Elvis Presley : Elvis' Golden Records

There are several books that

 supposedly introduce

 the uninitiated to the King

including 

Elvis for Beginners 

and 

The 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 the

 King of Rock 'n' Roll box 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

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