Just discovering Elvis Presley - should I listen chronologically or album-based?

As the title says.

Elvis has so many albums and so much material. So many albums are hodgepodges of multiple sessions often spanning years! It's a lot to comprehend at once.

My OCD is telling me to listen chronologically, but the music fan in me says go for the "releases", so to speak.

Thoughts? Opinions? How do you listen to Elvis?

 

Go through the singles in chronological order then tackle the albums/compilations once you're finished.

 

Do you think the albums hold up as albums themselves, specifically the ones that gather material from multiple sessions?

 

They don't. I view Elvis as more of a singles artist. When it comes to his music, the best thing to do is find a compilation that covers all of his big hits from the 50's to late 60's.

 

Start with these two muthas.....

 

I'm one of those idiots that will listen to everything, so I think I'm gonna sort everything by sessions, ala The Complete Masters.

What are your opinions of the Sun sets Sunrise and Elvis at Sun? Assuming the sound is comparable on both, Sunrise seems the better set.

 

This was enough Elvis for me. Decent sounding comp, too. Admittedly I've never listened to his studio albums, though.

 

Probably album based, most likely chronologically, unless there is a particular era you are already attracted to. Do you have a particular era that intrigues you at this point, or are you ready to jump in from the beginning? Also, what is your budget like for this listening project? There are a lot of titles and a lot of music; some can be pricey. Once you make that determination, I am sure many of us here will try to steer you down some enjoyable, exciting paths. Either way, I would suggest starting with some core titles from various eras and branch out from there.

I would consider the following titles important starting points; it covers a lot of eras and key material:

Elvis At Sun
Elvis Presley [Legacy Edition]
Loving You [2005 Kevan Budd remaster]
Jailhouse Rock, Vol. 2 [FTD]
Elvis Is Back! [FTD edition]
Something For Everybody [FTD Edition]
His Hand In Mine [FTD Edition]
GI Blues, Vol. 1 [FTD]
Blue Hawaii [FTD]
Elvis Sings Guitar Man [FTD]
Tiger Man [1998, BMG]
Memories: The '68 Comeback Special [1998, BMG]
From Elvis In Memphis [Legacy Edition]
On Stage [Legacy Edition]
Elvis Country [FTD]
That's The Way It Is [Legacy Edition]
As Recorded At Madison Square Garden [Legacy Edition]

 

I despise hits packages - I'm a "drown in the deep end or nothing" kind of guy.

 

I'm also one of those idiots. I'm no completist but I also have OCD so everything will be covered and time is not an issue. Lol
Sorry but I can't answer that. I'm a MP3 only listener.

 

But Elvis has hundreds of albums. I remember your profile. You can't afford that.

 

I'm a poor college kid. I've obtained The Complete Masters set....

I really like that it's chronological as I'm a big historian type and that's my thing (hearing songs in context, etc.).

I'm interested in the albums, but really, really, turned off by the "multiple years/sessions" thing going on on a lot of albums. It can get confusing fast.

I guess I'm trying to find if anyone thinks there is a major benefit of listening to Elvis one way over the other. Because I'm just discovering his music, I have no attachment to any specific eras or albums in particular.

 

I might hop in here too.

always loved his voice...this should be fun and I am starting with sun

see what I did there

 

Perhaps you forget I am also a Zappaphile. Album one-hundred was just released recently.

Also, I'm just sticking to studio recordings.

 

this looked like a neat spot to start

 

You're a braver man than me.

 

Paul McCartney actually is who sparked my interest in Elvis. He's done loads of his (songs popularised by Elvis) songs over the years:

Mystery Train
Heartbreak Hotel
Milk Cow Blues
Good Rockin' Tonight
etc.

")

 

Gotta say, I just LOVE the simplicity of the early Sun and other 50's material.

 

nice playlist....51 tracks played on vinyl.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjHbxlMQryAc4kmAoY3GRItvozYN-8kU_

 

Huge Robert Plant fan and I know he loved the King...always meant to dig deeper...so now is the time

I tip my hat for your interest and now mine

 

Then the following FTD titles are essential:

Elvis Presley
Loving You
Jailhouse Rock, Vol. 2
King Creole
50,000,000 Fans Can't Be Wrong - Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 2

The bonus content on those titles is pretty stellar. Also, you get access to Kevan Budd's highly regarded mastering on Elvis Presley and Loving You. An issue that you will find moving forward, however, is that you have all of the masters is supreme sound on the Complete Masters box set, so acquiring various titles to have the music in its historically accurate sequence and context will also lend to you repurchasing some of the same 2007 remasters already found on your Complete Masters box.

 

Thanks for the awesome suggestions!

I've decided to sort everything into albums/eps and a singles set, but label the tracks and just make myself a playlist of everything in chrono order (my main listening is done via ipod classic)

How does Kevan Budd's mastering compare to Vic A's on the remasters?

 

The one, the only, King of Rock'n'Roll...

 

The '60's were tough going. Many of the soundtrack songs are just horrible, making a chronological listening experience very tiring.

 

I wouldn't wait until you get through all the 1960s material before you hit the 1970s - you might lose interest before you get to the comeback. 1968-1972 is a strong period including album cuts, not just the singles.