Memphis Recording Service Volume 2

It´s stuff like this that makes it all worth being an Elvis fan/collector. 100% heart and soul is put into these products. Thanks!!

fantastic, also like Vol.1 - i will definatley be buyin this!

I’ve got a few things to get off my chest about this and the first volume of this series. First off I think the package is nice. I could do with out the colorizing that they do to the photos. I’m just not a fan when someone tries to doctor up history. As far as the audio of these the 45rpm pressings seem cool, and for me the rest of the package could suck and I’d still enjoy the records. I must admit though that I don’t own it yet because of two reasons. The first being that I question the legality of these releases. I just don’t want to blow a lot of money on these only to have the definitive Sun package come out sometime later and find that superceding this. (It’s bad enough that RCA/BMG/Sony has made the term ‘double-dipping’ an understatement in the years since Elvis’s death!) And the second is I have serious doubts that the DVD could actually sound better than the official remasters by Kevin Budd. After all I don’t really believe that Sony lent this company access to the original masters they possess. Not to mention that this is not a DVD-Audio but a DVD-Video! Dolby digital is a compressed audio format and is similar to a higher quality MP3 format. Also of mention is that all of these were originally recorded in MONO but is claimed to be in 5.1 surround. If that is so, does that mean that the sound is mono but emanates from all five speakers equally or is it an electronically created surround sound. How much would that suck I ask. One only needs to remember how annoying RCA’s stereo rechanneling of Elvis’s recordings were and how much they destroyed the historic sound that he made. Anyhow I hope that is not the case here. I guess I’ll hold off on these until someone can prove to me how authentic the sound quality is and if the publisher’s claims of surpassing the new Sony/BMG transfers on ‘Elvis At Sun’ really are true.

wow, if they keep the half of what they've just promised in this press announcement... it will be definitively a GREAT product. I'm pretty surprised to hear that it is going to be released this year... but let's wait and see.

This is a collector's dream, like was the volume 1. I can't wait.

lemonjello wrote: >>> I don’t own it yet because of two reasons. The first being that I question the legality of these releases. - well this is something out of discussion, majority of Import CDs and DVDs is - lets say - not really legal. I see no reason why this will bother me. >>> remasters by Kevin Budd. - he is Kevan Kevan Kevan. >>> Not to mention that this is not a DVD-Audio but a DVD-Video! - where you read it is a DVD VIDEO? There is written it is DVD AUDIO.... I do not have the first volume either but it was presented as DVD Audio too... any more informations, please? >>> originally recorded in MONO but is claimed to be in 5.1 surround. - I do not think they fooled with mono track to try to create faked stereo. This will be way to hell... More probable, it will be still straight mono. A lot of mono DVDs have written 5.1 on the cover :-( for some strange reasons.......

lemonjello, as you might know the beauty witht dvd audio or sacd is that it is high resolution cd´s, and not compressed in sound as standard cd´s, or super compressed like mp3. When you play a 5.1 dvd audio track WITH A DVD AUDIO PLAYER in 2 channel stereo/mono, you actually end up getting more informaion out of it (24bit 192khz), than if you listen to the track in 5.1 dolby digital (16 bit 48khz) on a STANDARD DVD PLAYER. This is made for copyright protection reasons. These mono recorded Elvis songs was naturaly not being made with no other intention than to be enjoyed in mono(!) with one or two speakers involved. The option to listen to this release in artificial 5.1 is just being offered to us as just an "option" I believe. Your concern about the master tapes is however an important question I also would like to get an answer on. Original master tapes has in the "90s only being licensed to other company´s such as DCC with their 2 Elvis gold cd releases. However, I doubt anyone in 2006 is able to do so, since BMG likes to make their own compilations these days ;) And they would never admit that someone else has got better tapes than them, so one can only email this question to MRS and ask. Listen and compare is also to recommend. But just to be able to own a flawless vinyl copy of "Mystery train" from its original stamper, is in my opinion priceless.

Interesting discussion, gents. I'm about to get Volume 1 despite some concerns I've read about that release. I can't be too bad. Regarding Lemon's comment: "The first being that I question the legality of these releases. I just don’t want to blow a lot of money on these only to have the definitive Sun package come out sometime later and find that superceding this..." On the legality part of it, I guess you haven't heard: it's been 50-plus years: in the UK, that's public domain, which really makes a lot of sense. For better or for worse, anyone can now issue Elvis Sun compilations. But on the second point, as discussed, that's the kicker: it doesn't follow that RCA/Sony/BMG had to turn over their tapes. But I suppose someone can digitally copy "Elvis at Sun" and then tinker with it. And who'd know? The press release implies that have found even newer tapes than RCA/Sony/BMG. We shall see. The record included (from the mother stamper) is again the clincer for me.

Oops: I meant that the 45 rpm record will be the *clincher* for me.

I have bought vol 1 when it was released and it is a very nice edition to my collection. Not as great as I have expected from the press releases but worth the price anyway. My main complaint is that the music is on DVD Audio ("for optimum sound, the remastered works contained herein have been designed for 5.1 DVD-Audio" it claims). How can I compare this release to others (that claims to be superior to "Elvis At Sun" remestered by Kevan Budd), when I have a pretty good sound system that doesn't include a DVD-Audio player? How many people own a DVD-Audio player? Sure you can listen to it on your DVD-player, but the quality is far inferior to a DVD-Audio player. Maybe they did it on purpose in order to be able to claim superior sound quality without being challenged too much. So now that I am thinking whether I should buy vol. 2, the included DVD will not play an important part in my decision. I haven't decided yet...

I'm reluctant to buy either Sun package because of the proposed FTD ultimate SUn package. I have to believe Elvis' legitimate record company will put out a better package than this label, but I could be wrong. How many of these Sun packages can you own? Too many, so I am wiaitng for FTD to get it together.

MRS Vol 2: Sound - I bought the last set and it was awful, they claimed the sound was better than Elvis at Sun on that one but the MRS Vol 1 was the worst sounding Sun release I ever heard. Will I be fooled again, not a chance! As for sources - well only one record company has access to the faults and it’s not this one, perhaps they are stealing all they can from official CDs -"pump up the bass, pump up the bass", yeah real pros these guys! Tracks - they fail to tell you that this set will not contain Harbor lights, tomorrow night or when it rains it really pours, as that would make it a plain bootleg. Colorized pictures - what the hell, blue Jeans and a pink Jacket on the back of the set!! We also saw the wrong colors used in Vol 1 on the Overton Park Shell boy photo, which looked pretty crappy yet Ernst found a true color shot and this was published through Ernst by "Elvis the man and his music" Footage - Blast it! I blinked and missed it, whatever tiny clip they have will be released everywhere and probably more complete once this set is out. Also coming to a Youtube near you. Book - the last book claimed to have new information and Myth busters, yet there were mistakes all through it. Track record - Vol 1, best ever sound - Lie. New material, almost nothing (well a guitar strum!) and no doubt certainly nothing that wont be on the FTD Sun box set. FTD Elvis the sun year’s Box set: Sound - should be Natural, much like Elvis at sun no turbo, hypersonic pump up the Phat Bloated bass boost on this set. CD Contents - Ernst has stated that this set will include every studio tape they have including all outtakes; this should mean many new alternate studio versions. It has also been stated that "that’s all right" will be from a great dry source. Ernst has also stated unreleased live material such as the 1955 Meridian show and I bet that is just for starters. Pictures - Ernst has stated hundreds of unpublished pictures will be in the book including never before seen REAL color shots. Not the happy days felt pen efforts on the MRS sets. Track record - Ernst delivers the goods and has access to the vault. On top of all this I want to support FTD and its great releases for the future for many years to come not see their work undermined by the unofficial releases that just confuse the public. Conclusion - as if you need one! Save those bucks and wait a little longer for the FTD release. Read the recent articles in "the man and the music" to read and see what the FTD set will be like from Ernst, and from the articles it sounds like it will be release pretty soon. You could ask why not buy both? from what we have heard and seen so far the FTD set with Ernst’s track record, will make this MRS vol 2 set look like a booklet of the same old tired stuff that will be gathering dust as soon as the FTD set is released. Got a duster!

Danny, whatever the resourses might be for tapes etc, FTD has proven without any doubt to be about outtakes and nice 7 inch covers. Thats ok, but their aim soundwise doesn´t go beyond that , and that bothers me a lot. The BMG DSD versions simply sound better than the same editions by FTD, (also mastered by K, Budd.) So... without any effort shown from that label in terms of sound upgrade such as MRS dvd/audio or sacd (DSD), I´d say "element 22 once again (!) And stick to the Elvis at SUN remaster by "Budd" wich has DSD transfer. The job is not solely done by those formats I know, but I think that while your at it with best possible tapes, why not put it down on a format that makes more room for dynamiq and sample rate?! It doesn´t matter how many times K Budd or anyone else remaster a tape if that last process is being ignored. But I also must point out that dvd/audio ect add nothing if the resource is crap. Is MRS that?? I will find out.. I know this might seem as a quite boring and unsexy subject to some.. but it´s the most important part I think.

I´ve just recieved an email from Joseph Pirzada who promised to give a more reality situation on what actually has been going on for this release. He is making last details for the book in the USA, but will email from there during the week..

That is very interesting, Jesper. I look forward to hearing the information you receive. I did enjoy the first edition, and welcome this second package. It is not the ultimate last word on the Sun era, I think we will have to wait for the FTD box set for that, but I did not expect it to be. My only niggle was the tinting of the photographs. I think there is a beauty to black and white photography which this process destroys.

Beautiful stuff to look forward to, Sam Phillips would be proud, however i do believe that Sam made his Millions by investing in Holiday Inn Chain, and not Elvis Presley, Sun was his Dream, Elvis was his find, and Holiday Inn was his real trip to the Bank.