View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 3.5 (90 ratings)
- Date Released: June 22, 2004
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Pop
- Label: SBME Strategic Marketing Group
- Copyright: This compilation (P) 2004 BMG Music
-
We Say...
This is where it all began, in a small recording studio on Union Avenue in Memphis, when rock and roll was brought squalling into the known universe. Under Phillips' aegis, Sun Records was an independent Memphis production company that leased masters to larger labels, finding some success on its own with blues-based artists like Rufus Thomas and Billy "The Kid" Emerson, when Sam started working with a callow Elvis, backing him with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black. The records that would result over a one year period —incandescent classics like "That's Alright Mama," "Mystery Train," and "Good Rockin' Tonight"— would not only define the onrushing sound of rock and roll, but also prove to be some of Elvis' most unvarnished performances, full of pent-up emotion and the joy of discovery. What is most revealing about these recordings, beyond their innovation, is the incredible range and richness of his voice, and some of the slower songs — in particular, a beautiful "Blue Moon" — reveal the seduction behind the Presley hipshake. This particular reissue of the Sun sessions presents the masters and assorted outtakes in chronological order, showing how Elvis evolved and honed his persona in the first year of his skyrocketing fame.
-
They Say...
Elvis at Sun marks the third time that RCA has given Elvis Presley's seminal Sun Records recordings a refurbishing for release on compact disc (fourth if you count their appearance on the box set The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters), but while 1987's The Complete Sun Sessions and 1999's Sunrise both added plenty of bonus materials along with the ten single sides and various outtakes Presley cut for Sam Phillips' pioneering label, Elvis at Sun seems to follow the notion that "less is more." While the supposedly definitive Sunrise spread 38 cuts over two discs, Elvis at Sun sticks to 19 cuts (all of which appeared on disc one of Sunrise), and reissue producers Ernst Mikael Jorgensen and Roger Semon have done extensive cleansing on these vintage recordings, in some cases buffing off layers of echo and reverb that have been part of these performances since they first appeared on LP (most notably on "You're a Heartbreaker" and "Good Rockin' Tonight"). With neither Elvis nor Sam Phillips around to offer their views, it's hard to say if this amounts to presenting the tapes as they were meant to be heard or playing around with history, but on most of the tracks the effect is startling -- these recordings have never sounded quite so clear and sharp, with a richer sense of detail in the nooks and crannies of Elvis' voice and Scotty Moore's guitar (the always spooky "Blue Moon" is now gloriously spectral -- has anyone ever sounded quite like that?). Too bad they couldn't fix the speed glitch on "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine," though. The disc also abandons the sequencing of most previous releases of this material, which presented songs in the order they were released, in favor of assembling the songs in the order they were recorded, which is probably better history if less satisfying as pure listening. As for the music, well, this is arguably the most important music of Elvis' career and the growth of rock & roll into a mass art form; Presley's wildly idiosyncratic fusion of blues, country, pop, and anything else that crossed his path was still evolving as he recorded these songs, and there's a thrill of discovery here that's a wonder to behold. No, Elvis didn't invent rock & roll, but it would have been a very different creature without his guiding influence, and listening to him making it happen on Elvis at Sun is history at its most wildly entertaining; this isn't necessarily the best collection of these vitally important sides, but it inarguably presents this brilliant music in a new and fascinating light.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 12 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 12 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
Harbor Lights |
2:35 |
|
| 02. | |
I Love You Because |
3:28 |
|
| 03. | |
That's All Right |
1:55 |
|
| 04. | |
Blue Moon Of Kentucky |
2:02 |
|
| 05. | |
Blue Moon |
2:42 |
|
| 06. | |
Tomorrow Night |
2:58 |
|
| 07. | |
I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') |
2:23 |
|
| 08. | |
Just Because |
2:32 |
|
| 09. | |
Good Rockin' Tonight |
2:11 |
|
| 10. | |
I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine |
2:29 |
|
| 11. | |
Milkcow Blues Boogie |
2:36 |
|
| 12. | |
You're A Heartbreaker |
2:10 |
|
| 13. | |
I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone |
2:39 |
|
| 14. | |
I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone |
2:36 |
|
| 15. | |
Baby, Let's Play House |
2:15 |
|
| 16. | |
I Forgot To Remember To Forget |
2:28 |
|
| 17. | |
Mystery Train |
2:27 |
|
| 18. | |
Trying To Get To You |
2:31 |
|
| 19. | |
When It Rains, It Really Pours |
2:01 |
|
19 Total Tracks, 46:58 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like Elvis Presley, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by Elvis Presley fans
Credits
- Elvis Presley - Guitar // Elvis Presley - Guitar // Elvis Presley - Piano // Elvis Presley - Piano // Elvis Presley - Vocals // Elvis Presley - Vocals // Bill Black - Bass // Scotty Moore - Guitar // Johnny Bernero - Drums // Knox Phillips - Liner Notes // Ernst Mikael Jorgensen - Liner Notes // Ernst Mikael Jorgensen - Compilation Producer // Roger Semon - Creative Director // Roger Semon - Compilation Producer // Doug Poindexter - Guitar // Sam Phillips - Producer // Sam Phillips - Engineer // Jimmy Lott - Drums // Erwin Gorostiza - Creative Director // Joseph DiMuro - Executive Producer // Andreas Meyer - Tape Transfer // Peacock - Design // Victoria Sarro - Project Director // Rob Santos - Production Assistant // Iris Maenza - Project Coordinator // Kevan Budd - Mastering // Kevan Budd - Audio Restoration
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC