There's something about Carl Perkins's original version of "Blue Suede Shoes" that's wilder than Elvis's less popular, though today better known, cover of the song. It's not that Perkins is in your face; his version is remarkably restrained. But that restraint hides a real sense of hillbilly threat--Elvis is playing, but Carl sounds like he'd kick your teeth in. That vocal edge, along with his influential lead guitar, is what makes Perkins' sides such as "Honey Don't" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" the very definition of rockabilly's darker edge--all of which becomes perfectly clear when he finally cuts loose and gets "Dixie Fried." --David Cantwell
