I am the sort of numpty who buys both the download and the physical product! The best deal was the Led Zep deluxe boxes, vinyl, cds, lovely packaging and a high resolution download code. Also the Dylan massive Cutting Edge18 cd set came with a high res download. Re putting out material that has already had an FTD release- I do not mind if there are improvements in sound quality. I don't mind remixes but would like the best transfer of original mixes as well.
Thanks for this info. Again a good remaster of those 4 mono mixes and the 3 original stereo mixes should really be on this set,and maybe the original single a and b sides. That way you have the original releases of this material from the 60s which is how folk first heard these recordings.
I think most people would probably prefer sequenced for listening pleasure. Me personally, it all depends on how it's done. Back-to-back-to-back "alternate" versions or "takes" with no between track banter can be very tiring. But if there's an "open mic" feel, with some talking, joking and all the rest between each take, it can be a highly rewarding experience. Preferable even. A few of the FTDs that approximate that are some of my absolute favorite releases. Once you settle into the session, it's just the best. Hanging out with Elvis and his band. Literally. If the product is being marketed as "complete sessions" or thereabouts, I think you could make a good case for going chronological.
I agree entirely, if the VLV sessions box has everything remixed from three track masters it will have - okay, it should have - consistent sound quality the whole way through. At first I was doubtful of this release but now I'm right up for it, even though I kinda hoped it would be chronologically sequenced. This 'remastered from original three track masters' approach would make any potential 'Elvis Is Back! release the ultimate sonic experience and Good Lord! if I wouldn't be tempted to buy the whole thing one more time just for that pleasure!
Should I open up a separate thread for just the FTD vinyl releases? I just collect them not the CDs.....I see the odd comment about them but end up having to frustratingly wade through pages and pages of stuff to find out anything about the FTD vinyl, the quality of the pressings, whats next, etc.
Although I have to wonder, how much remixing is possible with just three tracks, without making it sound unbalanced? Outside of controlling Elvis' vocal track level relative to the instruments, I'd think options are limited.
Most of the ftd vinyl releases that are out of print cost a fortune now. I bought the first ones but I only have Viva Las Vegas and Roustabout left. Someone in the know told me that they used the cds for the records.
yes but they still sound good to my ears. Plus they look great and are packaged beautifully imo. I don't have the first six , not will I ,at the prices you alluded to Anyways i think you slightly missed the point of my comment
Sometimes with the earlier released out-takes they sound noise 'compressed' with added reverb and a narrow sound field. I hope they open them up and let them breathe a little...
The title track could use a new remix. The intro sounds like they had forgotten to turn up the right channel.
It was just the terminology the hype was using - 'remixed and mastered from the original three track session tapes'. Either way it should sound good...
Of all the soundtracks, VLV probably benefits least from remixing the masters, since pretty much all the releases of that soundtrack have utilized fresh mixes from 3-track each time instead of relying on a vintage mix like the vast majority of Elvis soundtracks do. The best of those to date is widely considered to be Vic's mix that came out on the 2010 budget CD. I know that there are people who just want outtakes on these sets, but I sincerely hope that any potential future 3-CD set like this have the masters remixed too (preferably with preceding false starts and session chatter where applicable). Soundtracks and sessions I see greatly benefiting from this include "Harum Scarum", "Frankie And Johnny", "Spinout", "How Great Thou Art" (because Elvis' vocal isn't centered on the original mixes for some reason), "Double Trouble", "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Clambake". I'd say "Girl Happy" as well but again the original 3-tracks for the master are apparently lost; a shame because they recorded that album much the same as they did "Viva Las Vegas", so we could expect a similar quality jump in theory if they went back to the 3-tracks. Sadly that's how the title track was recorded. There's very little that can be done about it.
I remember when I first heard the stereo master of VLV on the double features CD and being somewhat disappointed. I was looking forward to an expansive sound field of instruments across the spectrum but instead it was just the usual instruments left and Jordanaires right. Oh well. I feel the mono mix in some regards is much more superior than the stereo...
The MGM soundtracks were recorded this way. Elvis on one channel, band on the second, and the backing vocals on the third. Not much can be done to open up the stereo separation unless they run the instrumental track through spectral editing and separate some of the instrumentation into more than one channel.
Unlike the Nashville material engineered by Bill Porter which focused simultaneously on producing a balanced mix that worked in both mono and stereo, the material engineered at Radio Recorders by Thorne Nogar & Dave Wiechman were clearly done with a "mono first" attitude. Considering that the primary objective for these recordings was to mix them into a mono film soundtrack it only makes sense. Stereo truly was an afterthought with the soundtracks.
That may well be worth doing. I have a few but not all of the vinyl releases on FTD. Unfortunately they go out of print very quickly and shoot up in price. They are nice records with lovely packaging but I always assumed they used the same sources as the cds although Viva Las Vegas had an unreleased take (I forget which song).
Answering my own post here... ShopElvis has the new Viva Las Vegas 3-CD FTD up for pre-order now for $60. With shipping it's about $67. So it ends up about double the price of a regular FTD. Expected ship date is August 17th. At this point it's about the same price if you get it through them or ElvisShopLondon or NowDigThis. Would the UK shops ship earlier for a release like this? I didn't see an expected ship date on either of those sites.
The European release date is supposed to be July 30th, but I don't know if that's when they're expected to ship. FTD is based in the EU so Europe gets their stuff earlier than the US.
I guess I should have looked around more before posting. Graceland.com has the new Viva Las Vegas FTD for $10 less than ShopElvis. So that's $50 + shipping, the best deal I've seen so far.