Elvis #1 Singles [Box] [Limited] (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar); James Burton, Scotty Moore (guitar); Bill Black (bass instrument); D.J. Fontana (drums).

Liner Note Author: Colin Escott.

Recording information: 01/27/1957-08/01/1972.

The ELVIS #1 SINGLES box set is, among other things, a monument to impracticality and excessive packaging. A nostalgia fetish item par excellence, the box houses 20 of Elvis's best-selling singles as individually packaged CDs, each of which--designed to replicate the original 45--contains the single, its B-side, and the original artwork. This means that listening to the music will require a lot of manual labor: listeners have to remove each individual sleeve, put the disc in the player, listen to its two songs, take the disc out, put it back in the sleeve, then repeat the process. At least it's one less trip to the stereo than when they were on vinyl.

That said, those looking for a regular full-length hits collection should not turn here. This item is strictly for collectors and Elvis buffs--those whose 45s are scratched and unplayable, or who were never able to procure their favorites. Superb remastered sound and a booklet with complete discography information are the icing on the cake, but the fact that all the hits are here in their original incarnations--not to mention all the dreamy cover art photos of the King--is too good for any serious Elvis-head to pass up. minimize