I actually think it would be a giant improvement in how it would have been reviewed had Elvis's New Year's concert in Pittsburg been professionally recorded in multitrack stereo or even videotaped for that matter. I think all you would have to do is ask any singer in the world this question; Would you sound better vocally on an audience cassette amateur tape recording or a professionally recorded multitrack stereo recording? I think you could even further specify that question with the additional caveat; And your voice is not in great shape on this night and has some real vocal issues to boot.
Agree, I think part of the issue with soundboards - and this certainly isn’t news to many of us in this thread - is that the audio certainly sounds mediocre, often with a complete unbalance of instruments, a very flat sound dynamically and limited frequency range. So take a compromised recording with Elvis in his decline and you get an even worse audio picture than is probably true. I mentioned this a couple weeks back in one of these Elvis threads but it’s been enlightening seeing new-to-my-eyes mid/late 70’s concert footage that’s appeared recently give context to some of these soundboards - I see now why Elvis flubbed a line as he was accepting a gift from a fan at that moment, or doing a summersault, or some other distraction that took him out of the song. Context is everything. But as always I am painfully aware of Elvis’ vocal and performance struggles so I don’t want to sugarcoat it either.
But what are you basing that idea on? All of the recorded evidence from late-December 1976 preceding the New Year’s Eve concert does not suggest Elvis was in great vocal shape. He was engaged and fairly energetic, but his vocals were clearly impaired, which is very audible on the Birmingham and Dallas soundboards, two of the best sounding, warmest soundboard recordings ever captured. I would argue Elvis was actually vocally stronger in Rapid City six months later, at least on the more demanding material. And it isn’t as if he looked that much better in December; yes he was slimmer, but not in great shape, and he still would have been draped in a heavy jumpsuit and sweating profusely for the cameras. It is easy for some to overlook the issues of that period and put the New Year’s Eve show up on a pedestal, but I will never be convinced that behind the audience tape is a truly great concert performance that defies all of the deficiencies documented from December 1976.
And that is your prerogative my friend. I happen to think that the New Year's Eve show in Pittsburg is something to be celebrated, and I truly wish that it had been recorded professionally in multitrack stereo. It does not bother me a bit that you find no pleasure or joy in listening to it. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as a truly wise man once said, Lol.
We'll never know for sure, but I think it would have been similar to Memphis '74. He was in a good mood and I believe he actually felt better. From the pictures I have seen he slimmed down in December '76. I can't imagine how he felt with all his intestinal/colon issues. Perhaps he was "cleaned out" for a month.
Golly it was all also included in Elvis Is Back, Something For Everybody, Pot Luck, Fun In Acapulco and Kissin Cousins, and The Complete Masters. I HAVE the material. I want it collected on one disc entitled Tickle Me from Sony like FTD did. And yes, I did make a CD-r with that includes take 1 of Long Lonely Highway and the undubbed I'm Yours. But I still want a Sony release with the artwork from the two EPs and the two singles and have it entitled Tickle Me. No bonus songs needed. It is my desire, even if others would find it redundant, as if these depressing 1976 soundboards were not redundant!
Don't get me wrong, I never said I find no pleasure listening to the New Year's Eve show, I simply don't think it was an out-of-the-ordinary show for late-December 1976. I suspect it was very similar to Dallas and Birmingham before it, both good shows for the period, but hardly great shows by Elvis Presley's standards.
Well, we know it wasn't similar to Memphis '74 because December 1976 was not March 1974. With the exception of his Jackson, MS concert in September, the late-December 1976 tour was the most consistent and healthy Elvis sang all year, and as good as the Birmingham and Dallas concerts were in comparison to the rest of the year, Elvis' vocal work was not nearly as lucid and healthy as March 1974. It wasn't just the impairment from pharmaceutical abuse, Elvis' voice had deteriorated to some degree, so it was highly unlikely he was going to present a vocal performance on the level of a March 1974 concert because even in a less-impaired state, the health of his voice was not the same. It isn't reasonable to conclude he was going to go from his Birmingham '76 vocals to Memphis '74 vocals in two days. But that is just one man's opinion.
August 2020 That's The Way It Is 50th Anniversary Collectors Edition - 2books/8cd's - 506020 975148 Label: Follow That Dream Records – 506020-975146, RCA Victor – 506020-975146, Sony Music – 506020-975146 Format: Box Set, Collector's Edition 8 × CD, Album Country: Europe Released: Aug 2020 Genre: Rock, Pop, Folk, World, & Country, Stage & Screen July 14, 1970 1-1 Words 1-2 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 1-3 Polk Salad Annie 1-4 Bridge Over Troubled Water 1-5 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 1-6 The Next Step Is Love 1-7 I’ve Lost You 1-8 The Next Step Is Love July 15, 1970 1-9 Stagger Lee 1-10 Got My Mojo Working 1-11 I’ve Lost You 1-12 Stranger In The Crowd 1-13 The Next Step Is Love 1-14 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 1-15 Sweet Caroline 1-16 Yesterday 1-17 Hey Jude 1-18 I Can’t Stop Loving You 1-19 It’s Your Baby, You Rock It 1-20 Cryin’ Time July 15, 1970 2-1 Ghost Riders In The Sky 2-2 Runaway 2-3 It’s Now Or Never 2-4 Peter Gunn Theme 2-5 Love Me 2-6 One Night 2-7 Alla En El Rancho Grande 2-8 That’s All Right 2-9 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights 2-10 That’s All Right 2-11 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights 2-12 Instrumental 2-13 Patch It Up 2-14 Cotton Fields 2-15 Sylvia 2-16 Stranger In The Crowd 2-17 How The Web Was Woven 2-18 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen July 24, 1970 3-1 That’s All Right 3-2 I Got A Woman 3-3 The Wonder Of You 3-4 I’ve Lost You 3-5 The Next Step Is Love 3-6 Stranger In The Crowd 3-7 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ 3-8 Something 3-9 Don’t Cry Daddy 3-10 Don’t Cry Daddy (Faster Version) 3-11 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 3-12 Polk Salad Annie 3-13 Bridge Over Troubled Water 3-14 I Can’t Stop Loving You 3-15 Just Pretend 3-16 Sweet Caroline 3-17 Words 3-18 Suspicious Minds July 24, 1970 4-1 I Just Can’t Help Believin’ 4-2 Tomorrow Never Comes 4-3 Mary In The Morning 4-4 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights 4-5 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ 4-6 I Just Can’t Help Believin’ 4-7 Heart Of Rome 4-8 Memories 4-9 Johnny B. Goode 4-10 Make The World Go Away 4-11 Stranger In My Own Hometown 4-12 I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water July 29, 1970 5-1 Elvis Talking 5-2 Something 5-3 Words 5-4 I Just Can’t Help Believin’ 5-5a Little Sister 5-5b Get Back 5-6 Get Back (Ending) 5-7 I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water 5-8 I Was The One 5-9 Cattle Call 5-10 Baby Let’s Play House 5-11 Don’t 5-12 Money Honey 5-13 A Fool Such As I 5-14 Froggy Went A-Courtin’ 5-15 Such A Night 5-16 It’s Now Or Never 5-17 What’d I Say 5-18 The Lords Prayer 5-19 My Country ‘Tis Of Thee 5-20 Hava Nagila 5-21 My Baby Left Me 5-22 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 5-23 Stranger In The Crowd 5-24 Ending Talk August 4, 1970 6-1 Talk 6-2 I’ve Lost You 6-3 The Next Is Love 6-4 Words 6-5a Cattle Call 6-5b Yodel 6-6 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights 6-7 Farther Along 6-8 Something 6-9 Santa Claus Is Back In Town 6-10 Don’t Cry Daddy 6-11 In The Ghetto 6-12 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 6-13 Bridge Over Troubled Water August 7, 1970 7-1 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin' 7-2 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 7-3 The Next Step Is Love 7-4 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights 7-5 Polk Salad Annie 7-6 Oh Happy Day 7-7 I’ve Lost You 7-8 Mary In The Morning 7-9 Sweet Caroline 7-10 Words 7-11 Patch It Up August 10, 1970 8-1 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (Version 1) 8-2 I Just Can’t Help Believin’ 8-3 Something 8-4 Sweet Caroline 8-5 Polk Salad Annie 8-6 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Version 1) 8-7 I’ve Lost You 8-8 Bridge Over Troubled Water 8-9 Patch It Up 8-10 Can’t Help Falling In Love 8-11 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (Version 2) 8-12 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Version 2) ------------------------------------------------------------ I don't know what I was expecting for this release, but honestly when I saw what was in it, and the price attached, I wasn't very interested. That isn't to say it isn't any good, at all, just that for me, this set doesn't really hold any particular interest for me. We have two pretty big books I believe, but I rarely get time to sit and read, and when I have tried I just fall asleep. We have 8 cd's of rehearsals, and I am sure that these will interest a lot of people, but for me, I know myself too well.... I am extremely unlikely to pull out a rehearsal, never mind 8 discs of rehearsals, when I have so many discs of shows and properly recorded albums. So that's just me. Like I say, I have no idea what I expected, but this wasn't really it, and I guess realistically with the redone bluray, the other deluxe edition etc etc, there probably isn't much left they could release.... I suppose in some ways I was hoping for another bluray that captured the stuff the was left off the first one ... or a bluray of the complete show/s .... something along those lines.... but the end result wasn't something that would get much time on my players, so it was something to let go by. I'm sure some folks did get this however, and I am sure some folks would like to hear about what is on here, and whether it amounts to something they would like, or feel they need in their collection. So please run us through the details of what you think about this release guys. Are the rehearsals recorded on a cassette player in the adjacent room, studio type recording, what do they sound like. Are the books full of pictures, full of info, a little bit of each? Give us the run down on this one please guys. Cheers Mark For a visual, this is one of those unboxing video's Pt 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S15PrRx9TDQ Pt3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YDS09oaUCY Not sure how interested anyone is, but there are three parts because this guy goes through the box and then each of the books, to the best of my knowledge.
There are a few of these previews, but they don't seem to cover enough to really give us a great idea of what the disc has in total...perhaps they do, let us know.
Great material, average mastering. The set is too expensive, but some of the stuff on here is essential, especially the July 24 rehearsal.
Agreed, I think the rehearsals from July 24th and 29th are very good and great fun, the latter being one of the first behind the scenes glimpses I got of Elvis, thanks to a kind IT tech at school who noticed I was becoming a fan. I decided against getting this mammoth set -it was more than I need or would sit through, especially the books and the stage rehearsal CD is just a copy of the original FTD.
I have the audio portion of this set and have played through the rehearsals. I enjoy the tapes but am not likely to revisit it frequently. I would like to check out the books though and if they were made available separately or digitally I would give them each a solid read through. If they did a slimmer ‘retail edition’ of just the music I would buy it. This set and the Bruce Jackson set too, glad to have the audio out there, would like to have the books, but the packages as they were sold are not ones I was tremendously motivated to buy.
I bought this set (don’t get me going on the price / the tie-in with books) because I absolutely love these rehearsals. Even before this set came out (they’ve been heavily booted in addition to a good portion of this set being released officially prior) I listened to this material more than the LPs that came from it, Elvis Country and Love Letters. Elvis’ voice is golden during this era, and to me it’s great hearing the band rehearse and develop songs for both the studio and live shows. As a musician it’s a peek behind the curtain to hear how the pros work. My only gripe is what isn’t here - a lot of this material exists on film, and I’d much prefer to see it vs. just hearing it. Who wouldn’t. I’m sure that’s something that’s tangled up in red tape/rights issues, which is unfortunate.
The 24th rehearsal should receive an official, separate FTD release. Should have been done years ago.
I am of the very same mind as the two fine gentlemen above regarding this behemoth of a box set. For me personally, anything Elvis recorded from 1968-1970 is pretty essential, even if it is a rehearsal session, Lol. Well, especially the live stuff. I do love the books, but than I love to read the little details about the events surrounding the rehearsals and the pictures are pretty awesome as well. It is a damn shame that Sony could not figure out a way to releases the 24th rehearsal separately for an FTD release as @PacificOceanBlue suggested in his previous post above.
Yeah, there are FTD books with some interesting content, I just wish 1) that they weren’t bundled with the CDs and 2) an electronic ebook was an option. These days I rarely read physical books - it’s easier on my eyes to read ebooks and convenience as I can read an ebook on a plane, in a coffee shop etc (during non COVID times) or even throughout my house without having one of the monster FTD physical copies to drag around.
I finished listening to this set last month. I'm surprised I got through it quickly, considering all the repetition (I am now officially sick of "You Don't Have to Say Love Me"!). There's some excellent material that would be best served with a one or two disc release. Elvis was still in top form during these sessions, and even when he goofed off he was still going strong. Case in point: the fragment of "Stagger Lee," (CD 1) is viciously hilarious but shows Elvis could have kicked the song's ass if he tried a full version. In other cases Elvis takes the piss out of his own material--the rehearsals of "Don't Cry Fatty," (CD 3) "Heart of Rome," (CD 4) and "Memories" (all on CD 4) are his most hilarious recordings. Joking aside, listeners will also find very vigorous performances--"That's Alright Mama" (CD 2) and "What'd I Say" (CD 5), for example--that are equal to the on-stage versions. And the biggest selling points are the rehearsals of songs that never made it to the stage and in some cases were never performed by Elvis again: "Don't" (CD 5), "A Fool Such As I" (CD 5), "Baby Let's Play House" (CD 5), "My Baby Left Me" (CD 5) "Tomorrow Never Comes" (CD 4), slower-paced versions of "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" (CDs 4 & 5), "Mary in the Morning" (CD 4), and the bitter and obscenity-laced "Stranger in My Own Home Town" (CD 4). I think FTD should have done what Bob Dylan's management have done--offer a comprehensive set for the fanatics who have to have everything and offer a two-disc "best of" release (perhaps non-FTD) for those who want just the highlights, not expensive books or redundant tracks.
Nov 2020 Easy Come Easy Go - Ftd 2lp - 506020 975151 Label: RCA Victor – LSP-6766, Follow That Dream Records – 506020-975151 Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Special Edition, 180g Country: Europe Released: 2020 Genre: Rock, Pop, Folk, World, & Country A1 Easy Come, Easy GoWritten-By – Ben Weisman (2), Sid Wayne 2:13 A2 The Love MachineWritten-By – Chuck Taylor (3), Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 2:50 A3 I'll Take LoveWritten-By – Dolores Fuller, Mark Barkan 2:13 A4 You Gotta StopWritten-By – Bill Giant - Bernie Baum - Florence Kaye* 2:19 A5 Sing You ChildrenWritten-By – Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 2:10 A6 Yoga Is As Yoga DoesWritten-By – Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 2:11 A7 She's A MachineWritten-By – Joy Byers 1:37 Special Bonus Songs B1 Come What MayWritten-By – Frank Tableporter* 2:02 B2 Fools Fall In LoveWritten-By – Jerry Leiber - Mike Stoller* 3:42 Outtakes B3 The Love Machine (Takes 1, 2 & 3)Written-By – Chuck Taylor (3), Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 4:14 B4 She's A Machine (Takes 5, 6 & 7)Written-By – Joy Byers 4:15 B5 You Gotta Stop (Instrumental, Take 1)Written-By – Bill Giant - Bernie Baum - Florence Kaye* 3:04 Outtakes C1 Easy Come, Easy Go (Take 10)Written-By – Ben Weisman (2), Sid Wayne 2:32 C2 I'll Take Love (Takes 1 & 2 [a])Written-By – Dolores Fuller, Mark Barkan 3:03 C3 Leave My Woman Alone (Instrumental, Take 5)Written-By – Ray Charles 2:46 C4 The Love Machine (Takes 4, 5 & 11)Written-By – Chuck Taylor (3), Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 4:44 C5 Sing You Children (Take 1)Written-By – Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 2:54 C6 She's A Machine (Take 10)Written-By – Joy Byers 1:52 Outtakes D1 The Love Machine (Takes 13 & 14 [Movie Master])Written-By – Chuck Taylor (3), Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 4:24 D2 I'll Take Love (Take 2 )Written-By – Dolores Fuller, Mark Barkan 2:31 D3 She's A Machine (Take 13 [Movie Master])Written-By – Joy Byers 1:58 D4 Yoga Is As Yoga Does (Takes 5 & 6)Written-By – Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 2:49 D5 Sing You Children (Takes 18 & 19)Written-By – Fred Burch, Gerald Nelson 3:51 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting that they went with this cover ..... Spinout?
November 2020 Something For Everybody Sessions, Inc. The WIld In The Country Sessions - Ftd 8" sessions set - 506020 975150 Label: Follow That Dream Records – 506020-975150, RCA – 506020-975150, Sony Music – 506020-975150 Format: 4 × CD, Album, Compilation Country: Europe Released: Nov 2020 Genre: Rock, Pop, Folk, World, & Country Style: Country, Rock & Roll 1-1 I Feel So Bad (single A-side) 2:58 Something For Everybody - The Album Side 1 - The Ballad Side 1-2 There's Always Me 2:20 1-3 Give Me The Right 2:36 1-4 It's A Sin 2:45 1-5 Sentimental Me 2:34 1-6 Starting Today 2:07 1-7 Gently 2:19 Side 2 - The Rhythm Side 1-8 I'm Comin' Home 2:25 1-9 In Your Arms 1:52 1-10 Put The Blame On Me 2:00 1-11 Judy 2:14 1-12 I Want You With Me 2:15 1-13 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell 1:41 Wild In The Country - The Masters December 1960 Stereo Mixes 1-14 Lonely Man (single B-side) 2:48 1-15 Wild In The Country (single B-side) 1:55 1-16 In My Way 1:26 1-17 Forget Me Never 1:41 1-18 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell 1:39 The March 1961 Sessions 1-19 I'm Comin' Home (takes 1-2) 3:49 1-20 I'm Comin' Home (take 3) 2:35 1-21 I'm Comin' Home (take 4) 2:32 1-22 I'm Comin' Home (take 5) 2:17 1-23 I'm Comin' Home (take 6-7M) 2:53 1-24 Gently (takes 1-2) 2:52 1-25 Gently (take 3) 2:33 1-26 Gently (take 4) 2:24 1-27 Gently (take 5/M) 2:45 1-28 In Your Arms (take 1) 2:14 1-29 In Your Arms (take 2/M) 2:02 1-30 Give Me The Right (take 1) 3:03 1-31 Give Me The Right (take 2) 2:55 1-32 Give Me The Right (takes 3-4/M) 3:17 The March 1961 Sessions (Continued) 2-1 I Feel So Bad (take 1) 2:58 2-2 I Feel So Bad (take 2/M) 3:08 2-3 It's A Sin (takes 1-2) 5:10 2-4 It's A SIn (takes 3-4/M) 3:35 2-5 I Want You With Me (rehearsal) 0:35 2-6 I Want You With Me (take 1) 2:25 2-7 I Want You With Me (take 2/M) 2:25 2-8 There's Always Me (take 1) 2:27 2-9 There's Always Me (take 2) 2:43 2-10 There's Always Me (takes 3-4) 3:44 2-11 There's Always Me (takes 5-9) 7:12 2-12 There's Always Me (take 10/M) 2:26 2-13 Starting Today (take 1) 2:14 2-14 Starting Today (take 2) 2:12 2-15 Starting Today (take 3/M) 2:28 2-16 Sentimental Me (take 1) 2:42 2-17 Sentimental Me (take 2/M) 2:57 2-18 Judy (take 1) 3:15 2-19 Judy (takes 2-3) 2:42 2-20 Judy (take 4) 2:26 2-21 Judy (takes 5-7) 3:59 2-22 Judy (take 8/M) 2:33 2-23 Put The Blame On Me (takes 1-2) 2:56 2-24 Put The Blame On Me (takes 3-4) 1:02 2-25 Put The Blame On Me (take 5/M) 2:12 The Wild In The Country Sessions 3-1 Lonely Man (take 1) 3:26 3-1 Lonely Man (takes 2-3) 3:09 3-3 Lonely Man (take 4) 3:16 3-4 Lonely Man (takes 5-8) 6:04 3-5 Lonely Man (take 9) 3:07 3-6 Lonely Man (takes 10-12) 6:06 3-7 Lonely Man (take 13/M) 3:26 3-8 Lonely Man (solo, take 1) 2:10 3-9 Lonely Man (solo, takes 2-3) 2:55 3-10 Lonely Man (solo, take 4/M) 2:08 3-11 In My Way (take 1) 1:31 3-12 In My Way (take 2) 1:36 3-13 In My Way (takes 3-7) 2:34 3-14 In My Way (take 8/M) 1:29 The Wild In The Country Sessions (Continued) 4-1 Wild In The Country (take 1) 1:05 4-2 Wild In The Country (takes 2-8) 6:15 4-3 Wild In The Country (takes 9-11) 3:31 4-4 Wild In The Country (takes 12-13) 2:21 4-5 Wild In The Country (take 14) 2:08 4-6 Wild In The Country (takes 15-16) 2:12 4-7 Wild In The Country (takes 17-18) 1:24 4-8 Wild In The Country (take 19/M) 2:02 4-9 Forget Me Never (take 1) 1:40 4-10 Forget Me Never (take 2) 0:25 4-11 Forget Me Never (take 3/M) 1:48 4-12 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (takes 1-3) 3:22 4-13 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (takes 4-6) 3:13 4-14 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (takes 7-9) 3:13 4-15 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (take 10) 1:47 4-16 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (take 11) 1:54 4-17 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (takes 12-13/M) 2:14 4-18 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (lower key, takes 14-16 3:16 4-19 I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell (lower key, takes 17-18/M) 2:43 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Initially I wasn't going to get this one, but a discount code an an inability to be particularly disciplined led to me picking this up a few weeks ago ... So I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. This one is quite interesting in many ways, as we open with a none album track single, and we have "Something" combined with a movie soundtrack, that being "Wild". I can only assume that the sessions were quite close together, and they wanted to maintain a four disc set up or something. For all you experts out there, is there something else that links these two sessions/albums? Just interested, as it seems slightly unusual in some ways. There are definitely some excellent tracks here, and aside from a personal, slight dislike of the track arrangement on Something For Everybody, I think it is a great batch of songs, and of course Elvis was still in the peak of his syrup and velvet vocals. So please give us your thoughts about this set, and anything of the pleasant surprises, or disappointments that it gave you. I am hoping for a good amount of session chatter in between the songs.... it's just something I like on these. Cheers Mark I'm Coming Home take 2 This is a nice swinging little pop/rock song.
Gently takes 1 and 2 We get a sort of false start and then we move into the track here. This track has that lower pitched swoony croon vocal from Elvis..
