Elvis Golden Records
There are several books that supposedly introduce the uninitiated to the King--includingElvis for BeginnersandThe Complete Idiot's Guide to Elvis--and this 1958 compilation (his first) is an aural equivalent, spotlighting the initial post-Sun '56 and '57 hit singles that originally transformed the King into...well, the King! If you're not yet ready to invest in theKing of Rock 'n' Rollbox set, this makes for an excellent alternative. After all, it's awfully hard to go wrong with tracks like "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," and "Jailhouse Rock"--although they're now so overly familiar to most of us that they might as well be the national anthem. Nevertheless, rock & roll as we know it--and the very concept of "rock star"--essentially began here.--Bill Holdship