The latest bunch of FTDs contains a complete “new” FTD, bringing us Stage rehearsals for Vegas gigs in 1970, 1972 and 1973.
Design
The cover is simple but tastefull. With some nice shots of Elvis on stage in 1970 (red shirt). The only minor is that the tracklisting at the back is about unreadable, thanks to the dark red text on a black background.
Content
The first part (1970) is recorded with professional equipment and you can hear that. According to the liner notes there was some repair necessary because the intros were missing. Still it’s a very listenable collection of songs (when you’re able to ignore a huge feedback). Despite a hole in Elvis’ memory regarding the lyrics, I Just Can’t Help Believin’ really stands out and Patch It Up is worth mentioning too.
For the second part I was hoping for a miracle – Ernst finding new sources – but unfortunately the quality is still inferior. It’s nice to have them “officially” now, but I don’t get any listening pleasure out of it, unfortunately. Especially Any Day Now and True Love Travels On A Gravel Road would have been great in good quality, it would be even better if we had an actual live recording of them.
Conclusion
A real FTD that fits in the collection, but it doesn’t really offer anything new.
Nice cd, but I am waiting for the complete rehearsals from That's the way it is on CD and DVD.
ok cd that I have played a few times over the last week. Amarillo77 was simply awfull.... only steamroller blues worth mention on that cd.
I agree with Lex' conclusions 100%. Nothing really new (for me that is..) and the soundquality of some songs didn't get the improvement I was hoping for. But as Lex said, it fits in the collection. Give it one spin and then it will end up in the cabinet..
will save my money from this release..
I tend to think now that we're lucky to even get them as they are today.Those weren't meant to be made public anyway. Looking forward to it any day now. I'm sure Ernst did the best he could with the second lower sound quality part. Let us enjoy!
This release is not what it should be,bad edits,i thought this was a collectors label? They somehow take the fun out of many of there releases,if only they were as good as the bootleggers are,no passion.
Sweet Caroline sounds so much better in the Elvis Aron Presley box set... I'm looking forward to a better release of this rehearsal from Gravel Road Music
I am wondering. Nobody is talking about the track 14 True Love travels. At minute 0,54 you can hear a "Pffft". That's really bad. Where is the quality in this series? It's gone, it's gone with the wind. :-((
In thought the sound on the first 12 tracks were outstanding. Patch it up is probably the best version I've heard to date. I guess they repaired a few of the tracks with openings from live concerts, as you hear clapping on some. It is too bad the rest of the cd is not in better quality, but true love travels on a gravel road and any day now are great tracks! I enjoyed this release...good stuff! Again, the mixes on the first 12 tracks are far superior to anything out there, rich, smooth with guitar and horns clear as a bell. Awesome mastering.
I am one of those who find the 12 first tracks on this album a great listening. The sound , mix and edits are simply great and well done imo. Even though the bonus tracks are not in the same sound leauge, they at least give a glimpse of Elvis in good voice and "what could have been". I simply enjoy this FTD!
Sorry ,but I definately should have skipped this one as well as Amarillo 77. Nothing really new on Stage Rehearsal and most of all I am missing Elvis talking in between takes !!! If anyone wants to buy these from me or even exchange it for another FTD please contact me !
No mentioning of Ernst filtering the comments of Elvis on track 5 and other songs. No mentioning of more mastering errors. I'm tired of Ernst giving us self-build sessions and rehearsals. I understand why more and more people get these releases via filesharing. Ernst you don't have to cut out every interesting part, filter every comment and build your own sessions and studio-banter combinations to make this collectior's stuff more listenable. You made FTD "not available in stores" so that these inaccurate tracks can be released to the fans.
Does anyone else think that 'Any Day Now' is running way too fast as well?
absolutely shameless release from Ernst & co. Glad to see folks are coming around to see that what I have been saying for a while now (that our "friends" at FTD are screwing the fans) and are finally voicing their collective disgust at Ernst & co for taking us Elvis fans for suckers. I would love to hear how Ernst defends this latest release (with all of its inherent flaws). The Amarillo disc too is just another example, a show that really is not worth releasing, AND the disc is padded with songs that have been released before (a common practice for FTD).
FTD comes out with a gem every once in awhile. Take "Live In Vegas" for example. Now that's an incredible CD production! FTD is also sloppy at times, leaving me to wonder if they care at all about the product. Looks like "Stage Rehearsal" falls into this category. As far as Amarillo goes.....is it the CD production, or the terrible show itself that's the problem?
Lefty - the problem is the choice of show (its really a horrible show, it doesnt show Elvis in a good light either physically (he forgets words to songs; he introduces songs and then doesnt do the song he just said he was going to do) or musically (he is strictly on auto-pilot during this show. and then FTD has the gall to add "bonus" songs, all which have been released before. With all of the soundboard shows in FTD's library and you mean to tell me they think releasing this 1977 Amarillo show is a good idea?
ernst blofeld - I see what you mean, and I agree with you. Along those lines, I thought FTD would've released a concert or two from the On Tour recordings to go along with the DVD release. That would've been fantastic! But alas, that didn't happen.
i enjoy this cd. the 1970 songs are in great soundquality and although i had some already i still enjoy them here together. for me its the first time i hear the 1972 versions of the 2 great songs Any day now and True love travels.... If only, if only...... Amarillo 77 is another story. our man was sick, very sick, but its part of his legend that last half year, and the soundquality is good. there are some highlights like Bosom of Abraham and You better run.
What about track 14 "True Love travels on a gravel Road". In the beginning at minute 0,54 I can hear a big scratch. Can anybody hear it too???
Dont know i got bored when i found all the edits were there.
The greatest song sung in Vegas rehearsals........'Oh Happy Day'....magnificent. It's easy to retrospectively look at these years and criticise the song selection but at the end of the day he should have done what he in his heart wanted to do instead of bowing to public opinion or the Colonels. I ponder what might have been and if alive what he would have to say about his past, his thoughts at the time, his problems. I'll never know, we'll never know.
great release...love any day now.wish he had added it to his live set-list.
Regarding the two postings from the same person about the edits on these songs, they were not done just for fun or to annoy you. They were done because the songs are incomplete, if they had faded the songs in and out people would have been complaining about that. We get to eavesdrop on Elvis' final rehearsal just hours before his magnificent August 1970 opening show and yet some that boring. Amazing.
CD is ok, but why Ernst, why not the complete rehearsal in direct order ?
Someone will explain why they dont give complete rehearsals and why they dubbed in live applause. Ftd is a collectors label in name only,collectors want uncut material,with ftd i pick and choose.
The review should explain the questions asked in the previous posting, but obviously further explanation is required. As to why the recording is not complete, the reason is that the master tape was stopped and started between songs, meaning that the openings of most of the songs are missing. That is not actually the fault of FTD, they don't have a time machine. Regarding the "dubbed applause", the incomplete rehearsal tracks had segments of live recordings edited to the start to make them more complete. This is where the applause comes from, it was alreading on these segments and was not dubbed on.
Lol ,so they dont have any straight up rehearsals that r worth listening to? strange. Sorry ftd has yet to release a nice set of rehearsals,a nice 2 cd set with booklet. Just give me a few classic albums,the 70 shows they have left and the on tour shows and call it quits. My view so no one go nuts and remember its only music.
