rip off
98, only to find a few days later the price marked down to $17. I purchased this CD for $29. 97. .
The Concert Is The Highlight-Also Has Different Mixes
I would put this concert above the Washington, DC concert at the Warner Theater on the 'This Year's Model' bonus disc because the Warner concert is similar to the previously released 'Live At The El Mocambo' disc which was recorded one week later in 1978. Like others I feel more or less forced into buying this because of the Nashville Rooms concert, which is first-rate. The Nashville disc shows Elvis and the Attractions in fine form working through most of 'My Aim Is True' and including surprisingly fleshed-out versions of songs from 'This Year's Model' along with "Hoover Factory" which would eventually emerge on a EP in England and the 'Taking Liberties' compilation LP is the USA. The sound check portion of the concert also includes "Crawling To The USA" and three other songs not performed in the main concert. However, to get this concert, one is forced (again) to purchase 'My Aim Is True' which, although it has bonus tracks (some of which are released for the first time), some of the bonus tracks from previous editions are left off. This is frustrating for a couple of reasons: 1) If one has to invest in the recording again, we should at least have the benefit of all of the bonus tracks from previous versions; and 2) There is plenty of room on Disc 1 to allow for these extra tracks. This is more of a consumer philosophy issue for me as in most cases I listen to demos once or twice and not repeatedly (I did find the new demo of "Call On Me" of note as the chorus was later re-worked into "Moods For Moderns"). I also strongly prefer the Rhino jewel case packaging to the annoying Universal "Deluxe Edition" packaging. I have four UMG "Deluxe Edition" releases and when I handle them I feel as if I am handling evidence at a crime scene. The frustrating things is trying to get the CD package out of and back into the protective case. Come on, can't we just have a nice jewel case instead that will allow for an expanded book with COMPLETE liner notes? I also found another aspect disconcerting, and that is that "Radio Sweetheart" and "Stranger In The House" appear to be different mixes than the previously available versions. "Radio Sweetheart" in particular has a background vocal (not sure who it is) during the intro about 25 seconds into the song. "Stranger In The House" is more subtle in its differences but in both cases I preferred the "true to the original" 2001 Rhino mixes to the to the Universal mixes. Again, I think the better course would have been to make the Nashville and Warner concerts available separately from the studio releases, with liner notes from Elvis. And preferably in a jewel case.
Can't believe they made it worth getting.
I'm an Elvis fan. First. Have been since my buddy turned me on in high school & before that I just saw the greatest performance on a TV movie til that time of "Peace, Love, and Understanding" on "Americathon".
The original release of "My Aim is True" is awesome.
The Rhino releases are fantastic.
Then this came. How can anybody improve on something after Rhino had a crack at it? Don't happen? Impossible. I'm a bigger Rhino fan than an Elvis fan & the guys at Rhino are Elvis fans.
Hip O did a fantastic job. The live concert is restored and remastered perfectly. The other songs are remastered to be a bit crisper- valid arguments could be had going either way on which mixes are better- Rhino or Hip O. If you are a fan, this is worth asking for on the Xmas list. I found this to be quite a treat.
Superfluous reissue? Yes. Excellent reissue? Yes again!
As much as I bemoaned the idea of this (just why are Rhino's flawless reissues out of print all of a sudden in favor of Universal/Hip-O's bare bones "originals"?) and even shook myself for paying almost twice the amount for this as I did for the Rhino reissue a few years back, I have to admit that this is an excellent presentation. With enough reissues to make surviving members of The Doors blush, 'My Aim Is True' sees its third reissue in about six years, now in the form of Universal's famous "Deluxe Edition" series.
The remastering is probably about the same as Rhino's, maybe a tad louder, maybe not. I didn't buy this for another remaster of an already poorly recorded album, I bought it for the second disc. The live show on this disc is fantastic. It's such a treat to hear some of the songs that would later appear on 'This Year's Model' in slightly more raw, almost demo-like arrangements ('Night Rally' is a particular standout for me). Opposingly, I love hearing the 'My Aim Is True' selections beefed up by The Attractions (the version of 'Miracle Man' on this disc is the best version available). Sure, we don't get the Honky Tonk demos, but that's why I held onto my Rhino reissue as well.
I guess I should be angry at another shameless reissue, complete with four never-released demo songs ('Blue Minute', 'Call On Me', 'I Don't Want To Go Home' and 'I Hear A Melody') and a whole live show just to entice us all into buying the same material again. I can't hate this reissue after listening to the extra bonus material, and I even love the deluxe edition packaging. The only real cons to this set are the price, obviously, and the lack of any real insight from the king himself. The Rhino essays could've at least been reprinted or maybe a transcript from a concurrent interview could've been used. Now that Rhino's budget-friendly AND fan-friendly reissue is out of print, this is the definitive version on the market for those who don't already own the album, or maybe for those who never upgraded to cd in the first place.
Classic Original With New Live Show
The original release is great, with "Red Shoes", "Less Than Zero", "Welcome to the Working Week", "Miracle Man", "Alison", "Watching the Detectives", just to name a few, and the live release is great. I already owned three versions of this disk (the original, a release with extended play, a re-release with a second disk) and took the plunge to see the quality of the live show that is now included.
You can see a complete list of all Elvis Costello discography, or go back to the Elvis Costello tabs
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