I'm sorry to disturb you, but here in The Netherlands there are so many shops which have different prices on Elvis Presley stff like cd's, dvd's, lp's etc. By one store you the for example 50th Anniversary set aloha that i just bought for 35 euro ( guess same as dollars?) and in another store you pay almost 60 euro's. Huge, Huge difference in prizes everywhere here. You really have to search for the best prize. Shame, shame, guess it's alla bout the money and has nothing to do with music anymore. Same with Lp's, at one store 30-40 euro's in another you pay 60-70 euro's plus shipping while the cheaper ones are free shipping. I can't folow it anymore here.
Yeah, proces are kinda all over the place, which is odd. But in the U.S., the set is almost $80 retail, on sale for $61, so if we find a better price for things, we like to share that when we can. 😁
Another Prize example here in Europe is: ( Just bought it) The Live Las Vegas 11 cd boxset cost in the Netherlands 129 euro excl. shipping. When you go to iMusic in Denmark you pay 60 euro excl. shipping, more than half of the prize. Shipping from Denmark to Netherlands is 6,95 euro. So nice that ONE Europe thingy haha. Can't believe such huge diffenrences in prizes all over the world. Especially here where I live.
The photo (right to Elvis would be Mister Engelbert ;-) (the first famous Elvis TA :-))))) ) - THE PHOTO IS OUT OF THIS UNIVERSE! ELVIS PRESLEY IS - THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE! (And then "they" did such a strange remix-CD-box!)
I just listened to a few tracks you mentioned - ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS!! I agree Jamie, unless this is corrected, it will become the norm as the definitive recordings.
Hi Jamie, I am a member of the Elvis Club Berlin, Germany. Some people have already seen your video about the Memphis box in the forum and are very enthusiastic about your analysis. We will try to translate it into German in the forum. Unfortunately, many users do not speak English. Great analysis! Best regards from Germany
Hi, Ronald! That is so cool - thank you so much! Apologies for not having a proper translation ourselves, but our channel isn't big enough to do that yet. I hope the fan club enjoys it - and speaking of Germany, John and I would love to go over there for the Elvis festival sometime in the future!
Dear Jamie, your analysis of the songs is fantastic. There is no better way to describe the set. CD 2 should definitely be replaced, thank you for being so honest about that. I hope it gets heard, otherwise it would indeed tarnish Elvis' legacy. Thank you so much, Michael
Thank you, Michael, I appreciate that! And yeah, they need to fix Disc 2 as soon as possible; even for a set that's not for everyone (and that's ok), those kinds of mistakes just can't stand.
Interesting. I will receive my set tomorrow. I already have 5 editions of From Elvis In Memphis . One in sacd. I'll be listening to compare till xmas. LLL and Listen.🤟
This is the best in-depth , technical examination , and knowledgeable breakdown of the recording/ mixing process of a very expensive box set I'm sorry I spent my money on. Thank you EAP society!! Keep up the great work!!!! I feel this box set release was just a money grab for us Elvis completists!!!!
Thank you so much!!! I'm happy to help! And funny enough, I actually think this one was aimed more at the general public - but with collectors in mind, too.. which makes the mistakes almost worse, since people will think "Suspicious Minds" is supposed to sound like that!
Brilliant review. Thank you for this. Love the breakdown of each song. And thanks to John and Justin for their review as well. It was the first review I heard and they were also spot on. Thanks again fellas.
Thank you for your analysis; much appreciated. My set arrives this Saturday - pre-ordered it. Had I known about CD#2, I probably would have skipped out on purchasing it or waited & used your advice on purchasing it at a lower price on Amazon. Forewarned what to expect & will just have to cross-fingers that they re-do CD#2. Thanks a lot for taking so much time to analyze the full set for fans.
You're very welcome! Since this release has errors.. depending on where you got it from, you might see if it's possible to return it, and either wait or do the UK order. Something to possibly consider!
Ross-Spang is likely the main culprit (along with Jorgensen) for all the audio errors. It's highly probable he was sent the exact same digital multi files that were sent to Sebastian for the three American Sound classic album FTD's (which don't have any issues). Very doubtful they re-transferred from analogue again.
Hi, Dave! Yeah, that's entirely possible, though I do know that Sebastian is quite good with restoration work and has done it before on other FTD releases (like the "Elvis Is Back!" classic album, those tapes had a lot of issues)... so it's also possible that Sebastian got tapes with problems and fixed them for the FTD sets, but when they gave Matt the tapes to work with, he got uncorrected copies instead of corrected ones.
I absolutely love the cover but...... wasn't that pic taken in Vegas. What's Memphis about that? Hate seeing people who don't care about Elvis actually producing these box sets.
Yeah, projects like this aren't (imo, anyway) for collecting the "proper masters," but I'm ok with them doing specialized things like this for younger fans, or folks that want something punchy as opposed to original. They just need to not screw it up, lol. And the original Legacy Editions are a great way to go, especially for the 1969 masters!
Hey I'm about 19 and I think I've been listening to Elvis since I was 7 and I have to say this box at Memphis. I somewhat enjoy it and hate it at the same time. I understand what Jamie is saying I can hear what he's talking about in disc 1 and 2 but as for disc 3 & 5 I enjoyed the rest also Jamie, great review
I'm with you on that, 100% - love and hate it! And thanks, glad you enjoyed the review! Very cool that you've been listening since 7, as I started listening to Elvis pretty early, too!
Agree!!! Suspicious Minds is a train wreck! Reggie Young (guitar) and Elvis' tracks are offset by milliseconds. Major mishap in the Digital Audio Workstation phase of the project. So disappointing. Where is quality control these days? Q: Are other tracks messed up too?
I appreciate the feedback on this 5 CD set. Do you happen to know if any 'pitch correction' or 'auto-tuning' was done to Elvis' vocals ? I've been watching the youtube channel WingsOfPegasis, and the studios ARE doing this to their back catalogue of old songs and artists.
Hi, Joe! I love the WingsOfPegasis channel, too! I don't believe pitch correction was applied on this set, and definitely not auto-tune; if they had, then "Don't Cry Daddy" having two vocals in the verses wouldn't have sounded as off as it does. :)
LOL! I definitely understand that, Dave. Disc 2 is just bad; but I will say, looking at the rest as it's own thing, I have some respect for what they're trying to do here, even if most of it isn't what I'd do.
@@EAPSocietyI’ve just DL’ed for now… to first check it out, and I must I like the stripped-down tracks like Raised On Rock, I Got A Feeling In My Body so far. I think this set will be a miss and hit affair, where I’ll just listen to certain tracks now and then… I gather they did this set to mop up the Memphis, Stax and Graceland sessions in a stripped-down vein like the Nashville box sets ? But I don’t think there is much continuity to the music spanning two decades, especially with the Sun stuff thrown in. Of course, a marketing guy would have a perfect explanation for this 😉
That's because Jamie is a kind person. Jamie makes me want to work harder on my kindness. The Good Lord knows I need improvement in that area of my life!
♥ CORRRECTUS MAXXXIMUS! And there are still people defending this full of technical mistakes products - NEAR THE SUPER TASTE MISTAKES ON THIS CD-SET - not to talk about the un-tasty changes on the ART OF ELVIS PRESLEY - THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE (including the fantastic musicians & also sometimes backgroundsingers back then) Why don´t "they" go further on the next studio-session box sets like 1969 - 1970 - 1971 (now we should have the sessions of 1972!) HAPPY-HEALTHINESS! ♥
@@Allen-vl7zq Yeah, Jamie and John are great guys. They're also not afraid to say it as it is when calling out poor quality work and questionable decisions made by those in charge of Elvis' back catalog. For example, their spot on reviews when highlighting the baffling inadequacies of the 60's Masters and Command Performances sets from the 90's was a very welcome change from the usual hero-worship we see in the Elvis world.
Hi there at E A P, I, first said that I wouldn't be buying that. But after downloading the whole album 5 cd from TH-cam and listening through my headphones I came back on that decision and ordered it yesterday in Denmark where it was the, cheapest. Here in the Netherlands it cost 79 euro or more depending on the, store you buy and I found it in Denmark for 41 euro. Only takes up about a week to, delivering but that's OK with me. Instead of paying twice as much and have it tomorrow, I wait a week and have it half of the price. Sounded exactly as you said, being a mixer myself for various music. But it's doable for me to listen once in a while. And I prefer the real deal instead of mp3. But with some albums or boxsets you have no choice because of the rarity nowadays.
Hello! Very cool - that's exactly why we make these, so that everyone can make (and sometimes re-make) up yheir own minds, as well as a guide to help in listening. Overall, I enjoy the set; I just don't listen to the second disc audio much, lol And yeah, if it wasn't for shipping, the U.K. set would have been half price for me, too - any chance to get these cheaper is one fans should take! 😁
@@EAPSociety That is why I waited 5 years before buying the 11 cd boxset of Vegas. It started at 179 euro's here when it came out. I found that a bit too much for 11 almost the exact same cd's in a set with little variations. But still today way too much 129 euro, so I got to get this from Denmark half prize. I love also that some people put new stuff on youtube for others to listen too. Makes choosing much easier when you have to be picky with what you buy. Maybe not legal, but a huge advantage for me, to listen first through headphones. Although that varies also, with sony headphones is good, but Sennheiser is way better. But then i can have a taste of what I am buying if at all. Like guitar man I only like the first disk, the other with one song ten in a row not for me. but that is just taste. You can't argue wih personal taste LOL. 🙂
All Spangs' work has been hit and miss. The first Nashville set was the best of what he's done, but even that has many botched tracks. But this MEMPHIS set is 100% awful. He doesn't really know how to mix Elvis properly, he just lucks out occasionally, or his work would be more consistent. ..and Ernst is just as culpable for allowing this disaster to be released.
Yeah, I'm wondering if Disc 2 didn't get checked, but I can't imagine that being the case - and there are too many glaring errors. Only possible idea is if there were bigger problems, and they went back and redid that disc at the 11th hour and didn't check close enough to see the problems.. which is just sloppy and unforgiveable. They should start these earlier, or delay the release, because that's just amateur-hour stuff.
Jamie, I agree that Disc 5 is EXCELLENT. I was fearful we would get too much reverb/echo on Elvis’s vocal-like MRS had previously done on the Jungle outtakes-but thankfully not the case. I do wonder why the backup vocals were removed from I’ll Never Fall in Love Again. Of course, the Sony presentation live-streamed today offered zero insight into MRS’s mixing decisions. I was wondering how Ernst and MRS were not going insane when Suspicious Minds was being played. The doubled melody on Don’t Cry Daddy on the verses is just strange… Thanks for posting your thoughts on the set!
If you enjoy it, I'm happy for you! But, imo, a few very small fixes would have made it even better, even with the aesthetic idea they were going for with that track.
So happy that Jamie mentioning the 2000 year mix of Promised Land…still my favorite mix of the song (and album)not to mention that the fadeout starts much later in the song :)
I just decided to really dedicate some time to this mix of the Memphis 74 show - it's not perfect but I think it would be my preference over the FTD and 2014 Legacy mixes. The FTD mix is automatically disqualified- it just sounds completely unnatural. The 2014 mix is just too dry in spots. The EQ on E's vocal is too thin IMO, as well. The new one is somewhat of a middle ground between the two, even if the background vocals are buried in spots. I understand why though, because of the bleed through.
Jamie, wow! First I want to thank you for your due diligence in reporting all this. Elvis' legacy is at stake! My only consolation is that since these are undubbed, they probably won't replace the regular versions on Elvis radio. Two questions: 1) Do you know if the same problems appear on Spotify/streaming? 2) Think quality control didn’t catch this because it was rushed to capitalize on Elvis week and the anniversay of That's Alright?
Hi, Adrian! You're very welcome! And yeah, these problems are really frustrating to us, too. Some releases won't be for everybody, but I do think they would get better results if they spent more time to get them right.
wow... thanks for a detailed and very useful review/analysis of this set... i have been going back and forth on this box since i heard of it, whether to buy it or not, but then i decided to use a whole night listening through every track on YT and Spotify, which took longer than 5 hours😄, but i'm glad i did, for i surprised myself and landed on the decision to order it, in spite of the issues with disc 2 (and in spite of disc 1 with nothing new, really), though i think even disc 2 has enough on it that warrant purchase, but it needs to be replaced and i hope, if/when that happens, that those who bought the set will be compensated with the replaced disc for free.... but the mixes and sound on this set is very interesting and many tracks are really good, some even better than ever (though these things are subjective).... but i thought also that it sounded like some of the tracks (on digital) came from other, already released sources (strangely enough)... but no doubt, the physical box set is a must-have for Elvis fans, in my opinion, ... concluding: i always liked "Three Corn Patches", but now i LOVE it... 😁
Hi, Helge! You're very welcome! And yeah, the digital version of this set is odd, from what I've been hearing. And while these versions should never replace the original masters (those are important and should keep their relevance), a lot of this can be a very nice way to rediscover the songs, and hear new details. That's one of my favorite things to do with these kinds of sets. And I hope they replace CD2 - the errors there just really drag the whole set down. I doubt it'll happen, but we'll see! (And glad you're enjoying "Three Corn Patches," too - John even enjoyed the song on this set! lol)
Wow, I have fully been enjoying this box set, this review is obviously for Elvis over the top fans / for a casual Elvis fan like myself - I find all CD's a great listen.
@@Cpayne30 agree to disagree / as I said for casual Elvis fans - who just enjoy his music. Could care less & wouldn't even know of misaligned tracks. 5 CD set is a fantastic listen.
@JimmyV1530 I'm afraid that's a problem - fans need to care about misaligned tracks, because that changes the performance and how the song hits the listener. Misaligned tracks dampen the impact of songs like Suspicious Minds, making them sound less tight and powerful than they should, even if the mix is punchy (it'd punch even harder if that was fixed). You might still find it an enjoyable listen, and that's fine on an individual level (I find the mixes, overall, to be pretty good for the Ross-Spang style, even if I have suggestions); but some of these are very clear mistakes, and it's important for fans to know what they're hearing so they know what the problem is. If no one ever demanded better, several very important people - like Kevan and Sebastian - would never have been brought on to handle Elvis releases. And that would absolutely be a shame, because they've been responsible for some of the best sounding releases ever done in the Elvis catalog.
Jamie, you are kinder to Matt Ross-Spang than I am. Yes, he probably has a boat load of projects on the go, and yes, he apparently sent mixes to peers to comments, and sure, maybe the digital transfers of the multi came to him misaligned but... this is a multi-Grammy Award winning producer and engineer, who apparently has a deep love for Memphis music. Even if his knowledge of Elvis' masters isn't as deep as some in the fanbase there's no excusing the effort on Suspicious Minds. Is this really the work and attention to detail of a multi Grammy Award winning audio guy? Suspicious Minds is the break-out hit, the biggest song on the whole set, and one that goes beyond the fandom, it's a classic of the era. If he didn't even have the original master mix to hand for direct reference, or his ear is so off that he can't tell the guitar/piano track (same track) is off, what expertise are we getting here? I'll forgive Vic Anesini here on the mastering side, they often have to master what's been approved from down the pipeline. Ernst and Rob should have sent the mix right back and had him correct it. They're complicit in this tomfoolery. As for the atrocious Don't Cry Daddy, well, since mara-ju-ana is still illegal in Tennessee, maybe it was a bourbon fueled session putting that one together! I agree that the Graceland disc is the best overall. Stax is almost there, but I can't figure out why he'd do Promised Land the way he has. Organ UP, guitar DOWN! Cowbell overdub thrown in for good measure. Probably the worst remix of the master take to date. Glad you made this video, hopefully it helps broaden attention to the issue and get it in the ears of those who have influence to fix the American disc. I'm not holding my breath though.
LOL! Yeah, me being kinder to him than others are is rather a pattern, but not on purpose, lol! As for blaming him vs not.. I guess the way I see it is that it depends on how he got the masters to mix. If that's how he received them, I don't blame him as much as Ernst, Rob, Roger, etc. Since he's gotten used to tapes not being quite the same as before, he might have thought this was pre-corrected, especially since nobody else caught it when he shared mixes with them during production. I do blame him *more* if it happened in his mix session as opposed to it being like that when he got them, but out of that group, he *should* know the least about that music, in comparison. That said.. yeah, I don't get "Suspicious Minds" or "Don't Cry Daddy," either. Those are just hard to listen to! But I was trying to come up with a "most likely scenario," which means the producers should be making sure the mix is right. Thank you, btw! I'd love to be wrong, but I'm not holding my breath on a fix to the 1969 disc either, sadly.
@@EAPSociety they just all sat on stage with a straight face and played Suspicious Minds to an audience in Memphis: th-cam.com/video/56LNyFFvf0c/w-d-xo.html
This post is the most accurate and informative one that mirrors exactly how I feel on this issue. For the fans that really care, we fight and defend that Elvis’ music and legacy is preserved and presented in the best, highest regard, respect and honor for the world to enjoy and appreciate. For the ones that have been there from the start, in the middle and now, and ofc, future generations.
@@EAPSociety now my CD set has arrived and listening closely to Wearin' That Loved On Look I'm not convinced there is a sync issue with the overdubbed guitar in the right channel for that song. There's a "stuttery" nature to the part and when I crank the original master it sounds in the same place to me.
Excellent review Jamie. Disc two should be replaced. Why leave the backing vocals off " i,ll never fall in love again", Love how you explain all the details about the songs awesome.
Hello Jamie, may I ask you a question about the 5 CD boxset? When there is an update with this set considering the 'faulty' takes/Cd's could you mention that in a video? Here in Europe we don't always get the latest news, updates, CD news, boxsets news etc. We are always far behind the states is my experience, but that is just my personal opinion. Maybe others have another way of hearing something. I would appreciate it if you could us fans know about any replacement CD or something else about it. Kind regards Mark
Jamie, I know you (and I) prefer the Dennis Ferrante 1995/2000 mix of “Promised Land”, but what are your thoughts on the 2003, “Second To None” re-mix? 😊
Hi, which legacy sets are there? I am wondering if to purchase this, but if the same tracks are on other box sets I would probably go for those considering this review.
@@stefanovirgili9319 The "From Elvis In Memphis" and "Elvis At Stax" sets have a lot of what's here, and overall in better quality. "Way Down In The Jungle Room" is also a Legacy release, and it's good, though I'd argue the '76 material sounds better on the new box. So if all you want is disc 5, wait for this to hit the bargain bin. ;)
“Power Of My Love” has the overdubbed harmonica (overwhelmingly High) in this new mix. “Promised Land”? Ugh The organ was overdubbed on January 2, 1974. Afriend of mine, (not necessarily a huge Elvis fan) really likes this song and when he heard the new mix, he called it the Promised Land circus song !!! 😂😂😂
This box just isn't my thing on premise - I have an issue with this "Our Memories" approach- it just seems like messing around IMO. "Should we mute the live backing vocals here?" "Should we mute the rhythm section on this one?!" The truth is that some songs in his catalog are better undubbed, and some aren't- but it's all completely random here. There's no way Don't Cry Daddy sounds better, for example.
But I will agree with Jamie here, from the tracks I heard - the Jungle Room sessions are the best of the lot. It's also true that Ross-Spang has improved his approach on there since 2016. Too much slapback style echo on those Way Down in the Jungle Room outtakes. Actually the first thing I checked on though was Way Down - still 2 bass parts. Ugh. One more thing I haven't heard mentioned- there's some nasty distortion on the first cymbal hit on "Promised Land."
That's a totally fair perspective, imo - this definitely isn't for everyone, even if Disc 2 *wasn't* a wild disaster. I don't mind them them doing these, but I'd be even more ok with them if we had a full set of proper, complete "safety" sessions/shows/etc so fans could feel more able to opt-out (knowing there isn't anything new besides a mix or presentation, or something).
@@EAPSociety Yeah, PL should've been a slam dunk mix for MRS. I like the Ferrante mix a lot for that one, and I assume the one on 2nd to None is also the Ferrante? That one is very good. 2nd to None is my go-to Kentucky Rain source too, even over the 2016 box.
@@Cpayne30 Agreed! I thought for sure we'd have gotten a full "Spangalot" mix on PL! My fav is the 2000, not sure on 2nd to None, I'll have to check! Funny you mention Kentucky Rain, as there have been several mixes of that one.. I need to re-look at the "24 Karat Hits!" version, too, one of these days..
I was never buying this but it's nice to know I'm not missing anything. These videos are really important. Jamie, your knowledge and understanding of all this is incredible.
@@FrankieLovesElvis Yeah, I did catch that, now that you mention it - it's layered in a way that I'm not super crazy about, too.. though in that case I can almost see what they're going for, if it's intentional.
I don't get all this mixing and changing the original Elvis records. Outtakes are something else, they are fun to listen to because they are Elvis and his musicians trying out different things until Elvis is happy with the end result. I bought the CD Where No One Stands Alone, and didn't like the backing musos that replaced the original ones. They understood Elvis and what he wanted to achieve; the new ones never worked with him and simply added their own interpretation.
Hi, Gina! Totally with you on the "Where No One Stands Alone" release, though I think there are specific reasons why it mostly falls flat for me, even given that the project isn't my cup of tea overall. Sets like this are new mixes but not any re-recorded music - it's not for everyone, but I now see sets like this as an attempt to re-contextualize Elvis for both new and seasoned listeners, much like the 50's/60's/70's Masters box sets did for their time. They won't always land, but I do see the merit of doing them.
Sun stuff. Needs to be left as we heard on 78. The concert was un necessary with the mini slip between tracks. But ghe othe 3 discks were grest. Best Buy on Amazon or Movie mars.
Hi, Nick! Thankfully, the Sun material on the physical release sounds like the same tracks from "A Boy From Tupelo," so all good there! And I've never heard of Movie Mars, I'll have to have a look!
Hiya jamie and John, sending my best wishes to you both as just recovering from Covid 😢😢😢😢,, keep up the great work that you both do, Especially on Elvis day Tomorrow 16th ❤🎉😢
You can be rest assured, if this had been a Beatles product, they would have instigated brand new transfers of the 4 pre-Sun demos. And it would have been a MAJOR selling point! Indeed, Jack White's transfer of the first acetate from a few years back is FAR superior to the labels ancient transfer they continue to use.
Hi, Dave! 100% right - they need to license Jack's transfer, and they need Alan Stoker to re-transfer the 2nd acetate. We're trying to find out where the 2nd one is, so we can see about getting that done.
@@EAPSociety That would be excellent, Jamie. The second acetate is way too over processed on the Tupelo set [and disappointingly re-used here]. Much prefer it on the Platinum/Sunrise CD's. P.S. Did you ever hear back from the guy who runs the superdeluxeedition [exclusive Blu-ray audio] site in the UK?
@@-dave3577 Yeah, they've been using that transfer for forever, and it's really unfortunate. As for SuperDeluxeEdition, I didn't - but we've made progress elsewhere in that way, and the news so far, while not perfect just yet, is better than I thought it might be! There are things we need to do to be able to move forward, and I'm finally getting the fundraiser together to help us do that, and then we can see what next steps are possible as we go! :)
They sure sold it by attaching a Grammy award winning producer to this project. We should know by now that Elvis is just a money maker not treated as the great artist we all know him to be. The fans can vote with their wallets.
Hi, Brian! Yeah, that's why we wanted to get this video made; to tell folks what they're in for. And also, if they do want it, a possible cheaper route to go with, too. I *am* glad they're trying to do new project to re-contextualize Elvis's music for people to hear in new ways and contexts, but they need to spend more time with these to get them just right.
Great review Jamie! I was honestly disappointed with Matt's work on the Elvis On Tour live performances... this release is a disappointment on a whole new level...
Thank you! Yeah, there are certainly things to like, but "disappointment on a whole new level" certainly mirrors my feelings, particularly after disc 2.
How many more times can they take the same songs and move a few knobs up and down to change the balance of the sound and how many times do they expect us to keep buying it? I really can’t see the point of keep remixing everything over and over again, except for monetary purposes and I shall be giving this set a wide berth. Taking certain bits out and leaving bits in and turning certain instruments up and turning certain instruments down doesn’t really cut it for me. It’s a bit like watching an Elvis film but turning the brightness up a bit the first time you watch it, then turning the contrast down a bit the next time you watch it, then add a bit more colour the next time you watch it and so on and so on.
Hi, Tony! I can totally understand that thinking; in some ways, I share it, though I do think that sets like this (when they're done right, anyway) can be a fresh way to attract potential new fans to Elvis's music - especially with the set available for streaming/etc. I know the 50's, 60's, and 70's box sets got me exploring Elvis's catalog in a whole new light (and I'd been a fan since birth, basically).
@@EAPSociety the ones who already bought this, should be given a free new copy if that is the case. But sadly we all know that it is all about the money and not about the music anymore. ( sometimes I wonder if they got their lessons from Parker (I Hate Elvis buttons)and Prissy( who can I sue now for more money))
@gdepbb Oh, sorry! I mean Matt Ross-Spang (the guy that did the mixing on this); he also did "From Elvis In Nashvill" and "Back In Nashville," which did similar things at times with false starts/etc.
Ernst Jorgenson should be ashamed of himself. He oversaw this release and many other substandard releases. Not Sonys fault, Ernst is the 'expert' the should have told Matt Ross Sprang the mistakes and get them sorted.
Jorgensen has never been a top rate producer, IMO. You can go all the way through his tenure and find extremely sloppy work and highly questionable decisions and product.
@@-dave3577 sadly, many FTD's are botched, although nothing equals the disaster that this MEMPHIS set it. Releasing concerts AT THE WRONG SPEED is unforgivable and can be corrected in a matter of MINUTES, but FTD has done it quite a number of times.
Right, Mr.Limousine...this NEVER should have been issued. Elvis fans have been far too accepting of slap-dash, half-assed FTD product. There are tons of shortcomings, mistakes and outright abominations that we pay hard earned money for-but we do so to support the label. I'm grateful for what the label stands for and many of the releases have been wonderful. But we are all clearly being taken for granted and there needs to be better quality control.
Jamie, take a close listen again to “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” and tell me if you notice any difference in Elvis’ vocal line, especially at the end of the line (sentence). And “Moody Blue”? It’s ok, but Ronnie’s excellent drum work, the hi hat and snare drum in particular, are mixed way too low in this mix. It’s the meat and potatoes of a bunch of these tracks, even on the STAX material. If You Don’t Come Back Just A Little Bit Find Out What Happening … What happened to that tight kick drum that’s so apparently evident on the original albums. Ugh, such a mess.
Hi, Frankie! First off, I love specific feedback, so thank you for that! I'm off to listen now. When you say to listen for a difference at the end of the line, which line do you mean? Or do you mean all of them? On Moody Blue, it's funny.. on my studio speakers, the drums to sound a bit low - but on my Bose headphones, it's sits much nicer, which is interesting. I definitely noticed low drums more on the Stax material! You're right on the mess, and it's a shame; a bit more work, and this could have been at least an interesting listen for fans (from front to back) even if it wouldn't be an overall favorite.
@@EAPSociety I’m not sure if you already listened in, but their are lines at the end certain parts where Elvis’ vocals are faded, or edited out, of specific lines within the song and this, for me, takes all of the emotion and feeling that Elvis was trying to convey. It’s such an intricate piece of the way Elvis sings, from the heart, soul and passion that this man brought to us in his music.
@@FrankieLovesElvis Hi, Frankie! Ok, so I did a line-by-line (both using vocal separation and without, just to make sure) comparison between the raw mix master (FTD), the Our Memories Of Elvis master (also FTD), and this new one - and the new mix actually isn't missing anything; that said, here's what I think is happening that is giving the effect you're hearing: 1: this is, by far (it's not even close, it *is* Matt after all, lol), the loudest mix we've had to this song, and that's covering some of the nuances you're used to hearing; 2: this is also the most center-heavy mix, and since (unlike most of the other mixes) more instruments are sharing a channel with Elvis's voice, that also covers smaller nuances up; 3: the echo Matt has on Elvis's voice also makes some of the finer nuances harder to hear, and 4: while the compression does do a nice job fattening Elvis's voice, it also flattens out the volume of Elvis's performance a bit, thus flattening the nuances and making them not as pronounced. So I think all of that is accidentally colluding to hide what is precisely your favorite thing about the song (which I agree, I absolutely love the heart, soul, and passion of his vocal performance in this). Ironically, there are actually bits in the new mix that we technically haven't heard as well as now, but the compression also takes away the nuance that's so nice in Elvis's performance, thus lessening the effect of that. I do like the new mix as an overall listen (and to get an idea of what a concert version might sound like), but if I want to listen specifically to Elvis's voice, this is probably the last mix I'd pick. Hope that helps! :)
@@EAPSociety I rushed onto iTunes to hear 1969 and was thing am I crazy or does this all sound terrible and underwhelming? I agree that they should’ve cut Sun and the concert and made it a more compact set. I’m shipping mine right back to Graceland! $80 I paid lol
@@marcoesquandolez4737 Yeah, the 1969 disc is definitely the weakest link in the chain on this by far, sadly. As for how it sounds, there are so many differences I'm hearing about in the digital version on different platforms that it's hard to know if what you're hearing is a set issue or a something they uploaded to it by mistake. Regardless, the 1969 stuff is basically 4-track tape, which means there's not too much they can do to give it a sound like the Nashville boxes, unfortunately.
100% agreed there - the original albums and the FTDs are still the best listens for all of this, with the one exception being maybe disc 5 (to my ears, anyway). 😁
Some tracks really stand out. Particularly ‘Talk About the Good Times’ and ‘For The Heart’ I prefer the Legacy Memphis show. But I remain confused with 1. Where are ‘Rubberneckin’, ‘My Little Friend’, ‘And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind' and A Little Bit Of Green' ? 2. If you are keeping some songs off the set. Surely, ‘Hey Jude’ ‘If That Isn’t Love and ‘She Wears My Ring’ and ‘Three Corn Patches’ should be omitted? 3. The guitar and piano are out of sync on ‘Suspicious Minds’ 4. The remix of ‘Promised Land’ has the organ high in the mix. Nice to hear in the intro. Bloody annoying throughout though. Burton’s guitar solos have lowered in the mix. In fact he sounds like he’s in the car park. I could go on. But I’ve got things to do 😊
I would imagine Ernst thought Rubberneckin was just too sparse sans overdubs. I'd definitely agree. But also they made Don't Cry Daddy sparser by removing the rhythm section, so it still doesn't make sense!!
It’s really funny and interesting how people hear and think about certain releases. So many people that I know that are fans, (and even some that are not) feel that the Legacy version has Elvis’ vocal work mixed down way to low in the mix, (it’s clearly apparent), but I do like it better than the FTD disk. This new mix of the “Recorded Live In Memphis” (in my opinion) is really muffled and it feels like the instruments sound like they’re all competing with each other and, like Jamie states, they took it as a track by track approach rather than a whole concert experience.
Yeah, I like the Legacy version better, too. There is some fullness to this that the Legacy doesn't have, and I think that's what folks are picking up on when they say they like the mix, but it's not for me. Like both of you say, the Legacy is, for me, so far the best mix - though I think there's a better one than all of them that hasn't happened yet. And Frankie, I agree with you on the muffled sound - it's not spread out enough. I'd honestly love to license the multis and do a blu-ray audio release of the 74 show!
@@EAPSociety Oh man, we really do need someone, like Jamie, who is a fan, and understands what Elvis music is all about, to do something like “remix” his recordings and give us the best representation of all Elvis music. I’d sure love to be part of that process and offer my services for Free of this would ever come to fruition. 😊
@@FrankieLovesElvis Your lips to God's ears, Frankie, LOL! And we're actively pushing to get our foot in the door, so hopefully the next steps to the goal are on the horizon!
As a big elvis fan and elvis collector I always buy when first released to help him chart and this was no exception I got the cd set and the vinyl, was looking forward to hearing the undubbed versions as I loved the 2 Nashville sets and I wasn’t disappointed well there was just one the 16 missing tracks Tracks Not Included American '69 This Is The Story A Little Bit Of Green Inherit The Wind My Little Friend Rubberneckin' I'll Be There And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind If I'm A Fool (For Loving You) Who Am I Stax '73 Girl Of Mine Sweet Angeline I Miss You Are You Sincere Mr. Songman Thinking About You Love Song Of The Year Some of the schmaltzy string overdubs killed the FEPB album for me and this Memphis set was perfect I don’t have any problem with it, the thing that annoys me is the Use of Alt takes as the “masters” Way Down on this album like it was On the 30#1 hits album is the Alt take version and that’s what most people think is the master now that is a pain because we are losing a decent master to the alt take
That's very nice that you buy them for the charting! That's especially effective in the UK! As for "Way Down," that's actually the master, it just has both the original and overdubbed bass parts in it, just like 30#1 Hits did. The use of an alt master in 30#1 Hits was "The Wonder Of You." I think it's a shame that we didn't get the rest of the 1969 and 1973 masters on this; a full set of undubbed studio masters would have been pretty cool!
Actually, no one should be buying this set. It is the WORST sounding pile of dung ever released. The mixes are beyond terrible. This is a tremendous diservice to Elvis' legacy. The 50's tracks are okay, but all the multi-track stuff sounds horrendous. Elvis' vocals are buried and awash in reverb. I like to support every Elvis release that comes out, but this one is an exception. Spang BLEW it on this one!
Hi, Brennan! You didn't like the 1976 disc, even? I agree 100% that the 1969 disc especially is a disservice to Elvis's legacy, and to the legacy of the Memphis Boys, who don't deserve to have their work handled with that much lack of care in the misalignments.
Well too me it's again just a rehash ... i am not going to buy this. It would have been nice if they did this with the diffrent takes and if they truly concluded ALL the songs he recorded in Memphis as some songs (Inherit the Wind ... ) are missing ...They should have let the Memphis concert out of it and use all the songs + outtakes ... Then later they could do a Memphis II box or an Elvis On Tour The Memphis Edition Box with al the remixed shows he did in Memphis in 74, 75 en 76 as those are all available now in pretty good quality. In a remixed versions they would obviously sound superb. This release is just not logical. By the way ... Don't cry daddy sounds terrible.
I agree with a lot of this! All of Elvis's Memphis shows should have been put together as a box set - that would have been great! I do understand the idea behind just having the masters on a set together, and with fresh mixes, but (other than Disc 5, imo) this one needed more time to cook. Not a bad idea as a contextual project, but I also would have changed the execution a lot.
I'm not going to buy it, same for guitar man set. I have Elvis in Nashville and Elvis back in Nashville boxsets, but I don't like the repeating numbers on these and that the stripped everything away. Gives me a our memories of Elvis vibe which I don't like either. Just like many of the overpriced overhyped ftd session articles. Nah give me Elvis full songs, full band and backing. This is just a money grabbing thing. Wonder if they learned from Parker and Priscilla 🤔
Oh, this is definitely a neo-Our Memories Of Elvis situation, so I totally understand skipping this. The FTD Session sets would be great if they'd stop editing them, but it's definitely a problem on those. I do think that new sets can be a good thing, and new looks at masters aren't bad at all, but they certainly aren't for everyone, and that's ok. Kinda like for me; if the sessions releases and the Classic Albums on FTD came out at the same time, I probably wouldn't own a single Classic Album. :)
@@EAPSociety Totally agree, ( sorry for my bad English since I'm Dutch) just today I got Aloha From Hawaii 50th anniversary boxset 3 cd's and blu-ray and that set is great, but that is my humble opinion. I do like the Nashville boxsets, sounds great, but I don't like 5 or 6 song takes in a row, but it's one way to fill up a cd i guess 🙂 But you can hear the difference on a stereo set I have different ones ( musician what can I say 🙂) so i hear different quality of music, i like deep drum sound but with some it is like a blanket over a speakertop.
@@EAPSociety also, musicians listen to music in a different way than non musicians. One track i listen to drums since im drummer, next time i listen to strings, than, background vocals, and so on
@@serendipity4me It's all good - your English looks fine to me! :) And 100% agreed on the Aloha set - they did a nice job with that one. I hear you on being a musician; I'm a singer/songwriter/producer/musician myself, so I'm sure we both catch things that others tend to miss. On the sessions CDs, I like them (when they're unedited) because I like getting a greater sense of both Elvis's and the band's instincts as the songs progress; and as we've discovered, it's amazing how little moments become clues to Elvis's process, when looked at in the larger picture of his work! Also, I agree with the deep drum sound needing some high-end to keep it sharp, especially on the 1969 and 1973 recordings. That "blanket over a speaker" sound certainly does hurt some of the mixes on this set. The 1976 material has a naturally mellow drum for effect, so for that, it's not so much a bug as a feature, at least if it's balanced right!
@@serendipity4me That's a good point on how musicians vs non-musicians listen, too. That was also true once I started doing my own mixing and mastering, it really changes the way the ear catches things!
Well :-) English is not my navite language - I am Elvis fan since 1974 - born in 1963 - collecting seriously from 1980 (so you know already the import LPs and stuff) STRAIGHT FIRST HERE: The ELVIS MEMPHIS box is a big mistake! 1) Many mixing "taste" mistakes 2) Elvis is too often too behind of the music 3) Strange emphases out of a sudden nearly on each song (especially on the 1969 songs!) 4) DON´T CRY DADDY is sooo terrible! So un-natural! The whole Elvis & Band feeling is gone! The guitar is to loud! The guitar is not making the pause - which makes the Elvis mood before starting the lyrics again totally ruinined! The "second vocie" (????) Who is that really????? Don´t Cry Daddy got a super duet already: LISA MARIE with her father from the live presentation back then in Memphis!!!! this "new" Don´t Cry Daddy - it hurts, sorry! 5) LONG BLACK LIMOUSINE - in the original a masterpiece of everybody, who was there back then in early Winter 1969! BUT HERE: WHAT IS THIS AT 0:46 min ????? What???? And Elvis is tooo much in the back - too much behind the music!!! Also here - the special magic of that song (Super Elvis & Super Band!) is gone! What did the producers with this Elvis pearl, no Diamond???? 6) ANY DA NOW: At 02:26 !!!!! What is this??????? Elvis voice cut! And Elvis voice during the song once loud - then not loud - also here - the magic between Elvis & The Band in this SENSATIONAL SONG is destroyed! And the failure at 02:26 is not wearth to let this boy set went trough a control by the label of the GREATEST ARTIST OF ALL TIME: ELVIS PRESLEY! 7) SUSPICIOUS MINDS: It is stressy from the first moment on to listen! Totally out of beat and super feeling of maybe the MOST IMPORTANT AND KNOW ELVIS SONG OF THEM ALL! So ... alone THESE FAILURES should activate to delete the 1969 CD and do it again with the style of the AMERICAN SOUND 1969 makers - same nice made as the 1970 ELVIS IN NASHVILLE and 1971 ELVIS BACK IN NASHVILLE ... this all are facts & figures not TASTE - whereby THE TASTE OF THE ELVIS FANS & ELVIS EXPERTS is not something to legnect, my dear Elvis people! ELVIS PRESLEY - THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE! (The thing is ... I never ever had such a bad mood to listen to more songs of this box set - WITH A SUPER SUPER SUPER COVER PHOTO OF OUR MAN! ♥
It's all good, your English looks fine to me! Yeah, Suspicious Minds and Don't Cry Daddy are clearly problems - on Don't Cry Daddy, that other vocal is actually Elvis's, it's part of the harmony vocal overdub that should have been muted during the verse portions. And what you're mentioning about the guitar is pretty right on, imo - though it's not so much about being loud as being too sharp in the upper mid-range on eq, which gives that impression. But yeah, the 1969 disc has a lot of problems!
@@EAPSociety Sensational unisono words of you - THANKYOUTHANKYOUVERYMUCH! And notice also the big failures on LONG BLACK LIMOUSINE and ANY DAY NOW - the 1969 "remixes-overdubbs" (totally un-nessesary expensive actions!) are really unbelieveable - WHO DID HIS/HER APPROVAL BEFORE RELEASE??? - We are talking about the mighty record company of THE GREATEST ARTIST IN THIS UNIVERSE ...
I just got my copy of this ELVIS boxset and I'm really enjoying it. But I'm not a ELVIS snob like alot of people on this channel are. I have notice that this channel and alot of its viewers if it's not a FTD release than it's not worth buying. I just hope that the REAL ELVIS FANS will buy this RCA/SONY LEGACY ELVIS boxset and make up their own minds about it. And quit listening to all these so called fans because this boxset is well worth the money.
@@kerrydavidsadler980 I get what you are saying but the point of this channel is to preserve the true historical facts of Elvis Presley. Whenever something is released they'll analyze it and can pick out and correct the mistakes. They never said you can't enjoy it. Other than the fact that they already did something like this that was perfect. For Elvis Memphis All I heard was the Spotify version and some of that stuff is corrected. I love it too. I haven't had a chance to listen to the CDs yet.
@kerrydavidsadler980 IMO, your comment is very unfair. People need to know about the mistakes on this set. Many people should be checking these mixes at Sony before they get pressed. At any price, errors like these should be found. Also, there is lots and lots of criticism of FTD here. I expect there to be even more when Jamie makes a Guitar Man Sessions video!
@@Cpayne30 That's right, it's the point of this channel. Plus reviews help a lot, even though sometimes my opinion is different but I think it's because I have different EQ settings on my stereo or phone..lol
@@Rock4UNow Jamie and John are much appreciated by me because AFAIK, there is no other Elvis youtube channel that is as in-depth on mixing and mastering as they are. I learn all the time. About stuff I already had, even!
Its interesting in lots of parts, but this is most controversial release of all of his posthumous collections. No way its as advertised. I think finally we are reaching the bottom of barrel. Just remaster his albums like Giles Martin is doing with the Beatles.
Hi, Whitley! Yeah, I definitely agree that this one is controversial - mostly due to the errors. We've basically got the main album catalog remastered (which needs to be available again in a physical release, honestly), so I don't mind these detours.. when they're done with care, anyway.
Just stumbled on your "channel". Your research and content is undeniable. Having said that, the amount of makeup you're wearing is distracting and not necessary. Scrub your face, ditch the 2024 show biz nonsense and maybe I'll try again.
@@MostlyBuicks yes it is you clown it's about people opinion in whether they like the cd. Or not so stop talking utter rubbish I enjoyed the five cds and in my humble opinion it's a great cd. You're entitled to your opinion and it's YOUR OPINION nothing MORE!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the set! But, as @MostlyBuicks said, misaligned tracks in the mix aren't an opinion, they're a mistake. Not everyone is going to catch them, but it does alter how they affect the listener. If you enjoyed these as they are here, you'd like them even better if the tracks had been lined up in the mix properly.
@@EAPSociety look I will have to listen to the cds again on my own. As the first time I played them had some people over, so maybe I missed something. In relation to liking the cds I still say it's an opinion I am not talking about how the cds were put together. When I listen to an Elvis cd I just mainly listen to Elvis not the band or Charlie or the backing performers just Elvis's wonderful voice.
@@James-d1k4j Yeah, listening with a group will likely yield a difference in how you hear it, and not everyone is going to catch. That said: when it comes to how something it mixed, that's absolutely opinion, and I do say as much on the video. In those cases, I'm simply comparing what we get here with what's come before, and giving my own personal opinion of what I feel would be best. Since I do mixing and mastering, myself, I have more of a technical ear than most, which helps. The problems with certain tracks on Disc 2, though, those are mistakes, full-stop. It's not an aesthetic choice for Elvis's voice to abruptly cut in at 2min26sec on "Any Day Now," or for Elvis's voice to have been accidentally moved forward on "Only The Strong Survive," etc. They're technical errors that, for whatever reason, they didn't catch. I totally get just listening to Elvis's voice, btw! Lots of fans do that, and there's nothing wrong with that at all! One thing John and I try to encourage on the channel is to expand the different ways that fans listen to Elvis's music, since Elvis was so incredibly involved in many aspects of how his music was made, as it gives interesting insight to how Elvis approached his music at different times in his life (the recent video of John and I talking about Elvis's vs Jerry Reed's versions of "Guitar Man" and "U.S. Male" are good examples of this). It's not a requirement, or anything - I just mention that so you know where we're coming from in our approach to audio on the channel. :)
Also: wanted to say a HUGE thank you to John Michael for finding out the massive price difference on Amazon UK!
I'm sorry to disturb you, but here in The Netherlands there are so many shops which have different prices on Elvis Presley stff like cd's, dvd's, lp's etc. By one store you the for example 50th Anniversary set aloha that i just bought for 35 euro ( guess same as dollars?) and in another store you pay almost 60 euro's. Huge, Huge difference in prizes everywhere here. You really have to search for the best prize. Shame, shame, guess it's alla bout the money and has nothing to do with music anymore. Same with Lp's, at one store 30-40 euro's in another you pay 60-70 euro's plus shipping while the cheaper ones are free shipping. I can't folow it anymore here.
Yeah, proces are kinda all over the place, which is odd. But in the U.S., the set is almost $80 retail, on sale for $61, so if we find a better price for things, we like to share that when we can. 😁
Imusic Denmark this set for 41 euro, while in the Netherlands 79 Euro or even up to 98 euro. So... Money grabbing thing with stores?
Another Prize example here in Europe is: ( Just bought it) The Live Las Vegas 11 cd boxset cost in the Netherlands 129 euro excl. shipping. When you go to iMusic in Denmark you pay 60 euro excl. shipping, more than half of the prize. Shipping from Denmark to Netherlands is 6,95 euro. So nice that ONE Europe thingy haha. Can't believe such huge diffenrences in prizes all over the world. Especially here where I live.
@serendipity4me Ooh, that's a great one, too!
Nevermind.
Get it.
The cd might lack a lot, but the cover is one of the best I have ever seen.
Hi, Barbara! I 100% agree with you there - the cover is very cool!
The photo (right to Elvis would be Mister Engelbert ;-) (the first famous Elvis TA :-))))) ) - THE PHOTO IS OUT OF THIS UNIVERSE! ELVIS PRESLEY IS - THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE! (And then "they" did such a strange remix-CD-box!)
But wasn't the cover pic shot in Vegas? What's Memphis about that?
thankyou for show Jamie and John The Memphis 5-CD Elvis Presley Set so lots Elvis fans not be happy with this boxsets hope it be cool boxsets
Thanks, Nigel!
I just listened to a few tracks you mentioned - ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS!! I agree Jamie, unless this is corrected, it will become the norm as the definitive recordings.
Dear Jamie, Thank you very much for the detailed video. It can be seen that you come from a real love for Elvis

Thank you so much, I'm glad that comes through - and you're very welcome! Happy to help!
Excellent, I love your comments 😃
Thank you, Elaine!
Hi Jamie,
I am a member of the Elvis Club Berlin, Germany. Some people have already seen your video about the Memphis box in the forum and are very enthusiastic about your analysis. We will try to translate it into German in the forum. Unfortunately, many users do not speak English.
Great analysis!
Best regards from Germany
Hi, Ronald! That is so cool - thank you so much! Apologies for not having a proper translation ourselves, but our channel isn't big enough to do that yet. I hope the fan club enjoys it - and speaking of Germany, John and I would love to go over there for the Elvis festival sometime in the future!
Dear Jamie, your analysis of the songs is fantastic. There is no better way to describe the set. CD 2 should definitely be replaced, thank you for being so honest about that. I hope it gets heard, otherwise it would indeed tarnish Elvis' legacy. Thank you so much, Michael
Thank you, Michael, I appreciate that! And yeah, they need to fix Disc 2 as soon as possible; even for a set that's not for everyone (and that's ok), those kinds of mistakes just can't stand.
Interesting.
I will receive my set tomorrow.
I already have 5 editions of From Elvis In Memphis .
One in sacd.
I'll be listening to compare till xmas.
LLL and Listen.🤟
This is the best in-depth , technical examination , and knowledgeable breakdown of the recording/ mixing process of a very expensive box set I'm sorry I spent my money on. Thank you EAP society!! Keep up the great work!!!! I feel this box set release was just a money grab for us Elvis completists!!!!
Thank you so much!!! I'm happy to help! And funny enough, I actually think this one was aimed more at the general public - but with collectors in mind, too.. which makes the mistakes almost worse, since people will think "Suspicious Minds" is supposed to sound like that!
Brilliant review. Thank you for this. Love the breakdown of each song. And thanks to John and Justin for their review as well. It was the first review I heard and they were also spot on. Thanks again fellas.
You're very welcome! And yeah, John and Justin did a great job, too!
Another thing with the 69 disc… they faded Hey Jude early, which eliminates Elvis’ laugh at the end, which I love. Very disappointing to me.
Thanks for sharing that - I love the laugh, too, and forgot to mention that it's gone!
They did the same at the end of If You Talk In Your Sleep.
Thank you for your analysis; much appreciated. My set arrives this Saturday - pre-ordered it. Had I known about CD#2, I probably would have skipped out on purchasing it or waited & used your advice on purchasing it at a lower price on Amazon. Forewarned what to expect & will just have to cross-fingers that they re-do CD#2. Thanks a lot for taking so much time to analyze the full set for fans.
You're very welcome! Since this release has errors.. depending on where you got it from, you might see if it's possible to return it, and either wait or do the UK order. Something to possibly consider!
Great and honest review!
Hi Jamie, I found this set on Spotify (with a subscription), so for now, I’ll listen to it from there and skip CD2. 😅 Great analysis btw!
Thanks, Claudio! Yeah, that's probably the best way to go, imo.
Ross-Spang is likely the main culprit (along with Jorgensen) for all the audio errors.
It's highly probable he was sent the exact same digital multi files that were sent to Sebastian for the three American Sound classic album FTD's (which don't have any issues).
Very doubtful they re-transferred from analogue again.
Hi, Dave! Yeah, that's entirely possible, though I do know that Sebastian is quite good with restoration work and has done it before on other FTD releases (like the "Elvis Is Back!" classic album, those tapes had a lot of issues)... so it's also possible that Sebastian got tapes with problems and fixed them for the FTD sets, but when they gave Matt the tapes to work with, he got uncorrected copies instead of corrected ones.
Great comprehensive review Jamie thank you.
Thank you, David!
I absolutely love the cover but...... wasn't that pic taken in Vegas. What's Memphis about that? Hate seeing people who don't care about Elvis actually producing these box sets.
Nice job . It’s all about product and marketing and they are saturating the product! All you need is the Memphis Record & Legacy cd editions !
Yeah, projects like this aren't (imo, anyway) for collecting the "proper masters," but I'm ok with them doing specialized things like this for younger fans, or folks that want something punchy as opposed to original. They just need to not screw it up, lol. And the original Legacy Editions are a great way to go, especially for the 1969 masters!
Hey I'm about 19 and I think I've been listening to Elvis since I was 7 and I have to say this box at Memphis. I somewhat enjoy it and hate it at the same time. I understand what Jamie is saying I can hear what he's talking about in disc 1 and 2 but as for disc 3 & 5 I enjoyed the rest also Jamie, great review
I'm with you on that, 100% - love and hate it! And thanks, glad you enjoyed the review! Very cool that you've been listening since 7, as I started listening to Elvis pretty early, too!
Hi, great analysis. Thank you for this.
You're very welcome! We had to make sure fans knew about what's going on with this release!
Agree!!! Suspicious Minds is a train wreck! Reggie Young (guitar) and Elvis' tracks are offset by milliseconds. Major mishap in the Digital Audio Workstation phase of the project. So disappointing. Where is quality control these days?
Q: Are other tracks messed up too?
I appreciate the feedback on this 5 CD set. Do you happen to know if any 'pitch correction' or 'auto-tuning' was done to Elvis' vocals ? I've been watching the youtube channel WingsOfPegasis, and the studios ARE doing this to their back catalogue of old songs and artists.
Hi, Joe! I love the WingsOfPegasis channel, too! I don't believe pitch correction was applied on this set, and definitely not auto-tune; if they had, then "Don't Cry Daddy" having two vocals in the verses wouldn't have sounded as off as it does. :)
You're a lot kinder to this set than I would be, Jamie.
LOL! I definitely understand that, Dave. Disc 2 is just bad; but I will say, looking at the rest as it's own thing, I have some respect for what they're trying to do here, even if most of it isn't what I'd do.
@@EAPSocietyI’ve just DL’ed for now… to first check it out, and I must I like the stripped-down tracks like Raised On Rock, I Got A Feeling In My Body so far. I think this set will be a miss and hit affair, where I’ll just listen to certain tracks now and then… I gather they did this set to mop up the Memphis, Stax and Graceland sessions in a stripped-down vein like the Nashville box sets ? But I don’t think there is much continuity to the music spanning two decades, especially with the Sun stuff thrown in. Of course, a marketing guy would have a perfect explanation for this 😉
That's because Jamie is a kind person. Jamie makes me want to work harder on my kindness. The Good Lord knows I need improvement in that area of my life!
♥ CORRRECTUS MAXXXIMUS! And there are still people defending this full of technical mistakes products - NEAR THE SUPER TASTE MISTAKES ON THIS CD-SET - not to talk about the un-tasty changes on the ART OF ELVIS PRESLEY - THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE (including the fantastic musicians & also sometimes backgroundsingers back then) Why don´t "they" go further on the next studio-session box sets like 1969 - 1970 - 1971 (now we should have the sessions of 1972!) HAPPY-HEALTHINESS! ♥
@@Allen-vl7zq Yeah, Jamie and John are great guys. They're also not afraid to say it as it is when calling out poor quality work and questionable decisions made by those in charge of Elvis' back catalog.
For example, their spot on reviews when highlighting the baffling inadequacies of the 60's Masters and Command Performances sets from the 90's was a very welcome change from the usual hero-worship we see in the Elvis world.
That is so amazing 😍
Hi there at E A P, I, first said that I wouldn't be buying that. But after downloading the whole album 5 cd from TH-cam and listening through my headphones I came back on that decision and ordered it yesterday in Denmark where it was the, cheapest. Here in the Netherlands it cost 79 euro or more depending on the, store you buy and I found it in Denmark for 41 euro. Only takes up about a week to, delivering but that's OK with me. Instead of paying twice as much and have it tomorrow, I wait a week and have it half of the price. Sounded exactly as you said, being a mixer myself for various music. But it's doable for me to listen once in a while. And I prefer the real deal instead of mp3. But with some albums or boxsets you have no choice because of the rarity nowadays.
Hello! Very cool - that's exactly why we make these, so that everyone can make (and sometimes re-make) up yheir own minds, as well as a guide to help in listening. Overall, I enjoy the set; I just don't listen to the second disc audio much, lol
And yeah, if it wasn't for shipping, the U.K. set would have been half price for me, too - any chance to get these cheaper is one fans should take! 😁
@@EAPSociety That is why I waited 5 years before buying the 11 cd boxset of Vegas. It started at 179 euro's here when it came out. I found that a bit too much for 11 almost the exact same cd's in a set with little variations. But still today way too much 129 euro, so I got to get this from Denmark half prize. I love also that some people put new stuff on youtube for others to listen too. Makes choosing much easier when you have to be picky with what you buy. Maybe not legal, but a huge advantage for me, to listen first through headphones. Although that varies also, with sony headphones is good, but Sennheiser is way better. But then i can have a taste of what I am buying if at all. Like guitar man I only like the first disk, the other with one song ten in a row not for me. but that is just taste. You can't argue wih personal taste LOL. 🙂
Can’t understand how this got released. Picked up my copy in HMV for £35
All Spangs' work has been hit and miss. The first Nashville set was the best of what he's done, but even that has many botched tracks. But this MEMPHIS set is 100% awful. He doesn't really know how to mix Elvis properly, he just lucks out occasionally, or his work would be more consistent. ..and Ernst is just as culpable for allowing this disaster to be released.
I bought this set and the LP variant. I should have saved my money. This cd set is a shoddy sounding money grab.⚡️
Yeah, I'm wondering if Disc 2 didn't get checked, but I can't imagine that being the case - and there are too many glaring errors. Only possible idea is if there were bigger problems, and they went back and redid that disc at the 11th hour and didn't check close enough to see the problems.. which is just sloppy and unforgiveable. They should start these earlier, or delay the release, because that's just amateur-hour stuff.
Very good! 👍🙏👏👏
Thank you!
Jamie, I agree that Disc 5 is EXCELLENT. I was fearful we would get too much reverb/echo on Elvis’s vocal-like MRS had previously done on the Jungle outtakes-but thankfully not the case. I do wonder why the backup vocals were removed from I’ll Never Fall in Love Again. Of course, the Sony presentation live-streamed today offered zero insight into MRS’s mixing decisions. I was wondering how Ernst and MRS were not going insane when Suspicious Minds was being played. The doubled melody on Don’t Cry Daddy on the verses is just strange… Thanks for posting your thoughts on the set!
Awesome set and dont cry daddy is best version ever in my opinion and dont need changing.
If you enjoy it, I'm happy for you! But, imo, a few very small fixes would have made it even better, even with the aesthetic idea they were going for with that track.
So happy that Jamie mentioning the 2000 year mix of Promised Land…still my favorite mix of the song (and album)not to mention that the fadeout starts much later in the song :)
Thanks,nice review :)
@@sircurtis6849 Yeah - I still want every 1973 master in that 2000 mix!
@@sircurtis6849 Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
I just decided to really dedicate some time to this mix of the Memphis 74 show - it's not perfect but I think it would be my preference over the FTD and 2014 Legacy mixes.
The FTD mix is automatically disqualified- it just sounds completely unnatural. The 2014 mix is just too dry in spots. The EQ on E's vocal is too thin IMO, as well. The new one is somewhat of a middle ground between the two, even if the background vocals are buried in spots. I understand why though, because of the bleed through.
AGREED, The album id love remastered/remixed would be Elvis in Concert.
Yeah, I think he'd knock that out of the park. He can be inconsistent, so I might be wrong, but I can see how it'd be possible, anyway! :)
Both the Omaha and Rapid City shows.
Jamie, wow! First I want to thank you for your due diligence in reporting all this. Elvis' legacy is at stake! My only consolation is that since these are undubbed, they probably won't replace the regular versions on Elvis radio. Two questions: 1) Do you know if the same problems appear on Spotify/streaming? 2) Think quality control didn’t catch this because it was rushed to capitalize on Elvis week and the anniversay of That's Alright?
hello thank you for this up i just got my copy of this why do they keep doing this it makes me mad to think they still cant get it right can you
Hi, Adrian! You're very welcome! And yeah, these problems are really frustrating to us, too. Some releases won't be for everybody, but I do think they would get better results if they spent more time to get them right.
great review..!
Thanks, Thomas!
wow... thanks for a detailed and very useful review/analysis of this set... i have been going back and forth on this box since i heard of it, whether to buy it or not, but then i decided to use a whole night listening through every track on YT and Spotify, which took longer than 5 hours😄, but i'm glad i did, for i surprised myself and landed on the decision to order it, in spite of the issues with disc 2 (and in spite of disc 1 with nothing new, really), though i think even disc 2 has enough on it that warrant purchase, but it needs to be replaced and i hope, if/when that happens, that those who bought the set will be compensated with the replaced disc for free.... but the mixes and sound on this set is very interesting and many tracks are really good, some even better than ever (though these things are subjective).... but i thought also that it sounded like some of the tracks (on digital) came from other, already released sources (strangely enough)... but no doubt, the physical box set is a must-have for Elvis fans, in my opinion, ... concluding: i always liked "Three Corn Patches", but now i LOVE it... 😁
Hi, Helge! You're very welcome! And yeah, the digital version of this set is odd, from what I've been hearing. And while these versions should never replace the original masters (those are important and should keep their relevance), a lot of this can be a very nice way to rediscover the songs, and hear new details. That's one of my favorite things to do with these kinds of sets. And I hope they replace CD2 - the errors there just really drag the whole set down. I doubt it'll happen, but we'll see! (And glad you're enjoying "Three Corn Patches," too - John even enjoyed the song on this set! lol)
I would just say listen to this box set a few times and make your own opinion from that. Not as well mixed as the Nashville box sets but still good.
Yeah, a lot is decent, good, or very good (depending on preference) - it's just disc 2 that has actual technical problems.
Wow, I have fully been enjoying this box set, this review is obviously for Elvis over the top fans / for a casual Elvis fan like myself - I find all CD's a great listen.
I wouldn't say you're "over the top" if you rightly complain about misaligned tracks....
@@Cpayne30 agree to disagree / as I said for casual Elvis fans - who just enjoy his music. Could care less & wouldn't even know of misaligned tracks. 5 CD set is a fantastic listen.
@JimmyV1530 I'm afraid that's a problem - fans need to care about misaligned tracks, because that changes the performance and how the song hits the listener. Misaligned tracks dampen the impact of songs like Suspicious Minds, making them sound less tight and powerful than they should, even if the mix is punchy (it'd punch even harder if that was fixed). You might still find it an enjoyable listen, and that's fine on an individual level (I find the mixes, overall, to be pretty good for the Ross-Spang style, even if I have suggestions); but some of these are very clear mistakes, and it's important for fans to know what they're hearing so they know what the problem is. If no one ever demanded better, several very important people - like Kevan and Sebastian - would never have been brought on to handle Elvis releases. And that would absolutely be a shame, because they've been responsible for some of the best sounding releases ever done in the Elvis catalog.
@EAPSociety This long reply just proves my point. Over the top 😆 🤣
@JimmyV1530 Actually, you have no point to prove. Mistakes are mistakes, period.
Promised land on This Is Elvis soundtrack is the best mix
I do like that one, too - not my all-time favorite, but I do like it! Thanks for sharing! :)
Jamie, you are kinder to Matt Ross-Spang than I am. Yes, he probably has a boat load of projects on the go, and yes, he apparently sent mixes to peers to comments, and sure, maybe the digital transfers of the multi came to him misaligned but... this is a multi-Grammy Award winning producer and engineer, who apparently has a deep love for Memphis music. Even if his knowledge of Elvis' masters isn't as deep as some in the fanbase there's no excusing the effort on Suspicious Minds. Is this really the work and attention to detail of a multi Grammy Award winning audio guy? Suspicious Minds is the break-out hit, the biggest song on the whole set, and one that goes beyond the fandom, it's a classic of the era. If he didn't even have the original master mix to hand for direct reference, or his ear is so off that he can't tell the guitar/piano track (same track) is off, what expertise are we getting here? I'll forgive Vic Anesini here on the mastering side, they often have to master what's been approved from down the pipeline. Ernst and Rob should have sent the mix right back and had him correct it. They're complicit in this tomfoolery.
As for the atrocious Don't Cry Daddy, well, since mara-ju-ana is still illegal in Tennessee, maybe it was a bourbon fueled session putting that one together!
I agree that the Graceland disc is the best overall. Stax is almost there, but I can't figure out why he'd do Promised Land the way he has. Organ UP, guitar DOWN! Cowbell overdub thrown in for good measure. Probably the worst remix of the master take to date.
Glad you made this video, hopefully it helps broaden attention to the issue and get it in the ears of those who have influence to fix the American disc. I'm not holding my breath though.
LOL! Yeah, me being kinder to him than others are is rather a pattern, but not on purpose, lol! As for blaming him vs not.. I guess the way I see it is that it depends on how he got the masters to mix. If that's how he received them, I don't blame him as much as Ernst, Rob, Roger, etc. Since he's gotten used to tapes not being quite the same as before, he might have thought this was pre-corrected, especially since nobody else caught it when he shared mixes with them during production. I do blame him *more* if it happened in his mix session as opposed to it being like that when he got them, but out of that group, he *should* know the least about that music, in comparison. That said.. yeah, I don't get "Suspicious Minds" or "Don't Cry Daddy," either. Those are just hard to listen to! But I was trying to come up with a "most likely scenario," which means the producers should be making sure the mix is right.
Thank you, btw! I'd love to be wrong, but I'm not holding my breath on a fix to the 1969 disc either, sadly.
@@EAPSociety they just all sat on stage with a straight face and played Suspicious Minds to an audience in Memphis: th-cam.com/video/56LNyFFvf0c/w-d-xo.html
This post is the most accurate and informative one that mirrors exactly how I feel on this issue.
For the fans that really care, we fight and defend that Elvis’ music and legacy is preserved and presented in the best, highest regard, respect and honor for the world to enjoy and appreciate.
For the ones that have been there from the start, in the middle and now, and ofc, future generations.
@@subrosablues Yikes... but thank you for sharing that! I'll have to show that to John, he'll have the same reaction!
@@EAPSociety now my CD set has arrived and listening closely to Wearin' That Loved On Look I'm not convinced there is a sync issue with the overdubbed guitar in the right channel for that song. There's a "stuttery" nature to the part and when I crank the original master it sounds in the same place to me.
I'll summarise in five words: "Give this one a miss".
LOL - yeah, that would have been faster, for sure! Though I had to say what I liked, too, so fans knew both sides of what's up with this.
I bought the LPs .. mainly for the Cool Cover
Excellent review Jamie. Disc two should be replaced. Why leave the backing vocals off " i,ll never fall in love again", Love how you explain all the details about the songs awesome.
awesome
Thanks!
Wow. Don't cry daddy. Just wow.
Yeah, that was my reaction, too! And not in the good way, either. I can't believe that made it through five different people unaltered.
Hello Jamie, may I ask you a question about the 5 CD boxset? When there is an update with this set considering the 'faulty' takes/Cd's could you mention that in a video? Here in Europe we don't always get the latest news, updates, CD news, boxsets news etc. We are always far behind the states is my experience, but that is just my personal opinion. Maybe others have another way of hearing something. I would appreciate it if you could us fans know about any replacement CD or something else about it. Kind regards Mark
Hi, Mark! I honestly don't expect there to be replacement discs, but if I hear about it, I'll definitely make a video to let you all know!
Jamie, I know you (and I) prefer the Dennis Ferrante 1995/2000 mix of “Promised Land”, but what are your thoughts on the 2003, “Second To None” re-mix? 😊
It's been a while since I've listened.. I'll have to re-evaluate and let you know!
@@EAPSocietyHey Jamie, Have you had a chance to listen to the mix of “Promised Land” on Second To None yet? Great release. Still holds up well. 😊
I have both Nashville sets and love them, as well as the Legacy sets on this box, thus I don't need this one.
Hi, which legacy sets are there?
I am wondering if to purchase this, but if the same tracks are on other box sets I would probably go for those considering this review.
Yeah, you wouldn't be missing out on much; except for maybe the 1976 disc. They should re-release that as a single disc, imo.
@@stefanovirgili9319 The "From Elvis In Memphis" and "Elvis At Stax" sets have a lot of what's here, and overall in better quality. "Way Down In The Jungle Room" is also a Legacy release, and it's good, though I'd argue the '76 material sounds better on the new box. So if all you want is disc 5, wait for this to hit the bargain bin. ;)
“Power Of My Love” has the overdubbed harmonica (overwhelmingly High) in this new mix.
“Promised Land”? Ugh The organ was overdubbed on January 2, 1974.
Afriend of mine, (not necessarily a huge Elvis fan) really likes this song and when he heard the new mix, he called it the Promised Land circus song !!! 😂😂😂
100% agreed, Frankie! Definitely not my favorite mixes of these - Promised Land, in particular.
This is what happens when you gild the lilly too many times.
How many times can you improve on perfection?
This box just isn't my thing on premise - I have an issue with this "Our Memories" approach- it just seems like messing around IMO. "Should we mute the live backing vocals here?" "Should we mute the rhythm section on this one?!"
The truth is that some songs in his catalog are better undubbed, and some aren't- but it's all completely random here. There's no way Don't Cry Daddy sounds better, for example.
But I will agree with Jamie here, from the tracks I heard - the Jungle Room sessions are the best of the lot. It's also true that Ross-Spang has improved his approach on there since 2016. Too much slapback style echo on those Way Down in the Jungle Room outtakes. Actually the first thing I checked on though was Way Down - still 2 bass parts. Ugh.
One more thing I haven't heard mentioned- there's some nasty distortion on the first cymbal hit on "Promised Land."
That's a totally fair perspective, imo - this definitely isn't for everyone, even if Disc 2 *wasn't* a wild disaster. I don't mind them them doing these, but I'd be even more ok with them if we had a full set of proper, complete "safety" sessions/shows/etc so fans could feel more able to opt-out (knowing there isn't anything new besides a mix or presentation, or something).
@@Cpayne30 Good catch on "Promised Land," btw - I was distracted by how muddy that mix felt to me that I didn't hear it, lol
@@EAPSociety Yeah, PL should've been a slam dunk mix for MRS. I like the Ferrante mix a lot for that one, and I assume the one on 2nd to None is also the Ferrante? That one is very good. 2nd to None is my go-to Kentucky Rain source too, even over the 2016 box.
@@Cpayne30 Agreed! I thought for sure we'd have gotten a full "Spangalot" mix on PL! My fav is the 2000, not sure on 2nd to None, I'll have to check! Funny you mention Kentucky Rain, as there have been several mixes of that one.. I need to re-look at the "24 Karat Hits!" version, too, one of these days..
I was never buying this but it's nice to know I'm not missing anything. These videos are really important. Jamie, your knowledge and understanding of all this is incredible.
Thank you so much, Graham! And always happy to help! :) I will say, though, to listen to the 1976 songs via TH-cam when you can. I do enjoy those!
”Talk About The God Times” has the guitar overdubbed in this ”new” mix.
@@FrankieLovesElvis Yeah, I did catch that, now that you mention it - it's layered in a way that I'm not super crazy about, too.. though in that case I can almost see what they're going for, if it's intentional.
Yes ,you are missing something.
I don't get all this mixing and changing the original Elvis records. Outtakes are something else, they are fun to listen to because they are Elvis and his musicians trying out different things until Elvis is happy with the end result. I bought the CD Where No One Stands Alone, and didn't like the backing musos that replaced the original ones. They understood Elvis and what he wanted to achieve; the new ones never worked with him and simply added their own interpretation.
Hi, Gina! Totally with you on the "Where No One Stands Alone" release, though I think there are specific reasons why it mostly falls flat for me, even given that the project isn't my cup of tea overall. Sets like this are new mixes but not any re-recorded music - it's not for everyone, but I now see sets like this as an attempt to re-contextualize Elvis for both new and seasoned listeners, much like the 50's/60's/70's Masters box sets did for their time. They won't always land, but I do see the merit of doing them.
Sun stuff. Needs to be left as we heard on 78. The concert was un necessary with the mini slip between tracks. But ghe othe 3 discks were grest. Best Buy on Amazon or Movie mars.
Hi, Nick! Thankfully, the Sun material on the physical release sounds like the same tracks from "A Boy From Tupelo," so all good there! And I've never heard of Movie Mars, I'll have to have a look!
Hiya jamie and John, sending my best wishes to you both as just recovering from Covid 😢😢😢😢,, keep up the great work that you both do, Especially on Elvis day Tomorrow 16th ❤🎉😢
You can be rest assured, if this had been a Beatles product, they would have instigated brand new transfers of the 4 pre-Sun demos. And it would have been a MAJOR selling point!
Indeed, Jack White's transfer of the first acetate from a few years back is FAR superior to the labels ancient transfer they continue to use.
Hi, Dave! 100% right - they need to license Jack's transfer, and they need Alan Stoker to re-transfer the 2nd acetate. We're trying to find out where the 2nd one is, so we can see about getting that done.
@@EAPSociety That would be excellent, Jamie.
The second acetate is way too over processed on the Tupelo set [and disappointingly re-used here].
Much prefer it on the Platinum/Sunrise CD's.
P.S. Did you ever hear back from the guy who runs the superdeluxeedition [exclusive Blu-ray audio] site in the UK?
@@-dave3577 Yeah, they've been using that transfer for forever, and it's really unfortunate.
As for SuperDeluxeEdition, I didn't - but we've made progress elsewhere in that way, and the news so far, while not perfect just yet, is better than I thought it might be! There are things we need to do to be able to move forward, and I'm finally getting the fundraiser together to help us do that, and then we can see what next steps are possible as we go! :)
Guys do you think FTD will release the complete jungle room sessions and 68 comeback special like the other sessions releases?
Hi, Phillip! I think they probably will do sessions releases for them eventually, but it's hard to say if they'll be complete. That'd be nice, though!
FYI Amazon US now reflects a $57 price
Interesting! Thanks, Marco!
@@EAPSociety No problem, I made a couple calls and got them straightened out! :-)
@@marcoesquandolez4737 LOL! I love it!
They sure sold it by attaching a Grammy award winning producer to this project. We should know by now that Elvis is just a money maker not treated as the great artist we all know him to be. The fans can vote with their wallets.
Hi, Brian! Yeah, that's why we wanted to get this video made; to tell folks what they're in for. And also, if they do want it, a possible cheaper route to go with, too. I *am* glad they're trying to do new project to re-contextualize Elvis's music for people to hear in new ways and contexts, but they need to spend more time with these to get them just right.
♥
@@EAPSocietyYes, Sir! ♥
I have no issues with the iTunes download.
Oh, good! Hopefully that means they fixed it!
Great review Jamie! I was honestly disappointed with Matt's work on the Elvis On Tour live performances... this release is a disappointment on a whole new level...
Thank you! Yeah, there are certainly things to like, but "disappointment on a whole new level" certainly mirrors my feelings, particularly after disc 2.
How many more times can they take the same songs and move a few knobs up and down to change the balance of the sound and how many times do they expect us to keep buying it? I really can’t see the point of keep remixing everything over and over again, except for monetary purposes and I shall be giving this set a wide berth. Taking certain bits out and leaving bits in and turning certain instruments up and turning certain instruments down doesn’t really cut it for me.
It’s a bit like watching an Elvis film but turning the brightness up a bit the first time you watch it, then turning the contrast down a bit the next time you watch it, then add a bit more colour the next time you watch it and so on and so on.
Hi, Tony! I can totally understand that thinking; in some ways, I share it, though I do think that sets like this (when they're done right, anyway) can be a fresh way to attract potential new fans to Elvis's music - especially with the set available for streaming/etc. I know the 50's, 60's, and 70's box sets got me exploring Elvis's catalog in a whole new light (and I'd been a fan since birth, basically).
I want to get the vinyl version! Do you know about the mix on that or will it be the same as the CDs
Same. 😮
Yep, what Frankie said: most likely, it's the same (but with a vinyl-curve eq).
What’s the chances they would correct the mistakes and re-release this?
Hi, Eric! Sadly, the chances aren't good, given how many stores this went out to, etc - but I'd love to be wrong!
@@EAPSociety the ones who already bought this, should be given a free new copy if that is the case. But sadly we all know that it is all about the money and not about the music anymore. ( sometimes I wonder if they got their lessons from Parker (I Hate Elvis buttons)and Prissy( who can I sue now for more money))
@serendipity4me I'd love to see new discs issued, but at the very least, digital corrected versions would also be nice, if underwhelming.
The Help Me false start is ridiculous to have on this set.
I don't know - they've done a similar thing on other releases with Spang, so that didn't phase me nearly as badly as the screw-ups on Disc 2 did.
@@EAPSociety spang?
@gdepbb Oh, sorry! I mean Matt Ross-Spang (the guy that did the mixing on this); he also did "From Elvis In Nashvill" and "Back In Nashville," which did similar things at times with false starts/etc.
Maybe they sent the wrong copies. It might have been the Work in Progess copy.
that would be a relief-but no, this set is pure (fill in the expletive)!!
I wish! But seeing how the digital and physical versions of the problematic Disc 2 tracks match up, that's not likely, sadly.
@@EAPSociety If it is an error on their part then we own a rare copy and would be worth more money in the future.
Possibly - but I have a feeling there won't be replacement discs, with this being a mainstream release. You never know, though!
Shows Sony does not care and just sells the Licenses to anyone who wants to pay and play a dj and destort and mix it to their awful taste
Well, Sony didn't license this, they put it out themselves - but they definitely needed quality control on this one!
Ernst Jorgenson should be ashamed of himself. He oversaw this release and many other substandard releases. Not Sonys fault, Ernst is the 'expert' the should have told Matt Ross Sprang the mistakes and get them sorted.
Jorgensen has never been a top rate producer, IMO. You can go all the way through his tenure and find extremely sloppy work and highly questionable decisions and product.
@@-dave3577 sadly, many FTD's are botched, although nothing equals the disaster that this MEMPHIS set it. Releasing concerts AT THE WRONG SPEED is unforgivable and can be corrected in a matter of MINUTES, but FTD has done it quite a number of times.
Right, Mr.Limousine...this NEVER should have been issued. Elvis fans have been far too accepting of slap-dash, half-assed FTD product. There are tons of shortcomings, mistakes and outright abominations that we pay hard earned money for-but we do so to support the label. I'm grateful for what the label stands for and many of the releases have been wonderful. But we are all clearly being taken for granted and there needs to be better quality control.
Are these problems because what was rca is released by others?
I'm sorry, Trevor, I didn't quite catch your question - can you rephrase it? Happy to help if I can!
Jamie, take a close listen again to “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” and tell me if you notice any difference in Elvis’ vocal line, especially at the end of the line (sentence).
And “Moody Blue”? It’s ok, but Ronnie’s excellent drum work, the hi hat and snare drum in particular, are mixed way too low in this mix. It’s the meat and potatoes of a bunch of these tracks, even on the STAX material.
If You Don’t Come Back
Just A Little Bit
Find Out What Happening …
What happened to that tight kick drum that’s so apparently evident on the original albums.
Ugh, such a mess.
Hi, Frankie! First off, I love specific feedback, so thank you for that! I'm off to listen now. When you say to listen for a difference at the end of the line, which line do you mean? Or do you mean all of them?
On Moody Blue, it's funny.. on my studio speakers, the drums to sound a bit low - but on my Bose headphones, it's sits much nicer, which is interesting. I definitely noticed low drums more on the Stax material!
You're right on the mess, and it's a shame; a bit more work, and this could have been at least an interesting listen for fans (from front to back) even if it wouldn't be an overall favorite.
@@EAPSociety I’m not sure if you already listened in, but their are lines at the end certain parts where Elvis’ vocals are faded, or edited out, of specific lines within the song and this, for me, takes all of the emotion and feeling that Elvis was trying to convey.
It’s such an intricate piece of the way Elvis sings, from the heart, soul and passion that this man brought to us in his music.
@@FrankieLovesElvis Hi, Frankie! Ok, so I did a line-by-line (both using vocal separation and without, just to make sure) comparison between the raw mix master (FTD), the Our Memories Of Elvis master (also FTD), and this new one - and the new mix actually isn't missing anything; that said, here's what I think is happening that is giving the effect you're hearing:
1: this is, by far (it's not even close, it *is* Matt after all, lol), the loudest mix we've had to this song, and that's covering some of the nuances you're used to hearing;
2: this is also the most center-heavy mix, and since (unlike most of the other mixes) more instruments are sharing a channel with Elvis's voice, that also covers smaller nuances up;
3: the echo Matt has on Elvis's voice also makes some of the finer nuances harder to hear, and
4: while the compression does do a nice job fattening Elvis's voice, it also flattens out the volume of Elvis's performance a bit, thus flattening the nuances and making them not as pronounced.
So I think all of that is accidentally colluding to hide what is precisely your favorite thing about the song (which I agree, I absolutely love the heart, soul, and passion of his vocal performance in this). Ironically, there are actually bits in the new mix that we technically haven't heard as well as now, but the compression also takes away the nuance that's so nice in Elvis's performance, thus lessening the effect of that. I do like the new mix as an overall listen (and to get an idea of what a concert version might sound like), but if I want to listen specifically to Elvis's voice, this is probably the last mix I'd pick.
Hope that helps! :)
Like some of it, some of it...not so much.
Music shouldn't be mutable in my opinion.
Art is art. Make it and leave it.
!!Emergency Broadcast!! This release is lame and expensive 😂
LOL! To a degree, yeah... lol Though I do like disc 5 a whole lot!
@@EAPSociety I rushed onto iTunes to hear 1969 and was thing am I crazy or does this all sound terrible and underwhelming? I agree that they should’ve cut Sun and the concert and made it a more compact set. I’m shipping mine right back to Graceland! $80 I paid lol
@@marcoesquandolez4737 Yeah, the 1969 disc is definitely the weakest link in the chain on this by far, sadly. As for how it sounds, there are so many differences I'm hearing about in the digital version on different platforms that it's hard to know if what you're hearing is a set issue or a something they uploaded to it by mistake. Regardless, the 1969 stuff is basically 4-track tape, which means there's not too much they can do to give it a sound like the Nashville boxes, unfortunately.
@@EAPSociety that’s interesting. Truthfully, the American stuff In Memphis/Back In Memphis are genius in their original form and especially the FTD’s.
100% agreed there - the original albums and the FTDs are still the best listens for all of this, with the one exception being maybe disc 5 (to my ears, anyway). 😁
Some tracks really stand out.
Particularly ‘Talk About the Good Times’ and ‘For The Heart’
I prefer the Legacy Memphis show.
But I remain confused with
1. Where are ‘Rubberneckin’, ‘My Little Friend’, ‘And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind' and A Little Bit Of Green' ?
2. If you are keeping some songs off the set. Surely, ‘Hey Jude’ ‘If That Isn’t Love and ‘She Wears My Ring’ and ‘Three Corn Patches’ should be omitted?
3. The guitar and piano are out of sync on ‘Suspicious Minds’
4. The remix of ‘Promised Land’ has the organ high in the mix. Nice to hear in the intro. Bloody annoying throughout though. Burton’s guitar solos have lowered in the mix. In fact he sounds like he’s in the car park.
I could go on. But I’ve got things to do 😊
I would imagine Ernst thought Rubberneckin was just too sparse sans overdubs. I'd definitely agree. But also they made Don't Cry Daddy sparser by removing the rhythm section, so it still doesn't make sense!!
They COMPLETELY botched the mixing on the live concert. The legacy version is way better
It’s really funny and interesting how people hear and think about certain releases. So many people that I know that are fans, (and even some that are not) feel that the Legacy version has Elvis’ vocal work mixed down way to low in the mix, (it’s clearly apparent), but I do like it better than the FTD disk.
This new mix of the “Recorded Live In Memphis” (in my opinion) is really muffled and it feels like the instruments sound like they’re all competing with each other and, like Jamie states, they took it as a track by track approach rather than a whole concert experience.
Yeah, I like the Legacy version better, too. There is some fullness to this that the Legacy doesn't have, and I think that's what folks are picking up on when they say they like the mix, but it's not for me. Like both of you say, the Legacy is, for me, so far the best mix - though I think there's a better one than all of them that hasn't happened yet. And Frankie, I agree with you on the muffled sound - it's not spread out enough. I'd honestly love to license the multis and do a blu-ray audio release of the 74 show!
@@EAPSociety Oh man, we really do need someone, like Jamie, who is a fan, and understands what Elvis music is all about, to do something like “remix” his recordings and give us the best representation of all Elvis music.
I’d sure love to be part of that process and offer my services for Free of this would ever come to fruition. 😊
@@FrankieLovesElvis Your lips to God's ears, Frankie, LOL! And we're actively pushing to get our foot in the door, so hopefully the next steps to the goal are on the horizon!
As a big elvis fan and elvis collector I always buy when first released to help him chart and this was no exception I got the cd set and the vinyl, was looking forward to hearing the undubbed versions as I loved the 2 Nashville sets and I wasn’t disappointed well there was just one the 16 missing tracks
Tracks Not Included
American '69
This Is The Story
A Little Bit Of Green
Inherit The Wind
My Little Friend Rubberneckin' I'll Be There
And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
If I'm A Fool (For Loving You)
Who Am I
Stax '73
Girl Of Mine
Sweet Angeline
I Miss You
Are You Sincere Mr. Songman
Thinking About You
Love Song Of The Year
Some of the schmaltzy string overdubs killed the FEPB album for me and this Memphis set was perfect
I don’t have any problem with it, the thing that annoys me is the Use of Alt takes as the “masters”
Way Down on this album like it was On the 30#1 hits album is the Alt take version and that’s what most people think is the master now that is a pain because we are losing a decent master to the alt take
That's very nice that you buy them for the charting! That's especially effective in the UK! As for "Way Down," that's actually the master, it just has both the original and overdubbed bass parts in it, just like 30#1 Hits did. The use of an alt master in 30#1 Hits was "The Wonder Of You." I think it's a shame that we didn't get the rest of the 1969 and 1973 masters on this; a full set of undubbed studio masters would have been pretty cool!
Are You Sincere
I Miss You
Sweet Angeline (vocal) were not Stax.
They were recorded at Elvis’ house in Palm Springs in September of ‘73. 😊
Actually, no one should be buying this set. It is the WORST sounding pile of dung ever released. The mixes are beyond terrible. This is a tremendous diservice to Elvis' legacy. The 50's tracks are okay, but all the multi-track stuff sounds horrendous. Elvis' vocals are buried and awash in reverb. I like to support every Elvis release that comes out, but this one is an exception. Spang BLEW it on this one!
Hi, Brennan! You didn't like the 1976 disc, even? I agree 100% that the 1969 disc especially is a disservice to Elvis's legacy, and to the legacy of the Memphis Boys, who don't deserve to have their work handled with that much lack of care in the misalignments.
Well too me it's again just a rehash ... i am not going to buy this. It would have been nice if they did this with the diffrent takes and if they truly concluded ALL the songs he recorded in Memphis as some songs (Inherit the Wind ... ) are missing ...They should have let the Memphis concert out of it and use all the songs + outtakes ... Then later they could do a Memphis II box or an Elvis On Tour The Memphis Edition Box with al the remixed shows he did in Memphis in 74, 75 en 76 as those are all available now in pretty good quality. In a remixed versions they would obviously sound superb. This release is just not logical. By the way ... Don't cry daddy sounds terrible.
I agree with a lot of this! All of Elvis's Memphis shows should have been put together as a box set - that would have been great! I do understand the idea behind just having the masters on a set together, and with fresh mixes, but (other than Disc 5, imo) this one needed more time to cook. Not a bad idea as a contextual project, but I also would have changed the execution a lot.
I'm not going to buy it, same for guitar man set. I have Elvis in Nashville and Elvis back in Nashville boxsets, but I don't like the repeating numbers on these and that the stripped everything away. Gives me a our memories of Elvis vibe which I don't like either. Just like many of the overpriced overhyped ftd session articles. Nah give me Elvis full songs, full band and backing. This is just a money grabbing thing. Wonder if they learned from Parker and Priscilla 🤔
Oh, this is definitely a neo-Our Memories Of Elvis situation, so I totally understand skipping this. The FTD Session sets would be great if they'd stop editing them, but it's definitely a problem on those. I do think that new sets can be a good thing, and new looks at masters aren't bad at all, but they certainly aren't for everyone, and that's ok. Kinda like for me; if the sessions releases and the Classic Albums on FTD came out at the same time, I probably wouldn't own a single Classic Album. :)
@@EAPSociety Totally agree, ( sorry for my bad English since I'm Dutch) just today I got Aloha From Hawaii 50th anniversary boxset 3 cd's and blu-ray and that set is great, but that is my humble opinion. I do like the Nashville boxsets, sounds great, but I don't like 5 or 6 song takes in a row, but it's one way to fill up a cd i guess 🙂
But you can hear the difference on a stereo set I have different ones ( musician what can I say 🙂) so i hear different quality of music, i like deep drum sound but with some it is like a blanket over a speakertop.
@@EAPSociety also, musicians listen to music in a different way than non musicians. One track i listen to drums since im drummer, next time i listen to strings, than, background vocals, and so on
@@serendipity4me It's all good - your English looks fine to me! :) And 100% agreed on the Aloha set - they did a nice job with that one. I hear you on being a musician; I'm a singer/songwriter/producer/musician myself, so I'm sure we both catch things that others tend to miss. On the sessions CDs, I like them (when they're unedited) because I like getting a greater sense of both Elvis's and the band's instincts as the songs progress; and as we've discovered, it's amazing how little moments become clues to Elvis's process, when looked at in the larger picture of his work! Also, I agree with the deep drum sound needing some high-end to keep it sharp, especially on the 1969 and 1973 recordings. That "blanket over a speaker" sound certainly does hurt some of the mixes on this set. The 1976 material has a naturally mellow drum for effect, so for that, it's not so much a bug as a feature, at least if it's balanced right!
@@serendipity4me That's a good point on how musicians vs non-musicians listen, too. That was also true once I started doing my own mixing and mastering, it really changes the way the ear catches things!
After hearing this i skip this release
Well :-) English is not my navite language - I am Elvis fan since 1974 - born in 1963 - collecting seriously from 1980 (so you know already the import LPs and stuff) STRAIGHT FIRST HERE: The ELVIS MEMPHIS box is a big mistake! 1) Many mixing "taste" mistakes 2) Elvis is too often too behind of the music 3) Strange emphases out of a sudden nearly on each song (especially on the 1969 songs!) 4) DON´T CRY DADDY is sooo terrible! So un-natural! The whole Elvis & Band feeling is gone! The guitar is to loud! The guitar is not making the pause - which makes the Elvis mood before starting the lyrics again totally ruinined! The "second vocie" (????) Who is that really????? Don´t Cry Daddy got a super duet already: LISA MARIE with her father from the live presentation back then in Memphis!!!! this "new" Don´t Cry Daddy - it hurts, sorry! 5) LONG BLACK LIMOUSINE - in the original a masterpiece of everybody, who was there back then in early Winter 1969! BUT HERE: WHAT IS THIS AT 0:46 min ????? What???? And Elvis is tooo much in the back - too much behind the music!!! Also here - the special magic of that song (Super Elvis & Super Band!) is gone! What did the producers with this Elvis pearl, no Diamond???? 6) ANY DA NOW: At 02:26 !!!!! What is this??????? Elvis voice cut! And Elvis voice during the song once loud - then not loud - also here - the magic between Elvis & The Band in this SENSATIONAL SONG is destroyed! And the failure at 02:26 is not wearth to let this boy set went trough a control by the label of the GREATEST ARTIST OF ALL TIME: ELVIS PRESLEY! 7) SUSPICIOUS MINDS: It is stressy from the first moment on to listen! Totally out of beat and super feeling of maybe the MOST IMPORTANT AND KNOW ELVIS SONG OF THEM ALL! So ... alone THESE FAILURES should activate to delete the 1969 CD and do it again with the style of the AMERICAN SOUND 1969 makers - same nice made as the 1970 ELVIS IN NASHVILLE and 1971 ELVIS BACK IN NASHVILLE ... this all are facts & figures not TASTE - whereby THE TASTE OF THE ELVIS FANS & ELVIS EXPERTS is not something to legnect, my dear Elvis people! ELVIS PRESLEY - THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE! (The thing is ... I never ever had such a bad mood to listen to more songs of this box set - WITH A SUPER SUPER SUPER COVER PHOTO OF OUR MAN! ♥
It's all good, your English looks fine to me! Yeah, Suspicious Minds and Don't Cry Daddy are clearly problems - on Don't Cry Daddy, that other vocal is actually Elvis's, it's part of the harmony vocal overdub that should have been muted during the verse portions. And what you're mentioning about the guitar is pretty right on, imo - though it's not so much about being loud as being too sharp in the upper mid-range on eq, which gives that impression. But yeah, the 1969 disc has a lot of problems!
@@EAPSociety Sensational unisono words of you - THANKYOUTHANKYOUVERYMUCH! And notice also the big failures on LONG BLACK LIMOUSINE and ANY DAY NOW - the 1969 "remixes-overdubbs" (totally un-nessesary expensive actions!) are really unbelieveable - WHO DID HIS/HER APPROVAL BEFORE RELEASE??? - We are talking about the mighty record company of THE GREATEST ARTIST IN THIS UNIVERSE ...
I just got my copy of this ELVIS boxset and I'm really enjoying it. But I'm not a ELVIS snob like alot of people on this channel are. I have notice that this channel and alot of its viewers if it's not a FTD release than it's not worth buying. I just hope that the REAL ELVIS FANS will buy this RCA/SONY LEGACY ELVIS boxset and make up their own minds about it. And quit listening to all these so called fans because this boxset is well worth the money.
@@kerrydavidsadler980 I get what you are saying but the point of this channel is to preserve the true historical facts of Elvis Presley. Whenever something is released they'll analyze it and can pick out and correct the mistakes. They never said you can't enjoy it. Other than the fact that they already did something like this that was perfect. For Elvis Memphis All I heard was the Spotify version and some of that stuff is corrected. I love it too.
I haven't had a chance to listen to the CDs yet.
@kerrydavidsadler980 IMO, your comment is very unfair. People need to know about the mistakes on this set. Many people should be checking these mixes at Sony before they get pressed. At any price, errors like these should be found.
Also, there is lots and lots of criticism of FTD here. I expect there to be even more when Jamie makes a Guitar Man Sessions video!
@@Cpayne30 That's right, it's the point of this channel. Plus reviews help a lot, even though sometimes my opinion is different but I think it's because I have different EQ settings on my stereo or phone..lol
@@Rock4UNow Jamie and John are much appreciated by me because AFAIK, there is no other Elvis youtube channel that is as in-depth on mixing and mastering as they are. I learn all the time. About stuff I already had, even!
@@Cpayne30 same here, I'm hoping I'll win that letter opener..lol
Great info but better late than ever doesn't apply here because I've already gotten the CD Boxed set and not at the lower price.
Sorry about that! Have you opened it yet? Maybe you can send it back andnget the cheaper one!
@@EAPSociety returning. Now I’m not sure if I want to buy at all.
@silveg I'd say to listen to the 1976 songs here on TH-cam to decide for sure. Those are pretty great, imo!
Its interesting in lots of parts, but this is most controversial release of all of his posthumous collections. No way its as advertised. I think finally we are reaching the bottom of barrel. Just remaster his albums like Giles Martin is doing with the Beatles.
Hi, Whitley! Yeah, I definitely agree that this one is controversial - mostly due to the errors. We've basically got the main album catalog remastered (which needs to be available again in a physical release, honestly), so I don't mind these detours.. when they're done with care, anyway.
Just stumbled on your "channel". Your research and content is undeniable. Having said that, the amount of makeup you're wearing is distracting and not necessary. Scrub your face, ditch the 2024 show biz nonsense and maybe I'll try again.
Sorry, Tom; you're welcome here, but I'm not changing and neither is the channel. So if you have a problem, it's yours, not mine.
@@EAPSociety 😆 right on dude. Best to ya, Jim.
@tommymaguire2839 Thanks, Jim - you, too!
I have bought to his collection and enjoyed it, so i do not know what you are on about?? Basically it comes down to your humble opinion.
Misaligned tracks are a fact, not an opinion. Whether it bothers you or not is opinion.
@@MostlyBuicks yes it is you clown it's about people opinion in whether they like the cd. Or not so stop talking utter rubbish I enjoyed the five cds and in my humble opinion it's a great cd. You're entitled to your opinion and it's YOUR OPINION nothing MORE!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the set! But, as @MostlyBuicks said, misaligned tracks in the mix aren't an opinion, they're a mistake. Not everyone is going to catch them, but it does alter how they affect the listener. If you enjoyed these as they are here, you'd like them even better if the tracks had been lined up in the mix properly.
@@EAPSociety look I will have to listen to the cds again on my own. As the first time I played them had some people over, so maybe I missed something. In relation to liking the cds I still say it's an opinion I am not talking about how the cds were put together. When I listen to an Elvis cd I just mainly listen to Elvis not the band or Charlie or the backing performers just Elvis's wonderful voice.
@@James-d1k4j Yeah, listening with a group will likely yield a difference in how you hear it, and not everyone is going to catch. That said: when it comes to how something it mixed, that's absolutely opinion, and I do say as much on the video. In those cases, I'm simply comparing what we get here with what's come before, and giving my own personal opinion of what I feel would be best. Since I do mixing and mastering, myself, I have more of a technical ear than most, which helps. The problems with certain tracks on Disc 2, though, those are mistakes, full-stop. It's not an aesthetic choice for Elvis's voice to abruptly cut in at 2min26sec on "Any Day Now," or for Elvis's voice to have been accidentally moved forward on "Only The Strong Survive," etc. They're technical errors that, for whatever reason, they didn't catch.
I totally get just listening to Elvis's voice, btw! Lots of fans do that, and there's nothing wrong with that at all! One thing John and I try to encourage on the channel is to expand the different ways that fans listen to Elvis's music, since Elvis was so incredibly involved in many aspects of how his music was made, as it gives interesting insight to how Elvis approached his music at different times in his life (the recent video of John and I talking about Elvis's vs Jerry Reed's versions of "Guitar Man" and "U.S. Male" are good examples of this). It's not a requirement, or anything - I just mention that so you know where we're coming from in our approach to audio on the channel. :)