Just how different is it now at STAX?
Content
Although it’s just part of Elvis face on the cover and even out of focus the cover looks attractive. Unfortunately that is all there is to be said about the design, the booklet is only two black pages with some well known images and a STAX logo.
If you create a bootleg with “borrowed” why not “borrow” the great STAX mini site that is available on the world wide web with a good design, interesting background information and nice images.
Content
Elvis’ 1973 recordings at the famous STAX studio – where American Sound Studio founder Chips Moman once was Stax's main man behind the control board – delivered some great tracks that hit the singles chart and ended up on albums like “Raised On Rock”, “Good Times” and “Promised Land”. A lot of these tracks appealed to me and therefore I picked up this CD although I hesitated a bit because of the source (I expected to be) behind this import release; the same as behind the Wolf Call “Legendary Performances” and other "undefined alternate takes" re-issues. Unfortunately I think I was right.
Although the tracks in the track listing contain some of my favorites like “Raised On Rock” and “I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby” and of course “Promised Land” I don’t know what I’m listening to. Besides some originals the set contains “unreleased long and alternate” versions, but no information on the exact tracks is given.
Listening to the tracks you can sometimes hear the alterations of the home made cut and paste edits. Some edits are done very nicely but on the whole the lack of information and several bad edits spoil the listening pleasure. It will do as a collection of STAX recordings playing on the background, but knowing it is not the real thing I think I'll skip it browsings through my Elvis collection looking for a CD to play.
Conclusion
It is too damn different at STAX, skip this one if you want a real STAX compilation, track a copy down if you need some elevator music that’s sound familiar.
Let's hope Ernst Jorgensen picks up on the idea of a STAX compilation.
Tracklisting (for what's it worth):
- Raised On Rock 5.06
- If You Don't Come Back 3.08
- Just A Little Bit 3.57
- It's Different Now 4.11
- Three Corn Patches 3.51
- Find Out What's Happening 3.30
- My Boy 4.25
- It's Midnight 4.14
- Take Good Care Of Her 4.32
- I've Got A Thing About You Baby 3.53
- Mr. Songman 3.13
- Promised Land 4.01
- Love Song Of The Year 4.48
- Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming 3.52
Bonus:
- Girl Of Mine - Undubbed 3.41
- I Got A Feeling In My Body - Undubbed 3.38
- You Asked Me To - Undubbed 2.53
- If You Talk In Your Sleep - Undubbed 2.18
- Thinking About You - Undubbed 3.57
- Help Me - Undubbed 2.28
- Sweet Angeline - Vocal Overdub 3.11