Elvis Presley by Elvis Aaron Presley
Style: Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, Rhythm and Blues
Release: 1956
Length: 1956
Round: Rock and Roll
Elvis is the king of rock and roll for a reason. He was the personification of perfection in everything rock and roll had to offer. And it was that way since his ground-breaking album debut.
Upon hearing Blue Suede Shoes again, I realized something. See, until today, I always gave the song 9/10. After hearing the Bo Diddley album and getting a better idea of rock and roll albums, I can compare this to the best songs in the previous album and say this is better. The guitar work is awesome, and Elvis sings like no one else. In "I'm Counting On You," Elvis makes an amazing turnaround from the hard rockin' first track and sings a beautiful, emotional love song. He touches people with that voice. It told me that Elvis was to rock and roll what Johnny Cash was to country, and that's giving Elvis a huge compliment. Next is the Ray Charles his, "I Got a Woman." And Elvis clearly gives it his all in this fantastic rendition. His voice and guitar playing are so different from anything else, yet they blend together like bananas and strawberries. And they go awesome together.
"One-Sided Love Affair" is next. Although it doesn't quite reach the same quality as the first three tracks, Elvis clearly knew what he was doing, making sure he could make it as good as he could. "I Love You Because" is a beautiful tune, another great love song carried by fantastic country style strings that bring a kind of true sadness in the song. Paying attention to the strings bring a new light to the song. "Just Because" is the next track. Again, it fails to reach the same quality as the first three tracks on the album. Still, Elvis takes composition to a high level, making sure every little sound in the album is enjoyable.
Side B begins with Tutti-Frutti, an essential rock hit. Elvis' voice is absolutely for this skat-heavy song, and his specific rendition. This is when I realized almost every song is carried by his combination of his unique voice and his unique guitars, a twangy and high pitched song that works for his brand of rock and roll. "Tryin' To Get To You" seems like a generic country song, and it's not different from previous tracks. Still, it's a good song that grows on the listener, mostly due to its great guitar. "I'll Never Let You Go (Li'l Darlin')" has a wonderful little guitar intro, and Elvis sings with more serenity and peace of mind than ever before. He really has a beautiful voice. But halfway through the song, it surprisingly picks up pace and becomes a rockabilly song. A really cool twist. "Blue Moon" has really cool and quiet drumming in the back, helping to emphasize the rhythm of this somewhat awesome piece of peace of mind. It's probably one of my favorites. "Money Honey" is next.
It starts out with a lot of rhythm, and Elvis's vocals are awesome, so true to the aura of the tune.
Overall, this is THE essential rock and roll album. I personally prefer "Elvis' Golden Records, the singles compilation. Still, I recommend this as a good album for anyone into Elvis, rock and roll, or music in general.
98. Very likely going to be my winner.