Elvis at Sun
Album Description
Japanese pressing live album contains 1 bonus track ‘That’s All Right’ (alternate take). BMG. 2004.Amazon.com
Though they would eventually be hailed as nothing short of the birth notice of rock ‘n’ roll, these se… More >>
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February 27, 2010
1:27 pm
This CD is very good. I have really enjoyed it alot. If you like Elvis at all try Chris Isaak he is also very good ie Best of Chris Isaak, Chris Isaak Christmas.
Rating: 4 / 5
February 27, 2010
1:42 pm
First let me just say the music is so essential. This is Elvis before he went to RCA and the rot set in. You need this music!
BUT…
19 songs is very stingy on RCA’s part. That probably adds up to 35-40 minutes or so of music on a CD… this would be the ripoff part.
Your best bet is to hunt down ‘The Sun Sessions CD’ (used, of course) which came out in 1987. A lot more music (28 songs, 72 plus minutes); more bang for your buck.
And, yes, RCA did come out with ‘Sunrise’ a few years ago, but are you really gonnna sit through 2 discs, 3/4 of which are outtakes?
Rating: 2 / 5
February 27, 2010
2:09 pm
Great sound, actually incredible. I agree, the sun sessions CD needed to be updated, the rematered tracks are so much better, that they are a revelation now compared to that release. The sunrise edition, the one I own, is great, but is targeted mostly to fans who want to hear every alternate take and hissy live track of the period. But there is a lot of people that just want a concise CD, with great sound, of MASTER TAKES. Then why, oh why RCA, did you include an alternate take of ‘I Love you because’ instead of the master take???? You know why $$$$$$$$. That’s RCA plot, never release a complete, definitive edition of anything, so you keep buying the same material over and over.
Rating: 1 / 5
February 27, 2010
3:47 pm
Elvis’ 1954-1955 Sun recordings are perhaps the most historic, important recordings in rock and roll history that are, by a relatively comfortable margin, Elvis’ best recordings. The great Sun recordings have been re-released countless times on many different recordings. It is the similar case for Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, two other legendary Sun recording artists who changed the face of rock and roll.
‘Elvis at Sun’ was released in 2004, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the year “rock and roll was born” on RCA Records (which owns the rights to Sam Phillips’ Sun Records catalogue). It sounds like a great concept, right? Compiling some of Elvis’ best early recordings on one compact disc is a good idea, right?
Except that it has been done NUMEROUS TIMES!!! ‘The Sun Sessions CD’ remains the definitive Sun Records collection, and there, you will collect almost every important Sun recording the King made.
But, don’t get me wrong, everything here is infinity-star material. ‘Tryin’ to Get to You,’ ‘That’s All Right,’ ‘Milkcow Blues Boogie,’ and ‘Blue Moon’ are all here, and are perhaps his most legendary/best sides in his entire catalogue.
Of course, several of his Sun sides appeared on his self-titled debut album several years later. And of course, many of his classic Sun sides appear on his compilations. But, overall, if you want his Sun sides compiled in one place, try ‘The Sun Sessions CD,’ which is out of print as of 2009, but it’s essential to anyone’s Elvis collection. Overall, this is recommended if you can’t find ‘The Sun Sessions CD’ or if you are too lazy to hunt that CD down, but otherwise, stick to that album instead. Three stars because this material is so great, but there are plenty of better options.
Rating: 3 / 5
February 27, 2010
5:20 pm
I’ve been huge fan of Elvis’ Sun music ever since I first purchased an LP of it back in the 70’s. RCA has frustratingly released it every 5 or ten years and it still needs the definitive release in my opinion. For a while “The Sun Sessions” CD was good, but that lacked a few tracks that the LP version had. “Sunrise” was great when it came out and I was pretty happy with that, but glad to know the sound was improved with this release. My small complaint with this release is they left off the full version of “When It Rains..” The Sunrise CD set included the intro false take and it’s awesome to hear the conversation and the restart of the song – I think it would have been nice to have that on this CD. A smaller complaint is the order. I understand the chonological aproach, but every great Sun collection starts with “That’s All Right”. “Harbor Lights” is nice, but too slow song for starting off such an important CD. Last minor complaint – “Sunrise” separated the two versions of “I’m Left…”. It’s just slightly annoying hearing the same song twice in a row.
Rating: 4 / 5