From the Turntable: Elvis Presley, Elvis, 1956

Elvis Presley, Elvis, 1956

Label: RCA

Producer: Steve Sholes

Released just seven months following his historic debut, the second long-player of Elvis Presley’s lucrative RCA contract was very much in the same vein as its predecessor, finding Presley plucking varied entries from both the country & western and ever-growing rock & roll canons and then applying his distinctive rockabilly style to each with great success. The newly crowned King of Rock & Roll was officially on his way to ruling the entire music scene, with audiences completely captivated with both his electrifying sound and larger than life personality. This sophomore effort captures all the red-hot momentum of that period and proved to be another smash-hit showcase of the incomparable talents that was changing the entire landscape of American music. An absolutely tantalizing read of the Little Richard classic “Rip It Up” sends the album into the stratosphere from the very beginning. Somewhat forgotten in the midst of the King’s classic hits, this performance still ranks among his most enticing, containing all the electric energy, confidence and soulful sensuality that could only come from Elvis. It’s appropriately supported by top rate rock & roll instrumentation with fantastically 50s guitar licks, pounding piano strokes, and a bass backbeat that sweats at a rapid pace and demanded repeat spins from the jukebox. The same can be said for other tasty Richard selections, including an unapologetically raucous version of “Long Tall Sally” that he absolutely snarls through, as well as an anthemic rendering of “Ready Teddy”.

While these energetic rave-ups undoubtedly serve as the highlights of the album, and certainly represent Presley at his stylistic best, it was his diverse range of influences and his ability to blend them so effortlessly that both made him an artistic icon and balanced out classic albums like these. The classic croon that likewise made him one of the best balladeers of all time is on full display on tunes like the Lieber-Stoller chestnut “Love Me”. His voice swoons, hoops, hollers and drips with such palpable loneliness and emotion. Further positioning him as the master of the pop ballad was the classic backing of The Jordanaires, staples of so many recordings of the era. But they were never quite as brilliant as when they were paired with Elvis.

Elsewhere, his capable country chops, which were just as essential to his peak period sound, claim the spotlight on standards like “When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again”, “How’s the World Treating You” and “How Do You Think I Feel”. Presley’s contribution to the rock & roll explosion helped trigger the Nashville Sound movement in the country format at the end of the decade. On up-town inflected Westerns like this, he also reveals himself as one of the first purveyors of such stylings. Conversely, his tackling of Red Foley’s “Old Shep” kept things squarely in traditional territory, and proved to be a surprising highlight of the record. Perhaps the definitive country “dog song”, Presley does the classic justice with his stamp of devastatingly beautiful emotion without ever falling into the trap of corn or saccharine. It’s a touching song of companionship, and the Jordanaires again show up just in time to bring the tragic conclusion to cinematic life.

Be it rock, country, pop or otherwise, every performance on Elvis hits its mark and goes down smoothly with a delicious blend of flavor. As his iconic hit parade continued into the late 50s, his best artistic moments would come in the form of singles rather than albums, of which his became unfortunately dominated by his film material. These first two full-length efforts however rank amongst not only the most important but fully realized in the early rock canon, and they continue to contend with the wealth of landmark rock LPs that would follow in the coming decades. They unquestionably took expectations to the next level and helped pave the way for what was to come, and remain endlessly entertaining sixty-plus years later.

Track Listing

1. “Rip It Up” (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)
2. “Love Me” (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
3. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again” (Gene Sullivan, Wiley Walker)
4. “Long Tall Sally” (Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman)
5. “First In Line” (Aaron Schroeder, Ben Weisman)
6. “Paralyzed” (Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley)
7. “So Glad You’re Mine” (Arthur Crudup)
8. “Old Shep” (Red Foley)
9. “Ready Teddy” (Blackwell, Marascalco)
10. “Anyplace Is Paradise” (Joe Thomas)
11. “How’s the World Treating You” (Chet Atkins, Boudleaux Bryant)
12. “How Do You Think I Feel” (Webb Pierce, Wayne Walker)