Customer Reviews

Collectors Gold

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I'm a huge fan of Elvis' music. I've got quite a collection of his stuff from the 50s through the 70s, and I can vouch for the quality of music throughout the period in which he recorded his music. Most comp CD's are a waste of time and money, but this one is quite an exception. The mark of a good CD or collection is the amount of use it gets over a long period of time, and for its diversity, it should get plenty of wear. The Hollywood CD will contain songs that you won't find on most other albums. Big Boots, Pocketful of Rainbows, a slower version of Girl Happy, Black Star, I Slipped, Stumbled and Fell...great songs from a variety of his movies. The booklet has a nice write up of each CD. The Nashville CD has some great songs as well..and some outtakes you'll enjoy. It gives you a fresh perspective of Elvis that's unfamiliar on a lot of his "Best Of" collections. Witchcraft, Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello, How Can you lose What You Never Had, the beautiful balad Love Letters, and many others make this CD and excellent collection. The Vegas CD has some interesting cuts...most notably, "Are You Lonesome Tonight", which has Elvis absolutely Losing It after lampooning one of the lines of the song. "Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair" (Instead of "Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there"). I mean, he goes into hysterics...and when he tries to stop, it gets even worse. The background singers are still singing away, and Elvis is just cracking up...and when you listen to it, you'll be cracking up as well. I'm usually not much of a fan of the concert stuff, but this CD's pretty good...and again, Are You Lonesome Tonight makes the CD worth it.

Combined, the three CD set makes a great collection. It doesn't cover the 50's or the 70's, but it doesn't claim to. If you dig the King or know someone who does that doesn't have this collection, get it. It's a winner.

This now hard to find Presley collection is absolutely true to it's title. "Collector's Gold," is a goldmine of rare material for the serious Elvis collector. I can't say enough about Disc Three, which includes highlights from his 1969 run at the International Hotel in Vegas. Not only does it include the infamous laughing version of, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," but also, cuts you simply would never find on another Vegas release (Rubber Neckin', Inherit The Wind, and This is the Story...I rest my case). Mix this disc with the original '69 Vegas release, and you've got one helluva comp. As far as the other two discs, they include alternate takes of Elvis' 60s material (Hollywood on Disc One and Nashville on Disc Two). The one complaint I do have about the set is that there's only an average of about 45 minutes on each disc. However, they weren't loading discs with 76 minutes of stuff back when this was released in 1991. Other than that minor quibble, I believe, "Collector's Gold," to be an exemplary set.

With 47 previously unreleased performances this really is essential Elvis Presley from beginning to end. The only live version of 'Rubberneckin' is here, along with other gems such as 'This Is The Story,' 'Inherit The Wind' & 'Reconsider Baby.' The hard-to-find 'Are You Lonesome Tonight (laughing version)' is also here and sounds great within the context of such a dynamite live show. Elvis even sings "Happy Birthday" to James Burton. - shopelvis australia
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'Collector's Gold' was the first time that Ernst & Co had scoured the Elvis vaults to compile a set of undiscovered gems for a mainstream release.

All the CDs were themed (which is why 'Elvis : Close Up' works so well) and, after the few & far between outtakes we had been getting over the years, 'Collector's Gold' really was a treasure chest of Elvis goodies.

The 'Hollywood' CD stuns, from the first very different version of 'G.I Blues' to the rare 'How Can You Lose What You Never Had.' The longer 'movie' version of 'One Broken Heart For Sale' was released here for the first time and the Elvis solo version of 'Lonely Man' is astounding. The brilliant 'So Close Yet So Far' take 4, is still unavailable anywhere else, even on the new 'Harum Scarum' extended FTD.

The 'Nashville' CD is one of the best selections ever released, featuring eight "first takes" and showing Elvis at his 60's creative best. The dynamite blues of the unreleased take of 'Give Me The Right' is worth the price of admission alone but tracks like 'Like A Baby,' 'Memphis Tennessee' (Jungle 1963 version) & 'Love Letters' are also revelations. All these help demonstrate how Elvis was producing some astounding material while The Colonel pushed the lackluster movie soundtracks.

However it is the 'Las Vegas' 1969 CD that is the real stunner featuring a collection of fabulous rarities. The only live version of 'Rubberneckin'' is here, along with other gems such as 'This Is The Story,' 'Inherit The Wind' & 'Reconsider Baby.' Elvis introduces Del Shannon (who is in the audience) during his performance of Del's 'Runaway.' While 'TTWII' captured Elvis at his 'professional' best, this Las Vegas CD shows the power of Elvis, unleashed and ready to re-conquer the world!

Disappointingly, this set has been deleted by BMG. Grab it if you get a chance. - Daveyboy

It is often said that Elvis's soundtracks do not amount to much. Well, this collection came to prove it otherwise. The first cd, with alternate versions of some of Elvis's film tunes show what a great musician he was and how a song did not have to be much of anything for Elvis to turn it into a masterpiece. The second one focus on the early studio recordings of the 60s. Excellent versions of excellent and average songs, but Elvis delivers them with real talent and a very soft, soothing voice. The third is the best: Elvis live in Vegas, in 1969. It is pure rock'n'roll, even when it's not! Some of Elvis's best live recordings ever are here, despite what his detractors would say. Elvis was in great shape, both physically and musically, and in here he sets the line between the king and the contenders. Whether you're an Elvis collector or simply someone who would like to have some of Elvis's best without having to purchase tons of boxes and cds, this is certainly your best go. Gold indeed!

This is an essential 3 CD set for any serious Elvis collector.
For some reason, it seems to be out of print, but can of course can be found online. It contains rare outtakes from his movies and a great concert that features his famous "laughing version" of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" that cracks me up every time and is actually one of my favorite Elvis moments. He does "Runaway" in his concert and then introduces Del Shannon in the audience. He does a lot of songs he never usually did live like "Mystery Train", "Rubberneckin", "Aint it Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Inherit the Wind". His duet with Ann Margaret "You're The Boss" was a famous deleted track from their "Viva Las Vegas" movie and can usually only be found on big expensive box sets. Needless to say, there is nothing here for the casual listener, this one is strictly for the hardcore Elvis completionist fan.

As one reviewer points out, this is one of the Elvis compilations you don't see too often anymore - either in stores or through on-line services. One reason it might be hard to find here is the sub-title spelling of "Collector's Gold." In fact, there is no apostrophe and when I searched under Collectors Gold - which is the way it's written on the cover - I failed to get a return.

Anyway, I found it and now I'd like to tell those of you who don't yet have a copy that it is just one more "essential" ingredient for your Elvis collection. The three discs are subtitled Hollywood - Nashville - and Live In Las Vegas, and each contains a mixture of material readily available on numerous other compilations along with some tracks you just don't see outside of the expensive multi-disc box sets.

On disc 1 these would include Big Boots, the lullaby he sung to a baby in 1950's G. I. Blues, Beyond the Bend, a bouncy tune from It Happened At The World's Fair in 1962, and A Whistling Tune, penned by Hal David and Sherman Edwards for the film Kid Galahad in 1961.

In that category on disc two are I Want You With Me, a 12-bar rocker with drums and an energy that harkens back to the late 1950s - but first released on the LP Something For Everybody in 1961. And the Doc Pomus - Mort Schuman tune Night Rider, released on the 1962 LP Pot Luck, is an uptempo swinger that shows Elvis at his full energy. The Las Vegas disc is, as one reviewer has already pointed out, almost worth the price alone.

Topping off the package are the 12 pages of liner notes written in 1991 by Christopher Niccoli, a discography of the contents, and photos of Elvis with the likes of the Colonel, Pat Boone and Juliet Prowse, Ann-Margret, and Ol' Blue Eyes himself, the immortal Frank Sinatra.

This should be both prominently displayed early on in the Elvis listings AND re-released as soon as possible.

This was one of the earliest collections of rare Elvis material ever released. It features 50 (mostly) unreleased tracks from the 1960s. The set is broken up into three discs: Hollywood, Nashville and Live in Las Vegas. People often criticize the Hollywood (soundtrack) material from the '60s, and rightly so, but the songs here are well chosen and entertaining. They are alternate takes which are sometimes better than the takes that actually got used way back when. A lot of good material was recorded in Nashville in the '60s, so it's no surprise that this collection of alternate takes is very good. The Live in Las Vegas disc features songs recorded in August of 1969 at the International. Very good material, including the infamous "laughing" version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight". This collection really is "gold" for Elvis collectors.

This collection may seem not as amazing nowadays, given how many Follow That Dream editions have been released, but I love this collection. Due to my inability to pay $30.00 or more for a CD, this set allows Elvis fans who are more conservative in their spending to enjoy what the FTD series offers. Each alternative track shows Elvis' personal aesthetic and technical genius in how he recording meaningful and entertaining songs. Disc 3, which is the best one, provides a great recreation of what it must have been like to see Elvis returning to Vegas in triumph after the Comeback Special. He laughs through "Are You Lonesome Tonight." He adds hilarious sound effects to "This Is the Story." He shows a genuine sincerity in his approach to entertaining a crowd and delivering music. Discs 1 and 2 have some great alternative tracks as well. For example, the regular speed version of "Girl Happy" is much better than the version from the movie, and the versions of "Night Rider," "Love Letters" and "I Want You with Me" are exceptional. If you plan on buying all the FTD versions, you don't need this collection; however, if you want a cheap collection packed with great alternative takes, you should not pass this one up. This set proves that 60s Elvis was great even if he had some sloppy soundtracks along with way.

Elvis Presley: The Good, The Bad, andthe Bizarre, here in a nice listener.
Best stuff on Disc #1 (believe it or not, the movie outtakes or alternate takes or originally unused takes). A take of "G. I. Blues", a tad over-the-top, but even better than what was released in 1960 [despite the over-miked Jordanaires singing "Hosenfeffer/Hosenfeffer"]; an interesting beat ballad, "Pocketful Of Rainbows", more *beat* here than before [with a totally unnecessary false start with Elvis' voice breaking up]; another track from that awful movie with the great soundtrack (sorry, fans) - an uptempo version of the quiet lullaby "Big Boots", fun to hear for the first time. We have a keftover of "A Whistling Tune", without the whistle, of course first done for "Follow That Dream". The guitar intro. is soothing and inviting. Elvis is in Dean Martin-land and sounding happy. Another good song from that good movie is "What A Wonderful Life" -no light crooning here -it's the "I Got Stung"-Elvis back in business.The title song to "Roustabout" is here, a pretty good mover with a jazz undercurrent, but the lyrics and once again the Jordanaires part the kind of stuff that make you hope your neighbor down the hall didn't hear it as they pass your door. It was 1964 and you can hear Elvis' interest level has dropped a peg or two.
Great to have "Girl Happy" at th proper pitch. This prersumptive outtake is altogether stronger than what was originally issued. The Jordanaires have a good showing here as the harmony actually drives the rhythm. Sounds like Big El was nursing a cup of java and looking at the chick in the control room but I'll take it over that sped-up, horribly mixed more familiar version.
"Stop, Look, and Listen" from another semi-turkey, "Spinout", is ok, Elvis trying to inject some life into a tired '50s send-up (maybe I'm being over=critical - seems it caught the attention of his '50s contemporaries, Ricky Nelson and Bill Haley and his Comets), but the miserable sound balance is off-putting and typical of the period.
Back to Dino-land for a cool, after-hours, bar-stool soliliqy, "How Can You Lose What You Never Had". Here the drums are to the fore, but it still sounds like it was recorded inside a 10 foot cardboard box.
On another Disc, we have "Goin' Home", which was probably cut for movie, but is assembled here among the non-movie sessions. Not much of a tune, but Elvis' voice soars, in a super revitilization.
Disc Two is Nashville sessions, with mainly material which was unreleasable at the time - a little too loose, somewhat tentative. "Like a Baby" is still excellent, as Elvis "is back" at the Studio and ready, ready, ready to rock. Voice clear as a bell and powerful enough to rattle a chandelier back at Graceland. We get one cut which could have *made* the cut way back when, a cool cover of the Spiders' "Witchraft". A hip blend of the mellow and the rockin'. We also encounter a dismissable, disappointing workout on another '50s staple, "Come What May". I'll never understand why Elvis couldn't send this one into the stratosphere. Maybe he was on a Perry Como-kick at the time (all due respect).
The live material on Disc Three is really not for the Sun Records/early RCA afficionado, despire three super trcaks: "Rubberneckin", "Jailhouse Riock"/"Don't Be Cruel", and "What'd I Say?". I think 99.9 % of the deep fans would agree with me that these babies belonged *out there* back in '69/'70.
Don't dig the throwaway "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Love Me Tender". Why didn't he get into thgese classics - should have actually been the highlight of the show and they were used in the "gotta do 'em for the fans" vein. Arrangements too busy. I love "Vegas" but perhaps Elvis didn't even realize the explosives he had in his hand. Unless, he decided that at age 34, with more older folks in the crowd than in the 1950s, "going for it" might not have beem the way to go.
This set is now considered "older", too; may not stand out amongst those countless "Follow That Dream" label [RCA/Deep Fan interest] subsidiary releases; but a good place to start...and revisit.

This Cd is a must have to any body. This is one of his bests. Holywood,are great for aal Gi blues. Nashville NIGTH RIDER. Live in las vegas Inherit the Wind It glady say if you dont have it you are missing out.