My Essential Albums: 'The Essential Elvis Presley' by Elvis Presley

My Dad has always told me, ever since I was a very little girl, that Elvis Presley is the King. My family loves him and his music is, by all means, pretty damn awesome. Now, this album is a compilation album of all his hits, but I want to go through the most amazing songs by the King of Rock and Roll. To be honest, if you don't like Elvis, be prepared to be disowned by my dad, his sister (my aunt), some of the neighbours on her street, possibly their pet cat, and the fish in the pond on the other side of the street.

So, we're not gonna cover them all because there's a lot of songs on this album, and I'll spare you everything I did with Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan. Instead, we're gonna select a few songs that I think are of amazing importance (that's if I can choose a few!)—when I say "a few" you need to realise that this does not mean a few... it means as much as I want, which is normally quite a bit. Let's go!

"That's All Right"

Opening with an incredible Elvis song. Released as the A-Side to "Blue Moon of Kentucky," this song is an incredible vocalisation of Elvis's early harmonies. He displays a raw singing voice with a rolling beat underneath him ready to attack the world with his awesome music. It was originally released in 1954 and shows Elvis's killer vocals in a way this world has never seen. This is probably the most memorable part of the song, purely for the way his voice does that:

"Well, that's all right, that's all rightThat's all right now mama, anyway you do!"

Elvis's vocals are a killer on that last line of that chorus, when he descends through that guitar, almost cutting it—razor sharp. It is an amazing blend of rock and blues, almost like a rocking, swing R&B thing here and it is absolutely unforgiving. The song is possibly one of the greatest songs ever and its purely because of that damn voice. It's so soulful!

Rolling Stone Magazineregards this song as the very first real rock and roll song of all time, and I do not blame them, as it is one hell of a song.

"Heartbreak Hotel"

I don't think this song needs an introduction really but here we are. As one of the most well-known songs in all of human history, "Heartbreak Hotel"is pure soul, pure rock, and all character. The song is an incredible blend of the blues, soul, and rock and roll to create what is considered one of Elvis Presley's best songs.

Released as the A-Side to "I Was the One," this song was initially recorded and released in 1956 and begs the question—at the age of, approximately, 21—where did Elvis get a vocal talent like that?

The songs most iconic lines open it with:

"Well, since my baby left meWell, I found a new place to dwellWell, it's down at the end of Lonely StreetAt Heartbreak Hotel..."

It is listed as a rockabilly song, but I don't think it is. I would put it more on the Jazz, Blues, and Soul end of things. It has that sort of vibe where it needs to be played in a Jazz Club on a cold winter's Saturday night with a spotlight and a black stool, beatniks like Jack Kerouac tapping along at the back. It's that type of song. It sounds a bit melancholic to be rockabilly.

Everyone from The Beatles, to Cher, to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Jones, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, and even Guns N' Roses, have covered this song and they all do it with that blues/soul that sounds great.

But Elvis's version will always be the best one.

"Blue Suede Shoes"

Now, if you're not already singing the song in your head then please, get off this post and listen to the song. There's so many Elvis songs you can listen to in your lifetime and to learn about Elvis's versatile vocals, you must listen to "Blue Suede Shoes." It's a popular, timeless classic and will stand for hundreds of years as one of the reasons he is the King of Rock and Roll.

Now I know what you're going to say: "But this isn't his song!" Well, he did do the most famous rendition of it, so he owns it now. It appears to the A-Side of his rendition of "Tutti Frutti"(please, I know don't say it again). Elvis's rendition of the song was released in 1956, and since then, has been a classic amongst rock and roll fans everywhere.

"Blue Suede Shoes"has some awesome lyrics that go so well with Elvis's vocal style—bluesy, jazzy, soulful:

"Well, you can knock me downStep in my faceSlander my name all over the placeWell do anything that you want to doBut uh-uh, honey lay off of them shoes..."

I love this song with all of my heart because of the vocals—they are so damn good, the way he has these moments of massive intonation in the middle of the line. He has an incredible vocal ability and range and it shows in this song.

If you're wondering as well, I love the cover by Buddy Holly, because it's Buddy Holly and he never makes anything bad, he makes it cool. Buddy Holly's version may be difficult to find for some, but it is available on his album Showcase (1964) released posthumously (alongside his brilliant rendition of "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"—damn!)

"Hound Dog"

Stop telling me they aren't his songs, I know they're not but he recorded them the best so he owns them now.

Released as the A-Side to the incredible "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog"was once described as the beginning of the Rock and Roll revolution. It's a raw, rock classic song with an excellent drum at the bottom.

The most famous lyrics to the song are possibly one of the most famous sets of lyrics in music history:

"Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine!"

The vocals on this song are brilliant, that really gives the song a different kind of character—bringing it out of just rockabilly, or just bluesy rock and making it rock and roll.

The song's lyrics may be a bit simple, but you cannot stop listening to that guitar solo and Elvis's soulful and raw vocals over the top of those drums, because it does something to you.

If any of you remember that this song was performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and it was wild, then good for you because that was one stellar performance. It's one of my favourite live performances of any song ever. Check it out underneath!

A brilliant song, a brilliant performance and some killer vocals is exactly what you need to make a Rock and Roll legend.

"Love Me Tender"

I wanted to be "Don't Be Cruel"as it's one of my favourite Elvis songs next, but seeing as this is going to be too long anyway, I'll skip it and do "Love Me Tender,"as it's more important to me personally. I will come back to "Don't Be Cruel" at the end if I have time.

Fun Fact! "Love Me Tender"was my parents' wedding song.

"Love Me Tender"is a beautiful love song that serves as the A-Side to "Any Way You Want Me."It is written as a love ballad and was recorded in 1956, adapted from a Civil War Ballad called "Aura Lee."

It is such a lovely melody that opens the song with Elvis's vocals on top of it. The arpeggio sound and the soft vocals really makes the song what it is. The lyrics are beautiful as well, the second verse being my personal favourite:

"Love me tender, love me trueAll my dreams fulfillFor my darling I love youAnd I always will..."

It may be simple, but it's timeless like "Unchained Melody"and just as awe-inspiring. The lyrics with the voice make for some incredible music, it's almost like a lullaby the way it swings back and forth, back and forth, like a metronome. It is a truly great song.

Many singers have covered this song: Nat King Cole, Johnny Cash, Barry Manilow, and even James Brown (plus many more).

But nobody sings this song quite like Elvis, and that was the one played at my parents' wedding.

There is no way we could talk about "Jailhouse Rock"without talking about the iconic music video that goes with it. As one of the greatest songs ever recorded, "Jailhouse Rock"stands as one of the most timeless rock songs in human history. This song is all rockabilly, all the time. The epitome of the rockabilly genre, this song takes Rock and Roll to new heights with memorable lyrics, a crazy iconic music video and a drum beat that cannot be forgotten once heard:

"The warden threw a party in the county jailThe prison band was there and they began to wailThe band was jumpin' and the joint began to swingYou should've heard them knocked-out jailbirds sing..."

Elvis Presley's vocal ability is raw, is rockin' and is absolutely amazing, fitting with the rockabilly genre absolutely perfectly. It has a slight swing to it as the introduction moves from the guitar to the drums and back again before the lyrics kick in. The lines at the end of the verse, leading into the chorus are possibly the most important though as they show off the rawness of the vocals to the extreme.

Seriously, there is no question about how this is one of the most iconic and one of the greatest songs ever made.

Some great covers of the song have included: The Beatles, Queen, and even Motley Crue. Yes, The Beatles and Queen covered this song, now you see exactly how iconic it is, don't you?

Truthfully, I love this damn song and when I start listening to it, I usually replay it one hundred times over—you can never just hear it once.

"Trouble"

Okay, now to move on to my personal favourite Elvis song of all time. "Trouble"is a great display of vocals which stands Elvis above... well, everyone else really. There is no denying that Elvis has iconic and powerful vocals, better than most every other singer of his day and there is no doubt about his talent anywhere. His power is far too strong, especially on this song.

These lines here:

"I was born standing up and talking backMy daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack..."

I sung in such a powerful and raw way you'd think it's just pure soul. The power in this particular section of the song is so damn strong it is actually unreal. The way he builds up to it from the beginning "If you're looking for trouble..." to the "my daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack..." is awe-inspiring. The build of that last line through that blues harmony should be enough to make you love the song completely.

I really would not recommend the covers, even though I sometimes do, mostly all of them are thoroughly average. The song as sung by Elvis cannot be matched, this song is just that powerful. The end of the song is also just as powerful because that note he holds is absolutely awesome. "Don't mess around with me..." is the last line of the song, which comes down in the blues/rock style as Elvis holds it out for a while, and it sounds absolutely awesome.

"Can't Help Falling in Love"

This is one of the great Elvis love songs and again, yes I know it's not his song. It's his rendition that we're talking about here.

It appears as the A-Side to "Rock-A-Hula-Baby"being from the Blue Hawaii era, it seems appropriate.

The song starts with the iconic lyrics:

"Wise men say only fools rush in..."

It's slow and steady, bluesy and soulful all at the same time. It sounds like a lullaby again, just this time it really is one. Based on an old French song from the 1700s, this song has all the makings for a timeless classic, along with its brilliant arpeggio underneath, the vocals are raw, but soft. It matches the melody, giving the song three different dimensions. The echo that's placed on the vocals as well, is so slight, but it's absolutely beautiful.

It has famously been covered by Bob Dylan and his version is very interesting, he puts a harmonica-folk-inspired spin on it, which makes it sound really cool. And the vocals are all bluesy, brilliance. I would still say Presley's version is better though, it sounds—just right... if you know what I mean.

"Return to Sender"

I know this is long, but I really want to cover this song because it is a brilliant example of early Rock and Roll that is so raw there is nothing infecting it. It serves as the A-Side to "Where Do You Come From?"and was released in 1962. This song is iconic and not just because my mom sometimes walks around the house singing it whenever someone says a lyric from it on television or around the house.

"Return to Sender"has some great and memorable lyrics with perfect vocals that bounce around with the Rock and Roll tune below:

"Return to sender, address unknownNo such person, no such zone..."

The backing singers as well, do such a great job but I really do wish Buddy Holly lived long enough to cover this song. I am so sorry I can't stop talking about him, but his voice would have sounded so good on a cover to this song, don't you think? The melodies and guitar with the bouncing beat, it's pure Holly.

As Presley's vocals bounce around, you can really get on board with this song—and fun fact, this was the very first Elvis Presley song I had ever listened to. And in my family, that was when I was about five, maybe six. It's a freaking brilliant example of pure Rock and Roll.

"(You're the) Devil in Disguise"

You seriously weren't thinking we'd skim over this song, did you? Featured in the classic Disney film, Lilo and Stitch, this song is another timeless classic of Elvis's Hawaiian era. I mean just listen to that guitar solo. If you don't like that guitar solo, then I'm sorry we aren't going to get along at all.

Recorded as the A-Side to "Please Don't Drag That String Around," this song is an upbeat rock song that starts of slow and steady, but changes up when it comes to the chorus and the bridge. This is purely iconic:

"You're the devil in disguise!Oh yes you are,The devil in disguise.You fooled me with your kissesYou cheated and you schemed,Heaven knows how you lied to meYou're not the way you seemed."

There is no way you cannot sing that in your head. The vocals are purely powerful with the underlying beat of the song producing the drive for the chorus to go full steam ahead. The line "Heaven knows how you lied to me..." is sung absolutely amazingly and there is absolutely no doubt about it at all.

The vocals and the music go so well together, the best thing about this song is definitely the guitar solo. The guitar solo makes this song a really strong Rock and Roll tune.

The other versions of the song by other artists aren't necessarily able to live up to the greatness of the Elvis Presley original version and well, I would just stick to this one this time.

"A Little Less Conversation"

This song is a through-and-through absolute classic. I remember when it came out as a remix and sounded awful, but then I listened to the original (mainly because I remember so many people not liking the remix) and it was stellar. I wonder now why they bothered to remix the song at all.

The B-Side to "Almost in Love"this song was released in 1968 and continues to be one of Elvis's most loved songs ever. I have to say, I am a huge fan of this song because of its blues-vibe and its rock and roll lyricism:

"A little less conversation, a little more action, pleaseAll this aggravation ain't satisfactioning meA little more bite and a little less barkA little less fight and a little more sparkClose your mouth and open up your heart and, baby, satisfy me."

The song is a freaking hit from start to finish, the lyrics are so damn quick and yet you pick up all that soul from them—the drum line is pure brilliance and the guitar is unforgettable.

The vocals is something I want to talk briefly about because they are incredible. Especially when it hits:

"Don't procrastinate, don't articulateGirl, it's getting late, gettin' upset waitin' around."

That climb in the way the lyrics go fits perfectly with Elvis's vocals as he produces more and more soul from it each time it ascends. It just slows down ever so slightly and takes flight real quick—you have to appreciate it.

As I said, please don't bother with the remix, it is so bad! Just listen to the original and you'll be fine.

"Suspicious Minds"

You really thought we were going to do this without covering this song? Well you're wrong and here we are. "Suspicious Minds"is that song that everyone remembers. You may not know who Elvis is (and trust me, yes, I know people who don't) but you know this song. You may not know the name of the song, but you know the song.

The A-Side to "You'll Think of Me,"this song is a brilliant mix of melody and soft vocals slowly increasing in amazingness. Of course, there's those iconic opening lines as well:

"We're caught in a trapI can't walk outBecause I love you too much, baby..."

Everyone knows those, it is literally the epitome of rock music. Again, I do remember this song as featured in Lilo and Stitch and I think my parents were happy I saw that film when it came out purely because of all the Elvis songs there were in it. But "Suspicious Minds"is one of those songs that you can listen to once and it will literally stick there for the rest of your life. You will never forget it. It is an experience, not just a song.

Again, I'm not urging you to listen to any of the cover versions because, between you and me, they are all pretty bad. Especially when compared to the version put out by Elvis.

(Does anyone remember the scene with Stitch and the record player when he keeps opening his mouth and "Suspicious Minds"comes on? Or is that just me?)

"The Wonder of You"

Released as the A-Side to "Mama Liked the Roses,"Elvis's version of "The Wonder of You"performed live in 1970 is quite possibly one of the great performances of music live ever. The vocals are just so strong, you cannot contain yourself. The music is dramatic and powerful—and the song itself has some beautiful lyrics.

Here's the best part of the song:

"And you're always there to lend a handIn everything I doThat's the wonderThe wonder of you."

The chorus after the first verse. It starts soft and moves on to becoming more and more powerful as it goes on. "The Wonder of You"is a truly iconic and powerful song with a beautiful melody and some killer vocals. It is over the top in the best way and doesn't have a single flaw in the whole thing.

This is the only version you need, forget the older one too.

"Burning Love"

Yet another song from Lilo and Stitch (see, the film taught me stuff about Elvis as well when I was about six, and now I think that's why my parents liked the fact I was obsessed with it as a kid. It all makes sense now...)

"Lord almighty, feel my temperature rising!"

There is no way I could start this part of the article any other way. One of my favourite Elvis songs and one of my favourite all-time songs ever. "Burning Love"serves as the A-Side to "It's a Matter of Time"and was released in 1972—only five years before we lost the King of Rock and Roll.

"Burning Love"seems to be yet another homage to the Hawaiian theme and well, it is really well done. It is one of his most memorable songs purely because of those lyrics and those vocals. (And obviously, the guitar at the beginning because how could I not?)

"'Cause your kisses lift me higherLike a sweet song of a choirAnd you light my morning skyWith burning love..."

The way this song lifts up is incredible, it builds and the backing singers build with it—I am so in love with this song that I want you to appreciate it too so badly. It's a timeless classic rock song, and I think it's quite possibly one of his best.

Conclusion

Okay, so I didn't have time to come back to "Don't Be Cruel,"but let's not pretend this is the only album on Elvis I'll write about. Come on, we've still got stuff like A Date With Elvis to go! I hope you enjoyed reading about one of my favourite singers ever and pretty much the guy my Dad adores and raised me on. He is magical and seriously, I cannot appreciate him enough. I hope you really enjoy listening to the music, too!