Concert Anthology 1954- 1956

Another month, another Hayride compilation … this 2 CD set has a bonus section, does it make the set worth while?

Design

This 2 CD set comes in a good looking package. A leather look 2 panel digipack with Elvis name and image imprinted in gold. You can’t go wrong there. The booklet is well designed, informative and features good images of Elvis, unfortunately most on stamp-format.

Content

The first disk contains the standard Hayride archive recordings. It starts off a bit different than the usual compilation with an advertisement for Lucky Strike cigarettes, probably trying to recapture the sound of the original radiobroadcast. Audio wise they managed to sound antique … but this material isn’t available in another quality, so that can’t be really fixed.

The second disc contain Elvis voice with instrumental overdubs from former members of the Stray Cats (Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker) and Swing Cats (Danny B. Harvey). Unlike the Tomato records release from a few years ago they did not try to fill the faults in the recording aiming to recreate the original sound completely, these guys used their own recognizable rockabilly sound.

The strange thing is that this rockabilly sound doesn’t match with the then rockabilly artist Elvis Presley. Part of the problem is that the music to well produced for the squeaky sounding voice of our man, taken from a vintage acetate (according to the liner notes). The difference in the audio is simply too much to be enjoyable. But also the typical fast up-tempo wall of sound these guys produce is too much for the songs. These tracks should be played with a plain and simple backing, or are we too familiar with the Elvis sound we know by heart?

Conclusion

The bonus disc that could have made this well designed package more interesting failed its purpose. The looks alone can’t rescue this release of old material.

Disc 1:
1. Intro
2. That's Alright Mama
3. Blue Moon Of kentucky
4. Heart Of Stone
5. That's Alright Mama
6. Tweedle Dee
7. Money, Honey
8. Blue Moon Of Kentucky
9. I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine
10. That's Alright Mama
11. Good Rockin' Tonight
12. I Got A Woman
13. Tweedle Dee
14. I'm Ledt You're Right, She's Gone
15. Baby, Let's Play House
16. Maybellene
17. That's Alright Mama
18. I Was The One
19. Love Me Tender
20. Hound Dog
21. Outro

Disc 2:
1. That's Alright, Mama
2. Baby Let's Play House
3. Good Rockin Tonight
4. Maybellene
5. Blue Moon Of Kentucky
6. Tweedle Dee

Second disc contains Elvis recordings overdubbed by Lee Rocker, Slim Jim Phantom (both Stray Cats) and others.