Ernst Jorgensen and FTD--Don't Take Either For Granted!

[genesim]

Elvis Fan,

I do agree that Erns and Roger Sermon or whoever should be appreciated for their efforts. Which they are!!! I have read more good things on this board about FTD then bad. That is a fact. The Jungle Room sessions has gotten the best comments. The Easter Special, the soundtracks..you name it. It is completely unfair to imply any other way.

That said, if there is flaws with a certain cd then it will be called out. Pittsburgh 76 is a good example. The boot should not sound BETTER then the official release. Often this is the case. Well if you are going to battle bootlegs and give people a reason to buy, then it should be superior sound quality. If people don't criticize how are they going to know? You think Ernst should quit releasing for that reason? That seems a little far fetched. I think the numbers show that people ARE buying(according to Ernst the label has been a success). A lot of this stuff should be released officially. For instance the updated soundtracks. That is how I see it.

In the end, I am VERY VERY thankful there is a collectors label. I for one, will not hestitate to give praise or criticize. I am a buyer and that is my right. It is us that makes the releases possible and NOT the other way around. I refuse to feel sorry for a RCA worker. Ernst is making his money and he is no better than anybody here. WE pay the money and WE pay for his salary. I consider myself a good supporter. If he has a problem with my criticicm then that is his problem. I for one have lined up my wall with my support for his product. That is a FACT!!

By the way, the true thanks should go to ELVIS!!

[likethebike]

Great post, Geneism.

[Guest]

FTD is a success. They wouldnt be releasing all these materials if only 3 or 4 guyd were buying them. I wonder why Essential Elvis series were stopped?

Francesc

[genesim]

I think that is what FTD is..Essential in a much bigger way.

[TONY]

Feel I've just got to chip in and say that when there were bootlegs by the score coming out all the time a few years ago containing concerts, nobody was complaining then, but now FTD have released a few of them, people are complianing, and I feel we have had a great variety of stuff already on the FTD label. We have had concerts so far from 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 76 and 77! There have been none from the other years yet, but I know there will be so just be patient. Also, there is a complete show from "On tour" 1972 coming on the July box set "Close up" so that will be nice. Don't forget, that if the bootleggers hadn't got there first, I'm sure FTD would have released material such as "Brightest star on Sunset Boulevard" and the 1974 rehearsals. Plus the opening show from Vegas '74, but these ARE already on bootleg.
TONY DOBB

[Guest]

Maybe people complain becuase they expect more from an official release, since theorically they have access to a wider variety of options not like the bootleggers.

Also now everybody has access to the Internet. And this bring good and bad things.

Francesc

[genesim]

Now wait...why are there "imports"? THAT Is what is effecting RCA releases!! I think you got it completely backwards!!! The import markets wouldn't thrive if certain companies would stay on the ball. The demand is there and they meet it. If RCA wasn't doing things half assed and actually went the COLONOL route then we would get all the products. Period!! Now I am not saying that Parker did it the best way, but he did have that mentality. Record companies like RCA create the need.

[genesim]

P.S. Since when should the consumers be hurt by the importers. That to me is the problem. Certain people won't release things because it is readily available in the import market? What kind of message is that!!! That is saying go buy the imports if you want it. Just like the CBS tapes!! That is such an assinine way of thinking, I can't even begin to criticize. If it is good material then RCA should assume nobody has it, and maybe even packagae it better. They have the equipment, they have the right, and they have the distribution. There is NO EXCUSE for it.

[see-see-rider]

That said, if there is flaws with a certain cd then it will be called out. Pittsburgh 76 is a good example. The boot should not sound BETTER then the official release. Often this is the case.

Huh?! That's a pretty adventurous thesis. Could you give a few examples, please?

[genesim]

Lets see how about the acetate of Hearts Of Stone. Much Much better on the Louisianna Hayride Volume 1 put out by a independent. Don't Think Twice..ah its not even worth the time. Go to Masters and Sessions for a quick run down.

I am not saying that RCA never gets it right, but Pittsburgh 76 from what I heard was far inferior to Auld Lang Syne. I am sure there are others and I could probably come up with better ones if I scanned my collection. Interviews come to mind. It isn't even always sound quality but quantity. Why does BMG continue to put partial collections of great material? Say the session that brought us Twelth Of Never also gave us a SUPERIOR version of Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming. Sorry I couldn't come up with more, but I am not at home. Can anybody else help me with this?

[genesim]

Oh I got a great Example. Greeting From Germany. The has a better sound then what was released from BMG. Not to mention they cut up the songs!!

[see-see-rider]

Lets see how about the acetate of Hearts Of Stone. Much Much better on the Louisianna Hayride Volume 1 put out by a independent. Don't Think Twice..ah its not even worth the time. Go to Masters and Sessions for a quick run down.

I am not saying that RCA never gets it right, but Pittsburgh 76 from what I heard was far inferior to Auld Lang Syne. I am sure there are others and I could probably come up with better ones if I scanned my collection. Interviews come to mind. It isn't even always sound quality but quantity. Why does BMG continue to put partial collections of great material? Say the session that brought us Twelth Of Never also gave us a SUPERIOR version of Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming. Sorry I couldn't come up with more, but I am not at home. Can anybody else help me with this?

Thanks for the immidate answer! There're so many comments, I can't reply on each one tonight 'cause it's already pretty late here. But I'm going to tomorrow, okay?

About Pittsburgh: Have you listened to it yourself yet? I'm asking because you say "from what I heard" ... IMO New Years Eve is much better than Auld Lang Syne. In fact it's so good I listened to the whole concert for the first time now. I don't want to put anybody down but IMO people must be deaf not to hear the difference. Probably most fans were disappointed because it still was the audience recording and not the infamous "soundboard" that - according to some people - is about to be released any minute for the last couple of years ...

New Years Eve is much more lively IMO than Auld Lang Syne, mainly because they cut out some of Elvis' talking and made it a much tighter performance this way. They also added more "room" feeling IMO and as far as I can remember right now they also added some audience noise here and there. All in all it's a much more straightened out performance. Listen to it yourself and compare it to Auld Lang Syne. Personally I think the difference can be easily heard. But of course you can't hear it if you expect it to be "inferior" before you've even listened to it.

[sam]

The sound quality of the music on New Years Eve is very good, but there is a crakleing sound through the disc that spoils it.

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

See See, that NYE 76 release on FTD has been discussed to death, but then only on the old mb, I think.

But nice to hear someone stick up for it, as I really enjoyed it, right down to the package. I haven't had a chance or much of a will to go after bootlegs like "Auld Lang Syne", so I'm fine w/ the FTD, flawed or not.

(By the way, I'm not deaf and I still say it's an exageration to say there's "crackling" throughout the whole CD. Simply not true. It's an audience-taped disc, folks, even if somehow not as good as "Auld.."

So anyway, cheers to the current RCA gang for bringing us Elvis as well as they have these recent years.

I take it folks here think we ought to all snap up the FTD's while we can? Because of the price, I'm going slow in getting them, but I can imagine them disappearing eventually....

[genesim]

Ok first of all SEE SEE Rider(ironic? I was just asking about this), I appreciate your response and your opinion.

That said, I don't have a ton of money and I do go by some opinions. That fact that you mentioned it being cut is enough for me. I hate that!!! I would rather have a somewhat( I mean not too bad) worse performance that is more complete, then one that is doctored to sound better.

Maybe you are right about Pittsburgh. Though I did name other examples that I have heard first hand. I am sorry, but they are much superior. I do stand by my comments and I don't feel I am running RCA/ERNST down by saying them. Facts are facts. There is no reason that recordings should be cut up and doctored. Hearts Of Stone should not sound better on a 4 dollar release then a 20 dollar official release. That is rediculous.

"But of course you can't hear it if you expect it to be "inferior" before you've even listened to it."

I hope you would not assume this about me. I will judge for myself when I hear it. There is only so much money that I have, and that causes me to be cautious. If I did buy it, that is another story. I would give the cd the proper PEPSI challenge. I am not easily led by critics and what not. Editing is editing. That sucks, and that is the reason why I didn't buy. Once I heard this, then my opinion was instilled, the rest of the criticm was icing on the cake. Now maybe it will be one of my last buys(next to Monkey Business).

I prefer to have stuff uncut and not spoon fed to me over 10 years. In essence I hate duplicating and wasting money. That said, RCA has done a good job with most of the recordings. I am grateful that there is a collectors label. I do hate the idea of a timeline, and I have to come up with money quickly before products run out. Rca is not beyond reproach and I stick to criticizing, writing letters or whatever I feel is necessary. That also includes praising and defending when it is called for.