Elvis Presley - Where & How To Start Building An Elvis Collection?

I haven't picked this one up yet. Was going to and then I say Michael Bublé was on it, and it made me put it back.

 

I'm putting Elvis at Sun on my list and will research some FTD's. I have Elvis 24 Karat Hits on AP 45rpm Vinyl and it sounds great.

 

Understandable. It really is a hit-and-miss sort of release. Some of it works, some of it doesn't quite make it (and why Sony left off a compelling version of "What Now My Love" and made it exclusive to a U.S. Postal Service CD set is confusing to say the least). The Philharmonic release is a slightly enjoyable curiosity for this fan, but not something I would highly recommend.

 

The FTD versions are definitive, but if budget is an issue the standard versions of these CDs can be found cheap.

 

Just got the Elvis is Back! Legacy Edition from amazon. Mine came in a plastic jewel case instead of the tri-fold packaging that seems to have been what they originally sold. But I don't mind. It's a lovely release, with a lot of liner notes.

I even like the "RCA Victor Living Stereo" design on the CDs themselves.

 

Okay, I have a $20 amazon credit balance. I want an Elvis bluray. Which would be a better first pick? (I have seen neither, and each one costs just under 20 bucks)

ON TOUR
Amazon.com: Elvis on Tour (Blu-ray Book): Elvis Presley, Robert Abel, Pierre Adidge: Movies & TV »

THAT'S THE WAY IT IS
Amazon.com: Elvis: That's the Way It is: Special Edition (BD) [Blu-ray]: Elvis Presley, Denis Sanders: Movies & TV »

 

I would go with That's The Way It Is first, and then get On Tour later. You get to see the progression of Elvis in just 2 short years.

 

Ooh, that's a great point.

OK, TTWIS it is. I'll be getting the other one (and Viva Las Vegas blu) soon enough anyway.

 

That is an incredible film.

 

Watching TTWIS now. I've started with disc two, which is the 1970 theatrical release. Only about 15 min left. Fantastic. How anyone could watch this film and not love the guy is beyond me. He's like a big kid, but when the music starts it's another world.

When did he start kissing women at the shows? Is that something he was doing back in the 50s?

I enjoyed the bits with the convention in Luxembourg, complete with impersonators performing. It got me to thinking. Elvis never toured in Europe, and people didn't have VCRs to tape his TV appearances. Show did these people study his stage movements well enough to impersonate him? I've only seen some of his movies, but he doesn't usually get too crazy when singing in the ones I've seen. (Unless Ann-Margret is around.)

 

TTWII certainly has its merits and various aspects are quite enjoyable. The "kissing" did not occur in the 50's; if he got that close to large groups of his female fans at that time, they might have caused serious bodily harm to him.

 

Ha! I was thinking about that last night while watching. At one point, he leaves the stage and walks through the crowd. The Vegas crowd was a lot more grown up and well-behaved. But even then, I could see his handlers yelling at him later for doing that.

 

I think I heard that was the only time he did that. Walking through the audience like that.

 

If you like that album, it's a solid SACD. I actually recommend checking out Analogue Productions' Elvis SACDs. Their Stereo '57 SACD consisting of outtakes sounds divine.

I'm bumping this thread for others' thoughts on the Live in Las Vegas box set from the early 2000s.

 

I thought it was a concept with tremendous potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. I consider it one of the most disappointing Elvis box sets ever produced.

Disc one. The 1969 concert contains by far the worst mix of any of the 1969 concerts that have been subsequently released by FTD or Sony. Larry Muhoberac's wonderful and unique keyboard work is barely audible. I always suspected that Ferrante was trying to "modernize" the sound of the 1969 live work by mixing down Muhoberac and mixing up Burton's guitar work. Others have suggested that the keyboards were not well recorded, however, if that is the case, why would Ernst Jorgensen have chosen the one 1969 concert that was poorly recorded for the first complete 1969 concert ever issued? Also, the removal of the in-concert monologue and its re-sequencing of it to the end of the concert for "playing convenience" was a bizarre edit to say the least. This disc was the one disc many long-time Elvis enthusiasts were waiting for, and the producers and BMG botched it.

Disc two. Disc two contains a very good concert, well mixed and mastered. Perhaps Ferrante's best work on the Elvis catalogue. The audience recording of When The Snow Is On The Roses is oddly placed and would have fit better on the rarities disc (Disc four).

Disc three. This disc was another head-scratcher. Virtually every single song on this disc was previously released and recycled from other titles. Not that every song on this box set had to be previously unreleased, but the reality is most of the fan-base and consumers purchasing this highly priced (at least at the time of its release) box set were long-time enthusiasts who already had this material. BMG had numerous alternate live takes of these 1970 and 1972 recordings; this was a great opportunity for the producers to issue alternative live performances of these well-known titles. A lazy disc, and a missed opportunity. All of this material was subsequently reissued in superior sound quality.

Disc four. In theory, it was a neat idea to compile a sequencing of rarities from Elvis' Las Vegas period. It was aggravating that BMG again recycled the four-song 1956 segment. Yes, it is a historic tape, but not only was it available on other sets (sets that most of the LILV box set consumers likely had), but it did not really fit the 1970's era theme of this box set. For the most part, the producers selected viable soundboard performances. However, the omission of soundboard material from 1971, 1972, and 1973 was somewhat glaring and created a bit of an uneven presentation (some compelling song titles and performances from those particular years could have enhanced this disc). Disc four is a relatively nice collection of rarities, but it is uneven and feels incomplete, and it is far from essential.

In all seriousness, I give this box set a 1 star rating out of five. Disc two was a nice surprise and addition to the catalogue (and now available in superior sound as part of the TTWII box set), but in its entirety, this box set was a colossal disappointment.

 

That answer was exactly what I was looking for on Live In Las Vegas. Thanks for the detailed response.

 

I just bought 17 Elvis soundtrack lps for 2 euros each. Where I live Elvis records go straight to the dollar bin in second hand stores, I have noticed. They're not worth much. The sad truth being that many Elvis fans are dying off, their records saturating the market.
So it's a good time to build a vinyl Elvis collection for anyone inclined.

 

Couldn't agree more. I skipped it at the time, financial woes, birth of my twin boys etc. then I finally got it a few years ago off eBay at a half-decent price. Naturally, twelve months later it was re-released at a budget price but there you go. And yeah, it was a disappointment, especially after being 'spoiled' by the FTD treatment of the Vegas recordings. It sounds 'busy' to me, with not enough room to 'breathe' and the resequencing of the monologue is such a huge bug-bear, it's just wrong on so many levels!!

 

Shades of Having Fun On Stage.

 

Listening?
Get the three cd box sets 1950s/60s/70s.
At least for starters.