The King Of Rock 'n' Roll - The Complete 50's Masters

Rating:

Released: 1992/06

by BMG

All of Elvis' 50's recordings on a 5CD-set. Including all Sun recordings and some rarities. This boxset gave Elvis' popularity and credibility a huge boost in the early 90's.

ElvisNews review

Fifteen years after Elvis ‘death we were truly treated on the greatest, finest, best release from BMG ever! The year is 1992 and the idea was to bring out a box set with all the great masters from Elvis’ first period. And how they succeeded in this!!!

Design

The box set is so beautiful designed, so complete, this is the way to get all those exciting songs in a quality never heard before! Of course most tracks were released before but we do get 140 tracks in outstanding quality.

They did a great job re mastering the sound without changing Elvis’ music and the box is really the best you can buy to fully enjoy the 50’s. The booklet is really complete ; all you ever wanted to know is there! Dates, facts, pictures, you name it, it’s there! Mind the ring on Elvis finger at the front page of the booklet; it’s still possible to get a copy of that horse shoe ring from Graceland enterprises.

Content

Back to the music now, which is of course the ultimate reason to get this box set yourself. Exciting songs like Baby Let’s Play House, Mystery Train are moving by and sure will help you understand more of the legend Elvis created back then. Trying To Get To You, listen to his voice, still young but already with the power we know so well! It is really a pleasure to listen to I Got A Woman…..she is there to love me……listen to his voice, bending over to the next note! Even here, mid 50’s it’s already possible even to “hear” his charisma. Heartbreak Hotel will make you shiver, what a voice, what a passion sounding through.

Shake Rattle And Roll sounds so clear…..like a wild cat…….his own words here……wow what a song! Don’t Be Cruel, I don’t think I ever enjoyed this song more then on this CD. His breath control is great on this one. …..it’s just you I’m thinking of……….well how true!

And what about Playing For Keeps. The contrast between the high and lover notes is so beautiful. This voice is really growing here! How well we know Love Me from the later years. Here we can fully enjoy the birth of this jewel. Long Tall sally, real rocking from the bone, just like Too Much, what a version! Great!

The 2 versions of One Night are nice to compare. Coming to disc 4, which starts with Treat Me Nice gives us an already little mature Elvis. What a great song this is! Sung with such a passion it sure will give you the chills. Just like Trouble….what a magic! The saxes are stunning, but Elvis steals my heart here! He is only made out of flesh, blood and bones, but to me he is a true magician. To make so much out of one song is a true wonder. Listen to it yourself!

A Big Hunk O’Love sure swings from start to end. Disc 5 gives us some unreleased versions and takes. What about Fool Fool Fool, an acetate from early 1955. This really is a promise for the future.

After listening to all this great material I must admit, BMG really did an outstanding job releasing this box. All is truly right and I can’t find anything I don’t like. I am glad I’ve bought this one; it will complete my collection of the 50’s as I am sure it will do to us all.

Tracklisting

Mystery Rider wrote on April 21, 2007

Rating: 5 / 5