not really. This album is entirely made of covers, there’s not a single original song. Elvis was a great showman and performer, but not a songwriter (I don't think he ever wrote or composed a single song in his career). That leaves only his voice, which is nice enough, but hadn't fully matured yet in this album (by his own admission). 2) Is it important in the history of music ? Certainly, although not necessarily for good reasons. I can fully believe that if you were born in 1940, this record would have sounded groundbreaking – especially if your parents didn’t let you listen to black music, and all you could access was sanitized radio stations. It was indeed the first rock'n'roll album to get that kind of success. But the more I listen to early 50’s rockabilly, the more I realize how little Elvis actually invented, and how much better were the black artists (and a few white ones) who came before him, and yet never got as much credit. I’m certainly not blaming Elvis himself - he didn’t invent segregation, and he genuinely loved rythm'n'blues. And the fact that he became the “white face of rock’n’roll” at least helped this kind of music become acceptable to a mainstream audience, an evolution that would eventually also benefit black musicians. But in an ideal world, Elvis would never have become “the King”. 3) Did I enjoy it ? A little. He gets the job done, but I find his energy underwhelming, especially compared to Little Richard’s debut album. Just listen to both versions of Tutti Frutti back to back – there is absolutely zero doubt who is the greatest artist... As for the folksy bits, they just bored me. 4) Will I listen again ? No. If I ever crave 50s rock’n’roll again, I’d rather listen to Chuck Berry, Little Richards and Fats Domino. Maybe they didn't have that special "smooth voice" that Elvis developped later in his career, but they are in my opinion infintely more powerful. Overall, a record I’m glad to have listened once for its historic value, but not something I’ll remember or care for in the future. This album's biggest merit is to be a first album. 4/10

Rock birth. It took a white guy to make black music pop music. So many iconic songs.

Yes, it's undeniably outdated... but its influence on rock'n'roll is undeniable. This album was the first of its kind — a true pioneer that marked the beginning of a new musical era. Elvis, the King, will forever be etched in musical history. And for that reason alone, this album deserves 4 stars. Why not 5? Because despite its legacy, it's simply too dated for me to enjoy again. But giving it less than 4 stars would be a disservice to its cultural impact — and that’s something I can’t do.

Elvis… it’s impossible to separate this album from its context. For a 1956 production, it’s a real gem, and you can easily imagine how some of those iconic tracks must have made an impact, maybe even shocked people, at the time. One of the few moves that truly influenced music history. Beyond that, it’s nice and legendary, but it’s not something I’d listen to every day.

Good album. Songs start to all sound the same after a while.

The album that changed the rock and roll scene forever, what’s not to like

This may be my favorite version of Elvis, just raw and pure talent before all of the hoopla and excess.

Not even 30 minutes of pure fun and rock ‘n’ roll. May not sound like much now, but this was the 50’s!!

black, white, whatever. if I was alive in 1956, I would have gobbled this up. sure, maybe chuck was better (and put out "maybellene" in 1955, maybe the best song ever), and maybe little richard was better ("tutti frutti": 1955), but I'd have needed as much rock and roll as I could get to drown out, I don't know, the fucking rat pack and my parents' ragtime jazz or whatever. rock and roll is a perfectly fucked up righteous synthesis of sounds and sources. don't fight it or fight over it. let it consume you. "blue moon" rules.

Fun for stolen music, no surprises here. Just the king doing his thing.

More Elvis. Yippee!!

This is more of a cultural artifact than a good piece of art. The studio band sounds like it didn't even think about getting out of second gear. Elvis doesn't have that good of a voice. I understand the cultural significance, but I would not willingly listen to this. I do appreciate the 12-song, 28 minute runtime.

Foundational!

I was dreading getting this. Not a fan of the king. Luckily it’s only 12 songs and none of them are over three minutes long. But somehow he still manages to sing in about six different made up voices.

mislio sam da će biti bolje, razočaralo me. par okej stvari i ostalo zaboravljivo. ima elvis boljih pjesama

Classic sound, really well done.

The second-best album to have a pink and green typeface dominating the bottom-left corner and a guy in black and white with a guitar. Inoffensively fun listening music for the 50s with enough groovy staples to impress anyone and get them tapping their toes. I've never really groked on Elvis' warbling-twangy singing style but there's something timelessly beautiful about the 12 bar blues. Obviously there's gallons of ink spilled over Elvis' right - both artistically and ethically - to sing these tunes but from a purely musical perspective this one's great. fav tracks: Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti, Blue Moon

Elvis is a man of many voices!

Awesome

9 Lov elvis

Two Elvis Presley albums in a row. In my current state, that is 1 in 618.582. I think I should buy a lottery ticket. This album is very similar to 'Elvis is Back' (it should be the other way around, but I've heard that one first). It is basically a compilation of standard rockabilly songs. The difference with this one is that some of the songs have more energy, such as the intro track; but also has a bit worse singing from Elvis. Neverthless I think this is slightly better.

I'm not here to review showmanship. Elvis is basically the king of karaoke. The problem I have with this album is it's almost entirely covers, or at least the tracks that are musically interesting. There's little to say about it that others haven't already said, and it's a 2.5/5 for me.

I would never dream of stepping on his blue suede shoes.

no es algo que me pondria a escuchar pero es un clasico. las canciones son lindas divertidas y da placer al oido. todavia no entiendo muy bien los generos musicales xq cuando pienso en rock n roll no pienso en esto.

OK, monotone

THE record. this is a monster and you don't even need to be into music to be told just how this is groundbreaking. there was before and after this record. did he invent rock? no. did he write all this shit? no. but once this bell was rung, it didn't matter who did what, the seal was broken. the template to rock n roll was born in an instant. putting in work since '54, this is the culmination of all the music being pioneered up to this point, letting go in full force for all the world to see. personally, i am not that attached to Elvis, he is important, but not everything hits for me. this in tandem with live shows, the scene was born and never goin to leave. music became fun. i can't say i love it, but its 4/5 because its a watershed album.

Elvis was super important. Nearly every major artist for the next 10-15 years benefitted somehow from Elvis's success, starting with this album. All that being said. This record is super inconsistent. The best tracks are the rock and roll numbers, where Elvis gives passable versions of some contemporary R&B songs. They're fun. Sprinkled throughout are some slower C&W ballads which do nothing much more than demonstrate how close country was to rock back at the beginning. Bouncing back and forth between the two, I can't help but want the rock to stick around a bit longer. The truly weird stand out here is "Blue Moon" which I've heard about over the years as one of the worst Elvis tracks - I kind of enjoy it? It's creepy and unexpected. It's vitally important to listen to this record to understand the development of Western pop music, but on it's own merits it's just kind of fine. The other issue is that contextually speaking, "Heartbreak Hotel" was SUPER influential, and doesn't appear here. THREE STARS

Never used to rate Elvis, but I was wrong. The guy shat talent. Favourite tracks: yes.

Elvis is so cool, I wish I was partially named after him. (3.5)

This was a fun listen. I liked the one mic live immediacy of the whole thing. However, this was waaay too politely played. I mean, I get it that they didn't want the housewives to get scared or overly excited, but still. This can't even hold a candle to a Chuck Berry or a Little Richard. White people, eh? We ruin everything.

Eh 🤷🏼‍♂️

i'm admittedly not the biggest Elvis fan, but i'll say that all of my favorites come from this album. I think on this record you get a really clear picture of his blues/gospel influences before they become dolled up in performance and provocation, and tracks like "Blue Suede Shoes" do a great job of paying homage to theoretical influences instead of simply regurgitating old ideas, which I feel happen in Elvis's later work. as a fan of his slower stuff, I would always listen to tracks like "I Love You Because", "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')", and of course, "Blue Moon". Getting this album was kind of fun because I don't know when I would have ever chosen to revisit Elvis, but it's a nice reminder of why he's so beloved and where he started (especially compared to where he'd end up, which I don't love as much as other Elvis fans).

It's hard to listen to this without thinking about what it started. In that sense it gets a classic/10. I probably wouldn't throw it in the rotation, but I can't disregard the impact Elvis had and here's where he started. As with many of these "oldies doing their early albums" there are plenty of solid covers of other classics. Tutti Frutti is always fun and I Got A Woman is great.

Lots of good songs, but it’s always strange to me how many tracks in this era are basically just covers of someone else’s.

Never been much of an Elvis guy beyond “Mystery Train” and a couple other classics. Although it’s cool to see where so many people draw influence from (I definitely heard a little bit of Tyler Childers in “I’d rather listen to Chuck Berry.

He really was ahead of his time. 2:30 run times on songs, immediately into the hook. Elvis would have loved TikTok. Kind of a slog to listen to though. His voice on some of those runs really takes you out of the music. I’m at like a 2.5.

Good songs, good performance.. docking points because not really an album so much as some songs thrown together

I’ve never intentionally listened to Elvis, and I was surprised how much I liked this. Big fan of the rockabilly guitars with their pristine spring reverb and staccato notes. Liked the back half of the album more, a bit more rockin’