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 Elvis: The New Recordings - Elvis in his prime! By Ron McBride on January 7, 2015 Verified Purchase
A couple years after Elvis died, there were two albums
issued ("Our Memories of Elvis" and "Our Memories of
Elvis - Vol. 2") where RCA stripped off some of the
"music" that had been added. Either in the liner notes
or perhaps in a review of the lps, it was mentioned
that Elvis' records were routinely "sweetened" after
recording because RCA thought that's what his voice
needed. For these two lps, much of that was removed.
It was a very nice change from the over-produced,
over-"sweetened" recordings that were the norm for
RCA. In my opinion, Elvis' recordings were "sweetened"
way too much. That is not the case with this cd.
Elvis' voice is front and center. This is Elvis in his
prime, in fantastic voice and still obviously finding
joy in making music, in new musical settings that put
a frame around his magnificent voice. There are songs
you will have heard and likely some you may not have
heard. For me the standouts are "I Will Be Home
Again", "I Gotta Know" and "Anything That's Part of
You". And just wait until you hear "Love Me Tender",
where Elvis gets a more than able assist from a lady
with a smoking hot voice. Most Elvis fans know he
loved to sing gospel songs probably more than any
other kind, and that genre is represented by an
outstanding performance of "Mansion Over The Hilltop".
No doubt, this recording made his mama proud! And what
would a new Elvis cd be without the song that Elvis
ended his concerts with? This cd contains a wonderful
version of "Can't Help Falling In Love". Elvis would
have turned 80 this year. I suspect, to celebrate that
fact, RCA, Legacy, Sony or whatever the hell it is
this particular year, will release some unreleased
live recordings that we all already have a dozen
versions of. So if you are an Elvis fan, whether
casual or more "fan"atical, I would encourage you to
first go listen to the samples at good-music-dot-biz
and then secondly, buy something new - Elvis The New
Recordings.
 Very happy with this CD By Kevin Rich on May 11, 2015 Verified Purchase I have one other "The New Recordings" sets besides this Elvis one and this could not be a better addition to my collection. The clarity and richness of his voice really shine on this recording. A lot of reissues take some of the most mediocre versions sitting in the archives and convert to digital and toss them out there, knowing fans will line up, wallets in hand. By the time the general public got the LPs, they were several generations (copies of copies) old. Copies in the digital age are exact clones. Back in the analog days, every copy was a dilution of the previous version, until a master disk was created and that version was locked into the public's perception. To take the time to clean every single track on "The New Recordings" and make the voice sound as rich as the day it was recorded takes time and money. Well spent, if you ask me. The new sonic additions are never on top of the older takes like other overdub sessions for other artists, they work together very nicely. Bravo to the producer, for making the originals shine and adding a bit of polish to them.
Really good!
By William W. Miller on April 21, 2015 Verified Purchase
I enjoyed Elvis in my younger days, I must admit,
and was a collector of most of his movie
soundtracks as the movies came out. Just laying
the background, I enjoyed his voice and some of
his lessor iconic songs.. He's in good/great voice
for these tracks and to my ear the
background/support changes add to the musical
experience significantly, though many of these
songs I've not listened to for a whole lot of
decades. Updating their presentation while keeping
his voice front and center adds to the experience,
and hence the title of "new recordings'.. Highly
recommend! Great sampling of Elvis, the singing
voice. I hope they try this with other songs of
his as well. This along with "That's the Way It
Is" has become my two favorite albums of Elvis
music.
Need more
music like this
By Marilyn Webster on December 16, 2015 Verified Purchase I loved this CD. I do believe there were some songs I had never heard Elvis sing in this CD. It should be in the top 10 with more music like this placed on the radio. Love the CD some old songs and some new songs. Great CD to have and give as a gift. This
is now one of my favorite Elvis
albums
By Customer on November 18, 2015 Verified Purchase
This
is now one of my favorite Elvis albums!
Love what they did to the song Fever.For
most part,most of the songs sound
better! And I like the way the songs
flow,A nice album to listen too.The only
song that they could not make sound
better is reconsider baby! Hope they
make another album!
This CD sounds like Elvis recorded it today By Michael S. Anthony on November 11, 2015 Verified Purchase Always been an Elvis fan. This CD sounds like Elvis recorded it today. One fantastic CD. That voice! By David J. on November 4, 2015 Verified Purchase Strings
worked nice. The Horns were a nice
addition on Fever. While the Horns and
Steel Guitar were an interesting touch
I felt it took away from that gorgeous
voice.
A stark contrast to the Royal Philharmonic overdubbed "If I Can Dream" By Cal Crenshaw on November 8, 2015 Verified Purchase By comparison, the Sony CD features overdubs on steroids! They seem designed merely to demonstrate that the big orchestra knows how to play complicated string parts and fancy musical frills that are annoyingly incongruous with Presley's simple, straight-forward singing style. It is like a beautiful woman who inexplicably puts on too much make-up and gaudy apparel and then struts around thinking the world admires her garish appearance when in her case, less is more. On "Elvis: The New Recordings" nobody gets in the way of our ability to hear the most important feature: Elvis's VOICE. In fact, he sounds richer and clearer here than I think I've ever heard him before. They obviously concentrated on lifting his vocals out of the original mire and muck and providing fresh musical settings that support Elvis rather than overpower him. This is a very classy approach. Again, by comparison the Sony CD makes Elvis's voice sound thin or even raspy at times. This is very evident when you compare their overdubs to the way Presley sounded on the original masters. Even the background singers are shouting at him at times. I speak as someone who has been involved in the entertainment scene for years, including in Hollywood and New York as a professional actor. I know good staging when I witness it. "Elvis: The New Recordings" is a beautiful production in every respect -- strictly big league, no matter what a few dishonest ignoramuses may write, trying to convince you otherwise.  Nice try but better luck next time! By Joe McGreevy on October 4, 2015 Verified Purchase I don't normally take the time to write reviews most of the music I buy I like pretty much like. I took a chance with this Elvis CD and what I find is that the new instruments in the background are a little too busy and also the overdubs are really cutting through too much. Elvis's voice is full and rich and the overdubs are thin and too loud. I just don't think the whole thing works very well. I would like to say however that the musicians played very well. It's just that they overplayed. Fame and Fortune By kwhartford on October 3, 2015 Verified Purchase I have been listening to this cd in my car since June 27, 2015. I can't explain it exactly, but every song songs like a brand new cut. My favorite song on this album is "Fame and Fortune". I can listen to it over and over again. I have used it in my you tube video "Images Of Elvis Presley" and placed it on my website Elvis Presley Movies.Org. Please check it out... http://elvispresleymovies.org/images-of-elvis-presley/ ELVIS is Back as Never Before! By David Ray on September 25, 2015 Verified Purchase It's been many years since I have walked away from a new Elvis release feeling it was a 5 star rating. The key words here are "walked away". This latest release has me glued to my stereo system, listening to Elvis as I've never heard him before. It's simply amazing that an added instrument or two, or removal of another could add so much new life to recordings that for nearly 50 years have been staples to our lives. These newest recordings are not meant to replace what we have been listening to since Elvis first hit the stage at the Overton Park Shell. But they are to be added to a vast library of great Elvis music and hold their place sitting on the shelves beside all his other great ones. Not as a replacement but as a supplement these new recordings are meant to be. A few years ago, Sony and EPE experimented such as this with Viva Elvis & it's Cirque du Soleil's stepchild. But where as on Viva Elvis, where Elvis' songs were completely altered with even his voice being drastically changed, these New Recordings never change his beautiful voice to an unrecognizable sound. Which EPE allowed to happen with Viva Elvis. If you havent heard it, then buy it and see. Or instead, buy the New Recordings and feel as if you're listening to ELVIS songs that he would have had his approval stamped on them. It's been nearly 38 years since Elvis last appeared here in my hometown of Austin, Texas. But today he returned on the Elvis New Recordings and hasn't "Left the Arena" since I started playing this masterpiece. Sax and clarinet added to Elvis Voice. By Bill Larson on September 16, 2015 Verified Purchase Having
spent many evenings at the bar in the
Carousal in Nashville listening to Boots
Randolph's 'Yakkety Sax' jamming with
other artists in town for recording
sessions such as Al Hirt, Pete Fountain,
and others, I consider myself a fan of the
sax and thoroughly enjoyed the unobtrusive
addition of the sax among other
instruments to brighten up Elvis's great
voice in. The sax and clarinet have been
added to only in 4 of the 26 songs in this
album but all the new arrangements are
very well done with his voice front and
center where it had been somewhat covered
up the original recordings. At the time I
was an airline pilot living in Nashville
and was fortunate to know many artists who
lived, worked, or just came in town for a
recording session. This is a great album
for those who love Elvis and realize new
advancements in recording technology
actually make his music even greater!
A Great Listening Experience By Tom Croteau on September 16, 2015 Verified Purchase Elvis never sounded better! This is as close as you'll get to having The King perform in The same room you're in. His voice is crystal clear, the overdubs are tastefully subtle, and the overall listening experience is a pleasant one.  A valiant effort that for the most part pays off By Jack Hanley on March 1, 2016 The only thing that keeps me from giving this CD a 5 star rating is I don't care for some of the songs and wish they had used others. But I have to admit all were done extremely well. I love it By Sly on September 7, 2015 Verified Purchase This was delivered it a timely manner . I love it, I have 2 previously released albums ( Our memories of Elvis) that have all back up singers removed and I love them but they are not available any way except vinyl. I was excited to find this available. Every song is not my favorite (I knew this before I ordered) but I enjoy the CD and love some of the songs. ELVIS REFRESHED By ROBIN on September 6, 2015 Verified Purchase I managed to obtain my copy of this CD from the USA as it is not now available in the UK. We have many favourites here plus a fewer lesser known recordings that have been `refreshed` by changing some of the backing instrumentation, and in a few cases the backing singers (Jordanaires) have been deleted. "Love Me Tender" becomes a duet, I, personally still prefer the original, and "Fever" now has had more instruments added to its detriment. Overall, however, this is a very good CD and stands well alongside the original recordings. The producer of this collection, Larry Jordan, also did a similar thing to Jim Reeves recently. It was good. The changes were subtle but it was enough... By Martin Dublin on August 31, 2015 It was good. The changes were subtle but it was enough to give the music a new sound. As a big Elvis fan, I like any new Elvis recording. I would like to have heard a few faster songs. Elvis - pure and simple By Mary Pat Van Epps on July 29, 2015 Verified Purchase What a special CD! At first I was hesitant to love it because it wasn't what I was used to hearing, but after playing it a second time and then keeping it playing in my car for over a month, I realized how perfect it is! It's Elvis pure and simple. His voice is what you hear. Not RCA adding things that take away from his voice. The instrumentals added here simply enhance his perfect voice. Wonderful and very special piece of work. Great addition to any collection of Elvis music. Listen to Elvis's TRUE voice! Pure and perfect! By Vickie on July 29, 2015 Verified Purchase I am a lifelong Elvis fan and own almost all of Elvis' CDs.........what a thrill to find this one!!! Elvis' voice is so pure and so perfect! Colonel Parker had the band and the back up singers drown out Elvis on his recordings, because truthfully, he didn't think Elvis has a good voice. Now for the first time, you get to hear Elvis' voice. PURE and PERFECT!!! I have been listening to this CD for a couple of months now and have grown to love it more than any other. His voice was just wonderful. Listen to this CD and you will agree! If I could give this CD more than five stars I would!! I would LOVE to be able to buy another CD by this producer with more of Elvis' songs........he recorded so many.........BUY THIS CD!!! Every true Elvis Fan will love it! Elvis re recorded By Richard P. Georgeou on July 28, 2015 Verified Purchase A great collection of Elvis songs that were re recorded. The technology is superb. Not Just a Rehash By Dean on July 19, 2015 Verified Purchase I was reading some of the other reviews of this cd (on another forum) and some of them are just crazy. One person complained about the song selection. Duh, the song selection is listed. If the person didn't like the song selection, why did she buy it? Some people are just crazy. There are so many Elvis cd's on the market, and they are all just a rehash of the same thing. This cd is not just a rehash. I think sometimes Elvis was underrated, but the man had a great voice. It is my opinion, these songs, and the fantastic new music that has been added to some of them complement his voice more so than RCA ever did. RCA was so heavy on the production, it was maddening sometimes. On this cd, Elvis voice is front and center, exactly where it should be. What a great release! New arrangements only add to a few tracks Verified Purchase By Joe Jackson on July 15, 2015 New arrangements only add to a few tracks, it also was wrongful cut out the Jordanaires so often . Interesting album but not essential. NICELY DONE!!!! Verified Purchase By lindy N on July 7, 2015 To be honest, I have never enjoyed the way some of the remixes have been done in the past, but was pleasantly surprised with this one and I am glad I purchased it. It was done in very good taste and does not overpower Elvis vocals at all. Nicely done!!! Elvis rediscovered: an enchanting experience awaits the open-minded fan! By JEAN B PASTOR on July 7, 2015 Verified Purchase A superb conceptualization crafted around Elvis' incredible voice (in his prime, here). Not knocking down FTD releases, as their CDs are also done with a lot of care, but how many alternate takes or live recordings of the same songs does one need to hear? This CD is quite different. As described by other reviewers, the voice has been brought to the fore and tasteful musical background additions have been made to the original recordings. If one had never heard these songs before, it would be impossible to detect the enhancements. Being a lover of great saxophone, I particularly enjoyed the tracks where this beautiful instrument has been added (such as Fame & Fortune, for instance). But the whole CD is a delight. I understand diehard fans and purists may recoil at the thought of "messing" with Elvis' recordings, but this is so well done, and with so much respect for the artist. It only adds to the listening pleasure, in my opinion. How about a volume 2? And soon!!! The New Recordings presents Elvis as the King of Ballads By Bo Knows on July 3, 2015 Verified Purchase This set showcases some of Presley's lesser known recordings which is a big part of the charm. The producers were quite thoughtful in the song selection and the modifications they made. These tracks are not startlingly different from the originals, but they tweak things enough to give the tracks a different feel. "Love Me Tender", which has been reimagined on two previous outings, is done very successfully here with female artist Cassie West. Some tracks reduce the work of The Jordanaires and while I don't consider this an improvement, it does give the song a different feel. This Cd offers a lot of material. The overall feel of the collection is on the mellow side featuring lots of ballads. This recording is worth owning. A great reworking of some old favourite Elvis tracks By Mike Hampton on May 30, 2015 Verified Purchase A great reworking of some old favourite Elvis tracks. Some single releases and some album tracks. I especially liked the intro to Love me Tender, the newer feel of Gently. Whoever the musicians are on this album they should be congratulated on a fantastic job .It's just like hearing these songs for the first time. I heartily recommend this c.d to anyone who loves the music of The King. A New Interesting Take On The Familiar By Technics on May 29, 2015 Verified Purchase T his was a very interesting CD. While I'm used to the very modern techno productions done to Elvis' recordings this is different. Additional instrumentation here was used to enhance the recordings. For the most part, to my taste, some were slightly improved especially where strings were added, but I sometimes found the additional saxophone to be obtrusive. There were actually times where I could have done with less, not more enhancement. I realize that this is a very subjective and personal feeling since these are recordings I am very used to and very comfortable with as I have heard them in a certain way most of my life. The choice of songs was interesting as, for the most part, hits were avoided. Only 10 charted songs are here out of a total of 26 tracks and half of those are charted 'B' sides. The songs are from the 1956-62 era [in the public domain in Europe] and cover much ground musically. Only one song was turned into a duet: "Love Me Tender" with Cassie West. In some cases the power of the Jordanaires' vocal support was diminished, and in addition to the aforementioned saxophone and strings, guitar, accordion, flute and other instruments have been added. Overall it's a mixed bag with much more positive than negative and is certainly worth the cost to listen to these recordings as you have never heard them before. The picture of an early sixties Elvis is very appropriate as only 2 songs are from the fifties. I would like to see this production team take on another 26 of Elvis' songs and issue a Volume 2. Truly unbelievable By M. N. Part on May 24, 2015 Verified Purchase Elvis the new recordings just arrived today and I am playing right now it is really great what they did to these recordings is truly unbelievable well done and the different styles on every track makes it even more exciting to listen too all I can say to all you Elvis fans this is a must have CD it truly worth more than a five star rating. Very good By Richard D. Matthews on May 23, 2015 Verified Purchase THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS WERE (ARE) VERY GOOD. I'M IN MY SIXTIES NOW AND HAVE BEEN A LIFELONG FAN OF ELVIS. THESE NEW TAKES ON HIS MATERIAL I DON'T FEEL ARE TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL RECORDINGS, BUT TO COMPLIMENT THEM ON THERE OWN! THE SONGS HAVE A NEWER MORE MODERN UPDATED FEEL. MY WIFE AND I ENJOYED THE CD VERY MUCH AND THINK FANS WOULD ENJOY THIS CD AS WE DID. Disappointed Kevin Lee on March 7, 2016 None of the songs has been improved all that much so I consider this a waste of time. Good concept, weak execution. Wow---Amazing!!! By Quiltlady- 1958 on May 19, 2015 Verified Purchase This CD is like no other!!! The sound is crystal clear and Elvis's voice is soft,smooth, and clear!!! You can hear every note and every sound!!! His voice has been placed forward and the music as back ground--A great idea!!! This is truly one of a kind!!! Several new songs which is always great!!! Gratitude for the abilities we have today to make recording like this better then the original!!! Thanks!! What a great collection By RFM on May 19, 2015 Verified Purchase What a great collection. The arrangements on this set really help enhance Elvis's vocals and rather than being "Drowned out" as some one suggested, actually put's him forward and center - just where he should be. Cleverly instruments and backing vocals have been removed. At times it can be a revelation. Songs that you've never liked before for one reason or another are transformed, others are subtly changed to give them a more contemporary twist. This is a set than can only enhance Presley's reputation. The last half an hour and it is absolutely beautiful to listen to By John Incampo on April 5, 2016 Verified Purchase I have been listening to this CD for the last half an hour and it is absolutely beautiful to listen to. I have everyone of Elvis' LPs and CDs from 1956 on. I bought this to see how the songs were changed and I think that they are crisp and wonderful. Elvis' voice stands out and is easy to understand every word as it is sung. As for the choice of songs, as someone said earlier - why would you want another "Greatest Hits" CD. These are some of the most wonderful, tender songs from Elvis earlier catalog. I can understand that many people would not want the original music to be tampered with. It is all a personal choice. I also bought a CD of re-mixes to experience what had been done to Elvis' songs and immediately disliked it but that was my opinion. I am still listening to this CD as I wrap this up and it's fantastic. Some of my favorite Elvis songs with a "new" feel to them but in no way insulting to Elvis or detrimental to his legacy. I believe that projects such as these keep Elvis' music alive. All I can say is Thank You. |
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