Murfreesboro '74 - Are They Slow Or Correct Speed ?

[shanebrown]

I've heard quite a bit of out of whack wrong speed/pitch (fast/sharp and or slow/flat ) that bothered me. This isn't one of them from the samples I heard. We'll see or rather hear, when the discs arrive.

maybe that's how the soundboard tapes are and Ernst is deciding just to release the concerts exactly how they appear ? It would be nice if he talked confirmed this as the issue of speed/mastering has been ongoing for years now. Staying silent is wrong move on his part and will give the false impression that he does not care. Meanwhile, anyone can download audacity if they are not happy with speed on some of the concerts and adjust the sound to their liking.

Staying silent is his only option in many respects. What's he going to say? "Sorry, we screwed up yet again, and no, you're not getting a replacement disc." What I'd like to see is one of those question and answer sessions where someone has the balls to ask him the right questions!

[WalterHaleJnr]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

[John]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Don’t know if Shane will, but I haven’t. First new Elvis release of unreleased material that I haven’t bought since 1963. If they are going to treat us fans who’ve paid their mortgages, and for their holidays, and for their lifestyles, with contempt, they can go screw themselves.

[elvisalisellers]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Well, he's more than happy to repeat the same stories [the "success" of the 50's box set, more finds of the nature of the live IFTRTF possibly turning up in the future, EOT still in the works, etc. etc.] ad nauseam at Elvis Week every year.

[shanebrown]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

[WalterHaleJnr]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Onya Shane. Methinks he's been at the helm too bloody long. Time for someone new. Don't worry. We will see in time some boot/import label will release these concerts speed corrected and maybe with improved audio (not that the sound is bad) !

[WalterHaleJnr]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Well, he's more than happy to repeat the same stories [the "success" of the 50's box set, more finds of the nature of the live IFTRTF possibly turning up in the future, EOT still in the works, etc. etc.] ad nauseam at Elvis Week every year.

That's exactly what i meant. These days (such as Oslo convention recently), Ernst Jorgensen is only talking about these and I have to believe that he (and Roger Semon) has been restricted from SONY to discuss Elvis soundboards and studio material.

[shanebrown]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Onya Shane. Methinks he's been at the helm too bloody long. Time for someone new. Don't worry. We will see in time some boot/import label will release these concerts speed corrected and maybe with improved audio (not that the sound is bad) !

Many will claim the end of the world is night when Ernst steps down, or is pushed (although I don't think Sony cares enough for that to happen). That doesn't mean I'm denying how many wonderful things Ernst did for the Elvis catalogue, but he's also UNDONE most of them too. The catalogue looked great at the end of the 1990s, coherent and sensible. Then they buggered it up with bizarre reissues that weren't needed, and compilation after compilation. Then FTD was created - great. Only for it to be let down by sloppy releases.

On the plus side, the retail part of the Elvis dept seems to have started producing better product recently, with the 60CD set, Way Down in the Jungle Room, and Boy From Tupelo. Hopefully that will continue in the wake of the HBO documentary.

[WalterHaleJnr]

Exactly. The great work he's achieved over the years since launching the FTD nineteen years ago is today beginning to look tarnished with this and other poorly mastered FTD's. OK he may not have mastered these but ultimately it's his responsibility.

[elvisalisellers]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Onya Shane. Methinks he's been at the helm too bloody long. Time for someone new. Don't worry. We will see in time some boot/import label will release these concerts speed corrected and maybe with improved audio (not that the sound is bad) !

The irony is, in just about any other profession, the pair would have been shown the door a long time ago.
The birth and relative success of FTD, has possibly been their saving grace, unfortunately.

With the odd exception at retail, the last 20 years or so has been mediocre to dire.

Little to no innovation and vision. And even less passion.

[shanebrown]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Onya Shane. Methinks he's been at the helm too bloody long. Time for someone new. Don't worry. We will see in time some boot/import label will release these concerts speed corrected and maybe with improved audio (not that the sound is bad) !

The irony is, in just about any other profession, the pair would have been shown the door a long time ago.
The birth and relative success of FTD, has possibly been their saving grace, unfortunately.

With the odd exception at retail, the last 20 years or so has been mediocre to dire.

Little to no innovation and vision. And even less passion.

Yes, I agree with that. The rise of Elvis following ALLC and the success of Elv1s exactly should have been the start of something, not the end. And don't get me started on the Legacy editions!

[elvisalisellers]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Onya Shane. Methinks he's been at the helm too bloody long. Time for someone new. Don't worry. We will see in time some boot/import label will release these concerts speed corrected and maybe with improved audio (not that the sound is bad) !

The irony is, in just about any other profession, the pair would have been shown the door a long time ago.
The birth and relative success of FTD, has possibly been their saving grace, unfortunately.

With the odd exception at retail, the last 20 years or so has been mediocre to dire.

Little to no innovation and vision. And even less passion.

Yes, I agree with that. The rise of Elvis following ALLC and the success of Elv1s exactly should have been the start of something, not the end. And don't get me started on the Legacy editions!

And let's not forget, that neither of those huge millennium successes [along with the fairly recent mega success of the RPO IICD album] were Jorgensen and Semon directly involved with/responsible for.

[shanebrown]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Onya Shane. Methinks he's been at the helm too bloody long. Time for someone new. Don't worry. We will see in time some boot/import label will release these concerts speed corrected and maybe with improved audio (not that the sound is bad) !

The irony is, in just about any other profession, the pair would have been shown the door a long time ago.
The birth and relative success of FTD, has possibly been their saving grace, unfortunately.

With the odd exception at retail, the last 20 years or so has been mediocre to dire.

Little to no innovation and vision. And even less passion.

Yes, I agree with that. The rise of Elvis following ALLC and the success of Elv1s exactly should have been the start of something, not the end. And don't get me started on the Legacy editions!

And let's not forget, that neither of those huge millennium successes [along with the fairly recent mega success of the RPO IICD album] were Jorgensen and Semon directly involved with/responsible for.

That is true. As I said, I'm not taking anything away from the decades boxes, or the Elvis in the 90s series, but that seems to be where the imagination ended for me. You can't have someone staying in a job like that for decades - things need to be refreshed with new ideas.

[cadillac-elvis]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Wow, I one time made a comment that about half of the FTD's had faults and I was nearly lynched. You say nearly every one.
If I were you, I would be anticipating an attack. There are certain fans that are over protective of Ernst.

[Jukebox]

dunno about that Shane. Could also be that since SONY put the hard word on him he's not allowed to publicly discuss Elvis recordings to the level he once could a number of years ago. Are you still going to buy a copy of the Mufreesboro 1974 double cd ?

Nope. I was wavering in the first place because I, like most, already own three officially-released shows from the tour, plus the Astrodome show which I have on the PC somewhere. Did I need two more? Well, that decision is made for me if the shows are at the wrong speed. I'm not willing to support slapdash product, and Elvis fans have supported it almost since Elvis arrived on the scene, and certainly since the 1960s - presumably because they want to own everything no matter what the cost and no matter what state it arrives in. What I find bizarre is that the same people who still moan about the change to the opening of EOT on dvd (because it's not the film in its original state and how it should be seen) are quite happy to buy two shows that play at the wrong speed, which is certainly not how they should be heard! The difference isn't massive in this case, that I do accept. But it shouldn't be happening. And I know that, ultimately, it's too late to start trying to speak with your wallet because FTD is slowly but surely running out of steam anyway - and fans should have spoken with their wallets years ago - but there is also the principal at play here. I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind, either in the booklet, or on the disc, whether it be a technical glitch, mis-dated photos, the listing of incorrect takes compared to what is on the disc, incorrect info in the booklet, concerts at the wrong speed, wrong dates for concerts, even completely incorrect performances being used. The situation is ridiculous, especially considering arguably the biggest expert on Elvis in the world is the producer of these discs.

As for Ernst's comments in public, I don't think he has ever addressed the errors, with the exception of the couple of discs that were replaced. And the interviews he does give now seem to be safer and safer in nature as time goes on. You're right, he's probably not allowed to comment on Elvis recordings as he was in the past, but someone has to hold him to account - or he needs to make way for someone who cares enough to do the job properly.

Wow, I one time made a comment that about half of the FTD's had faults and I was nearly lynched. You say nearly every one.
If I were you, I would be anticipating an attack. There are certain fans that are over protective of Ernst.

Most of those "fans" are on the other forum. ...

shanebrown might be exaggerating just a tad when he wrote, "I don't think there is a single FTD out there that is without error of some kind", but I understand where he's coming from. Far too many FTDs have been issued with some kind of error, and the frustrating part is that the FTD team doesn't learn from its past cock-ups/blunders.