(1958)  RCA Victor label.  Reissue purchased used at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles probably in 2012?  This is one of those purchases inspired by flipping through the bins on an Amoeba run with Illinois.  No denying the contributions Elvis made to rock and roll and any self respecting collection should have at least one Elvis Presley album.  I have two not including my Elvis xmas albums.  This album has all the hits you would ever really want to hear from the early 1950’s releases. According to All Music Guide it was the first rock and roll greatest hits album.  It also has my favorite Elvis song Love Me; a Leiber/Stoller composition.  It is an Elvis song I never get tired of hearing.

SIDE A

1. Hound Dog  (2:15)
2. Loving You  (2:15)
3. All Shook Up  (1:58)
4. Heartbreak Hotel  (2:08)
5. Jailhouse Rock  (2:30)
6. Love Me  (2:43)
7. Too Much  (2:32)

SIDE B

1. Don’t Be Cruel  (2:03)
2. That’s When Your Heartaches Begin  (3:25)
3. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear  (1:53)
4. Love Me Tender  (2:45)
5. Treat Me Nice  (2:12)
6. Anyway You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be)  (2:15)
7. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You  (2:39)

I am a collector, but I am not the collector Illinois is… he can take several H O U R S looking at records in a record store.  I can see everything I want to see in about an hour– if I really stretch it.  After about an hour my feet begin to yell at me and the store begins to swirl around– this has always been the case with me– this is not a reflection of my ever lengthening timeline on the planet.

All this to say, when Illinois is not yet ready to leave, it forces me to take up more time in the stacks and makes me think of other artists to go look at– such is the case with this purchase.