EIN's Best Of 2006.
EIN selects the best Elvis books, CDs, DVDs & packages of last year.
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2006 was surely the year of the calm before the storm of all the 2007 30th anniversary Elvis releases.
However with hundreds of Elvis CDs, books and DVDs still released in 2006 there was an astounding amount of material for the avid Elvis fan to purchase.
EIN's bank manager told us that we had spent far too much in 2006 and so to aid the unsuspecting Elvis fan we have selected our Elvis TOP TEN of 2006 - plus a few extras!
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Here we present EIN's choice of the Best Elvis releases of 2006.
'Memphis Recording Service Vol. 2': Joseph Pirzada’s sublime mix of book, audio/video DVD, and 7" single, is chock full of great photos, historical content plus 40 enhanced audio tracks. The recent discovery of the earliest known footage of Elvis as an up-coming new star in May 1955 will also blow many fans away. The 360-page book is well designed and printed on high quality glossy paper which optimises its visual appeal. With many great stories and new information about Elvis in 1955 it adds real value to our appreciation and understanding of Elvis Aaron Presley. The photographs are striking and many are very rare. On stage, off stage, relaxing, mobbed by fans, they capture your attention and mind. The inclusion of hundreds of historical insider documents will also be welcomed by Elvis scholars. This package can only push FTD to surpass themselves with Ernst Jorgensen’s future SUN project. Memphis Recording Services Vol.2 is understandably considered by many, including EIN, to be the best release of 2006. Full EIN Review here. (Book Reviews. Source: EIN)
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'Writing For The King' - FTD Book/CD- By Ken Sharp:
The stories of the songwriters by Ken Sharp is a fascinating text-driven exploration of Elvis' music and his composers. This is FTD’s biggest project to date, includes 142 interviews and is not a typical lightweight Elvis book that you’ll have finished in a couple of hours. Pick one of your favourite Elvis songs, be it 'Anything That's Part Of You', 'It's Midnight' or even 'A Dog's Life' and you can read about its creation, discover that the composers of those three very different songs, Don Robertson, Jerry Chesnut and Ben Weisman all did meet Elvis - and also read about their feelings towards our hero. While not for 'jumpsuit junkies' there are plenty of fascinating quotes and Elvis stories along the way and although expensive, this is a book to pore over and revisit. The two CDs are also worthy bonuses that fit in with the overall concept. One of the best releases of 2006, don’t let it pass you by. Full EIN review here. (FTD Review, Source: EIN)
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'Me and a Guy Named Elvis' - By Jerry Schilling.
Written by one of the most erudite of Elvis' famed Memphis Mafia, Jerry Schilling's memoir criss-crosses familiar and not so familiar ground, and when it is the latter it is well worth knowing about. Those expecting a series of jaw-dropping revelations at the turn of every page may be disappointed, however fans wanting a multi-layered memoir of life, friendship and all the ups and down's in-between of life with Elvis will be richly rewarded. One mark of a good memoir is its ability to take you inside the private (sometimes not so private) world of its primary protagonists, and to bring to life the challenges and the triumphs, the laughter and the sadness, which each life experiences - Schilling and co-writer Chrisafulli do this wonderfully! The book is an absorbing, well written memoir which doesn't offend and doesn't chastise and vividly brings to life what it was like being around the King of Rock 'n' Roll...it is a celebration of life and one special friendship. The author does that friendship proud! Full EIN review here (Book Reviews, Source: EIN)
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‘Elvis At 21: New York To Memphis’ - By Alfred Wertheimer.
For the first time Alfred Wertheimer's wonderful 1956 images of Elvis are presented in the quality that they deserve. In this huge format book of over 250 pages with high quality paper, full-page photos and fold-outs, Wertheimer provides a brief description of where, why and how the pictures were taken to complement the images themselves. It is a short but all-important journey from the Steve Allen rehearsal and on to Virginia - the famous series of photos where Elvis chats up the woman at a lunch counter, takes her to the theatre and finally kisses her in the stairwell. We also get images from the groundbreaking Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel recording session and eventually back to Memphis where Elvis openly relaxes with his family and friends. Elvis was only 21, and the photos capture Elvis as both a youthful adult and also as a confident man heading towards true stardom. Including beautifully candid as well as emotional images (ie. Elvis hopping off the train near Memphis to walk home alone) this is a book to treasure. Definitely recommended. (EIN full review coming soon) |
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'Inside G.I. Blues' - Elvis Unlimited.
Following in the footsteps of Ger Rijff "Inside" books, this stylish 116-page book is extremely appealing. The box-set also includes a rare 45rpm promo single, a 12-minute DVD, plus colour postcards. The book’s layout & design is one of the very best and features high-gloss quality paper & print. The colour images really shine with a great collection of album covers, press clippings, memorabilia and interviews with cast members & friends. 1960 was a crucial year for Elvis and the photos nicely capture Elvis' feelings and emotions of the time. If you like ‘G.I Blues’ this is essential for your collection. Full EIN review here. (Book Reviews, Source: EIN) |
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'The Blue Moon Boys: The Story of Elvis' Band' - By Ken Burke and Dan Griffin.
Until this book The Blue Moon Boys story has never before been told in such vivid, riveting detail. Treating its main characters as sublimely talented individuals with human flaws the authors paint a complex portrait of an innovative rock 'n' roll band, who produced a surging new musical force which laid the early foundations of a burgeoning youth culture and would eventually transform our society. A strength of "The Blue Moon Boys" is the way the author's draw out the individual and collective roles of its chief protagonists, presenting them fairly and parallel, allowing the reader to judge the relative intrinsic merits of each player. The authors also manage to penetrate the psyche of each character, bringing to the surface the emotional elements and tensions which affected each of them during and after their direct association with Elvis. This is a scholarly and well-researched book that sheds an important light on the usually overlooked role of Scotty, Bill and D.J. Fontana in the Elvis Presley story and the crystallisation of a new form of popular music. An important release in 2006. Full EIN review here. (Book Reviews, Source: EIN) |
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Once again the ‘Follow That Dream’ collector’s label provided most of this year's real CD highlights.
'Elvis Presley' - FTD Deluxe CD: The quintessential first Elvis Presley album. The world’s first Number One Rock’n’Roll album, the in-your-face front-cover photo showing rebellious youth breaking free. Most Elvis fans will have bought this LP multiple times already but it doesn’t matter as this unbeatable CD features the complete sessions, all the outtakes & more - along with a pristine sound (thanks to Kevan Budd) that will rock you out of your seat. All the essential tracks, plus 15 officially unreleased outtakes (plus fragments) are featured here. The stylish booklet with Session information & ‘Behind The Scenes’ details are informative and there is no doubt that the Deluxe FTD production values are getting better & better. FTD really give us value for money with all these Deluxe double CDs. How can music fifty years old sound so goddamn good? If you want to re-live the start of it all - Do not miss out. Full EIN review here. (FTD Reviews; Source: EIN) |
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'Southern Nights' FTD CD: Elvis always performed best at Opening & Closing Shows and the opening concerts from his June 75 Tour in Huntsville capture Elvis in sensational form. Slimmed down and looking great in his new ‘Eagle’ jump-suits, Elvis seemed rejuvenated and willing to throw plenty of spontaneous songs into the set-list. The concept of ‘Southern Nights’ is to focus on Elvis’ wide repertoire at the time, compiling all these spontaneous tracks into an ‘alternate’ concert. So if you are a little bored with Elvis’ standard set-list of See See Rider/I Got A Woman/Love Me then this is the CD for you with an invigorating selection of Elvis having fun & throwing random song selections at the band. While the audio quality varies at times, this new concept of a complementary ‘highlights’ CD to a previous FTD ( 'Dixieland Rocks’) is a great idea. If FTD want to continue this theme of a complete concert plus a follow-up CD of other highlights, then I’m all for it. This is a refreshing change & a great idea. Full EIN review here. (FTD Reviews; Source: EIN) |
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'Elvis: Live' BMG CD: Although aimed at the General Public this is actually a very fine LIVE compilation for all Elvis fans. The audio-mix is excellent as Elvis slides gracefully, without pause, from 1969's magnificent 7 minute 'Suspicious Minds' to 1970's 'The Wonder Of You' to 'Polk Salad Annie'. The audio remastering has put a new shine onto a lot of the tracks and the 'On Stage' tracks have been deliciously improved with 'Polk Salad Annie' sounding better than ever. And although not a genuine concert, the CD represents a real power-packed show, nicely paced with some inspired ballads. A clever touch is the excellent 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' from the 'Platinum' box-set at last placed into a proper context. 72 minutes of Elvis concert magnificence, in upgraded audio quality, and at a cheap price! What more could you ask for? Full EIN review here. (CD Reviews; Source: EIN)
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‘One Night Only!’ Madison CD: An upgrade of an old favourite ‘The Power Of Shazam' from ten years ago. Recorded at Elvis’ only Boston concert on Nov 10, 1971 this was Elvis’ only 1971 tour away from the routine casino crowds and was also the first time he used J.D Sumner & The Stamps. With 2006 full of variable bootleg audience recordings, this soundboard with upgraded audio and immaculate 16-page booklet certainly stands out. The track ‘One Night’ supplies the perfect title. In the middle of the rockin’ bluesy version Elvis sings, "Just call my name" and the crowd shrieks back "ELVIS" at him - it’s a great moment. Full EIN review here. (CD Reviews; Source: EIN)
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Elvis – The Ed Sullivan Shows - Image Entertainment.
While Elvis had been on US TV several times already, it was on Sunday night, 9 September 1956 that Elvis first appeared on the high rating Ed Sullivan Show kicking his career into the stratosphere. This deluxe 3 DVD digipack presents 3 complete Ed Sullivan episodes uncut. While I am sure everyone will go for the ‘Elvis Only’ option it is great to see these performances in context at least once to realise what an explosive force Elvis was amongst the family cheesiness of Sunday night TV. Best of all the video quality has been fabulously upgraded compared to previous releases and the audio is processed for surround sound if you want it. There are also bonus clips featuring Elvis' 1955 Houston appearance, interviews, home movies and more. Essential viewing for anyone interested in the evolution of rock’n’roll and the importance of Elvis. Available in all good stores, don’t miss out. (Full EIN review coming soon) |
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‘ELVIS LIVES: The 25th Anniversary Concert’ - EPE.
At last Elvis fans get the chance to re-live the 25th Anniversary "Elvis The Concert" performance. With impressive Surround-Sound (a real key aspect of this DVD) and clever editing, the producers have created a fabulous atmosphere and like a magician's sleight-of-hand it is hard to believe that Elvis in not really there. It is 90 minutes of heaven with Elvis pumping out all your favourite songs. As ‘Elvis Presley in Concert’ toured Australia in 2006 this is the perfect way to relive the excitement. Any DVD that gives me goose-bumps of excitement within the first minute has to get a high recommendation. ELVIS LIVES, yes indeed. Full EIN review here. . (DVD Reviews; Source: EIN) |
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‘Never Ending Love’ – Star.
This year’s best import DVD featuring an emotional journey through Elvis’ life via various known and rare clips. Starting with the 68 Special ‘That’s All Right’ footage synced to the audio of Elvis’ 1955 single, this is a clever and well-made DVD created by someone who understands their Elvis. With 47 chapters and running over 2 hours there is plenty to enjoy from the emotional ‘That's Someone You'll Never Forget’ about Elvis' mother Gladys, through ‘Tiger Man’ and Elvis practicing karate, a live ‘America The Beautiful’ and an emotional ‘I'm Leavin'’ ending. Not only that but we get the famous ‘Don’t Cry Daddy’ duet with Lisa Marie. EPE/BMG need to check out these DVDs and get similar projects officially released. Well worth tracking down. (Full EIN review coming soon)
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NOTE - While EIN does not support illegal releases, they have to be worth mentioning in that they will hopefully inspire EPE/BMG/Turner to follow up with even better official releases.)
Best 'Off the Wall' Elvis 2006 |
Elvis' legacy is so far reaching that sometimes we all need to check out a little 'off-the-wall' Elvis. If you are after something a little unusual then two releases from 2006 are well-worth investigating...
Elvis Decoded A Fan's Guide To Deciphering The Myths And Misinformation; By Patrick Lacy:
For some reason since The King's death on a steamy day in Memphis on 16 August 1977, the Elvis world has been one continually characterised by outlandish claims, wild theories and muddled information. Illegitimate children; Elvis murdered; Elvis faked his death; secret Elvis recordings, even 'Elvis abducted by aliens'...these and a lot more have tantalised the world since that fateful day in 1977. Finally someone has done the research, gathered the facts and put it all together in one fascinating book. Patrick Lacy is to be congratulated on his powerful decimation of many of the unfounded theories and claims that have been the fodder of an eager tabloid media and an even more eager Elvis underground movement. Fans interested in the conspiracy side of the Elvis world will be pleased to finally read a cogent, well-argued case about all these myths and misinformation. While it does skip a few issues, it is an impressive start in sensibly assessing the mythical Elvis world in a studious way, devoid of fanciful rhetoric. It is essential reading for anyone seriously concerned with finding the truth. Full EIN review here. (Book Reviews, Source: EIN) |
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'Chaos In College Park' - Straight Arrow CD:
Why should Elvis' reputed "worst-ever concert" of September 1974 even be released? Possibly detrimental to Elvis' glorious legacy, this 'import' CD was one of the most controversial releases of 2006. Perhaps it is because of Elvis’ emotional turmoil and unpredictability of his performances in 1974 that a large number of hard-core Elvis followers find these concerts so interesting. Of course Elvis never entered the studio in 1974 so we can only learn more about his journey through stories, photos and these live concerts. The key is that Elvis Presley has such a breathtaking legacy that some fans need, and want, to explore every minute aspect both good and bad. If you like Elvis at his best then there is no point in getting this CD buy ‘Elvis Live,’ 'On Stage' or 'TTWII" instead. However there is no doubt that this is historically a worthy release since it sounds so different from the previously available CDR, revealing Elvis’ performance for what it really was. Yes, it was a poor concert but it certainly destroys the myth that it was Elvis’ worst ever performance. Hard-core Elvis collectors will find this fascinating. Full EIN review here. (CD Reviews; Source: EIN)
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Click here to see last year's 'Best of 2005'
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