Hitstory: Elvis Presley (Sony).
It's very difficult to review a collection of Elvis Presley - the songs are all so well known already.
Sony has brought out a three CD set containing nearly 90 recordings by The King'.
Listening again to these songs you realise just what a star Elvis was. He had a fabulous voice, perfect timing and a massive range. He could do tender but powerful ballads, rocking numbers, swing....whatever he wanted.
CD1 features no fewer than 30 number one hits. There is the classic simplicity of Heartbreak Hotel and All Shook Up, the raw energy of Hound Dog ("They said you was high class, but that was just a lie!" snarls Elvis), and favourites like Jailhouse Rock and Can't Help Falling In Love.
I'm not a huge fan of some of the rather cheesy songs of the 1960s, but I love the 70s material such as Suspicious Minds, Burning Love, Way Down and Promised Land. Presley died in 1997, aged just 42 and hearing these 70s songs, which featured a much meatier' sound than the early hits, makes you wonder what amazing recordings he might have made if he had lived longer and continued to make music through the 1980s and 90s.
As it is, this collection is packed with superb moments, which reveal why - along with The Beatles and Bob Dylan - Elvis Presley is one of the three most important figures in the development of popular music.
Some of the tracks you'll want to play again and again: Heartbreak Hotel, All Shook Up, Jailhouse Rock, The Wonder of You, Burning Love, A Little less Conversation (JXL radio edit remix), That's All Right, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Always On My Mind, My Way, Way Down, Promised Land.
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