Review – Elvis Presley: The Complete 1950’s Studio Masters +
The Complete RCA Studio Masters 1960-62 ★★★★☆
Words By Steve Harnell

As a comprehensive deep dive into the King’s opening half-decade as a recording artist, plus his first two years post-Army, these latest releases from MRS are pretty irresistible – particularly at the price point.

RCA’s 1992 five-disc boxset The King Of Rock’n’Roll covered similar ground, but here that material is re-presented as a 4CD set. The Complete 1950’s Studio Masters features all of Presley’s early Sun gems from 1954-’55 as well as his RCA label and soundtrack work between January 1956 and June 1958. Rounding out the set is bonus material from various radio station appearances plus alternate takes of soundtrack contributions.

Prime 50s Elvis is, of course, a set text for all Vintage Rock readers – the crown jewels of rock’n’roll. Taken as a whole, there’s a clear evolution in Presley’s performances across these four CDs – for better or for worse, depending on your point of view as the nervy hillbilly dynamism of the early Sun recordings is gradually replaced by a sleek sophistication. That’s only to be expected, though, as Elvis grew into his status as the world’s most important rock star. Presley’s RCA output continued his rich vein of form and also pushed him to develop his chops as a balladeer. Elvis dazzled across all genres and this 50s-era compilation presents evidence of that time and time again.

Elvis Presley Studio Masters

Highly Recommended

The 111-track 4CD set The Complete RCA Studio Masters 1960-62 showcases Elvis at a crunch point in his career as he returned to rock’n’roll after a two-year stint in the US Army. The MRS remasters of these songs are nice and punchy, with solid bass and treble prominent in the sound picture.

Kicking off with the confident finger-snapping bounce of Otis Blackwell’s Make Me Know It and the doo-wop flavour of Soldier Boy, Presley hit the ground running with his comeback sessions. Classics are plentiful elsewhere, too, including Good Luck Charm, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Fever and Such A Night.

The third and fourth disc of selected outtakes contains run-throughs of the likes of Kiss Me Quick, Fountain Of Love and Suspicion but it’s the finished masters that really steal the show. Both compilations make for essential listening and are highly recommended.

Order at Memphis Recording Service here

Want more Elvis? Read our Return Of The King – The Fall And Rise Of Elvis Presley feature

Check out our Vintage Rock Presents Elvis – The Ultimate Album Guide