Elvis Presley - 30 #1 Hits - DVD-A...hunka hunka burnin' hits

It all began in 1954 on a July day in a small recording studio in Memphis Tennessee. On that day, a young hillbilly walked into Sam Phillips' Sun Records and set in motion a cultural revolution. That song was "That's Alright"...the artist was Elvis Presley...and the phenomena known as Rock and Roll had its King...

"As a mass phenomenon that changed American culture, Elvis Presley is a legitimate starting point for the beginning of rock 'n' roll," says Rolling Stone's deputy managing editor Joe Levy. "That's where the music became a phenomenon, and the phenomenon grew into a culture that would change the culture and the rest of the world."

With that said, Surroundablog.com is proud to offer up a review on one of Elvis Presley's most cherished releases. In 2002, RCA dug through its extensive Presley catalogue and came up with a semi-definitive package of his #1 hits. These songs were either #1 hits in the U.S, #1's in the U.K or a combination of the two. This collection covers a period of some 30 years...from 1956 right through to just weeks before his death in 1977. It even includes the post-mortem JXL dance remix of "A Little Less Conversation".

It's immediate impact is long lasting. The set begins where it ended...with the 2002 remix of "A Little Less Conversation". In actuality, the timeline is turned upside down. His first #1 for RCA was "Heartbreak Hotel" which was placed at the end of the disc. In between, we get all the #1's from "Don't be Cruel" to "Way Down" which was released just weeks before his death in August of 1977.

Now then, on first glance this is a reasonable collection. Some critics are quick to dismiss this disc because it doesn't have Presley's Sun sides on it or the critic's own personal favorites. I for one would've liked to have heard "T-R-O-U-B-L-E", "Viva Las Vegas", "Moody Blue", "That's Alright", "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" and "My Way" here. Oh well, I guess that's why it isn't called "Ron Wheeler's "#1"'s..."

(As an aside, RCA put out a companion disc last year..."Elvis - Second to None", which covers the missing pieces..)

I have to admit though...."Wooden Heart" is a pretty questionable choice. It was derived from a German children's song and features the big E singing in German...blecch. Although the song never charted in the U.S....it reached #1 in the UK and stayed there for a remarkable 6 weeks! What's the matter with you english...

Article Author: Ron Wheeler

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