FTD released what is considered one of Elvis’ best albums in their classic album series: From Elvis In Memphis.
Design
The design is top notch, like usual with the classic albums series. All necessary information completed with photos, original covers and other memorabilia.
Content
Any form of these recordings, being it the original album, the Suspicious Minds set, the legacy release of a couple of years ago or American Crown Jewels (or other bootlegs) has been in my walk-man, disc-man, MP3-player or phone for the last decades more or less continuously. FEIM is one of the few albums without songs I really dislike. The only one that doesn’t belong to my favourites, It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’, is still more than bearable.
First of all, the sound quality of the release is very good, but no (significant) improvement compared to earlier outings. The setup is done before: the original album, first takes on the first disc and outtakes and undubbed masters on the second. The bootleg before mentioned shows that not all outtakes are present, a missed chance!
The “new” outtakes show no spectacular difference to earlier released outtakes or the masters. As known before, In the Ghetto and Power of My Love have the most difference between (some) outtakes and the masters.
Conclusion
Whatever they do with this material, it stays among Elvis’ best. Also this release proofs that, a very enjoyable 2CD set that didn’t leave my player for a while now and will be transferred to my phone soon to replace The Memphis Sessions.
One of those LPs that bearly survived my assault. It spinned so often on my old record player that I was happy to be able to make a decent copy on tape at the time. Now we have several discs, which are again up to the original level and I am very very happy with it. For me all the songs are without exception 5 stars, only topped by the fifties recordings. Soothing for the sore ears after having to listen to todays radio.
It's really hard to write about this one.. It's like trying to find a new way to describe the "Mona Lisa." There's not many superlatives left to describe this one that hasn't already been said by others. I must make mention of the last seven tracks on the second CD. The undubbed Masters that finish the set are amazing. Elvis's voice is so clear on these that they instantly replaced the dubbed Masters on my Ipod. These undubbed masters even made me change my mind on "It Keeps Righ On A-Hurtin'." Look out Top 5 FTD countdown.
As Lex mentioned, there are many incarnations of this material. My favorite is American Crown Jewels, but it sounds like this new release could be a contender for the top spot.
As good as this set is, it appears that the best outtakes have been exhausted long ago as the new outtakes don't offer anything much different or better here, although Elvis' belch of frustration after gaffing a line of 'In The Ghetto' - take 1 offers a bit of insight into how seriously Elvis took this song. Probably the unfinished masters hold the most appeal for me. If some prviously bootlegged outtakes have missed the boat here, then I can't understand is why FTD seems to prioritise previously released outtakes over unreleased ones for inclusion. Not just this but for other classic album packages as well.
Its a nice package but it would have been nice if released years ago, maybe as one of the earliest FTD classic albums before stuff like Clambake. After all the money I have spent on these songs thru the years, regular releases and the countless outtakes, its sort of a non-event. I really am against buying the same material multiple times.
very good cover and booklet with a nice print, maybe the pic on the backcover is a little outside the context because it isn't from the memphis sessions period, the sound is really good and the unddubed masters are fine. i don't like false starts and takes from the same song one after another but i'm very happy with this release thanks ftd team 4.5/5
What about the photo on the 3rd digi-pak panel of what looks like the back end of the American Studio. Looks like their dunny block...hardly flattering.
Good to have this album released in the classic album series by FTD. A lot of the material has already been released but there is not much left in the vaults in general after more than 100 FTD releases! The highlights for me are the undubbed masters. The same is true for most of the recordings from 69-76 as I do not always enjoy the overdubbing that was done at the time. The sound quality is great and listening to songs like In The Ghetto through my earphones has been a great pleasure. A few more classic albums (e.g Moody Blue), some live recordings (On Tour & In Concert) and we will have almost everything that's worth having... 5 stars from me! PS I also hope for a "Stereo in the '50's" release with all the stereo recordings not already included in the classic album series...
Yes, this material has been released a number of times and there's much that's new, but for me this is the definitive release. This, in conjunction with it's companion FTD release, Back In Memphis, is the last time I will purchase this material. Great listening.
Should read there's NOT much that's new... Sorry 'bout that.
There's still about a dozen more songs give or take from the '69 American sessions, ie. "Hey Jude", "Kentucky Rain" along with the backing tracks of "Poor Man's Gold", "Come Out, Come Out" and "Memory Revival". This would be an opportunity for another FTD invention along the line of the "Elvis Sings..." genre like they did with "Guitar Man" and "Memphis Tennessee" etc.
This would've been a great release as a 3 disc set. I mean we pay the same for a single disc why not make outstanding sets like this with a third CD.
genedin - the answer to your question is $$$$. Milk the cow for as much as you can. its been that way with Elvis since 1956. Why should things change now 50 years later? They know the fan base.
They do indeed know the fan base.
