The Essential Elvis Presley (Remastered)

iTunes Review

While the recent 30 # 1 Hits is a succinct elucidation of Presley’s charisma and blinding chart accomplishments, conveying a career that encompassed 20+ years, 102 singles, and 71 Top 40 hits calls for a more extended compilation. Wisely, The Essential Elvis Presley devotes its first set solely to Presley’s early years. These are his most revolutionary and influential songs, but perhaps more importantly they represent the time when Elvis, playing with Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana, was most at one with his music. The second set charts the rest of Presley’s career as a global cultural icon whose fame had overtaken his musical identity. While these songs have little in common with Presley’s kinetic early work, he can still disarm you with a vocal performance or unexpected arrangement. And though we miss the young Elvis, his later years are actually the most fun to explore, encompassing his experiments with soul, country, big band, and even disco. By hitting the highlights from all 20 years, The Essential Elvis Presley makes the crucial opening argument that within this unwieldy body of work lies treasure.