FTD releases sell out so fast .. what's the best way to find out about new releases? Web site, mailing list?
UPDATE: I put a little dish soap into a bowl with some hot water (not boiling) and just let the CD sit in it for an hour. Came back to it and all the residue is gone, didn't even have to wipe any of it off. CD looks new now.
My past two FTD orders from Shop Graceland (Aloha FTD and 'Lost Album' Sessions) have come tossed in oversized padded envelopes. 'Lost Album' Sessions came through relatively unscathed but our idiot mailman forced Aloha into your mailbox and completely mangled it. I thought Shop Graceland used to be more careful with their packaging. Now they're as bad - if not worse - than ShopElvis.
That's bad to hear. They were always were quite a bit better. I haven't ordered The Lost Sessions yet. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Sorry for your experience. My Aloha was packed perfectly wrapped in bubblewrap, in a sturdy size appropriate box.
Just listened through most of the new Aloha finally. It's a whole new concert for me. Absolutely noticing details I never heard before. Probably the most enjoyable experience listening to this show. A great listen, hope everyone will get to enjoy a Legacy release for this next year.
I I placed my first order with Graceland recently, despite being in the UK. I'd never got round to ordering the His Hand In Mine Sessions, and when I looked at Elvis Shop London, he was charging £125!! It worked out cheaper even with massive shipping to buy from the US. Anyway, my Graceland order arrived in great condition in a sturdy box.
All of my Shop Graceland orders up to now were also well packaged. That’s why I was surprised (and dismayed) to receive two successive orders tossed into oversized bags - kind of like Amazon. My mangled copy of Aloha is going back with a note to please be more careful regarding packaging (as suggested by the customer service rep on the phone). It would be really unfortunate if Shop Graceland has decided to cut corners on their packaging.
Out of curiosity, is there any studio Elvis (not counting retakes) yet to be released? Any promising concerts that should be released? I'm finally getting over 'Clambake" and beginning to fully appreciate the depth and scope of his accomplishment. Beginning when he kicked off 'That's All Right Mama" with his rhythm guitar. Elvis should have played guitar more.
There is nothing left in the studio from FTD's perspective -- they've hit on everything. Which is why they've moved to the "session" format, to gather up any these remaining bits of outtakes/false starts. Even though the session format is nicely done and top notch (I love them) -- the additional scraps are nothing to warrant the high cost if you have the earlier FTDs. They're really just repackaging now. Re-presentations. Anything new from the studio would have to be a miracle "find" -- like lost session reels from the 50s or something.
Agree, although there are some soundtracks with at least a high number of alt takes/false starts that are unreleased, certainly more on offer than the most recent sets with only a few moments of unreleased material. But without us knowing what’s in the vaults it’s impossible to know what future session sets are viable. And whether there’s enough interest to make these sets viable commercially remains to be seen. I’d still like to see FTD do ‘complete mixes’ sets to get the post-1960 mono material and Quad mixes available. Plus any various odds-and-ends mixes.
So far I’ve been good at resisting rebuying the session FTDs on albums I have the original FTD for. The Elvis is Back sessions is really the main one that I kind of regret passing on after the fact. Ideally Sony generates a new mainline box set release of it down the line that I can scoop up.
That would require too much work, effort, and investment. FTD is simply mailing it in these days with recycled sessions sets.
All of the quadraphonic mixes are (finally) available on streaming platforms, but I would like to see them made available on Blu-ray Audio or SACD. I don't see it happening, though.
Stay strong . I bought a couple of sessions sets earlier this year, despite having a vast amount of the material already - Pot Luck and Elvis Is Back. Lovely booklets and stunning sound quality but when I want to listen to outtakes I still reach for the earlier titles that are easier to digest. Those two at least had a few previously unreleased complete takes and I needed the Fame and Fortune tracks. There wasn't enough new material to tempt me with Devil In Disguise (just one or two false starts?) or His Hand In Mine (one complete take?) and I could only see Something For Everybody available for well over a hundred quid so I was priced out there (same with EIB and HHIM now). Although the material is not as good overall, the soundtrack sessions releases I have at least give you a decent level of previously unreleased outtakes and in superior sound to the original FTDs. I still think there should have been a Feb '72 complete recordings release on FTD, but with the EOT box coming, and copyright ending this year, I'm not sure that's on the horizon. I'd lay down some chips on there being a Nashville '66 - '68 set in the next year to round off the '60s Studio B material and a soundtrack.
Oh I didn’t realize all of them are? Let’s see, there’s: From Elvis In Memphis Elvis On Stage (Feb 1970) That’s The Way It Is Aloha MSG Live In Memphis Promised Land Today I read - perhaps in this thread - that there’s an unreleased Quad mix of Elvis Country on one of the streaming services too.
They really need to make their past releases available digitally. If not streaming then, even better, HQ digital releases at a cost.
People are openly sharing links to the older titles that are OOP on one of the Elvis live bootleg sites I keep tabs on for any new interesting stuff. Seems like low hanging fruit to shut that all down and offer up a monetized alternative like download or YouTube/streaming.
Perhaps they are under the impression that Elvis music collectors will not want to pay for downloads and will only settle for physical product instead. Going by what I read on internet Elvis forums, that might not be far from the truth.
