Some of the highlights on "Elvis 2nd To None," just to name a few, are "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," "Mean Woman Blues," "Memories," "Kentucky Rain," "Promised Land," "Don't Cry Daddy," "A Mess of Blues," "Bossa Nova Baby" (it has a fun, Spanish feel to it), "Viva Las Vegas," "Moody Blue" and the outstanding and powerful "If I Can Dream." His amazing vocals just shine throughout this album.

I had been anticipating the release of this CD and it was well worth the wait. Elvis Presley was the greatest entertainer of the 20th century. As this album says, he is second to none.

I highly recommend this record to both the new fans of The King and the ones who have been life-long fans. You won't be disappointed!


Elvis classics in sonic splendour   October 26, 2003
Marc Haegeman (Gent, Belgium)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

No big surprise that BMG/RCA comes up with this new compilation of Elvis' hits, aiming to repeat the success of last year's worldwide smash "Elv1s 30 #1 Hits". As with this earlier CD one can only wonder why it took them so long, and so many remastered boxes and CDs, to release these classic cuts from Elvis Presley's recorded legacy, one of the richest and most significant in their catalogue, in such sonic splendour.
No need to argue over the choice compiled here, as they are all classics in their own way, even if the "something for everybody" concept (from "That's All Right" and "Blue Suede Shoes" by way of "Viva Las Vegas" and "Don't Cry Daddy" to "American Trilogy") which may be well accepted by the Elvis fan, still has to prove its commercial viability in today's market.
The newly discovered "I'm a Roustabout" from 1964 (ably restored from the acetate) added as a bonus is a revelation, easily outweighing the desultory Paul Oakenfold remix of "Rubberneckin'".
The artwork of "Elvis 2nd To None" is highly becoming, while Peter Guralnick's liner notes are as always topnotch.


A strong follow-up!   October 13, 2003
A Fan (VA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

A strong follow-up to last year's Elvis 30 # 1 hits. It obviously is not as good as that collection, but it is still a great collection. It chronicles all phases of his career, from rock-a-billy pioneer to pop crooner and everything in between. Contains some of my favorite Elvis songs such as the classic Kentucky Rain, Little Sister, and his excellent cover of Blue Suede Shoes. It even has a few less-than-stellar songs, like Rock-A-Hulla, from his movie days just to be complete I guess. It is a testament to Elvis' talent that he has become THE pop icon of the 20th century despite mis-management, poor career moves and questionable song selection, and even drug addiction and a premature death. If this collection does well, look for an Elvis 3rd collection CD next year (he has plenty of material left to pick from).


Somewhat disappointing sequel to "Elvis: 30 #1 Hits"   December 24, 2004
Paul Tognetti (Cranston, RI USA)
21 out of 25 found this review helpful

When I heard BMG's dazzling 2002 compilation "Elvis: 30 #1 Hits" I was simply flabbergasted!! The audio quality on that disc was stunning and was far superior to other Elvis Presley collections I owned that had been released in the late 1980's.
And so I immediately did two things. First, I disposed of my older Elvis CD's and immediately ordered "2nd To None". Since this compilation was released in 2003 I thought I had every right to expect a comparable remastering job to "30 #1 Hits." After all, the same note that stated "Mixed and mastered from original master tapes for optimal sound quality" appeared on both covers. Unfortunately, I would be remiss if I did not invoke that old saying "buyer beware". And I am here to tell you that I found this collection to be a huge disappointment.
Certainly it goes without saying that the material included on "2nd To None" is no match for the tunes that appeared on "30 #1 Hits". That collection included the absolute cream of the crop from Elvis' long and wildly successful career. But as Larry King might like to say the 30 tunes included on "2nd to None" "ain't chopped liver". In fact, several of my favorite Elvis tunes appear on this disc including "Little Sister", "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" and his 1968 comeback hit "If I Can Dream". Also featured are several of his chart hits from the 1970's like "Memories", "Don't Cry Daddy" and "Kentucky Rain". And while one might quibble about the inclusion of 2 or 3 songs in this collection it is for the most part another nice mix of Presley classics spanning the decades.
But my problem is not with the music. My problem is with the extremely mediocre remastering job done on this disc. I found the sound quality on "2nd To None" to be vastly inferior to what I had heard on "30 #1 Hits". I must say I was bitterly disappointed. I don't pretend to be an audiophile and frankly I am not generally all that fussy. But the reason I picked up this disc is that I expected the same kind of sound quality that so impressed me on "30 #1 Hits". Instead I wound up with a collection that sounded about the same as those 1988 collections I had tossed away. I just don't get it. In fact, I really wish I never had. You have been forwarned!!!