Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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James27
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Review The Final Curtain Box Set

#862531

Post by James27 »

How about another detailed review, next to Piers' excellent one ? Especially delving into the audio. Anyone up to it ?


Joe Krein interview with Sherril Nielsen: "YOU KNOW YOU FORGET HOW GOOD HE REALLY WAS. I SAID MY GOODNESS. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE WITH HIM YOU ARE SO WRAPPED UP DOING THE SHOW, BUT HERE NOW 20 YEARS LATER, I HEAR HIM AND REALIZE WHAT A GREAT TALENT HE WAS. HE WAS THE REAL DEAL.

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Axeman
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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by Axeman »

So far I have only listened to disc 2, the Orlando show. Sonically, it sounds like they overused compression and EQ. The band sounds distorted at times and I hear the occasional click on the CD that sounds like clipping to me.

Elvis' voice is not that up front, and I suppose they got it as loud as they could (hence the heavy compression and EQ).

Good versions of It's Now Or Never, My Way (for which he does a reprise, as with Hurt, which is also a good listen. On Hurt the first time, at the end, he holds pretty much one straight note instead of his usual vocal acrobatics. Probably as you can hear a slight frog in his throat at the beginning of the note... but interesting to hear, as it was not what I was expecting.

So, in short, good show for the time, not the most listenable sound... maybe others will disagree.

Upon hearing disc 4 (Saginaw May 3), a balanced recording... Elvis opens with That's All Right (fades in with obvious tape damage sound), and seems not outstanding but not completely out of it. He's fairly present, but sounds tired.

As for the video, what little of it I have seen so far, some of it I have seen in better quality... looks like its been intentionally made to look old or this release. Perhaps we'll get a "resmastered" reissue in the future.

Axe




Rob

Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

#868770

Post by Rob »

James27 wrote:How about another detailed review, next to Piers' excellent one ? Especially delving into the audio. Anyone up to it ?
I'll give it a shot.

I'm fine with the audio. They did the best they could with what they had.

If any other websites care to post my review, it's fine with me.



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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by Axeman »

Listening to disc 5, (Madison 6-24):

Pretty good mix for a soundboard recording, upon listening to the first few songs, it reminds me very much of Elvis In Concert. Obviously, many would say as it was just a few days before, but See See Rider especially, for me, almost mirrored the EIC version. Soundwise it's good, performance wise its somewhat unfocused and weak. He stops Jailhouse Rock, blows the end of Its Now or Never and re-sings it, and the rare-for-the-time One Night it even interrupted by Elvis changing microphones. Clearly the problem wasn't with the mic.

A note on disc 4 (Saginaw show)... the last two tracks are from a different source, presumably the Spring Tours FTD but I'm just guessing. Interesting that technical difficulties forced Elvis to abort Polk Salad Annie, then resume it.

Axe



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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by James27 »

Thanks Axeman and Rob !


Joe Krein interview with Sherril Nielsen: "YOU KNOW YOU FORGET HOW GOOD HE REALLY WAS. I SAID MY GOODNESS. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE WITH HIM YOU ARE SO WRAPPED UP DOING THE SHOW, BUT HERE NOW 20 YEARS LATER, I HEAR HIM AND REALIZE WHAT A GREAT TALENT HE WAS. HE WAS THE REAL DEAL.

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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by Mitch »

Spot on Rob!



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Review The Final Curtain Box Set

#879069

Post by fg76 »

Still sounds like CD-2 was a mix of the soundboard and the audience recording. With headphones, it sounds very distorted.

I hated the edits on disk one that "Coming On Strong" didn't had. Splicing crowd noise where it just faded out in the other release.

June 24 sounds nothing like June 21. It sounds more like a decent June 18, but that show was worse than June 19. One Night is okay, but the show is a disaster.

Good mix of the final concert though.

Decent edits of the June 21 & 19 shows. Cleaner than the old VHS copy. June 19 being listed as "complete" is a joke. Can't help falling in Love is dubbed with footage of crowd shots, before splicing into the EIC ending that used 80% of June 19's exit. The video is clean, though.

June 21st was a good edit job in comparison. Shots from EIC are used when they could, and a version of the watermark blurred out was used for the rest. My Way comes from a mix of EIC and TIE. Plus the audio sounds like the CD, when they should Of used audio from Black and White Knight - the b&w version of June 21.

Intros are still missing, and I Really don't want to know is a splice from EIC and raw footage. Bobby Odgin is intact, which is actually new - along with "One of my latest hurts was record errr records was Hurt"

Unchained Melody is a splice job, but it's a good one. I would have lifted Elvis' close up of sitting down at the piano from Cilla's CBS special of Great Performances.

Can't Help Falling In Love has all, but the end - and splicing the last bar of June 19 - along with the video clips of the closing from This Is Elvis.

That's my view.



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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by Mitch »

Thanks for your review. :)



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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by James27 »

Thanks!
fg76 wrote:Still sounds like CD-2 was a mix of the soundboard and the audience recording. With headphones, it sounds very distorted.

I hated the edits on disk one that "Coming On Strong" didn't had. Splicing crowd noise where it just faded out in the other release.

June 24 sounds nothing like June 21. It sounds more like a decent June 18, but that show was worse than June 19. One Night is okay, but the show is a disaster.

Good mix of the final concert though.

Decent edits of the June 21 & 19 shows. Cleaner than the old VHS copy. June 19 being listed as "complete" is a joke. Can't help falling in Love is dubbed with footage of crowd shots, before splicing into the EIC ending that used 80% of June 19's exit. The video is clean, though.

June 21st was a good edit job in comparison. Shots from EIC are used when they could, and a version of the watermark blurred out was used for the rest. My Way comes from a mix of EIC and TIE. Plus the audio sounds like the CD, when they should Of used audio from Black and White Knight - the b&w version of June 21.

Intros are still missing, and I Really don't want to know is a splice from EIC and raw footage. Bobby Odgin is intact, which is actually new - along with "One of my latest hurts was record errr records was Hurt"

Unchained Melody is a splice job, but it's a good one. I would have lifted Elvis' close up of sitting down at the piano from Cilla's CBS special of Great Performances.

Can't Help Falling In Love has all, but the end - and splicing the last bar of June 19 - along with the video clips of the closing from This Is Elvis.

That's my view.


Joe Krein interview with Sherril Nielsen: "YOU KNOW YOU FORGET HOW GOOD HE REALLY WAS. I SAID MY GOODNESS. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE WITH HIM YOU ARE SO WRAPPED UP DOING THE SHOW, BUT HERE NOW 20 YEARS LATER, I HEAR HIM AND REALIZE WHAT A GREAT TALENT HE WAS. HE WAS THE REAL DEAL.

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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by Johnny2523 »

I like the may 3 show while obviously it's not elvis best concert, he seems to be happy being there and does a good job at that.
June 24 1977 worse then June 19??... No, One Night is a good Version (for the year 1977) and Love me tender is sung slow and in a sensitive way. See See Rider doesnt match the EIC version.. as it's performed faster and elvis vocals are softer then they where on June 21. Footage is good but the watermark blurring is really annoying.. They did the best they could, but heck it's annoying. I really don't want to know from June 21 seems to be edited in audio to, I can hear diffrence in sound a few times. the 8mm footage is a sight to see except that the audience shots get overused.. The CBS Special (Disk 5) looks better in quality, but the color correction could have been a little better, elvis sometimes looks a bit purple/pink... Is it the best we got so far?.. Yes.. Is it perfect? no.. It has its good and bad moments. but it's a fair set.


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Re: Review The Final Curtain Box Set

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Post by PiersEIN »

James27 wrote:How about another detailed review, next to Piers' excellent one ? Especially delving into the audio. Anyone up to it ?
Hey, thanks for that. :D

I found out that EPE's private detectives had their copy of the EIN review printed out while they were chasing the bootleggers down!

Funny as they obviously had it printed out including the note I added "EPE lawyers please note that the below is a REVIEW of this product and NOT a promotional piece – since it is Sold Out this can only ever be a review." :facep: :facep:

Review is here
>>
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/book_review_the_final_curtain_elvis_1977.html

Cheers
Piers


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