Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. My Happiness [#]
2. That's All Right
3. I Love You Because
4. Harbor Lights
5. Blue Moon of Kentucky
6. Blue Moon
7. Tomorrow Night
8. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')
9. I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine
10. Just Because
11. Good Rockin' Tonight
12. Milk Cow Blues
13. You're a Heartbreaker
14. Baby Let's Play House
15. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone
16. Mystery Train
17. I Forgot to Remember to Forget
18. Trying to Get to You
19. When It Rains, It Really Pours
20. I Got a Woman
21. Heartbreak Hotel
22. Money Honey
23. I'm Counting on You
24. I Was the One
25. Blue Suede Shoes
26. My Baby Left Me
27. One-Sided Love Affair
28. So Glad You're Mine
29. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)
30. Tutti Frutti

Disc 2:

1. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
2. Shake, Rattle & Roll
3. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
4. Hound Dog
5. Don't Be Cruel
6. Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)
7. We're Gonna Move
8. Love Me Tender
9. Poor Boy
10. Let Me
11. Playing for Keeps
12. Love Me
13. Paralyzed
14. How Do You Think I Feel
15. How's the World Treating You
16. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
17. Long Tall Sally
18. Old Shep
19. Too Much
20. Anyplace Is Paradise
21. Ready Teddy
22. First in Line
23. Rip It Up
24. I Believe
25. Tell Me Why
26. Got a Lot O' Livin' to Do!
27. All Shook Up
28. Mean Woman Blues
29. Peace in the Valley

Disc 3:

1. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
2. Take My Hand, Precious Lord
3. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)
4. Blueberry Hill
5. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
6. Is It So Strange
7. Party
8. Lonesome Cowboy
9. Hot Dog
10. One Night of Sin
11. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
12. Don't Leave Me Now
13. I Beg of You
14. One Night
15. True Love
16. I Need You So
17. Loving You
18. When It Rains, It Really Pours
19. Jailhouse Rock
20. Young and Beautiful
21. I Want to Be Free
22. (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care
23. Don't Leave Me Now
24. Blue Christmas
25. White Christmas
26. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
27. Silent Night
28. O Little Town of Bethlehem
29. Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)
30. Santa Claus Is Back in Town
31. I'll Be Home for Christmas

Disc 4:

1. Treat Me Nice
2. My Wish Came True
3. Don't
4. Danny
5. Hard Headed Woman
6. Trouble
7. New Orleans
8. Crawfish
9. Dixieland Rock
10. Lover Doll
11. Don't Ask Me Why
12. As Long as I Have You
13. King Creole
14. Young Dreams
15. Steadfast, Loyal and True
16. Doncha' Think It's Time
17. Your Cheatin' Heart
18. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
19. I Need Your Love Tonight
20. Big Hunk O' Love
21. Ain't That Loving You Baby
22. (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I
23. I Got Stung
24. Interview With Elvis

Disc 5:

1. That's When Your Heartaches Begin [#]
2. Fool, Fool, Fool [#]
3. Tweedle Dee [#]
4. Maybellene [#]
5. Shake, Rattle & Roll [#]
6. Blue Moon of Kentucky
7. Blue Moon [#]
8. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone [#]
9. Reconsider Baby [#]
10. Lawdy Miss Clawdy [#]
11. Shake, Rattle & Roll [#]
12. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You [#]
13. Heartbreak Hotel [#] - Freddy Martin, Elvis Presley
14. Long Tall Sally [#] - Freddy Martin, Elvis Presley
15. Blue Suede Shoes [#] - Freddy Martin, Elvis Presley
16. Money Honey [#] - Freddy Martin, Elvis Presley
17. We're Gonna Move [#]
18. Old Shep [#]
19. I Beg of You
20. Loving You [Slow Version][#]
21. Loving You [Uptempo Version][#]
22. Young and Beautiful [#]
23. I Want to Be Free [#]
24. King Creole [#]
25. As Long as I Have You [#]
26. Ain't That Loving You Baby [Fast Version]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35434 in Music
• Released on: 1992-06-23
• Number of discs: 5
• Format: Box set

Amazon.com
This five-disc set was the first release in BMG's effort to present Elvis's recorded legacy in a manner befitting the most important musical artist of his time. The strategy was simple--showcase, in chronological order, remastered versions of the King's 1950s output, from his sessions with Sam Phillips at Sun Studios (where they arguably invented the very notion of rock & roll) through his 1958 Army induction. Not everything Elvis recorded in the '50s was great (just as not everything he recorded in Hollywood was rotten), but there are dozens of tracks here that, quite simply, can make a bad day seem all that much better. Which surely still makes him the king of something. Suffice it to say this is one box set that lives up to its title. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews

King's Regal, Rockin' Crown Jewels On Display
RCA Records spent the first decade after Elvis Presley's death releasing compilations wrongheaded at best (a Canadian tribute, a children's album) criminally negligent at worst (the "Elvis Medley," the re-recording "I Was The One"). BMG's takeover of RCA increased the flow of reissues, but also their quality; Elvis now stood atop the time and style he lived in, rather than had his songs sicced on trends or revivals.

"The Legendary 50s Masters" gives Presley the regal treatment given his subjects: Dylan, Clapton, Zeppelin. Its 140 songs across five discs (including rarities and a 1958 press conference), and deluxe booklet (including rare photos and author Peter Guaralnik's essay) preface and tell the first, happiest chapters of one of last century's most compelling stories.

Starting before the beginning with Elvis' original demo, "My Happiness," the songs tour his amazing first year at Sun, his RCA signing and the seismic musical and film success that followed. Before influencing the world, Elvis acknowledges his own influences, covering songs by Bing Crosby, Junior Parker, Bill Monroe, Ray Charles, and Clyde McPhatter among others. We also musically meet the supporting cast: Scotty Moore, Bill Black, D.J. Fontana, Sam Phillips, the Leiber/Stoller songwriting team, and others who painstaking created this supposed rock and roll explosion using ageless musical ingridients.

This set has so much to recommend and celebrate. Elvis' voice in all guises (growler, crooner, hillbilly) has never sounded clearer in music now nearly a half-century old. The fifth disc is a revelation, containing alternate takes of Presley's hits, a piece of the "Million Dollar Quartet" session, and three songs from his Las Vegas debut (suffice it to say his conquering of the town would come later). Even without these treats, "The Legendary 50s Masters" would, by packaging alone, be the finest posthomous Presley release and, subsequently, one of the finest box sets ever.

The King changed popular music forever
Elvis is the singer who made rock'n'roll popular, although even in his early years he did not limit his music to that genre. This compilation containing (supposedly) every song that Elvis recorded during the fifties, plus alternate versions of some of them, shows just how good Elvis was at several different styles.

Here you get all his famous rockers including Heartbreak hotel, Don't be cruel, Blue suede shoes, Hound dog, Mystery train, Paralyzed, Party, All shook up, Jailhouse rock, Teddy bear and One night, together with great covers of Tutti fruiti, Shake rattle and roll and other classics. Of course, you also get his recording of That's alright Mama, the song that secured his recording contract.

Elvis also recorded a number of country songs, though not as many as he did later in his career. Sometimes (as with Blue moon of Kentucky), he re-interpreted them very differently from the originals, but most of his covers were more faithful, albeit adapted to his own style. I forgot to remember to forget, Old Shep, Have I told you lately that I love you, Your cheating heart and Fool such as I are among the country songs to be found here.

Elvis also recorded some brilliant pop ballads in the fifties. Love me tender is the most famous but there are plenty of others. Among the lesser known ones, I particularly like As long as I have you. Gospel music was important to Elvis and here you can find Peace in the valley, Take my hand precious lord, It is no secret and I believe. You also get the eight Christmas songs that Elvis recorded in the fifties including Blue Christmas and Santa bring my baby back.

This is the first of three boxed sets covering the music of Elvis. While the boxes for the sixties and seventies (which I reviewed a long time ago) are by no means complete, the music he recorded in the fits easily fits on five CD's. Indeed, there is enough room left for a long interview at the end of CD 4 (which I could have done without) and an entire CD of rarities.

This box illustrates just why Elvis was such a powerful influence on popular music in the fifties.

Definitive Elvis '50s compilation
THE KING OF ROCK 'N' ROLL: THE COMPLETE 50's MASTERS is a four-CD set, with a bonus disc containing alternate studio takes, and a lot of "live" Elvis recordings-- MGM Grand stuff, mostly. Except for the acetate of "That's When Your Heartaches Begins" and the few alternates, DISC 5 is fluff.

The other four CDs however are a treasure trove of the music that defined "The King." From his one-of-a-kind 1953 recording booth acetate of "My Happiness" to the 1958 fast version of "Ain't That Loving You Baby," this set documents Presley's recording career in chronological order and without gaps.

The 102-page long box-sized book includes sessionography, discography, color photos of all LP, EP and 45 picture sleeves, an excellent bio in easy to read print, and lots of other color and B&W photos. Sound quality is excellent. This one gets five stars for the biggest star of all!

TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE -- 71:22
DISC TWO -- 70:40
DISC THREE -- 71:49
DISC FOUR -- 62:39
DISC FIVE (Rare And Rockin')-- 61:31