The Spanish "La Vanguardia" (Catalonia) newspaper presented an 20 volumes series of classic Elvis Presley albums. Twenty weekends in a row you can get a nicely packed Elvis CD for a few Euros when you buy your newspaper.
Design
Part of being an Elvis fan is collecting his music, his movies or both. So when a new edition of a CD you already own comes out with additional bonus tracks, newly remastered sound or a news package to fit the disk you are both irritated to feel the need (at least some fans do) to buy it again or at least try look at it. Especially when it is released in just one far-off country. It was the same with this release.
Fortunately a sister in law - thanks Tineke - was so kind to sent me a copy of this Spanish re-issue of the "Elvis, NBC TV Special" CD.
The CD comes in a 30 pages full color hardcover book. Although I can't read the Spanish language I know enough Elvis to understand what is written on these pages. Besides the track listing, composers and artists performing on this album the author also tells the story behind the special. The author places it in a historical perspective with details on both Elvis' personal life as to what happened in real life - racial tension - as musically.
Then back to the special with short biographies of the men who joined Elvis on the little stage for the "unplugged” session and all the details on the songs performed during the special. The booklet ends with reviews on the special when it was first aired.
All is illustrated with nice shots from the special and presented in a fresh looking design.
If I didn't have this album - and many other albums - already too many times and this set would be in English I might be tempted to buy it, especially as each volume costs about five Euros.
Content
The disc contains the 1992 remastered version of the show, not the remastered show that was released last year. I'll skip the review of the audio on this disc, we all know it, and we all like it :-) Reviewing this CD was a good reason to play this album once again.
Conclusion
A very nice project from BMG Spain and the Spanish La Vanguardia newspaper. A lot of fans can get to know Elvis and his music in a very nice - and cheap - way. This beats those budget releases as introduction to Elvis on all fronts possible.
One question remains, why don't we get our Follow That Dream releases packed as nicely as these re-issues?
Tracklisting
- Trouble (1968/06/22)
- Guitar Man (1968/06/22)
- Lawdy Miss Clawdy (1968/06/29 8 P.M.)
- Baby, What You Want Me to Do (1968/06/29 6 P.M.)
- Heartbreak Hotel (1968/06/29 6 P.M.)
- Hound Dog (1968/06/29 6 P.M.)
- All Shook Up (1968/06/29 6 P.M.)
- Can't Help Falling in Love (1968/06/29 6 P.M.)
- Jailhouse Rock (1968/06/29 8 P.M.)
- Don't Be Cruel (1968/06/29 8 P.M.)
- Blue Suede Shoes (1968/06/27 8 P.M.)
- Love Me Tender (1968/06/29 8 P.M.)
- Where Could I Go but to the Lord (1968/06/21)
- Up Above My Head
- Saved
- Baby, What You Want Me to Do (1968/06/27 6 P.M.)
- That's All Right, Mama (1968/06/27 8 P.M.)
- Blue Christmas (1968/06/27 8 P.M.)
- One Night (1968/06/27 6 P.M.)
- Tiger Man
- Tryin' to Get to You (1968/06/27 8 P.M.)
- Memories
- Nothingville
- Big Boss Man (1968/06/20)
- Let Yourself Go (1968/06/20)
- It Hurts Me (1968/06/20)
- Guitar Man (1968/06/21)
- Little Egypt (1968/06/21)
- Trouble (1968/06/21)
- Guitar Man (1968/06/21)
- If I Can Dream