Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)

It's a good thing that I don't live within walking distance of a used record store or I'd have to enter rehab to wean myself off of a potentially deadly addiction. Last week I visited Siren Records - in the small but very hip town of Doylestown, Pa - a well-known and much-loved retail outlet that has been in business at least thirty years, probably longer. The establishment is so popular that you need reservations to shop there on Record Store Day.

I've found some good stuff on Siren's shelves in the past, and my visit there last week was no exception. They charge $5.99 a piece for used CDs that are in very good to mint condition, but if you buy five of them you'll pay only $20 for the whole pile.

So much has been written about Elvis Presley's legendary, eponymous, major label debut for RCA that anything I add will most likely be redundant, but here are some thoughts on this gem I found in the store's abundantly stocked shelves.

Even though I've heard most of these songs over the years - and own them on various compilations including Elvis At Sun - I've never possessed this particular album until now in any format, so I was very happy to find it.

The disc has twelve songs that clock in under a brief twenty-nine minutes, all of them mixed in the original mono. The 1956 LP had seven new songs and five holdovers from The King's earlier, Sun Records' sessions in Memphis. They are "I Love You Because," "Just Because," "Tryin' to Get to You," "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')," and "Blue Moon." The ballads allowed the star to show off his versatility and range. There's no question that this is a five-star collection, with Presley's falsetto on the last song being the only misstep.

People who dismissed the young, Tupelo, MS native as just another flash-in-the-pan, teenage idol would soon discover Presley's range and strong baritone voice would eventually make him one of the outstanding vocalists of the Twentieth Century. It's truly impressive how the man could sing anything from country, to rock, to show tunes, and even gospel, and do it all so well.

The cover is also one of the most parodied of all time. A notable one is the homage to Presley on the cover of another great, classic rock album - The Clash's London Calling - featuring a photograph of Paul Simonin smashing his Fender bass, and The Pretenders' new live album that's also obviously influenced by Presley's cover.