This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Thank The Beatles. Or blame them.
If their hits set 1 hadn’t been such a smash a few years back, we might not have Elvis: 30 #1 Hits, a disc clearly aimed at the same classic-rock demographic. But if all The King’s men (and women) think this CD is going to rake in the dough like The Beatles’ set did, they might have another think coming.
Sure, Elvis: 30 #1 Hits has a great lineup of first-rate tracks — all the way from Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel and Hound Dog to Suspicious Minds, Burning Love and the new remix of A Little Less Conversation. Trouble is, with the exception of that last tune, all of them have appeared before on about a zillion Elvis Presley greatest-hits records (like the superior 1987 set Top Ten Hits). Even more important (and problematic) is what’s not here: Elvis: 30 #1 Hits has no material from his early Sun Records days, none of his gospel or blues sides, precious little of his country fare and none of his ’60s soundtrack tunes. Plus it excludes must-haves like Little Sister, Kentucky Rain and Love Me, which didn’t hit No. 1. Granted, if you’re looking for an easy stocking stuffer this holiday season, this is it. But if you’re looking for a definitive Elvis collection, you might want to reconsider, baby.
