ALL SHOOK UP?

Listening to the fifth disc, subtitled "Rare and Rockin,'" is akin to opening an Ark of the Covenant. Of the 26 seldom-heard tracks, 14 are previously unreleased. Uptempo versions of "Ain't That Loving You Baby" and "Loving You" pose the question, "Why weren't these the hits?" The long-rumored-to-exist "Fool, Fool, Fool" finally manifests itself along with some live cuts from the Southern tours of 54 and 55.

Also included is the final appearance, May 6, 1956, of the infamous New Frontier Hotel gig. These were Elvis' first appearances in Las Vegas, and the King met with such antipathy (He's no Dean Martin!) he wouldn't return until 1969. Downgraded from headline to opening act, Elvis peppers the brief show with coy insults aimed at the stone-faced, older audience. Amid some boos and only a smattering of applause, he apologizes for a forced encore. It's funny to ponder that Elvis would wind up practically owning that town, and that the cretins he tried to appease would forever burn in rock n' roll hell. Historical content like this is hard to beat.

So's The King of Rock N' Roll's packaging. A 92-page book accompanies the discs, complete with a scholarly text, exhaustive liner notes, sessionography, discography and photographs. The only dross is a sheet of stamps depicting the Fifties record covers, a gesture commemorating the recent postal debates. The useless bonus is sillier considering the same labels are duplicated inside the booklet and only serves to get in the way of closing the box.

Perhaps a national mandate should be declared: On August 16, 1992, all grimy-haired Guns n' Roses disciples, all sanitized Garth Brooks bumpkins, all gangsterized Ice-T zealots, all blue-bouffanted Muzak junkies and every other remaining citizen will listen to Elvis--The King of Rock N' Roll in its entirety. Just sit down, shut up, and see how it's really done.

LIFE OR DEATH DECISION... v8-12-92