Well you told me that you'd been a closet Elvis fan throughout our time at University, so you probably know more about this than me.
I bought it mostly for historical interest, I suppose, and because of that myth perpetuated by the purists that the early Sun recordings were Elvis's best. This is another album that featured strongly in the 1985 NME list of the best albums of all time, and I bought it in the same HMV Classic Collection series that What's Going On was included in (I think HMV must have been taking notes from the NME as well). But instead of getting it on CD, I knew that Elvis should be heard on vinyl.
The HMV package means that I got two sets of sleeve notes, both by Roy Carr, who keeps on cropping up here. One set is in a large twelve-page booklet with lots of photos, the other is on the back of the LP cover.
The difficulty I have with listening to this music is trying to hear it with 1955 ears. With 21st century ears, it sounds so tame, at least on the surface. Even making allowances for this, I was surprised by how many of the songs on Side 2 are basically crooning, somewhere between Dean Martin and Hank Williams. From the sleevenotes, however, it seems these songs are from the early sessions, before Elvis started goofing around with That's All Right, Mama on a break (possibly on an amphetamine high) and accidentally invented the new sound. Probably everyone knew that except me.
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