Classic Albums - Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley

Starring:Elvis Presley
Studio: Eagle Eye/Pioneer
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

"It was like the world went from black & white to Technicolor," says Keith Richards of the emergence of Elvis Presley in the mid-'50s, and this look at the King's first official album (the legendary Sun Sessions weren't issued in album form until well after the fact) backs up that claim. The one-hour program (plus 40 minutes of bonus interview material on the DVD) combines performance footage (the early TV shows are not to be missed), photos, and more to limn Presley's early days, when he combined country, blues, and R&B to forge a unique, galvanizing style. Sun producer Sam Phillips, author Peter Guralnick, Presley's musicians, and others are on hand to provide insight and background. But in the end, of course, it comes down to the music--and when you're talking about the likes of "Blue Suede Shoes," "Tutti Frutti," "Money Honey," and "Heartbreak Hotel" (a single that actually wasn't on the album), "classic" hardly begins to cover it. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews:

Without this dvd you cannot understand contemporary white music.......2005-10-05

A smashing dvd with excellent material in the special features. It pays off having engaged respectable and sensitive connoisseurs of Presley's history, music interests and his way of working. The documentary gives us an idea of the artist and musician behind the image of the Vegas-ridden `myth Elvis' that has sustained until today. Not only that it helps to understand why and to what extend Presley was in charge of his first album. It also shows that it needs a shocker to create something new and a talent to keep it alive. The overall accent is perfectly placed: without this dvd you cannot understand contemporary white music.

The bopping hillbilly.......2003-11-30

This is a truly great dvd for those interested in how Presley recorded that classic early sound and more specifically his epic first R.C.A album (which The Clash later paid homage to by copying the lettering for their most revered masterpiece, London Calling)and the effect that these recordings had on so many.It also gives us a view of the hurricane that Elvis created when he exploded on the scene.What is refreshing are interviews from other famous musicians and music aficionadas like Keith Richards and Peter Guaralnick(author of Last train to Memphis) as opposed to "those who were close to him" which are often very subjective.There is also some rare footage of Elvis in concert in 1954.

The history of this man in this classical dvd.......2002-06-17

The one-hour program (plus 40 minutes of bonus interview material on the DVD) combines performance footage (the early TV shows are not to be missed), photos, and more to limn Presley's early days, when he combined country, blues, and R&B to forge a unique, galvanizing style.1956 was the year of Elvis in my opinion, all the rockstar make history in rock and roll but "The King" is elevated the rules of rock in 50's.This dvd provides this

The Later Edition "Classic"........2002-03-18

Maybe somewhere along the way they filmed somebody explaining to the viewer that they are *apparently* discussing the *reissue* of Elvis Presley's first album - it contained five additional songs. With that explanation, the viewer used to the original twelve track edition isn't confused. Whatever hit the editing room floor, the results are still top notch: the interviews are expertly conducted and provide fascinating details for diehards and casual fans.
Ofcourse many have wondered why the first album for RCA's biggest star would contain leftovers from his C & W past, in fact, cuts which on their own could not have supported Presley's global success. Unfortunately, this tape does not really address that question, the answer to which is rather obvious - before Rock and Roll, albums were not, as in later decades, the primary money makers for the company, so perhaps it was felt that if a teenager could afford the album and the single (and the Extended Play?) then the tentative Country ballad "I Love You Because and the innocuous uptempo "Just Because" would loom as worth-hearing but not essential material. To put it simply, hit singles (i.e. "Heartbreak Hotel") and contemporaneous hit albums ("Elvis Presley") were essentially two separate entities.
There are some amazing segments here, most notably *previously unreleased* 1956 television footage and recording studio outtakes on "Shake, Rattle, and Roll". The tape closes with a rare 1956 narrative beautifully delivered by the star.
One "missing" piece: a reported audio interview with Elvis conducted in New York around 04-56 in which he is asked if he actually likes his first album and he responds that he is pleased with about half of it and thinks "One-Sided Love Affair" is a standout.

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