Elvis Presley Golden Hits

What we have here is an excellent compilation of 90 tracks from the first years of Elvis’s success. The majority of the hits are on the first two discs, with the third being, in the main, a collection of his finest religious recordings from the period. All the early hits are here; “Heartbreak Hotel”, “All Shook Up”, Jailhouse Rock”, “Love Me, Tender”, “Hound Dog”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and many more. Some of his best early performances, such as “That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train” are also included, as are some of the film songs, such as “GI Blues”, “Wooden Heart”, “Loving You” and many others.

Follow That Dream (FTD) have released 'Elvis Gold Records Vol. 4' as a Special Edition 2 CD set in their Classic Album Series, and our order is on the way to us now. It was 10 years after the release of Elvis' Golden Records in 1958, that RCA Victor released Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4. It contained seven 'B' sides and only five 'A' sides. Whether at the behest of Colonel Tom Parker, or RCA, the philosophy of not including tracks that already featured on existing albums weakened what could have been a more powerful and hit-laden compilation.

Elvis Presley - The Real … Elvis - The Ultimate Elvis Presley Collection (3CD) 2011
MP3 320 CBR kbps | Tracks: 90 | 03:33:48 | 493 Mb
Genre: Rock & Roll | Label: Sony Music

What we have here is an excellent compilation of 90 tracks from the first years of Elvis’s success. The majority of the hits are on the first two discs, with the third being, in the main, a collection of his finest religious recordings from the period. All the early hits are here; “Heartbreak Hotel”, “All Shook Up”, Jailhouse Rock”, “Love Me, Tender”, “Hound Dog”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and many more. Some of his best early performances, such as “That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train” are also included, as are some of the film songs, such as “GI Blues”, “Wooden Heart”, “Loving You” and many others.

Elvis Presley doesn't really need more compilations - either single discs or box sets - in his catalog, but RCA's 1999 triple-disc set Artist of the Century does wind up filling a need, of sorts. Over the course of 75 tracks, nearly all of Elvis' most popular songs are presented in their original hit versions. Given the number of hits he had, plus the high quality of his recordings in the late '50s and late '60s, there are inevitably big songs missing, but many of his very biggest are here, and the first two discs, in particular, are quite strong (the late-'60s/'70s selections slip somewhat, lacking such necessary items as "Kentucky Rain" and "Moody Blue"). So, this winds up being good one-stop shopping for those who just want one fairly comprehensive Elvis set in their library - although you should be forewarned that "fairly" is the key word in that statement, since this will not contain all the hits or necessary recordings.

The Legendary Performer series – there were four on Elvis – collected hits, non-hits, and previously unreleased studio and live recordings with snippets of interviews. While their importance has been diminished by the various collections that have been released since, many of which robbed the "rare" tracks from here, the albums are essential as albums nonetheless. Each one was issued with a booklet that included rare photos, old posters, session notes and Elvis memorabilia with captions that were generally a bit fannish. Should the reader take the four volumes and painstakingly transfer the material to tape in its correct chronology, he or she would have a more rational overview of Presley's career than the label has yet compiled.

Elvis Presley - Elvis #1 Singles (2006) {20-CD Deluxe Collector's Box Set, Ltd. Numbered Ed., U.S. Version}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 498 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 234 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 271 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2006 RCA / Victor / Sony BMG Music Entertainment | 82876-75447-2
Pop / Rock / AM Pop / Early Pop / Early Rock / Rock & Roll / Rockabilly

CD replicas of original singles and EPs from the '50s and '60s have been a hot item in collectors' circles since the latter half of the '90s, yet they remain a rather bewildering item to a wider audience. After all, for listeners who don't fetishize original packaging – the photo sleeves, the shifting logos on the label – it's hard to grasp the purpose of a set that contains 40 songs spread out over 20 discs, as they are on Elvis #1 Singles, a set that rounds up 20 of the King's chart-topping hits and serves them up as two-track CDs, complete with original B-sides and artwork.

Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back! (1960) {2011 2CD Set, 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 577 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 218 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 108 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960, 2011 RCA Records / Legacy | 88697 76233 2
Rock / Contemporary Pop / Rock & Roll

In the mold of recent 2-CD Legacy Editions of the classic albums From Elvis In Memphis and On Stage, Elvis Is Back (Legacy Edition) is the definitive version of one of Elvis most essential albums, expanded to include another historically significant album from the time period and the hit singles associated with both albums. It is argued by many that Elvis Is Back is possibly the best album Elvis ever recorded. During his two years in the army, Elvis had spent what spare time he had expanding his vocal range and improving his technique. Combined with a challenging and diverse repertoire, a new band of Nashville session aces, and improved three-track recording technology, it was an almost completely new Elvis who emerged in April of 1960. Recorded over just two nights, the sessions produced not only the twelve album tracks, but also six tracks for single release, including three #1 singles: all-time classics It s Now Or Never, Are You Lonesome Tonight? and Stuck On You.

A surprising perfectionist, Elvis was known to record dozens of takes for many of his records, often loosening up at the beginning of a session by playing around with different readings of the songs he'd decided to record; and while he got the feel of how he wanted his performances to go, the tape rolled. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of his death, RCA's four-disc Today, Tomorrow, & Forever presented fans with 100 tracks of previously unreleased Presley, a parade of alternate takes - both very welcome and curiously not so - and scattered live recordings from throughout his career. (Although not a career record, the version of 1958's "Doncha' Think It's Time" used here was the 48th, and final take)…