AMG Review of Artist of the Century

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Elvis Presley doesn't really need more compilations -- either single discs or box sets -- in his catalog, but RCA's 1999 triple-disc set Artist of the Century does wind up filling a need, of sorts. Over the course of 75 tracks, nearly all of Elvis' most popular songs are presented in their original hit versions. Given the number of hits he had, plus the high quality of his recordings in the late '50s and late '60s, there are inevitably big songs missing, but many of his very biggest are here, and the first two discs, in particular, are quite strong (the late-'60s/'70s selections slip somewhat, lacking such necessary items as "Kentucky Rain" and "Moody Blue"). So, this winds up being good one-stop shopping for those who just want one fairly comprehensive Elvis set in their library -- although you should be forewarned that "fairly" is the key word in that statement, since this will not contain all the hits or necessary recordings.