Customer Reviews

The Sun Sessions (Elvis Paper Sleeve Collection Mini LP 24 Bit 96 khz)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not much of an ELVIS fan. I originally bought this CD because of the unusual version of "Blue Moon" that it contains. I was pleasantly surprised to find the rest of the album just as if not more enjoyable than that particular track. A young elvis, walks in to Sun Studio hoping to be discovered, and lays down some of the best pure rockabilly/blues stuff you'll ever hear. To describe it as "raw" doesn't do it justice...it's beyond raw, it's minimalist, it's spare, it's beautiful. Buy this album. You don't have to like ELVIS to appreciate the sound heard here.

This is the really young Elvis, before most of us ever heard of him. As such, this CD is a must for those who really want to know the whole Elvis. This shows his raw and undeveloped talent.

He's presented here as the inventor of rock 'n roll. That may be arguable, but his importance to the genre isn't. He popularized a style which was part R&B, part country, and a whole lot more.

I've read comments by naysayers claiming he stole the music from the black musicians, but what I've researched indicates that he always gave credit to the writers and first performers of the songs he performed, and it sure appears that he gave this music national exposure which ordinarily it would never have received given the repression that was rampant at the time.

Anyway, the important thing for the listener is that this is good music, and that songs like "That's All Right", "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Milkcow Blues Boogie", "Mystery Train", and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" preceded his phenomonal nationwide fame.

I've never been much of a fan of Elvis, but there is no question in my mind of the huge impact of his singing style and personality on North American culture. I've always believed that the earliest recorded Elvis was the best Elvis, and this collection confirms my belief, although there are some of my favorite tunes from his early career that are not included in this collection, probably because they were recorded somewhere other than Sun Records -- I'm thinking of Heartbreak Hotel; Hound Dog; Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawdy Miss Claudie; and Mean Woman Blues, all of them songs which go against the grain of the whitewashed image of Elvis created for him by Colonel Tom Parker and RCA Records. The tunes on this collection are a valuable record of the first emergence of this overwhelmingly important American cultural phenomenon. The liner notes to this collection, with several important quotes from Sam Phillips of Sun Records, help to evoke the musical and social atmosphere in Memphis when Elvis first appeared on the scene, and also provide insight on the extremely shy and introspective personality of the young Elvis.

Once ordered, the album arrived with unexpected speed from dk Collectables.

It's hard to describe how important a piece of history this album is, or how joyful it is to listen to. I own several thousand CD's from an unusually wide range of genres, but of all of them, I'd have to say this is my single favorite. I never liked Elvis' overproduced sound, but this isn't "THAT" Elvis at all! It's just a southern country boy with a guitar, and some other young (and soon to be important historical) musicians thinking out loud about the classic american songs they're playing (completely acoustic), while they jam and laugh and just hang out together at the famous Sun studio. It's so authentic it makes you wanna cry. You get to eavesdrop on their extensive banter about classic American songs that they grew up listening to and playing, hear Elvis properly acknowledge the gospel and black folk roots of his sound, and enjoy yourself as they squabble goodnaturedly over what to play next. It's like sitting round a campfire with musical figures right outta your nation's history. Honestly, I've never been so unexpectedly touched by a CD before or after I stumbled across the Sun Sessions. And until I found it, I never thought I'd get to be a fly on the wall as the pioneers of rock and roll talk amongst themselves about where they came from musically and spiritually. There's nothing like it.
...One caveat: Like the other reviewer, I am really reviewing the (apparently out of print?) version of this session with a different cover. I'm not sure if all the between-song banter is preserved on the version being sold here (I haven't heard it). It might be worth seeking out a used copy of the other version. I dunno.

This is it my friends. If you only can afford one Elvis album, this is one to get. What you will hear here is why Elvis is the King. His blending of white country with black R & B and gospel is what you will hear in it's absolute purest and rawest form. Whether you're black or white, country or redneck - Elvis Presley will always be The King of Rock-n-Roll.

Thankyouthankyouverymuch.

This is an album to marry young and grow old with. Most folks have those musical memories from your teens that just sent you places. I look back to that time and can say that I didn't really have one (though for many Nirvana was it). Certain generations just get lucky. They had 'Never Mind the Bollocks...' or Kraftwerk to help them find their feet in the brave new world. No doubt about it though, if you were catching these songs coming out of Memphis through the two July's of '54 and '55 the world must have seemed a special place. It's the kind of music you want to learn shave to! I flookily bought this album about three years ago and even today there's still that magic untouchable sound of Elvis and his band hitting song after song. I listen now and I don't know how but the music has snuck back through the years and become something of that mystic soundtrack of youth. I won't write away the charms of this cd. This review is really for the RCA 'The Sun Sessions CD' version of these tracks, which is worth seeking out for the added bonus of useful outtakes and excellent liner notes. Since then I've heard some of Elvis's other stuff but don't have all that much time for it. It just don't move me. Need him like he is here, raw and ready to 'get real gone for a change'

I don't care what kind of music you listen to this cd belongs in your collection. This is pure American genius. I bought this originally on vinyl and listened to it all the time. I don't own another Elvis album and for me this says it all in terms of early rockabilly. I listen to and enjoy music from opera to punk and I think this is one of the best recordings ever. Just buy it.

A great disc to get to hear Elvis before he hit the big time. Here you get to hear the full range of his voice, discover what a good crooner he was as well as to realise just how important his backup musicians were to the quality of his performances.

Sam Phillips with his still legendary recording techniques especially on that slap bass sound and the late, great Scotty Moore on guitar. You get all that plus great sound quality in a cool packaging so it's well worth the price I can tell you.

This is the total opposite of the fat junkie that died on the toilet.
How could he be the same guy that recorded these amazing songs!?!
"Tomorrow Night" and "Blue Moon" bring tears to my eyes.
Buy this if you know what's good for you..

Why Elvis is Elvis - this cat could sing and here's the proof! Give this a spin and you'll understand how he became the KING!