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What Elvis playlist do you listen to on August 16 ever year? There is something so tactile and visual about VINYL that not only does it feel more "genuine" but it also reminds me of when Elvis was alive and everything we listened to was on vinyl. This year 2021 - while in CV19 lockdown - my most recently acquired vinyl were the three recent MRS VINYL releases and what fine and innovative albums they are.
While there is no real need to examine their very fine content in detail - as I have already reviewed the CD packages - the heavy 180 gram vinyl versions certainly are not only great vinyl collector treats but also beautifully packaged.
Las Vegas International Presents Elvis – August 1969 - (Single LP 180g) The comparison here has to be with the Elvis' RCA 'In Person' album. From the pounding intro of 'Blue Suede Shoes' to the fabulous ‘What I’d Say’, “I gotta go” it was a stunning return to form. The real positive is that each side runs over 28 minutes. The original 'In Person' A-side ran only 17 minutes!
Check out the size and impact of the MRS album cover next to the RCA 'On Stage' CD
Las Vegas International Presents Elvis – January Thru February 1970 - (2LP 180g GATEFOLD) The first LP features Elvis' Opening Show, 26th JANUARY 1970, the second album features the season's Closing Show, 23rd FEBRUARY 1970. While the Opening Show features the delight of Elvis introducing a pile of new songs to his set list including 'Proud Mary', 'Don't Cry Daddy' 'Kentucky Rain' and 'Let It Be Me', it is power and fun of Elvis' Closing Show that I personally prefer. Presented in the MRS newly created “Stereo” version the original soundboard tape was also recorded in far better audio quality. The season is over, Elvis has a holiday in his sights and he's up for some fun.
The gatefold sleeve inside
This Closing Show featured the fabulous run of 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy', 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'One Night', 'It's Now or Never', 'Suspicious Minds' 'Can't Help Falling in Love' as the intense power ending to his first 1970 Las Vegas season. Note that to fit to a playable vinyl duration MRS have edited out the 'Introductions'. Fine by me, although it’s a shame that Elvis no longer explains before 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' about playing the piano, "this is something I very seldom do. Hang Loose." Each side runs a delicious 27 minutes. You can compare both of these albums to Elvis' RCA 'On Stage' 1970 album. While the RCA vinyl felt truly impressive in 1970 with Elvis trying out his new material it only featured ten tracks (and even then two taken from 1969!) and only ran 17 minutes each side.
Elvis Summer Festival 1970 - The Rehearsals - (3LP 180g GATEFOLD) The album features 48 recordings from Elvis' rehearsals at MGM Culver City 15 July 1970 as well as his stunning session at RCA Studios, Hollywood, 24 July 1970. (see vinyl tracklist below) A TRIPLE VINYL Elvis Presley album - now that is a treat for 2021. And what a stunning cover - and the triple inside cover is even better featuring some exciting and colourful shots of Elvis in action!
Comparing it to RCA's 'That's The Way It is' cover of the time puts the original to shame. After all those bright colourful album covers of the sixties what was Col Parker thinking! Couldn't he afford to pay the photographers for colour film! Below check out the size and impact of one main photo inside the MRS album and remember what Col Parker released back in 1970 for TTWII back-cover!
As noted in EIN's MRS 'The Rehearsals' CD review it is the 24th July 1970 session that really stands out. ‘I Just Can't Help Believin’’, ‘Mary In The Morning’, ‘You've Lost That Loving Feeling’, a full-blast ‘Johnny B Goode’, ‘Make The World Go Away’, ‘Stranger In My Home Town’, ‘I Washed My Hand In Muddy Water’ all glorious rehearsals and in fabulous audio quality. Two lovely albums cover the 24th July session with 24 minutes each side. Far longer than any of his actual concerts - nearly two hours of Elvis rehearsing in top form - with tracks such as ‘Polk Salad Annie’, ‘I Can't Stop Loving You’, ‘Just Pretend’, ‘Sweet Caroline’, ‘Words’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’ all performed with hardly a breather, this really does sound like a genuine rhythm section dress rehearsal. On Elvis "Remembrance Day" I played this one rehearsal session twice through and thought of our hero. This would have made a great post 1977 RCA double album. I wonder why Joan Deary never considered it.
Overall Verdict: Yet more stylish treats for Elvis vinyl collectors. Printed on heavy vinyl all three releases sound extremely fine, even with the lengthy run time of each side. While the 1969 / 1970 concerts cannot match the RCA recorded multi-tracks in pure stereo sound mix they still sound very fine and the volume can be cranked up high. Of course 'Summer Festival The Rehearsals' was recorded stereo in RCA's Hollywood studio so has perfect sound. I found playing these delicate versions of ‘I've Lost You’, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and ‘I Just Can't Help Believin’’, recorded over fifty years ago yet only now released on vinyl, a perfect fit for my August 16 reflective mood.
Please note that these images are only personal photos and so cannot show the true quality of the images. Review by Piers Beagley.
Elvis Studio Sessions '56 The Complete Recordings Elvis Live in the 50s The Complete Concert Recordings
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