Rolling Stone's Coolest DVDs Ever

It's just a matter of time before these two DVD's get the attention they deserve, and when they do, and it catches on, the sales will go through the roof, but they need a network television promotion campaign for that to happen.

Am I the only person to be disappointed with the re-issued three DVD set of 68 Special, and Aloha for that matter? It is wonderful to see take-after-take, it's a delight to see Elvis working so hard to walk the walk, fight the fight and talk the talk, but where's the director's input? Where are the vox-pops of the people who appeared on the show? I want to hear first hand what it was like sharing a set with Elvis, I need the picture painted with all the colours from the box. I was left wanting. And then what happened with the packaging and the brochure, and let's not talk about the packaging for ALOHA because that was appauling. I am thrilled, and I mean thrilled to have the hours, but it was a job half-done in my opinion. Elvis is worthy of the best, the very best creative direction when it comes to high-end repackaging. These two titles deserved better treatment. I'm glad I got that off my chest. That said, I'm pleased that Elvis got the award. In conclusion I was watching some tart who I had never heard of on the Grammys who it was said had SEVEN of those awards. Why did the US music industry deny and not award Elvis' success because he should have had a HUNDRED?

Its great to read that Rolling Stone think that the 68 special is cool. But I know exactly what you mean Todd. And I was even more disappointed with TTWIIse( dvd). Elvis should have got alot more grammys as well.

Tod brought up an excellent point about Grammy awards. Why hasn't Elvis received his share? This is because the Grammy is really NOT about what is cutting edge in music or what is the best in music. At any rate, who the heck can really decide what is the best? But Elvis only received three awards. And even The Beatles, who are regarded as the greatest musical force of the 20th century along with Elvis, never really won their share of awards. And the Rolling STones never even won any at all! Why? The Grammy people HATED the Stones. And they HATED Elvis and they hated The Beatles. Why? Because the Grammy people are old farts that don't know real music if it got up and bit them on the ass. "Yesterday" by the Beatles never got a Grammy. And none of the great rock records ever did. So Elvis is in pretty good company here: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones. In my opinion, the Grammys only recognize the stupidest, deadest music on earth! If you get a Grammy, it means you are DEAD musically. This is the general rule. Of course, they have a safety valve. The Grammys give out Lifetime Achievement awards for people they screwed over like the Stones. But Elvis never got a Grammy because Elvis' music was always dangerous and the old farts never got it or liked it. The Grammy is really a death sentence. Michael Jackson got the most I believe in one year. Quincy Jones and George Solti have the most. Who? They are a bunch of farts. Solti was a conductor. The cat wasn't even a composer or anything. A Jones is just a fart! And Wacko Jacko getting the most Grammys in a single year is ridiculous! And remember, Milli Vanilli got that Grammy in 1989. And the cats didn't even sing on their own records. The Grammy is pure crap. A sure sign that your music is dead is when you win a Grammy. Only the Milli Vanillis win Grammy awards. They know where they can put their Grammy awards... I mean George Solti got the most Grammy awards and the cat is dead and forgotten, like 5 people on this planet know who the heck he is. Get my point? People like Anita Kerr win Grammy awards. They like to give them to jazz people, black people, etc. You get my drift. They ignored the Elvis 50s box and the 60s box. In fact, every Elvis album. But who even remembers who won the Grammy award. They are forgotten has-beens now. But everybody knows Elvis. They know where they can put their Grammy....

How did this great Elvis moment not make it on the orginal broadcast? What were they thinking back in 1968 when they were putting this special together? I think this is one of the coolest Elvis moments, EVER!

I actually think the packaging for the DVD sets is good. The subtle touch makes them stand out from the usual ones we get. If it was so bad then how come they're probably the most high profile, best selling Elvis DVD's there's been? It would have been so easy (and boring) to stick a picture from each respective show on the cover. I for one am glad they didn't. Not because there's anything wrong with seeing Elvis in all his glory on the covers, but because this would have made them look like any other release.

Todd, "In conclusion I was watching some tart who I had never heard of on the Grammys who it was said had SEVEN of those awards." I dont know who your talking about but atleast try to get her name and why do you think you need to resort to such name calling just becasue you dont know her and she won more Grammys than Elvis. Your so disconnected with whats going on nowadays. Your an embarrassment.

Hi folks: Let's not get carried away here. I agree with King of Western Bop: These DVD sets are the most successful Elvis DVDs that have ever been offered. Personally, I never liked the Aloha show, because it lacks energy, although the ballads are beautifully performed. As for the granny, excuse me, GRAMMY awards, Elvis did get one for How Great Thou Art, didn't he? Milli Vanilli are a good example of how meaningful these awards are... Another example is Eric Clapton: he got, I think 6 grammies, for this Unplugged on MTV album. A friend of mine who is into Clapton showed me the video and said, "Now, that is one of the best unplugged concerts ever." He changed his mind when I showed him the sit-down shows of Elvis' TV Special. Still, Clapton got 6 grammies for his show, Elvis got none... See?

I think there is a need for single disc versions of both DVD sets. One that would appeal to the general music lover rather than the commited fan. Maybe some day...

If you want see what I mean, borrow a copy of HARD DAYS NIGHT and view the bonus DVD where loads of faces connected with the movie and the era talk about working with the Beatles - it's ace. Oh and as for the muti-awarded grammy tart it was Bonnie Raitt - about my age I guess so obviously "cutting edge", possibly bigger than the Black Eyed Peas U2 and Beyonce all put together.

Todd I have got to agree with you on the dvds mentioned they could have been a lot better but isnt that always the case when it comes to elvis in fact some of the unofficial releases i.e bootlegs have better artwork etc than some of the official stuff also while we are talking of dvds what nut left out i just cant help believing from ttwii when in the movie he mentions it at least twice i hope i dont forget the words!!! and where were the extras. The grammys well thats another story but dont forget that the grammys did not start until 1958 two years after elvis came on the scene and elvis had a lot of hits in those two years and i dont think the colnel helped as he wanted paying for everything and this must have got the officials backs up a bit like epe with the bbc thats why elvis does not get the recognition he deserves a lot of the time because of greed

I think these releases are nice for us, the fans. But even I didn't watch all the outtakes again and again, so the general public will be probably bored pretty quickly. Todd's thoughts would make a great general release. Put the original shows (and do it right with Aloha this time, without those irritating dissortions at the left) and add interviews and such as a bonus.

The DVDs are fine. DVD technology allows the viewer to select and control what he/she watches. Anyone who isn't interested in the outtakes can just view the original special. ANd who wouldn't want the four Burbank live shows? Sometimes when people are blessed with ABUNDANCE they lose sight of the bigger picture. Quit your nit picking, folks. Thank you EPE for '68 and Aloha. They sold and are still selling because they are awesome packages all around. When it comes to Elvis fans, it's like everything else in the world: you can please some of the people all the time, all of the people some of the time BUT not all the people all of the time. Bring on ON TOUR with every scrap of extras you can find. I agree though that was deleted from TTWII was unfortunate, but I'm willing to bet it's a copyright problem again. Do you people out there realize how lucky we are? There is no other artist in the planet who has had so much released posthumously. Name me one other artist who can boast of having so much alternate material released as Elvis has had with FTD and BMG? I count my blessings and have no reason to gripe.

have to agree about A Hard Days Night. The best bit of the extras is the when the photographer (cant remember exactly off the top of my head) tells us that he was living below Lennon and all he could hear was Elvis. Yes it is great to have it all but it could have been better and the people from the Elvis world are not getting any younger.

Perhaps it would have been good to add something like the '68 Special section of the "Ultimate Elvis" DVD to the release. I've already commented on the DVD case artwork. I think it's OK, Some of you don't. The point being that even if it were to the liking of those that hate the present artwork you can bet that others would, in turn, hate their preferences. The name "ELVIS" should be enough to sell it anyway, in my opinion. After all, you could wrap up some terrible 10th rate release in a fancy box - it'll still be 10th rate in content. And that's what really matters - content. I'm just grateful that we have these releases at all.

lennon was the ''plastic elvis ''. what ever elvis did he followed. pop songs, differant hairstyles all the time, glasses and in the end he lived like elvis, alone. with this elvis had big influence on him. interesting elvis made sure he didnt record lennon only mccartney who really wasnt a number 1 fan like lennon .

Well said doctor, I couldn't agree more. Elvis has got some of the best fans in the world but he also has some of the most negative.

There are plans to release both 68 SPECIAL and ALOHA as single DVD titles possibly in time for the 50th anniversary of Heartbreak, along with a single, a vinyl, a shellak, an album, and a box-set.

I love the 68 special. In my opinion its the best dvd they have released of Elvis. The picture quality is amazing and I love the outtakes

As someone who likes Elvis and The Beatles equally (sorry) I was just comparing it as a product. I dont think there has been a better time to be a fan since Elvis was alive. We have great sound, official bootlegs, number ones, great dvds etc. I just think a 20 minute interview with Binder and maybe Scotty, DJ and several others along with a short documentary on how the special came to be and the aftermath etc would have made a great dvd the best ever. I am not even going to enter into a Lennon debate but I just found it interesting that even as they were about to become the biggest band in the world, John still liked to listen to Elvis although I doubt he was listening to Follow That Dream.

Ryan i would have Follow that dream over imagine anytime! and i like the Beatles too. Follow that dream uplifting and possitive, Imagine depressing and boring after 2 listens,

Todd, you never heard of Bonnie Raitt? Enough said.

Isn't it sad that if fans disagree they feel that they have to be nasty to each other. I personally don't think that Robbie Riatt should have 7 Grammy's when Elvis has only three - she is only famous for a campaign to remove electrical amplification from pop music - which is a big odd for someone who has 7 awards from a music industry which is driven by electricity.

Todd, im not being at all nasty to you. I am pointing out the fact that you said that Bonnie Rait is " "some tart who I had never heard of... " Now you proclaim to know what is the only reason that she is famous. I am doing you a favour by pointing out how out of touch you are. Bonnie Rait was around for decades before she won those Grammys and the only reason she is famous in NOT for the reasons you think. I think it is fans like YOU who get nasty towards any artist that is not Elvis. Even though you didnt know who she is, you still called her a "tart." It is fans like you that give other fans who have wider musical apprication than you have, a bad name.

Lennon was overrated arrogant egotistiscal, hypocritycal, Tosser in the music business and thats only the words i "Think "i can spell about him and he is not even anywhere in the same league as "ELVIS" before elvis there was nothing.After ELVIS well thats up to you to decide.

i agree 1,000,000% with the comment beneath this!! since ELVIS? STILL nothing.