Go to main content

Patch It Up

By ElvisNews.com / Kees, December 05, 2006 | Music
Released by the new MFX records label is the CD “Patch It Up”.

Design

The design looks amateurish at first glance, but browsing through the booklet I found the liner notes interesting although the sources and details of the studio tracks are not given and the “raw” casual pictures matching the raw content of the CD. The colours of the text could have been chosen a bit clearer.

Content

The producers decided to “present something new, something different and exciting … a different sound to that provided by the postproduction pieces of Felton Jarvis … see Elvis take shape as musician and producer through 13 studio tracks completely unedited, raw yet musically complete”. The producers succeeded. This compilation gives us a raw Elvis, and I feel like that fly on the wall listening in on a jam session of our man with his friends. You can hear the fun oozing out your speakers on “I Didn’t Make It On Playing Guitar”. Some songs are edited, clipped and thereby manipulated, but as an entertaining compilation on the background they sound o.k..

In addition the producers added 14 rarely heard and mostly unedited live tracks that cover all the musical activity of Elvis in the 1970s. Fortunately most from the first years of the seventies when Elvis still enjoyed his time on stage with classics like “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Patch It Up” and “Faded Love”. “Although the latter is a great song three performances of that song and “I Really Don’t Want To Know” is a little too much repetition in the live segment to keep this compilation going with friends.

The audio quality is good, but there is some variation, but this can be expected with a compilation from various sources. The producers remastered and edited the tracks, the result is enjoyable and I could only find one real edit error. As stated the details on the acetates and other recordings are not available, so I can’t really say which takes were used. According to the original press release seven tracks are unavailable.

Conclusion

The conclusion is simple; this is a very enjoyable compilation with a raw Elvis enjoying himself with his friends in the studio and on stage. This release could have been entitled “Elvis And Friends”, contrary to all the budget releases which are released since the copyright on Elvis’ early work expired.

Track listing:

01. The Fool Acetate
02. Little Cabin On The Hill Acetate
03. Cindy Cindy Acetate
04. Got My Mojo Workin Acetate
05. It’s Your Baby You Rock it Acetate
06. I Didn’t Make it on Playing Guitar Alternate
07. I Really Don’t Want To Know Alternate
08. Faded Love Acetate
09. Tomorrow Never Comes Acetate
10. Make The World go Away Acetate
11. I Washed my Hands in Muddy Words Alternate
12. Patch It Up Acetate
13. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ on Alternate
14. Patch it up 10.08.70 opening night
15. Blue Suede Shoes / Whola Lotta Shakin’ Going On, September 07, 1970 CS
16. Make The World Go Away January 27, 1971
17. Blue Suede Shoes/Whola Lotta Shakin’ Going On, August 30, 1971
18. Faded Love February 15, 1973 DS
19. Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On, Seattle April 29, 1973
20. Faded Love May 13, 1973 3 AM
21. Rock Medley Uniondale June 24, 1973
22. Faded Love Nashville July 1, 1973 AS
23. Faded Love August 7,1973 MS
24. Make The World Go Away August 08, 1973
25. I Really Don’t Want To Know Jacksonville May 30, 1977
26. I Really Don’t want to know Mobile June 02,1977
27. I Really Don’t want to know Indianapolis June 26, 1977

Tracks 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26 previously unreleased.

Related links

Ronaldv wrote on December 17, 2006
I received the cd yesterday. am I the only one who bought this? I like the cd, a stunning version of it's your baby you rock it and a wonderful unreleased rock medley from the 2nd tour of 73 (!) in a reasonable sound quality. release the whole show please! for me this cd is a winner!
Greg Nolan wrote on December 19, 2006
But how much of it has been out before on imports and otherwise? That's the key for me.
benny wrote on December 21, 2006
i have just bought this & am awaiting delivery. ronaldv does the live tracks have a good sound & is there a big change in the acetates from the ec record. thanks Merry xmas everybody
Ronaldv wrote on December 22, 2006
overall the cd is sounding pretty good, benny, except for some audience live tracks. but I have heard much worse sound in the past on import cd's
benny wrote on December 22, 2006
thanks ronaldv