Not Elvis’s most productive year musically, 1958 however saw the King make his finest ever film with King Creole, and while he barely stepped foot in a recording studio from March onwards – being thereafter the ‘property’ of the US Government as Private Presley 53 310 761 – he still had 8 top 10 hits both sides of the Atlantic, including two number ones on each continent. This double CD set contains every recording Presley made during this most difficult year of his early career, which, with the shrewd and expert marketing of manager Tom Parker, actually ended up his most profitable of the 1950s. From the entire spectrum of tunes recorded for the King Creole soundtrack, through classic hits such as ‘Don’t’, ‘Wear My Ring Around Your Neck’ ‘Hard Headed Woman’ and of course the title track from his last movie for more than two years, this collection features classic Elvis from the year in question. With barely a dull track amongst these 35 songs and interviews, which all together make for delightful ad joyous listening experience, Elvis’s 1958 can be here re-appraised and now seen as a period of great music from the King Of Rock N’ Roll after all.
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