A bit late to give my opinion on this FTD release, but because of some mixing up this book/ CD arrived in my mailbox only last week.
Design
There is not much to say about the design itself. It’s a collage of pictures, and overall it has been done with taste. The printing quality and the quality of the pictures is something else, both are VERY poor. There are a lot of speckles in the dark parts of the pages, being it in the pictures themselves or the background color of the pages (often the brownish color that is also on the front cover). The book features more than 200 photos, according to the back cover. I am not exaggerating when I say that more than 150 of them were not worth being featured, either because they’re blurry, enlarged too much (and thus very grainy) or just screwed up with Photoshop (or a program alike).
Content
The book focuses on Elvis’ gigs in Los Angeles over the years; a couple of pictures from the 50s a few of the 1970 shows and some of 1976. The main part of the book (nearly 70 pages of the 130+) has pictures of the show that is on the CD too: the evening show of May 11, 1974 in the Inglewood Forum. At least this book teaches me that Elvis switched suits during this show: he apparently wore the Aloha suit too, according to page 34. I guess this shows how sloppy some things are done…
The show is, not surprisingly, a lot like those of the March tour (yes, among them the Memphis one). The set list hardly changed. There is one big difference: Elvis was much more energetic during those days in March. What’s left is a listenable show, but nothing special, it sounds like our man is on automatic pilot. The sound is okay too, although there are many better sounding soundboards. The highlight of the CD should be the audience recording of “You Can Have Her” and as a matter of fact it is. Unfortunately the quality has not really improved compared to what I knew already.
Conclusion
To me it can be only one: I should have skipped it. Sloppy pictures, sloppy printing and a so-so show are certainly not worth 60 Euros (or even more if you buy it at the wrong place).
Live In L.A.
By ElvisNews.com/ Lex, May 20, 2007 | Book
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ElvisDayByDay wrote on
May 20, 2007
FTD should reconsider their book strategy. This book was a sloppy production, Rocking Accross Texas an extended reissue of a book that had only been out a couple of years and which is still available. Writing For The King was a book that Ken Sharp had in the making for several years, but he didn't have a publisher. Could it be that mentioning this on various news sites gave FTD the idea to contact the author? In other words, what did FTD write themselves? We know Ernst delivered some quality books, standard if I may say so. He has been working on his SUN book for several years now, so he knows it takes some effort to produce a good book. Why pop out these quickies and damage your good name?
Steve V wrote on
May 20, 2007
Glad I didnt buy it. Dont need another book with subpar pictures and goodness knows I dont need another live show. I cant tell one from another anymore.
JimmyCool wrote on
May 20, 2007
The sound of this soundboard depresses me. It makes me feel the same way as "Desert Storm", soundwise. "You Can Have Her" sounds worst than ever...
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 21, 2007
This book cd should have not been released,a rush job to say the least,it seems the 70's stuff is rushed but rhe %0's isnt,anyone notise that? as for desert storm ,i hate that import, thats why i got rid of mine!
Dan wrote on
May 21, 2007
Unfortunately, I agree! The sound is very poor..dull and flat. Elvis is un-inspired. Skip it!
Steve V wrote on
May 21, 2007
mature - maybe its because Elvis rushed the 70's stuff himself. In the 50's he cared more about his output and took the time to get it right. Lets face it, he was losing interest after Aloha and it showed.
Shaky wrote on
May 21, 2007
I feel all your comments are a little too negative, the book has some nice pictures and the cd has a real funky version of 'Big Boss Man' May 10, '74 at Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA. I still remember the 1980's release policy and thus enjoy each and every FTD on its own merits - keep up the good work Ernst!!!
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 21, 2007
I agree with Kees fully. I don't buy books/cd releases anyway. Just too much money for a book and a cd. And the '74 show is just one out of millions with an Elvis on the automatic pilot.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 21, 2007
That is probally true steve, but im more of a 70's fan and i think all releases should be treated the same way,and there are better concerts to choose from,if they expect us to buy it, then make it a quality prodject,this release should have been a regular ftd release if it needed to be released at all,and i understand that there was a time when there was nothing new coming out from elvis,but still releases need to have substance and a purpose, this was a money maker and nothing more,there are plenty of soundboards from the importers than are very entertaining,does ftd not have access to these type of shows?whats the absurb part is these books are selling as high as $150 usd, and people are buying them.i am already not a fan of book cd's,either release a book or a cd,thankfully for me, i can skip the next book cd set, the sun project,i know many are waiting for that one, but again im a more of a 70's fan,something for everybody as they say,now one book id buy is one from the Elvis on tour material,.but again id ask if a cd comes with it, put it a digi pack case at leaset!
wayup wrote on
May 21, 2007
A little bit too much negativity, isn't it? I do not understand this... maybe fans are to spoiled now... too much books, too much of soundboards... The book is OK, not great but just OK and there are almost all photos from this show available, incl. these technically bad ones. As a documentation - fine. The sound quality of attached CD can be better if someone will take care and restore the sound. But still it is listenable and overall nice 1974 show. Actually I am tired of all this bullshit that Elvis was singing this show or that show "on autopilot" Ton. Bullshit.
Bryan wrote on
May 22, 2007
oh my god..please stop all that complaining. just be glad that something like this is released, cause there's not much left. and elvis sounds great in this recording. nothing wrong with it all. and i really don't agree with the review at all. and on a automatic pilot?? did u guys talk with elvis that night? i don't think so. some of u weren't even born back then. enough said.
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 22, 2007
Well, here we go again...it's not allowed to be critical about our man...Remember: When someone has another opinion respect that. It has nothing to do with complaining. Complaining is something else. I am entitled to give my opinion. There is nothing wrong with doing a show on the automatic pilot either, it happens with a lot of singers. And this show is one of them.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 22, 2007
I guess we need the language to get our point across? this release was not needed, not for the money it cost,and the well we use to get no Elvis cd's at all argument doesnt fly anymore,i am glad to have ftd but such products as this arent needed,its funny that ftd choose flat soudning soundboards,im beginning to think they should stick to studio outtakes, jmo
Lefty wrote on
May 22, 2007
I had high hopes for this release, mainly because I grew up in San Bernardino. I was around for Elvis in 72 as well as 74, but I was too young to buy tickets to his show back then. What's sad to me is that FTD gets a pass on putting minimal effort into their products. Some of us fear voicing our opinion, as though FTD would be so offended that they would close their doors. To be honest, FTD doesn't read our opinions, nor do they care. As long as they're making a profit, nothing else matters. Terrible Elvis products have been the standard for fifty years, so why change? A few importers do a quality job, and they're in no danger from FTD of losing their place in the Elvis market. I'm going to skip buying Live in LA.
Lex wrote on
May 22, 2007
Ton, I DID complain... about the sloppyness of the book. It is a bloody shame that a product of 60 Euro is of this poor quality - and I'm not talking about the pictures themselves, but about the quality of the printing! If people don't want to call Elvis singing like this "on autopilot" it's fine with me, but I can't come up with another word, not even in Dutch :-). But that's no complaint... just an observation.
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 22, 2007
You are right, Lex. I just don't agree with the high prices of those book/cd releases. I can afford it but I will not buy them for that reason. Maybe "automatic pilot" means: same tracklist show after show, no high energy level in his voice, nothing special, no highlights, just another day at the office. :-) And no, that's no complaint, just an observation indeed.
Bryan wrote on
May 22, 2007
ton, like u said u have right to give your opinion, well u done so and so have i, hope u respect that too... as u want me to respect yours and not '' here we go again" i rarely comment on these articles.. but, what i was trying to say is, that we should be gratefull what is released nowadays, ok some is not what we are waiting for, and some of it is junk i agree with u on that, and the price is to high, u right about that too... especially the FTD's are extremely high priced..that's a fact. as for the book, i cannot give my opinion about that, i don't have it, because i'm not a book collector, but now i want see it, just to see if the quality is that bad.. but i don't like the term '' automatic pilot'' ok it may have been a standard show, alot of it is but i think he was pretty aware of what he did, and he looked great too!.. well that's my opinion.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 23, 2007
They should be gratefull that theres still Elvis fans out there to buy these products shouldnt they? while im glad to have ftd,the time seems to be coming when i will not buy all the releases,in my oppion there is a lack of interest in choosing live shows from the 70's,all the effort at times seems to go into anything pre 70's,just an observation!
Joe Carr wrote on
May 23, 2007
"One of millions with Elvis on the automatic pilot," geeze, give me a break. Sounds to me like some of these posts are on auto pilot.
Aleksi74 wrote on
May 23, 2007
Nothing wrong with the CD, it's a great show. But in the book, many of the pictures from '74 are not from LA, and not even from this particulalr tour.And that to me seems a little bit cheating...
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 24, 2007
Joe Carr, I don't have to explain to you what are not standard, no automatic pilot shows ? ..............Because they excist.....
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 24, 2007
OK, Bryan we agree I see...the only thing is that you don't like the word "automatic pilot". I think that Elvis gave a lot of standard/automatic pilot shows and some great not standard shows...and that shows I like....they do excist !
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 24, 2007
This show in L.A. is a standard/automatic pilot show...and the sound is dull/standard for a soundboard...just an observation...
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 24, 2007
By The way I don't blame Elvis in a way....what would you do when you are giving a show in Vegas for 4 weeks in a row, 2 or 3 shows in one day ? One day it will be just a day at the office...That's why I think that he should have stopped doing shows in Vegas..he was simply bored...he was doing it just for the money...a puppet on a string...
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 24, 2007
I agree very much about vegas,while i cant say id been the best on making decisions,he should have been out of vegas by 70, 71,bored indeed!
Steve V wrote on
May 25, 2007
Agree about Las Vegas also. Just listen to the shows from 1970 and 1971. Big difference. Boredom already was setting in 1971. After TTWII and the summer 70 Vegas season, the direction should have been a world tour.
Ton Bruins wrote on
May 26, 2007
Agree with you Steve. Such a big star and great performer and not a world tour...What a shame !
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 26, 2007
It is amazing and shocking to me that a world tour was done,i have to believe theres some reason behind that and not a good reason at that,playing vegas still in 76 was such a waste,how can you give it your all every night playing in front of the dinner crwod as they sip there beers, shamepane etc etc,id lost my mind long before that,thats only thing i can say im sure 100%,get out of vegas,world tour and also fire that the colonel,too bad and sad that he didnt relize he was the star with so much more to do that play in front of handful of people!
JimmyCool wrote on
May 26, 2007
The CD is way too SLOW! It's not Elvis a normal speed... they should fix that.
Steve V wrote on
May 26, 2007
mature - a shame indeed. I used to think it was the Colone's fault about a world tour. But the more I read & make sense of it, I think it was because of Elvis' refusal to travel without guns & pills. Customs would never have allowed him to get by with weapons & narcotics. Seems like he went everywhere loaded with heat and his 'medicine bag'.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
May 27, 2007
That could be true, i just take a differt view on the pills issue, i wasnt there,i dont know if he would or would not travel due to pills or guns,i still am not a fan of the colone,its sad that a person with this type of talent wasted his talent in vegas ,were half the audiance probally didnt even know who was singing,in ttwii he was giving his all and enjoying hmself,but with each year he got more and more bored,the last ftd is the last vegas recording im buying,as for this release the sound is flat,im getting to a point were i wont buy every ftd release,i await a Elvis on tour release!
Greg Nolan wrote on
June 17, 2007
I'm just glad these releases are available - thirty years after his death- for fans to pick and choose from. Keep it up, FTD.
niekandelvis wrote on
April 10, 2009
I bought the book because i knew some of the pictures from a 1978 book release (also featuring some of the closing night 1973 pictures) in glorious sharp colour. I think some of this 1974 show picturues were also used on the inside of Elvis in Concert 1977 LP. Unfortunately the same pictures appear in this new book release in a terrible quality. FTD, what happened? I fully agree with the elvis news book review. Waste of money and a waste of the opportunity!