Sorry for this, but there are “overdubs” ALL over this set !!! So many issues, but if y’all like it, go for it. I’ll stick to my FTD versions and the real undubbed sessions via, American Sound ‘69. 😊
Thanks for the heads up, Steve. My wife is a pretty big Elvis fan but doesn’t follow the CD release news like I do. I will have to pick this up for her.
Thanks DC. When I went to bed last night, I threw on Disc 5 and was quite pleased with the warmth of the sound on tracks like "The Last Farewell". Sure, it's a cheesy song, but he does sing it with a lot of conviction.... that very same conviction that was missing during much of the Stax recordings!
Nic review of this box! It’s a nice touch to remix all these songs and hear them before the overdubbed version You’re right about the live music on here! They should have left it out but they probably wanted to pad it out! Nobody needs another Elvis live performance as there are so many!!! Glad I got this one!!! Don’t need any more from Elvis! Well running dry!!!
Damn!! I was interested in this set, but after your review and Ed’s from The Kings Court…I’m steering clear of it. A shame because if they had done this right, it would’ve been fantastic! Thanks Steve, great job! Cheers 😎🙏😊👍❤️🍻
This box set is fantastic. Record collectors are not very good music producers. This is the real Elvis and the productions are amazing ! Listen and decide for yourself. Don't listen to collectors. Trust me.
@@FrankieLovesElvis Well, I would never ever by an FTD. For one thing it is too expensive for the 12 songs and 80 takes. I am not hearing the 25 takes of Polk Salad Annie or any Elvis song for that matter and spend a lot of money on songs that I basically knew as a teenager or younger.
Nice review Stephen ! i really loved your review on this set, enjoyed every minute of it ! i really love this boxset and a great add to my collection 👍😃
Don't Cry Daddy is one of the best cuts on the entire box set. Way Down is one of the best versions too. Live versions are fantastic. Sun versions are not as raw like You're a Heartbreaker is toned down. For me, the Live are sensational. Best harmony is Elvis Don't Cry Daddy. The guitars now are great more Lively. I am not an avid Elvis fan like you, but I've listened to Elvis hearing his 78's I realize that the new box set is a standout. I have no complaints on this box set. None. Only praise. The best box set bar none. 5 stars !
Hi Stephen. Missed this as I was away on vacation last week. Glad this review was noted on Ski Lodge. Thorough and honest. Great review. I started with the 2LP, but will lean to the cds eventually. Not a fan of the housing of the disc sets. I actually separate them from the cardboard pages. Nicely done.
Just spun a few off Spotify. I never noticed how much the end of Kentucky Rain sounds like Everyday I write the Book by the other Elvis, especially the bass line.
I didn't quite 'get' that until you mentioned it.... and yeah, you CAN actually sing the chorus of 'Everyday I Write the Book' over that ending bit!!!! Good call!
The problem is with the 1969 sessions is 1. Often times Elvis simply did a guide vocal while the musicians played and he later dubbed in the final vocal over the instrumental track. 2. Sometimes a band member did the guide vocal when Elvis was out with laryngitis and Elvis came back and did the final vocal over an instrumental track. 3. Only some of the songs were a totally live take with the band with Elvis' original vocals used. I have not heard it yet, but Don't Cry Daddy was one that had Bobby Wood's guide vocal. So I guess the one found on this collection is Elvis' vocal with acoustic guitar to be dubbed over the previous instrumental track that had Bobby's guide vocal, PLUS Elvis' harmony vocal overdub. I suspect the harmony vocal was through the whole song, but when the original was mixed for release, they only used the harmony part in the chorus. The way Momon recorded was contrary to the way Elvis usually recorded. Elvis seldom sang to a backing track. He did with some soundtrack songs and the Indescribably Blue sessions. So for the 1969 Memphis sessions it would be IMPOSSIBLE to have all selections being Elvis and the band performing live together. But what you get here are the masters BEFORE the strings, horns and additional backing vocals were dubbed in.
Thanks. I was curious about this. My first impressions weren’t positive. The concept(just stuff recorded in memphis?) seemed like underwhelming barrel-scraping & the cover looked like a generic European public domain release. Thanks to your review, I’ve reconsidered whether to purchase or not. So, mission accomplished, Steve 👍
I'm not a big advocate of streaming, but that is always the best way to get around things like 'curiosity' or 'trepidation'. Play some stuff from Disc 2 or Disc 5 and see how that 'feels'.
The set could've & would've been so much better if they had included a few tracks from the Million Dollar Quartet session of December 4, 1956, and some tracks from Elvis' final Memphis concert on July 5, 1976. Ernst has no imagination. He doesn't always 'follow that dream' (so-to-speak).
Are you sure about Disc 2, that those 69 recordings sound fantastic? Didn't you notice the digital glitch at 2.24 of Any Day Now? Didn't you notice that the guitar/piano on Suspicious Minds are slightly out of sync? And I think Don’t Cry Daddy sounds weird in the verses. He did record a harmony track indeed, wich was used in the choruses only. So there is no doubt he did record this for the choruses only. To me it sounds like Matt Ross-Spang just copied Elvis his voice and pasted it for the versus. It also has a different coloring there. These 3 facts makes the whole set worthless IMHO, and is an abomination to the fans of Elvis Presley. Glad you enjoy the set, but I'm not gonna waste any money on this, until a replacement disc will be offered. Something that could have been fantastic was spoiled this way. I don't even hold my breath that Ernst will even admit these mistakes or take responsibility.😢
@@HenkNuwolt Some of what he says is factual. RCA/Sony and BMG have always counted on the uncritical fans. That is why they get away with this crap. Elvis is my favorite artist, so, I am VERY critical of RCA/BMG/Sony through the years. They have been making mistakes since day one, and they always will.
@@MostlyBuicksThere will be always fans who like this release & fans that don´t , and to be honest i am not interested of comments of fans who do not like or care for this release or other releases or BMG it is your problem not mine. i am an Elvis fan for many years, but i am not as critical as you or other fans. I read enough CRAP about fans who do not like this release or other releases from RCA these last few days /years, and i am done and tired of it, i love this release and will treasure it, stop wasting your time and mine.
A few thoughts: 1. Where are ‘Rubberneckin’, ‘My Little Friend’, ‘And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind' and A Little Bit Of Green' ? 2. If you are keeping some songs off the set. Surely, ‘Hey Jude’ ‘If That Isn’t Love and ‘She Wears My Ring’ and ‘Three Corn Patches’ should be omitted? 3. The guitar and piano are out of sync on ‘Suspicious Minds’ 4. The remix of ‘Promised Land’ has the organ high in the mix. Nice to hear in the intro. Bloody annoying throughout though. Burton’s guitar solos have lowered in the mix. In fact he sounds like he’s in the car park. I could go on. But I’ve got things to do 😊
I have yet to be impressed with Matt Ross-Spang. He does some things well, but then ruins it with some other choices that emphasize some aspects of the mixes and ignores other aspects. Very unbalanced results. And RCA/BMG/Sony have NEVER been consistent or thorough. They tend to be hodgepodge on choosing the best mixes and masterings, and seem to leave things out. Even The Complete Masters is not COMPLETE. And The Album Collection uses inferior masters on For LP Fans Only, A Date With Elvis and Elvis For Everyone to name some examples.
@@neillanc65 The 1973 Raised On Rock album mentions absolutely nothing about Memphis. "Sweet Angeline" actually has not always been deemed a Memphis recording. "Are You Sincere" and "I Miss You" are also not Memphis recordings.
I am glad I have the undubbed FTD American recordings (except Kentucky Ring has too much reverb on that set). They blow this set away. And as for Stax, I like the expanded Promised Land CD that came out in the year 2000 or that material on the 70s boxset. Heck, I even like the old album The Memphis Record over this! As for SUN, like Kevan Budd's Elvis At Sun. But the Boy From Tupelo has the proper DRY That's All Right.
Hey I like bass, but the bass is loud and flabby. It is eq'ed to death. It is like when a 16 year old puts on the loudness switch and turns the bass knob to max in their old Kraco car stereo. Or maybe it sounds like Cerwin-Vega speakers sitting on the floor of your dorm room.
@@brennandre8234 Right there with you on that. There is ZERO reason to mess with The KING's music/legacy. The tracks I heard are a mess. It was quite painful to listen to. ⚡️👑⚡️
Now I am not the biggest Elvis fan! Stop booing 😂! However I know what I like regarding Elvis the 50's and Memphis and the TV comeback special so this is of interest to me! You make some interesting points Steve! His voice was his instrument so why mix it down! I will check it out with caution! Great you are reviewing it!
Totally get it, Ian. There's a lot of stuff by Elvis that folks don't 'get' but really need to be listened to if you've never paid attention to before! Especially the Memphis '69 recordings, the Nashville sessions from '70 and '71, the Jungle Room sessions..... and I do really love a lot of the soundtrack stuff, although not all of it!
I just received Elvis - Memphis 5 CD set . They did a great job on the remix sound off the original session tapes . I’m enjoying them tremendously.
Sorry for this, but there are “overdubs” ALL over this set !!!
So many issues, but if y’all like it, go for it. I’ll stick to my FTD versions and the real undubbed sessions via, American Sound ‘69. 😊
Thanks for the heads up, Steve. My wife is a pretty big Elvis fan but doesn’t follow the CD release news like I do. I will have to pick this up for her.
Thanks DC. When I went to bed last night, I threw on Disc 5 and was quite pleased with the warmth of the sound on tracks like "The Last Farewell". Sure, it's a cheesy song, but he does sing it with a lot of conviction.... that very same conviction that was missing during much of the Stax recordings!
Nic review of this box! It’s a nice touch to remix all these songs and hear them before the overdubbed version You’re right about the live music on here! They should have left it out but they probably wanted to pad it out! Nobody needs another Elvis live performance as there are so many!!! Glad I got this one!!! Don’t need any more from Elvis! Well running dry!!!
Damn!! I was interested in this set, but after your review and Ed’s from The Kings Court…I’m steering clear of it. A shame because if they had done this right, it would’ve been fantastic! Thanks Steve, great job! Cheers 😎🙏😊👍❤️🍻
This box set is fantastic. Record collectors are not very good music producers. This is the real Elvis and the productions are amazing ! Listen and decide for yourself. Don't listen to collectors. Trust me.
@@djreidYou really should invest in the FTD sets, classic albums or the newer “Session Sets”. 😊
@@FrankieLovesElvis Well, I would never ever by an FTD. For one thing it is too expensive for the 12 songs and 80 takes. I am not hearing the 25 takes of Polk Salad Annie or any Elvis song for that matter and spend a lot of money on songs that I basically knew as a teenager or younger.
Nice review Stephen ! i really loved your review on this set, enjoyed every minute of it ! i really love this boxset and a great add to my collection 👍😃
good review stephen.
Thank you, Sir Mike!
Don't Cry Daddy is one of the best cuts on the entire box set. Way Down is one of the best versions too. Live versions are fantastic. Sun versions are not as raw like You're a Heartbreaker is toned down. For me, the Live are sensational. Best harmony is Elvis Don't Cry Daddy. The guitars now are great more Lively. I am not an avid Elvis fan like you, but I've listened to Elvis hearing his 78's I realize that the new box set is a standout. I have no complaints on this box set. None. Only praise. The best box set bar none. 5 stars !
A Masterpiece for sure ! Hi Djreid ! 👍😃
5 stars out of 6.
Thank for your review. I plan on getting it somewhere down the line. Take Care!
Hi Stephen. Missed this as I was away on vacation last week. Glad this review was noted on Ski Lodge. Thorough and honest. Great review. I started with the 2LP, but will lean to the cds eventually. Not a fan of the housing of the disc sets. I actually separate them from the cardboard pages. Nicely done.
Just spun a few off Spotify. I never noticed how much the end of Kentucky Rain sounds like Everyday I write the Book by the other Elvis, especially the bass line.
I didn't quite 'get' that until you mentioned it.... and yeah, you CAN actually sing the chorus of 'Everyday I Write the Book' over that ending bit!!!! Good call!
I though about this when I heard about it..thanks for the review. Elvis is King still.
The problem is with the 1969 sessions is 1. Often times Elvis simply did a guide vocal while the musicians played and he later dubbed in the final vocal over the instrumental track. 2. Sometimes a band member did the guide vocal when Elvis was out with laryngitis and Elvis came back and did the final vocal over an instrumental track. 3. Only some of the songs were a totally live take with the band with Elvis' original vocals used. I have not heard it yet, but Don't Cry Daddy was one that had Bobby Wood's guide vocal. So I guess the one found on this collection is Elvis' vocal with acoustic guitar to be dubbed over the previous instrumental track that had Bobby's guide vocal, PLUS Elvis' harmony vocal overdub. I suspect the harmony vocal was through the whole song, but when the original was mixed for release, they only used the harmony part in the chorus. The way Momon recorded was contrary to the way Elvis usually recorded. Elvis seldom sang to a backing track. He did with some soundtrack songs and the Indescribably Blue sessions. So for the 1969 Memphis sessions it would be IMPOSSIBLE to have all selections being Elvis and the band performing live together. But what you get here are the masters BEFORE the strings, horns and additional backing vocals were dubbed in.
The “Memphis” concert is regarded as one of the absolute best of his live work. Strange assessment. 😊
Several parts of it are indeed in the category of Elvis' best live work.
@@Allen-vl7zq That’s what I mean.
Thanks. I was curious about this.
My first impressions weren’t positive.
The concept(just stuff recorded in memphis?) seemed like underwhelming barrel-scraping & the cover looked like a generic European public domain release.
Thanks to your review, I’ve reconsidered whether to purchase or not.
So, mission accomplished, Steve 👍
I'm not a big advocate of streaming, but that is always the best way to get around things like 'curiosity' or 'trepidation'. Play some stuff from Disc 2 or Disc 5 and see how that 'feels'.
The set could've & would've been so much better if they had included a few tracks from the Million Dollar Quartet session of December 4, 1956, and some tracks from Elvis' final Memphis concert on July 5, 1976. Ernst has no imagination. He doesn't always 'follow that dream' (so-to-speak).
Are you sure about Disc 2, that those 69 recordings sound fantastic? Didn't you notice the digital glitch at 2.24 of Any Day Now? Didn't you notice that the guitar/piano on Suspicious Minds are slightly out of sync? And I think Don’t Cry Daddy sounds weird in the verses. He did record a harmony track indeed, wich was used in the choruses only. So there is no doubt he did record this for the choruses only. To me it sounds like Matt Ross-Spang just copied Elvis his voice and pasted it for the versus. It also has a different coloring there. These 3 facts makes the whole set worthless IMHO, and is an abomination to the fans of Elvis Presley. Glad you enjoy the set, but I'm not gonna waste any money on this, until a replacement disc will be offered. Something that could have been fantastic was spoiled this way. I don't even hold my breath that Ernst will even admit these mistakes or take responsibility.😢
It just your opinion, but not everyone else´s opinion , keep that in mind
@@HenkNuwolt Some of what he says is factual. RCA/Sony and BMG have always counted on the uncritical fans. That is why they get away with this crap. Elvis is my favorite artist, so, I am VERY critical of RCA/BMG/Sony through the years. They have been making mistakes since day one, and they always will.
@@MostlyBuicksThere will be always fans who like this release & fans that don´t , and to be honest i am not interested of comments of fans who do not like or care for this release or other releases or BMG it is your problem not mine. i am an Elvis fan for many years, but i am not as critical as you or other fans. I read enough CRAP about fans who do not like this release or other releases from RCA these last few days /years, and i am done and tired of it, i love this release and will treasure it, stop wasting your time and mine.
Hey Stephen, I am waiting for the Super Deluxe Uber Wooden Plexiglass Crate Cube version to come out. It looks cool though. Take care...
Tim, that will fit perfectly on your shelf with the 'Old McDonald' outtakes 7CD/12 LP cube you have! :)
A few thoughts:
1. Where are ‘Rubberneckin’, ‘My Little Friend’, ‘And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind' and A Little Bit Of Green' ?
2. If you are keeping some songs off the set. Surely, ‘Hey Jude’ ‘If That Isn’t Love and ‘She Wears My Ring’ and ‘Three Corn Patches’ should be omitted?
3. The guitar and piano are out of sync on ‘Suspicious Minds’
4. The remix of ‘Promised Land’ has the organ high in the mix. Nice to hear in the intro. Bloody annoying throughout though. Burton’s guitar solos have lowered in the mix. In fact he sounds like he’s in the car park.
I could go on. But I’ve got things to do 😊
I'm with you on that and there's too much wrong to sum up in a UA-cam comment. ⚡️👑⚡️
I have yet to be impressed with Matt Ross-Spang. He does some things well, but then ruins it with some other choices that emphasize some aspects of the mixes and ignores other aspects. Very unbalanced results. And RCA/BMG/Sony have NEVER been consistent or thorough. They tend to be hodgepodge on choosing the best mixes and masterings, and seem to leave things out. Even The Complete Masters is not COMPLETE. And The Album Collection uses inferior masters on For LP Fans Only, A Date With Elvis and Elvis For Everyone to name some examples.
Sweet Angeline wasn't recorded in Memphis.
@@neillanc65 The 1973 Raised On Rock album mentions absolutely nothing about Memphis. "Sweet Angeline" actually has not always been deemed a Memphis recording. "Are You Sincere" and "I Miss You" are also not Memphis recordings.
@@MostlyBuicks Yep... The Album Collection 60-cd set was nice (still is), but it could've been so much better with a few tweaks here & there.
So it doesn't replace the Elvis 50s and 60s box set. Good to know. Thanks Stephen!
Nothing will replace those, Michael. But there's so much to love about these releases that feature remixes or alternate takes....
I am glad I have the undubbed FTD American recordings (except Kentucky Ring has too much reverb on that set). They blow this set away. And as for Stax, I like the expanded Promised Land CD that came out in the year 2000 or that material on the 70s boxset. Heck, I even like the old album The Memphis Record over this! As for SUN, like Kevan Budd's Elvis At Sun. But the Boy From Tupelo has the proper DRY That's All Right.
Surprised you said the jungle room sessions was better than the Stax stuff
I have lost all patience with Matt Ross-Spang. Bring back Kevan Budd.
The memphis show 74 from legacy edition sounds 1000times better this on this boxset btw
No it does not maybe just your opinion, certainly not mine.
Not impressed with this at all. Hard pass from me.
👑 ✨️ *T⚡️C⚡️B* ✨️ 👑
Hey I like bass, but the bass is loud and flabby. It is eq'ed to death. It is like when a 16 year old puts on the loudness switch and turns the bass knob to max in their old Kraco car stereo. Or maybe it sounds like Cerwin-Vega speakers sitting on the floor of your dorm room.
These are HORRIBLE sounding mixes! Elvis is buried and swimming in effects. Awful imbalances that ruin EVERY song. The worst release-ever!
@@brennandre8234 Right there with you on that. There is ZERO reason to mess with The KING's music/legacy. The tracks I heard are a mess. It was quite painful to listen to. ⚡️👑⚡️
@@suryadas6987 exactly...Elvis is the least represented element in poor, muddy, reverb-laden bass heavy, lopsided mixes
Now I am not the biggest Elvis fan! Stop booing 😂! However I know what I like regarding Elvis the 50's and Memphis and the TV comeback special so this is of interest to me! You make some interesting points Steve! His voice was his instrument so why mix it down! I will check it out with caution! Great you are reviewing it!
Totally get it, Ian. There's a lot of stuff by Elvis that folks don't 'get' but really need to be listened to if you've never paid attention to before! Especially the Memphis '69 recordings, the Nashville sessions from '70 and '71, the Jungle Room sessions..... and I do really love a lot of the soundtrack stuff, although not all of it!