From Elvis In Memphis - deluxe version

To be honest I wasn't too excited reading that Sony Music will release a deluxe version of Elvis In Memphis to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the album. It takes more than the 32 masters, even if they are "mastered from the original album masters" and a nice booklet to raise my eyebrows these days.

But I do confess that I was a bit surprised, as I had seen no indications whatsoever so far this year that either Elvis Presley Enterprises or Sony were to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of Elvis' historical American Studios sessions. After all, the recordings were done in January and February and the original LP released in June.

Then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised, either. After all, this year saw the third repackaging of Elvis religious songs in the form of a box set (the 4 CD set I Believe), so why shouldn't the same be done to the 1969 studio material? In 1999 we had the excellent double CD Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology and the year after the reissue of From Elvis In Memphis including six bonus tracks.

For me, an FTD version of the album has, of course, a much stronger appeal. Or while I'm at it, why not a release that would be the labels first box set, including both the 32 masters and outtakes? That's one FTD project I wouldn't hesitate buying.

But returning to the announced deluxe version, or as it's also called, "the first ever Elvis Presley Legacy Edition CD Set." Most of the songs on From Elvis In Memphis are outstanding, and I for one have friends who after listening to the album, got a whole different picture of Elvis and actually started getting interested in his music.

So if this release does just that to people, who am I to complain? And maybe, if a DVD is included, like Ernst hinted, well then I might get a little excited after all.