Elvis Presley: The Album Collection - 60th anniversary of Elvis' RCA contract (18th March 2016)

I'll assume so too, but Sony are full of surprises.

 

Ah ok. Well, thats too bad. Still think its a big pity that only a handfull of those Complete Master sets were made. Kind of ridiculous all of this material isnt easy to get without having to jump through hoops.

 

They'll need at least one disc of non-album tracks released during his lifetime and one more if they're going to include the tracks released post 1977.
Therefore, I'm in favour of the original album + bonus tracks - it could be tracks recorded at the same session, carefully chosen outtakes, interviews etc.

Here is a list I made of non-album tracks/versions released during his lifetime. It's most likely incomplete.

Old Shep (Alternate)
Lover Doll (EP version)
Doncha' Think It's Time (Single version)
Didja' Ever (Take 2, early lacquers only)
I'm Yours (Single Version)
Long Lonely Highway (Single version)
Come What May
Fools Fall In Love
Hi-Heel Sneakers
A Little Less Conversation (Single version)
The Sound Of Your Cry
Where Did They Go Lord
Rags To Riches
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
I’m Leavin’
It’s Only Love
An American Trilogy
Elvis Sails EP

 

Seems like the Boy From Tupelo set has the potential to reach a mainstream audience, even if the deluxe book had to be streamlined.

 

Overall, Elvis' output in the 70's was, if anything, far more consistent than his output from the '60's. Discuss.

 

I agree. He didn't have non-stop terrible movies to take his time away from recording.

 

I agree but the highs were much higher in the sixties. Elvis didn't come close to matching the 1960 or the 1969 sessions in the 70s.

 

One time in the 60's,he went over 2 years before he walked in to a studio and did "non" soundtracks.

January 12 1964 - http://keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/640112.html

May 25 / 26 1966 - http://keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/660525.html

This man is in his 20's,he has a vocal that you could die for,so in those years he could have done say 2 albums a year,plus 45s a/b sides.

So from 60 to 69,100's of songs could and should have been done - instead we get "CLASSICS" like KISSIN COUSINS,and great songs like HE'S YOUR UNCLE NOT YOU DAD.

No wonder the lad was depressed.

 

I see your point but in the end, he has no one to blame but himself. His blind trust in Parker was his own fault.

 

Apparently the audio was under consideration for a mainstream release a couple of years ago; but Sony and Santos put the brakes on that idea and released Elvis At Stax instead. After the most recent release of Elvis Today as a Legacy Edition, it shows were things are at. Some of the most important recordings in rock and roll history vs. mostly mediocre recordings from the mid-70's, hmmm....let's go with the mediocre recordings.

 

It certainly is a legitimate argument if you look at the "overall" output. Take the soundtrack recordings out the equation, and the 60's are vastly superior.

 

Exactly, nothing in the 70s is as good as the first post army sessions and the 1969 Memphis cuts. There is neither a single in the 70s as exciting as HIS LAATEST FLAME / LITTLE SISTER. So at the end, the 60s win.

June 1970 is pretty good but far away from the best of the 60's.

 

I appreciate that viewpoint but I'm not entirely convinced myself. There was quite a fair chunk of mediocre material recorded in the 60's too. After the inarguably high points of "Elvis Is Back" and "His Hand In Mine" nothing in the way of studio product comes close until we arrive at "From Elvis In Memphis" nine years later. Yes, there is a lot of good material scattered about but in the way of "official studio albums" not much to get excited about. The follow-ups to EIB were nowhere near as strong. "How Great Thou Art" would be an exception possibly but then gospel material always seemed to produce the best results for Elvis.

Not even "That's The Way It Is" or "Elvis Country"? Song for song, overall, I'd put the Nashville 70 material neck and neck with Memphis 69. The best 69 material is on the first album with the follow-up clearly behind in quality.

I'm only saying this because (as is always the case) these things are highly subjective and some people like the 70's far more than the 60's. Santos might be getting a kick in the ***** from some Elvis fans because of his apparent fascination with all things 70's related, but there is some legitimacy to the Legacy roll-out programme. I think patience will be rewarded. They're bound to get back to the 50's and 60's as soon as they have milked the 70's reissues dry. If anything it is the 50's period of Elvis that has historically been the main focus of attention in a very similar way to 60's Dylan, often completely justifiably but sometimes not so much.

 

Since someone mentioned a mono set, outside of the singles recorded at American, aren't all the '60's mono mixes folds?

 

Is this as simple as the fact that, if I understand right, the fifties stuff is now public domain? So Sony may not want to invest in creating sets that could be cloned immediately? Of course, the investment in Boy From Tupelo has already been made, so I'm not convinced that should be a deal killer in this instance.

 

There is a lot of mediocre material and vocal performances scattered throughout Elvis' 1970 output; it is a very uneven body of work, particularly as the 70's progress. Elvis' vocal work on this 1960-1964 non-soundtrack work is consistently great, even if the material starts to become watered down a bit on Something For Everybody and Pot Luck. I would argue that the vocal work and overall performance quality from Elvis Is Back!, His Hand In Mine, Something For Everybody, Pot Luck, How Great Thou Art, Elvis TV Special, From Elvis In Memphis, In Person/Back In Memphis (and the For The Asking/The Lost Album and Guitar Man sessions) is superior to On Stage, Elvis Country, TTWII, Love Letters, Now, As Recorded At MSG, Aloha, Fool, Raised On Rock, Good Times, Promised Land, Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis, Today, From EP Blvd, and Moody Blue. Don't get me wrong, I think there is some strong and compelling music from Elvis' body of work from the 70's, but not only is there a fair share of mediocre and substandard material, Elvis' vocal delivery became inconsistent and started to deteriorate. Now, if you are talking about "official studio albums" versus "overall output," that is a different argument than before. And while you make a valid point that throughout the 60's there is not a lot to get excited about as far as official albums go, it isn't as if the 70's offers much either after 1970.

 

Interesting views here. I think that against some underwhelming 1970s cuts like If I were you, Love me love the life I lead, Girl of mine, Mr. songman and Woman without love there are also some stuff like that also from the 1960s: Just for old times sake, What now what next where to, Come what may and Singing tree are not exactly top material, are they?

 

Both "That's the Way it is" and "Elvis Country" are good albums (specially the latest) but, strictly vocally speaking, they do not reach the quality of the early 60's.
And "Back in Memphis" was pretty good (STRANGER IN MY OWN HOME TOWN is a Blues masterpiece on its own) and I wish all the 70's album had reached that quality. After 1971, none of them did, sadly.

 

STRANGER IN MY OWN HOME TOWN ... was a jam.

If he did more and RCA kept tapes running then you would have a load of stuff (unissued).

I mean ITS DIFFERENT NOW never came out till the 70s box if i mind right.

Nearest things to finding new songs/run through s, will be on the ON TOUR TAPES (that come to mind).

 

Merry Christmas Baby was also a jam and it sounds better than 95% of the cuts recorded during the 70s...

 

Tell this forum the 5% that you like?.

 

How many songs did Elvis cut in the 70's? 180? 200? 5% of 200 is not that bad...

 

Hahaha.

That is a great answer,and made my day.





I love this forum.

 

More seriously, I really like Elvis last sessions at studio b although there's a big change in his voice after the march 1971 short session. After that, I'm not too fond of the easy listening / countrified material. Of course there are exceptions but not too many.

 

If the scope of this new box set is limited to albums released in Elvis' lifetime, how many albums would be excluded and which ones? I just wanted to get a sense of how incomplete this set might be, as compared to the Complete Masters box.