Great job Johnny. This is the first Elvis release that has left me totally confused! My only conclusion so far is I think the 69 Memphis recordings just need leaving alone and the most interesting and enjoyable disc was the Stax recordings.
Месяц назад
They definately should have left the 1969 recordings alone, butI can't agree on the STAX material where Elvis' voice is far too low in the new mixes.
Great review Johnny, really informative! My box set is on it's way. It's a shame about the American Sound Disc! (your assessment is completely consistent with what most trusted reviewers are saying!), plus... I really like 'A Little Bit Of Green' and 'Inherit The Wind', so I'm disappointed they've been omitted! 😫😠 That being said, I'm also very excited and keen to hear the Stax and Jungle Room Discs! 👍😊
Yes, and how could 'If I'm a Fool (for loving you)' and 'Mr Songman' also have been omitted. RCA will no doubt say they didn't have room, yet they found space for 'This Time / I Can't Stop Loving You', (along with so many 'non highlights' from the live recordings.. )
Thanks Johnny. Your review confirms what I’ve heard about the Stax and Graceland recordings. I agree. I love those discs but I do wish they did all the Stax songs. I’m with you on Thinking About You. Love that song. Thanks again.
Good to have you back! Thank you for the honest review. Too many fans think pointing out problems with what a company did with a release is somehow a criticism of Elvis or something. They need to do better quality control
Thanks for a great review Johnny, all the reviews I've seen so far all seem to be very scathing of disc two, I also agree with you that if it says undubed it should be undubed. It seems to me that this set is a great opportunity missed.
Sorry do not agree, and some reviews are not honest about this release, and offcourse opinions vary . For me it is not an opportunity missed, a great add to my collection for sure.
@@HenkNuwolt But it could've been much better if Ernst had also included various audio tracks from December 4, 1956; March 7, 1960; June 10, 1975 and July 5, 1976.
After watching your text which was great by the way ,lived it .I had to listen to Don't cry daddy . I found it to be honest one of the best verii have ever heard,taking into account I've been collecting for 50 years . If they were to release a single form the set I would put this as the A side with mama liked the roses . I found don't cry daddy a very relaxed and smooth version. Elvis and the guitar they could have almost left out the rest
Hey mate, nice to see you back, interesting as ever, a right mixed bag this, some tracks OK, others not so much! packaging nice, I’m very disappointed in Graceland, I ordered the red vinyl, not delivered yet, no emails or despatch date, won’t reply to me emails, disgraceful! cheers my friend!
Johnny, great review. Although you make what are certainly valid points, I have to say I really like this set. It's different and I like hearing something different. Regarding the overdubs...yes the statement that there are no overdubs is flat out untrue and shouldn't have been made. That said I don't find them objectionable, all the same, they shouldn't have said there were none. For me, the fact that's it's bass heavy is great, I've got 60+ year old ears that appreciate variety on the low end and I've always been partial to recordings with heavy bass, a matter of personal taste. I also think it was done because a lot of the younger crowd go for bass heavy although I don't want to feel I'm being hit in the chest with a bat, so maybe that was a consideration. The thing I really get out of this set is really hearing the nuance in his vocals which is the most important instrument in the mix for me. Of course, not every song is done to my taste and these won't be my go to versions, the originals will always have that place just from the perspective of nostalgia. I even liked the organ being present in Promised Land, lol. Thanks for the in depth review, it's always fun to hear someone else's perspective.
Thomas, I think the set could've been greatly enhanced if four more "Memphis" dates had received audio acknowledgement. I feel that a handful of tracks from the December 4, 1956 jam session at SUN should've been included on CD 1 (even if it meant omitting some of the studio cuts from 1954 & '55). Some excerpts from the March 7, 1960 Graceland interview would've been nice to kick off CD 2. Three songs (Fairytale, Burning Love, T-R-O-U-B-L-E) from June 10, 1975 could've been included as bonus tracks on CD 4. And on CD 5 (the 1976 disc) Ernst could have included 2 tracks from the July 5, 1976 concert (America The Beautiful, and That's All Right).
Месяц назад
Very balanced review. CD 5 is easily the best on the set, although I did enjoy the new versions of Mama Like The Roses and Without Love also. The overall sound is cleaner on the undubbed masters from the Graceland sessions but even here, I don't understand why Elvis' voice doesn't have the same impact that it has on the 'Way Down in The Jungle Room' collection... Particularly the phenomenal CD 2 from the 'Jungle Room' release, (which Matt Ross Sprang also re mixed). This release is at best, inconsistant.
American Sound is no longer there. A Family Dollar store is in that location. There is a historical marker, which I took a picture of when I visited the spot.
Your comments are very good. However, you have to remember that on overdubbing, some music remained because Elvis was in the original mix with singers and it was impossible to separate everything. The Don't Cry Daddy track is the Original take of the dual Elvis track which has been cleaned up rather than the murky original version. The one you criticize like many Elvis fans, is actually the stand out song, because Elvis' voice especially on the double track voice with the beautiful harmony is outstanding. I have no idea how record collectors like yourself and hundreds of Elvis collectors in the USA get so confused on the track "Don't Cry Daddy". This is the one song where Jorgensen and Matt together did a top notch production. I've listened to this new album and I hear hundreds of "new" Elvis fans applaud the production. I've heard comments by the producers who loved Elvis and respected Elvis and did everything possible to "keep the original" as best they could, because for years there were mistakes and they had the unpleasant work of "correcting" to make the songs sound so much better.
The new version of “Don’t Cry Daddy” is a creative decision made by the producer (Ernst) and engineer (Matt). It’s not the way Elvis recorded the track, nor the way he heard the track while recording and after. 😊
@@FrankieLovesElvis According to the Producers, they tried their best to keep the original recording by taking out voices and clearing up instruments to suit Elvis' voice. You really cannot get better than that.
I’ll be skipping Don’t Cry Daddy. Too annoying to listen to. Suspicious Minds doesn’t sound right to my ears. I’ll give that another listen or two but I have a feeling that I will skip over that song as well. Great review.
Yet another botched and underwhelming Jorgensen release. As soon as I heard the banal and uninspired title, I knew it would be a disappointment before we even get to all the omissions and amateur mixing/engineering. And who in their right mind would opt to choose two Las Vegas shots for the front covers of a release titled "Memphis"!?
Ernst Jorgensen wasn't very creative when putting this "MEMPHIS" compilation together. Some tracks from the December 4, 1956 jam session at SUN should've been included (even if it meant omitting some of the studio cuts from 1954 & '55). Some excerpts from the March 7, 1960 Graceland interview should've been included to kick off CD 2. Three songs (Fairytale, Burning Love, T-R-O-U-B-L-E) from June 10, 1975 should've been included as bonus tracks on CD 4. And on CD 5 (the 1976 disc) Ernst should have included 2 tracks from the July 5, 1976 concert (America The Beautiful, and That's All Right).
