FTD added another ‘classic’ (cough, snort) album to their 7” series: the fourth in the Gold(en) Records series.
Design
We know the drill by now. Nice collection of images, covers and other memorabilia. Add some background info and you’ll have another neat presentation of a ‘classic’ album.
Content
The original was already pretty unbelievable at the time. RCA was hardly able to get enough tracks together to fill the album (don’t even ask if they went really gold). The bonus songs FTD added are questionable too in that respect. Not that there is anything wrong with the result. It may not be Elvis’ strongest songs, but I am afraid this is “the most played FTD in its first week” of the last decade. Maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it comes close. Nice up-tempo songs like Witchcraft, Please Don’t Drag that String Around, Devil in Disguise (a real hit!) and A Mess of Blues coupled to beautiful ballads like Love Letters and It Hurts Me (in my opinion one of his best ballads EVER) and about the same goes for the bonus songs.
As extra bite FTD added unreleased (officially) outtakes. Nice to have, but not spectacular, or it must be the breaking up of A Mess of Blues. And hey, where are Kiss Me Quick, Suspicion and Gonna Get Back Home Somehow coming from? Oh, well, they had some space left…
Disc 2 is a trick FTD did before: add the original mono album on one CD! Ridiculous! They should have at least taken the time to add mono versions of the bonus tracks too.
Conclusion
If you hear a loud “DOINK”, it’s FTD hitting the bottom of the barrel they’re scraping. Just to keep the collection complete, but a completely unnecessary release in itself, these not so Gold Records Volume 4.
I Always enjoyed this collection. From the review I get there is not much extra on this release, like alt. takes. So I don't see the need of buying this one. Not because of the original album, but just because it contains hardly anything new.
Lex, I agree... They should have taken the time to add mono versions of the bonus tracks on CD 2... along with "Tell Me Why", which really did achieve "Gold" status.
Not buying this, period! It was a real pharse back in the day when released and still is today. Save your money.
It was a "pharse" then and it's STILL a "pharse" today folks! (do you think he means farce?)
Yes i saved my money for next FTD , didn't need or want this one
I bought this FTD (classic album) only to fill a gap in my collection.
Totally unneeded release. Strictly put out to say they issued another classic album, (which this is not), and to make people buy it so they feel complete, which I suppose by reading a comment here, some people feel the need to do. So they make their few dollars which is the only intended purpose for a release like this. Sad
Yes, should have been farce, not what was typed. As to this FTD release, I stand by my prior remarks. Not worth the price of admission, period. A money grabbing scheme as originally released and still today.
Nobody is made to buy anything. Some people just can't grasp the concept that maybe some of us might like and want this release. As for "sad", what's really sad is people coming on here with nothing better to do than slag off what is after all, just a record release. As I've said many times before, if I see a new release I don't want, I don't buy it but I respect those that do - unlike some of the twerps on this site. One final point, if you're going to question which Elvis albums should be defined as "classic", you can exclude many of them (which is not to say they're without merit).
~ Please don't get me wrong. I think this is a fabulous album, even if it was (and still is) a compilation album. If Elvis had recorded these 12 songs in a 1967 session, and the album had been released in early 1968 as a "new" album, the critics back then would've praised it left-and-right, and it would still be considered one of the best albums of his career. Compilation or not, chart success or not, when one considers the original artwork of the front cover along with the 12 strong songs, it certainly is a "classic album"... like it or not. However, I'm much like everyone else about this newly released FTD... I'm disappointed that there's not much bonus material, but the release does fill a gap for collectors. For the past 17 years, FTD has made us happy more times than not. Stay positive, my friends... 2017 will hopefully be a big year!
~ (VivaLasDavies makes some valid points below, in my opinion)
THEMEMPHISFAN I see that too. Thats exactly my opinion. It is a Classic Album, 12 strong Songs and it fills the gap. Imagine that FTD would have stopped after Vol.2 or Vol.3. Inconceivably. No one has to buy, but everyone who wants can. As simple as that. So folks, dont worry be happy. Thank you FTD and Happy Christmas to all.
Not as good as the FTD Vol 3 release. But an enjoyable listen nonetheless. I shall spend my time enjoying this release for what it is, rather than complaining about what it isn't. Bring on Vol 5, Ernst.
Good points, Jerry, but I hope Ernst brings on the remaining 'classic albums' of Elvis' lifetime before dealing with Gold Vol 5.
I'm not wedded to the "albums in his lifetime concept." Besides GR5 would have been released in his lifetime IF it would have been released when it should have been. Right after "Aloha From Hawaii."
I understand what you're saying, Jerry, but the need for a Volume 5 was greatly reduced when RCA released the box sets of Worldwide Gold Award Hits (Vol. 1 in 1970, and Vol. 2 in 1971)... plus most of the songs were already available on other LPs in stereo. Maybe the year following Elvis' death (1978) would've been a better time for RCA to have issued Volume 5 instead of waiting until 1984. Then there's the never-ending debate by Elvis fans as to which 10 songs should've been on that release. (And by-the-way, the meaningless Pure Gold album of 1975 seemed to be quite possibly what prevented a Gold Vol. 5 from being released during Elvis' lifetime.)
If GR5 were to be released by FTD then I'd like to see it done properly and that is it should contain the tracks that round off the 60s. Otherwise it's pointless, it was released after Elvis' death so its not part of the classic album series anyway and was poorly thought out to begin with.
I do wonder if the word 'gold' didn't change its meaning over the years these LPs were released in that it originally meant these were singles that reached gold status and then became singles that were considered gold ie quality.
Just curious, circleG... if FTD does issue a GR5, which specific songs do you think they should add as bonus tracks to round off the 1960s, and which songs from the 70s would you like to see added as bonus tracks?
The original album (with unique mixes) = Suspicious Minds; Kentucky Rain; In The Ghetto; Clean Up Your Own Backyard; If I Can Dream; Burning Love; If You Talk In Your Sleep; For The Heart; Moody Blue; Way Down.
I personally would like to see the following 10 songs included as bonus tracks on an FTD issue of
"Gold Records Volume 5"... Any Day Now, You'll Think of Me, Don't Cry Daddy, Rubberneckin',
The Wonder of You, I've Lost You, Patch It Up , I Really Don't Want To Know, Separate Ways,
I've Got A Thing About You Baby
I'd go one step further MemphisFan and scrap the original track list. I'd cover that '68-70 period only. Since its an album that came out after Elvis' death and as others have mentioned GR5 doesn't hold any great merit or memory as a release, I don't think it matters if the tracklist is changed.
Wow circleG... '68-70 only? That would really limit what they could include on it, plus I seriously doubt that the FTD team would scrap the original track list.
Me too, and with the FTD 'Elvis Hits of the 70s' GR5 becomes redundant, pointless. As far as compliations go I'd rather see FTD do Let's Be Friends. this would be the expanded version from the Change of Habit book and the bonus would be Charro, Trouble with Girls songs with any outtakes and rarities. Plus, as I said before it's my favourite cover!
If Ernst gives the "classic album" treatment to any of the Camden LPs I would be very surprised, but as you have suggested circleG, FTD does need to find a way to issue the remaining Charro/Trouble With Girls/Change Of Habit material.
incidentally in 2000 the vinyl release of GR4 ( with additional songs ) was released with the channels swapped by mistake.
hello there , everything there except the kitchen sink , lot diff from original album , possibly cheaper .
dailyone, two things that are not in this set... the kitchen sink & "Tell Me Why" (a Gold record).
