If you haven't had enough Elvis in 2005, what with those seemingly never-ending single re-issues, here's a tidy three-disc collection spanning The King's entire chart career.
Effectively a collection which bolsters the great man's recent No.1s and 2nd To None albums, all of Presley's familiar rock 'n' roll standards such as Heartbreak Hotel and Blue Suede Shoes are included here. That's Alright, Suspicious Minds, King Creole and Love Me need little or no introduction, being essential staples of the early hip-swinging Presley oeuvre. Other tracks that display the breadth of Presley's abilities include the lesser-known A Big Hunk O' Love and the twee (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, which never fails to raise a smile.
During Elvis's later, Las Vegas period, which is amply covered, the audience couldn't have cared whether their idol looked like he'd consumed one deep-fried peanut butter sandwich too many, as long as they could hear that voice. And Elvis, in his famously ill-advised tight white suit, didn't disappoint them. That famous vibrato-heavy baritone resonates consistently throughout the close of this album, from the bluesy In The Ghetto to the rocking Way Down.
Proving that there's still life in the ol' dog yet, History is a further reminder of why the boy from Tupelo is still regarded as the undisputed King of rock 'n' roll.
