Cult-like followings, eccentric personalities, and repetitively-styled songs are all the rage amongst the greatest musicians of our era, yet none of these current attributes are original. Most of this celebrity culture stems from one man, whose shaking hips and smiling sneer brought greater crowds than any “Eras” tour could ever bring.
Continuing to impact the music industry even 47 years after his death, this legendary musician is, of course, Elvis Presley.
Elvis is one of those names ingrained forever into the pantheon of Americana, and his self-titled first studio album, is the perfect example of Elvis’s genre flexibility. The 12-track album has songs for every
occasion, from fast-paced rockabilly classics to slow dancing serenades. The album’s cover, ranked 40th on Rolling Stone’s 1991 list of the 100 best album covers, may seem familiar to some readers. It inspired the album cover for The Clash’s “London Calling,” ironically 39th in that same list of album covers.
And it just wouldn’t be an Elvis album review if I didn’t discuss “Blue Suede Shoes,” my favorite song on the album. I know, I know, it’s the boring answer, but there’s not a single song quite like it. It’s a song full of ‘50s energy – the drive-a-pink-convertible-down-the-newly-built-highway-to-go-buy-a-four-bedroom-house- for-$10,000 type of energy. In all seriousness, “Blue Suede Shoes” alone is one of the best reasons to listen to this album.
You don’t need to listen to this album. Elvis’ music will continue to influence generation after generation even without them reading this review.
Do I still want you to listen to this album? Of course!
Elvis will never lose his fame, however, and I think that it’s incredible that a person like that can exist. As much as we all know
Elvis Presley, however, I’ve got some “Sneaky Feelings” that you won’t know this next Elvis quite as much.
