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

Oh, I think the death of the CD format has been slightly exaggerated. Remember when they told us we would never see vinyl records again. There are billions of CD's out in the public domain and almost 90 million CD's were sold last year, not exactly a dead format by any means. I think that the CD format may become the "new vinyl" format one day for serious collectors as there is a combination of great storage capacity, great sound and an actual physical product with pictures and liner notes.

 

that's why I'm stocking up on cheap high end players when I come across them.

 

Smart move, I might just do the same.

 

Yep, I don't go looking for them, but when they're only 20 dollars or so, I just say 'ill take it'.
Hook em up and test to see whether they'll play a disc all the way through, then add it to the pile.
Could be a big waste of time, but who knows....

 

I agree.
It was more of a joke comment by me.
Still, passing on cds or giving them to loved ones and friends as gifts isn't what it once was.
There just aren't cd players in bedrooms and living rooms like there used to be.

 

Probably true to some extent, but my kids still request them as gifts and don't most people have a blu-ray/DVD machine in their living room or bedroom that can play a cd?

 

Yes but it isn't the first option for music. Then again some home systems are pretty high tech.

 

I bought this set last week...$200 on Amazon. I love it!
I would consider myself a serious Elvis fan...but far, far from a completest.
Prior to this set I had what I considered a rather deep Elvis collection: all four (3.5 actually) decade master boxes, all of the 2-disc Legacy Editions, Elvis at Sun, Boy from Tupelo,'68 Comeback box sets (both CD and DVD sets), two different Complete gospel recordings box sets, Platinum box set, Today, Tomorrow & Forever box set, Million Dollar Quartet , That's The Way It Is deluxe box, and several bootlegs including the 10 disc American Recordings (purple chick).

This set is amazing. The packaging is outstanding. The 300 page book is almost worth the cost. It's great to have all of these songs presented in the same way RCA presented them originally. I'm even enjoying the soundtrack LPs...hunting for hidden treasures.

...on the flip side, what was Elvis thinking when he recorded the song "Yoga Is as Yoga Does"?

 

"This is a piece of cr@p and far beneath me, but might as get it over with and get that paycheck".

 

I have The RCA Album Collection as well as The Complete Masters and to be quite honest, the former one is the one I play the most as I love that it is an the original album configuration that was released in his lifetime and has the same great Vic Anesini remastering. I love the beauty of The Complete Masters, but all you really need is The RCA Album Collection to get all his great music and your right that the book is really nice as well. I think it is a fantastic bargain for the price, given the amount of fantastic material scattered throughout his long career.

 

I just found out about this. I'm thinking it will be a nice birthday gift for my dad in a few weeks. Elvis was his favorite. We went to Graceland years ago and it's one of the best memories I have with dad. I think we will like this. Reviews across the internet say it's a good one.

 

GET IT!!!

 

Yeah, this set is a dream, in my opinion. When you think of who it celebrates, alongside the encompassing aspect of it all, it may be the single most "important" box out there on a popular or iconic recording artist.

I also like the care and attention paid to the nostalgic aspects as well - the quality of the replica sleeves and the inclusion of hype stickers that mirror the originals (if you wish to actually adhere them to your mini albums).

I know there have been some minor quibbles about key EP tracks being tacked onto the end of these original albums to save space, along with the fact that it still doesn't quite include every master track Elvis recorded in his lifetime. Yet the sheer scope, completeness, and attractiveness of this box is...well...fit for a King!

 

Excellent. I'm going to get it. A few years ago my Dad's Mom died at 99 years old. I cleaned out her house and I found my Dad's framed 8.5X11 of Elvis. I showed him and he remembered that hanging by his bed when he was younger. My dad still tears up when talking about Elvis. He loved Chuck Berry (even played with him once), The Beatles, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others - but Elvis was and always will be his favorite.

 

The only track that I wish were on this set that isn't, due to it being released as a posthumous single, is his live 1977 version of My Way.
I get that they didn't include the Elvis In Concert album due to it not being released in his lifetime.
There are a few other worthwhile performances on it besides My Way but at least there are equal if not better versions of those songs on the other albums in this set.
However the 77 live version of My Way is the definitive version by Elvis as it was the single and he really interpreted the lyric on this version.
I believe this version to better Sinatra's studio master.
The two versions by Elvis on the box set aren't even that good IMO.
Both are uninspired performances as he hasn't really found his way with that song yet.
I just feel like since the live 77 My Way was used after his passing as sort of response to his death, that they could have made one exception and tacked it on as a bonus track on his last album in his lifetime, Moody Blue.

 

Which master tracks are not included? I have both this and the Complete Masters, so am covered either way, but have grown more fond of the album box for several reasons. If the day ever came where I decided to keep only one set it would likely be the Album box, but would be curious as to what I would be losing in terms of master tracks.

 

It is hard to argue with that sentiment as this final version of My Way had such a bittersweet background for us Elvis fans. He really does does put a lot of pathos into this performance and his vocal power comes through loud and clear despite his declining health. I am a sucker for all three versions, and I do think the Aloha version with its full orchestral accompaniment and Elvis's almost too perfect vocal delivery is also fantastic, but I too still have a slight preference for the Elvis In Concert version.

 

I like the music of the Aloha version but that's all.
It remains too slow for me as well as the studio master.

 

Yes indeed, I think the studio version surprisingly is not the strongest of the three versions as I believe it was his first formal attempt at singing this iconic song. Just like Sinatra, he got more inside the song, and the live arrangement by both legends exceeded their studio versions in my opinion. Sinatra in later concerts would choose to go up on the last note the way Elvis did instead of adding the tag line, "Yes, it was my way," where he goes down on the last notes on the single studio version.

 

I think Frank holds Way out on the studio he just drops the yes it was my way when live.

 

Yes your right I guess, but when I listen to Frank's version on the Live At The Budokan DVD, he really seems to take those last notes up higher on the last two words of the song the way Elvis did. It just seems higher to me than the studio version Frank did and more like Elvis did it in Aloha and Elvis In Concert.

 

This looks like a great way to get all the albums, but I always have a hard time listening to the released albums. I like to listen to his music chronologically as released. Some of the albums are collections of previously released singles (LP Fans Only, A Date with Elvis, Golden Records). Other albums include songs from soundtracks. I think I would prefer a playlist that was more chronological like this (I'm sure I left something out):

Elvis Presley
Elvis
Love Me Tender EP
Singles 1956

Loving You
Elvis Christmas Album
Jailhouse Rock EP
Singles 1957
A Date with Elvis (It is so strange - only non-single)

King Creole
Singles 1958

Singles 1959

Elvis is Back
GI Blues
His Hand in Mine
Flaming Star (Flaming Star and Summer Kisses, Winter Tears)
Singles 1959

Something for Everyone
Blue Hawaii
Wild in the Country (Wild in the Country, I Slipped I Stumbled I Fell, In My Way)
Singles 1961

Pot Luck
Kid Galahad EP
Follow That Dream (Follow that Dream, What a Wonderful Life, Sound Advice)
Singles 1962

It Happened At the World's Fair
Fun In Acapulco
Girls! Girls! Girls!
Singles 1963

Roustabout
Viva Las Vegas
Kissin' Cousins
Singles 1964

Girl Happy
Elvis For Everyone!
Harum Scarum
Singles 1965

Frankie & Johnny
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
Spinout
I Got Lucky (Fools Fall in Love only)
Singles 1966

Easy Come, Easy Go
How Great Thou Art
Double Trouble
Clambake

Speedway
Elvis (NBC TV Special)
Stay Away Joe (Stay Away, Stay Away Joe, All I Needed Was the Rain)
Live a Little, Love a Little (Wonderful World, Edge of Reality, A Little Less Conversation - take 10, Almost In Love)
Elvis Sings Flaming Star (Too Much Monkey Business)
Singles 1968

From Elvis in Memphis
Back in Memphis
Elvis in Person at the International Hotel
Almost in Love (My Little Friend, U.S. Male)
Change of Habit EP
Charro! (Charro!, Let's Forget About the Stars)
The Trouble with Girls (Clean Up Your Own Backyard, Almost)
Singles 1969

On Stage
That's the Way It Is
Singles 1970

Elvis Country
Love Letters From Elvis
Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas

An Afternoon in the Garden
Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden
He Touched Me
Elvis Now
Singles 1972

Elvis (The Fool)
Aloha from Hawaii
Raised on Rock

Good Times
Elvis Recored Live on Stage in Memphis

Promised Land
Today

From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis Tennessee

Moody Blue
Elvis in Concert
Singles 1977

 

I scoured through this thread looking for an answer to my question, but came up empty. So forgive me if its already been covered.

But I was listening to "If I Can Dream" from the '68 Special in this set - one of my favorite Elvis tunes - but here it sounded really low quality. I also have it on a comp and there it sounds smooth as silk, but here it sounds pretty crappy. Anyone else have a similar reaction or is that how it always sounded on that album?

 

"Elvis NBC-TV Special" has never sounded particularly good because it was not well recorded (both at Burbank NBC and Western Recorders), thanks in part to Tom Parker not allowing Bones Howe to maximize the recording process. All the remastering in the world has not helped it, and as such, still only sounds moderately acceptable as part of this box set. Still, the performances remain among the most dynamic of Elvis' entire career, so they continue to outshine any sound deficiencies.

 

As POB said, the album master which was used in this set has never sounded particularly good. A stereo remix is available elsewhere. The live segments were reconstructed from the best possible sources and released on The Complete Masters and the Franklin Mint set but it is only available on those sets.