Let's talk FTD's

I have all FTD´s and my favourites are:

Elvis Recorded Live In Memphis 1974
Dixieland Rocks
Polk Salad Annie

Best Regards
Renan.

I stopped buying the FTD CDs on a regular basis (which means each single release) in late 2003.
My favorites are:
The Jungle Room Sessions
Burback '68
Easter Special
Silver Screen Stereo
Out In Hollywood
Long, Lonely Highway
In A Private Moment
Fame And Fortune (content-wise, the mastering had already gone down the drain at that point)
Studio B (same as above)

That's the best you could do before you stopped buying them? You have a couple of good ones listed here. However, if you chose some of these over others that you haven't bought, you are cheating yourself, my friend.

Does that ELVIS light-up signature come with sunglasses, Rob ? Just kidding!

You know me, Pal. I hate attracting attention.

LOL yeh right Rob...

everytime I see your signature I have a slight seizure...

I have all the FTDs execpt for Paradise Hawaiin Style, Double Trouble, Spinout and th Rockin' Across Texas book. I started buying them when they first came out having been following FECC for several years before that.

My favorites would have to be Flashback (50s outtakes), Elvis Is Back, Polk Salad Annie, Viva Las Vegas, and The Nashville Marathon. There are several others that are also great.

My least favorite would probably be Dragonheart and Spring Tours '77.

I expect to acquire Spinout before the year is out. The new ones are on their way, though I am skipping Tickle Me until later this year.

I have all the FTDs execpt for Paradise Hawaiin Style, Double Trouble, Spinout and th Rockin' Across Texas book. I started buying them when they first came out having been following FECC for several years before that.

My favorites would have to be Flashback (50s outtakes), Elvis Is Back, Polk Salad Annie, Viva Las Vegas, and The Nashville Marathon. There are several others that are also great.

My least favorite would probably be Dragonheart and Spring Tours '77.

I expect to acquire Spinout before the year is out. The new ones are on their way, though I am skipping Tickle Me until later this year.

Mike, SPINOUT is pretty good, love the outtakes!

I don't think you will be disappointed, the sound is really good too...

I have all the FTDs execpt for Paradise Hawaiin Style, Double Trouble, Spinout and th Rockin' Across Texas book. I started buying them when they first came out having been following FECC for several years before that.

My favorites would have to be Flashback (50s outtakes), Elvis Is Back, Polk Salad Annie, Viva Las Vegas, and The Nashville Marathon. There are several others that are also great.

My least favorite would probably be Dragonheart and Spring Tours '77.

I expect to acquire Spinout before the year is out. The new ones are on their way, though I am skipping Tickle Me until later this year.

Mike, SPINOUT is pretty good, love the outtakes!

I don't think you will be disappointed, the sound is really good too...

Thanks for the info minkahed. I'll have to get it soon.

Is there anyone out there who hasn't gotten all six volumes of what basically was the precursor to FTD on the main label: the "Essential Elvis" series?

Get moving people! Despite the misnomer of a name, these volumes continue to wow me.

And I should also mention the 1991 "Collectors' Gold" 3-CD set as well.

I haven't yet bothered with Burbank '68, In A Private Moment, Guitar Man and Easter Special. I'm sure I'll get round to them sometime soon (hope they're still available!), but none of them grab me to be honest; I doubt I'll listen to them very often but I'd like to collect the lot.

Hopefully, the latest three will arrive this week.

I’ve bought most of the ‘new’ releases, but I haven’t kept up with all of the back catalogue re-issues. I’ve been impressed with the ones that I have bought, but the packaging isn’t going to make me want to hear the likes of “Harum Scarum” any more than I do now.

I’m also arriving at the point, after years of collecting, where I can’t always justify buying the same album yet again. There has to be a cut off point eventually. This isn’t a money issue, it’s just that in some cases I’d rather check out some new music than buy an album that I’ve already got.

rockinrebel -

You wrote:

I’m also arriving at the point, after years of collecting, where I can’t always justify buying the same album yet again.

Sounds like treason to me.

Wow: Rebel, does this mean you are boycotting the 2005 Kevan Budd remasters?

But I hear you. Talk to me in five years if I'm still excited about shelling out again and again.

We're getting to the end of the line in both the CD market and the potential for true sound "upgrades" anyway. Let's face it.

And in fairness, things do get a little "in-grown" if all one ever does is listen to Elvis.

I'm a better Elvis fan today for having developed other musical favorites!

Wow: Rebel, does this mean you are boycotting the 2005 Kevan Budd remasters?

But I hear you. Talk to me in five years if I'm still excited about shelling out again and again.

Where getting to the end of the line, anyway. Let's face it.

I was planning to pick those up as I was impressed with his work on “Elvis at Sun”, and they are type of albums that I would play more than once. What I’m not doing anymore is buying albums that I would only play once before they are placed on the shelves to gather dust for months on end. I bought all the “Double Features” CD’s and “Command Performances” and very rarely play them, so I don’t really see the point on buying this material all over again.

I know some fans like to buy everything RCA/BMG put out, and if they enjoy doing this that’s fine by me, but the days have gone when I will support a CD like “Love, Elvis” because I’ve got al the songs countless times over, and I think the concept shows a distinct lack of imagination on behalf of BMG. If they spent some time on a decent blues compilation I would support that.

Another area where I think there should be more consistency is the mastering. If “ELV1S” and ”Second To None” set the standards then surely this should be repeated on all the rest of the re-issues and new compilations. I don’t think we will ever have a decent mainstream catalogue because where Elvis releases are concerned there’s always a plan to re-issue similar material every 12 months or so. This means that albums are constantly disappearing and re-appearing, and each time there are minor differences in terms of sound and presentation.

Ideally BMG would give the catalogue a thorough overview, decide which titles they wanted to keep available at mainstream level, then re-master and repackage them to the highest standards and leave them on general sale. Of course this isn’t likely to happen, as it would put an end to the constant repackaging that has now become a feature of the Elvis catalogue.

If the standard in sound was set by E1/E2, then the day BMG re-masters Elvis' back catalogue this way will be the LAST day I buy an Elvis cd.
I realize this view puts me in the distinct minority, but that's the way it is.

Jerry -

You wrote:

...the day BMG re-masters Elvis' back catalogue this way will be the LAST day I buy an Elvis cd.

Not quite with you..............

Do you mean you'll rush out and buy them and then nothing else ?

Or you'll avoid buying them all together ?

Colin B: To be clear: I don't care for the "E' sound. I will avoid them.

Wow: Rebel, does this mean you are boycotting the 2005 Kevan Budd remasters?

But I hear you. Talk to me in five years if I'm still excited about shelling out again and again.

We're getting to the end of the line in both the CD market and the potential for true sound "upgrades" anyway. Let's face it.

And in fairness, things do get a little "in-grown" if all one ever does is listen to Elvis.

I'm a better Elvis fan today for having developed other musical favorites!

Greg:
I like your new avatar. Pretty neat, though I do miss the shot from Live A Little, Love a Little.

Mike

Last edited by Mike C on Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[quote="Mike C]Gerg:
I like your new avatar. Pretty neat, though I do miss the shot from Live A Little, Love a Little.

Mike[/quote]

That's no reason to call him "Gerg"!



Jules

Thanks, for that, Mike/ EIKM,

I miss the avatar too, but it will be back. For now, consider it a blow for the campaign to have "Elvis On Tour" properly issued on DVD with all the bells and whistles I think "Rob" started it with his new avatar, so I'm following suit for now.

Colin, lovely sense of humor/homour as usual! Yeah, buy'em one last time and THEN that's it, RCA/BMG, you big bully!

Seriously, Jerry, I know people complain about the loudness of E1/E2 (to say nothing of gaffes- "the pop," the use of alternates, the dusty mono version of "Love Me Tender," etc.), but they did really make a lot of things more audible than ever before. The violins and guitar "In the Ghetto" in particular come to mind, as well as "Memories" to name just too. I think that's what people are talking about, not necessarily the loudness. A whole lot of other tracks sound phenomenal. I mean, really!

I mean, really!

REALLY?

Really.