What is more remarkable about the album is the fact it simultaneously established rock n' roll no longer as a teenage fad but as a genuine cultural movement, albeit firmly removed from its racial roots. Elvis Presley proved that a rock album could not only sell, as teenagers generally only invested in '45s in those days, but it could outsell the singles from its own and any other genre.
Unpopular opinion: Elvis here creates predominantly pre-owned music here, making it feel as though he is only capable of spinning music in his direction but is incapable of making something of his own. This is especially true in situations in which he takes music created by popular African American artists and essentially tries to replicate their sound. Unfortunately, this creates a situation in which Elvis stole the sound of Black America and popularized it due to his charisma and, ... read more
It's kind of hard to find something that works in a genre when you are literally one of the first groups of people doing it.
Overall, it is pretty good for what is it. Just all of the songs kind of hold the same exact vibe throughout.
This album is number 2 in the "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" franchise.
Journey Through Music: The Birth of Rock 'n Roll - Episode 1
Here we are: at the birth of Rock ‘n Roll. Elvis Presley’s self-titled debut definitely was not the first record in the genre nor by any means the best - it, however, popularized Rock 'n Roll like no other album did. Setting aside its cultural impact, I was happy to find that this album was most of all a solid collection of songs.
Elvis has no writing credits here, if you are trying to find a deep personal connection to ... read more