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Elvis At Sun HDCD

September 13, 2004 | Music
Here is another release from Hong Kong. A 2 disc HDCD version of “Elvis At SUN” … or is it?

Design

The set comes in a slipcase with some Chinese characters for the title besides the classis SUN logo. Inside the booklet you’ll find the lyrics to all the tracks, but like in most booklets from that part of the world it are the lyrics exactly as Elvis sings them, so including the “Oh baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, b-b-b-b-b-b baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby” on “Baby Let’s Play House”. The interpunction probably was a problem for the translator too, it is missing in most lyrics as there is no space between the sentences.

The disc itself contains the same picture as the cover (with Elvis At SUN: in English, and not the classic SUN logo we know from the original release of this compilation.

Content

A 2 disc edition of SUN sound great, if it really was, but looking at the track listing we can only say Sam Philips was really ahead of his time, using contemporary DJ Paul Oakenfold on his recordings.

As with most releases from Asia the so called producers throw a lot of different tracks together or add a second (bonus) disc to an original BMG release. But on this one they really messed up.

To get the “Elvis 2nd To None” compilation thrown in for free is great, but please leave the SUN CD in tact! Elvis at SUN without “That’s All Right”, the SUN track that started it all for Elvis. It is the first song of the bonus disc, which also features “I Forgot To Remember To Forget”, and there is no use to add a song twice on one compilation. But please add it there where it is fits in naturally in the final SUN master compilation.

Now we get ‘I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” as the third “SUN” track on this compilation, and the SUN compilation continues with “It’s Now Or Never” and even ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”. By itself not the worst tracks from Elvis’ catalogue, but they shouldn’t be on a themed disc like this.

We can’t judge the quality of the HDCD format since we don’t have a HDCD player (most popular in Asia, never caught on in the rest of the world with the possibilities of DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD’s). Ernst Jorgensen and others involved in remastering Elvis’ catalogue don’t know these releases, so don’t let the BMG logo on the side fool you.

Conclusion

A funny release for collectors, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the title “Elvis At SUN”, the inclusion of tracks as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and the remix of “Rubberneckin’” really make this compilation look ridiculous.

Track listing:

CD 1:
Harbor Lights - I Love You Because (alternate take 2) - I Want you, I Need You, I Love You - Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Blue Moon - Tomorrow Night - I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) - Just Because - Good Rockin’ Tonight - I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine - Milkcow Blues Boogie - You’re A Heartbreaker - I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version) - I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone - Baby, Let’s Play House - Love Me - Mystery Train - Trying To Get To You - When It Rains It Really Pours - Loving You - It´s Now Or Never - You´ve Lost That Loving Feeling - I´ve Lost You - Until It´s Time For You To Go - True Love - She Wears My Ring - It´s Impossible - Love Letters

CD 2:
That´s All Right - I Forget To Remember To Forget - Blue Suede Shoes - Always On My Mind - Rags To Riches - Mean Woman Blues - Surrender - Treat Me Nice - Wear My Ring Around Your Neck - King Creole - Trouble - I Got Stung - I Need Your Love Tonight - A Mess Of Blues - I Feel So Bed - Little Sister - Rock-A-Hula Baby - Bossa Nova Baby - Viva Las Vegas - If I Can Dream - Memories - Don´t Cry Daddy - Kentucky Rain - You Don´t Have To Say You Love Me - An American Trilogy - Always On My Mind - Promised Land - Moody Blue - I´m A Roustabout - Rubberneckin´ (Remix)