The 2 CD edition of this classic album featuring the original album and a selection of the the outtakes an original mixes.
The latest outing on the FTD label in the classic album series on 7” format is "Today", Elvis’ last proper attempt to record an album at a studio.
Design
The first thing that catches the eye is the poor print work on the cover. You can see where theu used the Photoshop eraser tools and pasted in the word "Today". The colors are very dull less vivid than the original album. The same goes for the back and the front of the booklet. This is not acceptable for the "ultimate" release - as a lot of fans buying this album once again probably consider it - of the "Today" album. A nice touch is the "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" sticker just like the original.
Content
First the booklet, that is pretty good. Nice memorabilia shots, candids and good info on the sessions and the history of the original album.
The first CD starts with the original album as we all know it. We can even add “so well”, since it used to be one of the favorites almost three decades ago. Only ten tracks, but at least it was a real attempt to make a good sounding album.
The outtakes bring some new material, but not too much. To be honest, only “Bringin’ It Back” is new, since it is quite different from the master. Elvis approached the song with an alternative timing. The other outtake(s) we were really looking forward to were those of “Pieces Of My Life”. Unfortunately take 2 is just a false start, and take 3 doesn’t really differ much from the master.
CD 2 starts with the rough mixes of the album. We can understand Elvis wasn’t satisfied completely and wanted things changed. The “highlight” is “I Can Help”, with a clumsy James Burton (which is a collectable itself). The bass is very upfront, as is the piano. We don’t mind hearing Glen D. so well, but we completely agree with Elvis on Duke Bardwell’s bass playing. Still it is something different… like “Woman Without Love” proofs that Felton Jarvis’ “finishing” touch with overdubs are totally unnecessary. It is the only version of those first mixes we like better than the one that ended up on the album.
The outtakes following these mixes were all released on FTD’s “6363 Sunset”. We do hope Ernst and Roger will not repeat themselves too much releasing the same material on different albums.
Conclusion
Gladly the content is much better (as expected) than the jacket. Not much really new material, but both CDs give a good listen and are very enjoyable. But we must ask the producers to pay attentention to the quality of the complete package. Both sound and picture wise, most fans re-buy this release as the ultimate (and hopefully last edition of) "Today" album and they should get what they expect / hope for.
Among the more useful re-re-releases.
Rating: 4 / 5
Great release. Fantastic! Can't wait! One star from Tina S. Imagine that. I give it 5.
Tina S, We all know by now that you don't like Elvis in a great part of the seventies. Every subject that's about the seventies you react with "yuk" or something like that. Please do me a favor and don't do that anymore, because this site is called Elvis News and you don't give us News at all. We know your opinion by now, really !
Can't wait for this one. The original sound quality was already very good, so I can't wait for the remastered quality FTD usually comes up with.By the way,Ton Bruins, I agree with you on Tina S. Like I stated before I think she's at the wrong site.
Rating: 5 / 5
Love this album,should arrive by mid-July.Hey Tina smile a little bit,enjoy life.
Rating: 5 / 5
FTD..a great job. Next projects are? RAISED ON ROCK 2 CD`S?. ELVIS PRESLEY
BLVD 2 CD`S?. ALL WITH STUDIO MIX?. ALSO PROMISED LAND?, GOOD TIMES? ....
And the 1970/71 sessions in two boxes also studio mix [no lp theme please].
because el NOW?, el FOOL? =1969/1972 compilations...TTWII is already released in box...HE TOUCHED ME/WONDERFUL WORD OF XMAS HAS BEEN RELEASED SOMANY TIMES , undubbed please real Elvis, that`s great.
Suggestions for future live cd`s Hawaii 1972, aug.6 1973, sept.3 1973ms.
july.22,23,24 1975 ASHEVILLE 4 CD BOX ALONG WITH JULY 19 1975 MS..
june.19/21 1977 el in concert+ june 26 THE CLOSING NIGHT...
these are my wishes for the next FTD`S any comments....
Rating: 5 / 5
Gabe, I'm not sure I agree with you about this album sounding good, the CD was better than the vinyl (which always sounded thin to me), but I'm looking forward to this release because FTD is known for their sound quality usually, and this album deserves to be heard with Elvis' voice up front and NO OVERDUBS! I'm even more looking forward to the Raised on Rock reissue in October...
Raised On Rock In October On FTD
The FTD label will release on October 1st, 2005 a double CD set of "Raised On Rock" in his Classic Album series. Other albums planned in the same series as double CD set are: "Promised Land", "Fool", "From Elvis Presley Boulevard" and "Good Times"..I`m looking forwards on the next ftd`s
except:fool, now, they are compilation lp`s they should be combined to one and onely 1971 session .I think it`s better to release sessionsrecordings than lp versions.Today is one session, elvis p blfd/moodyblue is one, raised on rock..etc..It`s a [follow that] DREAM
looking foward to this album from f.t.d. to hear the 'original session mixes' and outtakes make me feel real excited. i loved this album(own the rare usa album and the original uk version)and cant wait to hear it from the ftd lable! hope that 'raised on rock','promised land' and the 1973 'fool' album gets re-released on the f.t.d. lable, along with outtakes and original mixes.(to hear an outtake of raised on rock or sweet angline will be serpurb)10/10.
Thanks FTD for this release. I have the original Today album on vinal. I have always liked this album. I do not think Elvis gets enough credit for this album. It has a good variety of music and shows some creativity in the studio. It will be great to hear the original sessions and other takes. Thanks FTD!
Rating: 5 / 5
Elvis of the 50's and the most of the 60's was fantastic. Most of the 70's was bad like this album how can you call this cd good Now Elvis is back is a very good cd . Iam an Elvis Fan of the time he was at his best and I don't pretend to like everything he did
It's great to finally have the Today sessions. However, if you look at the list of takes in Ernst's Recording Sessions book, it seems two takes of TROUBLE are missing from this release, which is a shame. Check out this book also to see that Elvis didn't quite say "Hell, I ain't no country bumpkin".
Rating: 5 / 5
Yeah. Okay, Tina. Whatever. Tina: 1 star. Today: 5 stars
A great release for the blind and the deaf ones! Amateurish artwork and no improved sound quality for only $ 30.00! Please FTD put a sticker on the cover: Destroyed by Lene Reidel! No effort has been made to obtain superior or excellent sound quality, however priority was giving in making some quick cash!! With this release FTD hit the bottom line. If they can`t or wan`t do it any better they should better stop it!
Rating: 5 / 5
just got my copy from 'now dig this'well happy! i already got the orignal cd release (along with the vinyl too) and was hoping it might sound a little better. well,i wasn't disapointed. i listened to the new f.t.d. version and thought it sounded better than before. especially the original session mixes, which were a real joy to hear. the outtakes were good sound quality and really worth having. the only down-side to the whole release is that all the outtakes on disc 2 were released 4 years ago on f.td. "6363 sunset", but they did seem to been cleaned up compared to the versions on this new 'elvis-today' release? also,the first track on cd 1 'tiger man' was released in 1995's 'the essential 70's masters'(5 cd box set)so i think they could ave and could ave released better outtkes than what included, apart from this negative aspect. a serpurb release from f.t.d. and hope that more like will be released very soon?.(raised on rock, fool, promised land, etc. P.S. i think that ELVIS TODAY was quite a strong album from elvis at the time,and contained a good mix of music,with a mix of country and rockin somgs..why its underrrated as an elvis album-i do not know1,i true must have elvis album.
My all time favourite Elvis album.And thanks to FTD it just got a whole lot better.
Rating: 5 / 5
I approached this CD with some excitement, namely for the "original session mixes". I put that on first (disc 2), and while it's good to hear these songs without overdubs, I found myself wishing they'd also removed Voice from the tracks so it's just Elvis singing...a "Pure Elvis" kind of thing. But I'm sure we'll get that later, so we have to buy it AGAIN. No big surprise there, though. Also, some of these "original mixes" fade out a few seconds earlier than the masters, which is a crime in my book. In fact why wouldn't they let them run til the band stopped playing, extend the fades, rather than cut them short? Bad, bad oversight from the producers of this reissue.
Now I understand about putting all the previously released outtakes in one package, I'm all for it in most cases, but I found it extremely unnecessary to duplicate half of the 6363 Sunset FTD like they did. They could've put at least a few more unreleased outtakes on it. There's a couple more takes of TROUBLE, and I think Susan When She Tried, and where's the Country Bumpkin attempt mentioned in the liner notes? (Remember this is a company that released 12 seconds of Poor Man's Gold on an official CD and called it a track!) Do we need the 6363 material again? While it does sound a little better on this release, I'd rather have had more new outtakes and a reference to check out 6363 Sunset for the rest.
That said, I was happy with the sound of the masters on disc 1, and there were a few entertaining outtakes following that. Elvis even swears a little bit, which I always enjoy becuase to me it shows him in a much more human light. All in all, I have to say it's a very good release, not as great as it could be, but then again I remember 20 years ago, when my friends and I thought we'd never live to see the day when we had outtakes at all, let alone in such quantity!
No disrespect toward Tina ,to each his or her own,I can't disagree Elvis Is Back Is great as well as the 50's 60's and Yes,I said it the 70's.I became an Elvis fan in 1973 I was 5 years old and I hate the fact that this decade is always seen as the worst as far as Elvis's music is concerned.And I Love You So,It's Midnight, My Boy, Talk In Your Sleep,Promised Land,Hurt,Thinking About You.I could go on and on with this list.Elvis was getting older,divorce,his personal problems the music from this time period was closer to the real Elvis than anything he ever recorded .Thanks
Rating: 3 / 5
Elvis today is actually Elvis yesterday, and the album is not required unless you need to spend you alowence.
Rating: 2 / 5
I would agree that this album is not as good as Elvis is back which is clearly 5 stars, but this is a really enjoyable album from the King with a few true gems in my opinion, being 'T.R.O.U.B.L.E.', 'Pieces of my life' and 'Shake a hand'. It was his last true studio work as later recordings were taken at his beloved home, Graceland.
Rating: 4 / 5
Other than the tacky cover, a rather enjoyable FTD release.
Rating: 4 / 5
