Post Description

Elvis Presley - Prince From Another Planet (2 CD + 1 DVD-set), 06-10-1972

"Sony Music release of 'Prince From Another Planet', a Madison Square Garden 2 CD / DVD Deluxe Set in 8" x 8" packaging. The two remastered CDs are of the June 10th afternoon and evening shows, both remixed by Michael Brauer [* See below] and a 40 minute DVD with never-before-seen footage of Elvis' performance at the Saturday afternoon show, captured on hand-held camera by a fan, and now acquired by Legacy from that fan decades later for this package. Along with the concert film on the DVD is another video document, the press conference that took place on Friday afternoon before the big weekend. The original Madison Square Garden release was rush released and as a consequence did not receive the mastering it deserved. This time Michael Brauer states that the sound is awesome and just like being in the arena with Elvis!

Back in June 1972, Elvis Presley played four hotly anticipated shows at Madison Square Garden. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the concerts, RCA/Legacy released this Prince From Another Planet: 40th Anniversary Edition, including two CDs and a DVD. In this clip from Prince, previously unseen fan-filmed footage of Elvis performing Suspicious Minds gives a different sheen to the massive gigs, documenting the experience as from a fan's direct perspective. Elvis shakes, rattles and rolls through his 1969 Mark James-penned hit, and of course, his sparkly blue outfit looks as good as ever.

On first opening Prince From Another Planet' I was first surprised and thendelighted by what I found. While the layout images presented prior to release were very good I was expecting a large 'digi-pack', and while that would have been very nice, the 'box set' presentation that Sony have clearly gone to a lot of trouble to produce is something extra special.

It is SO NICE to see Sony giving Elvis and his Madison Square Garden shows the ultimate respect here. The packaging comprises a cardboard slip cover that a both 48 page booklet and a glorious three fold insert holding the two CDs and the DVD slid into. The insert is covered with images, the photo used for the original Madison Square Garden cover, the 'artwork' image used for the 'An Afternoon In The Garden' release, a very appropriate flip side image, and as you can see in the photos below the 'inlay' if adorned by images of newspaper clippings etc.

The booklet isa great production in itself, the opening introduction is a page written by co-producers Ernst Jorgensen and Roger Semon, then six pages with the text of the press conference with photos, then on to six pages of the original 'New York Times' article from where this set obtains its title, 'Prince From Another Planet', this is reproduced by photo images so you have the original newspaper type and format with is good, and also several several great photos are included in this section.

Then we have the liner notes as written by by Patti Smith's guitarist Lenny Kaye who attended the June 10th show as young reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine - these are over 28 pages and again are complimented with the inclusion of many great photos.

We then have the track listings of the two CDs and the DVD, and the credits : Mixed by Michael Brauer, Mastered by Vic Anesini. Both haveestablished reputations for producing the finest sound quality.

The CDs : The Sound

Now the important stuff : How does it sound?

I have listened to both concerts a number of times in difference ways on different equipment, high end quality CD/ Hi-Fi, car stereo, PC with good speakers, initially I was listening for differences to the previous releases as this release was promoted as being re-mixed by Michael Brauer who mixes concerts releases for artists like 'Coldplay' etc -- Initially I did not 'notice' any going on memory, partly because I was looking for problems as I had heard some MP3 samples that Sony had released online that too me did not sound good but I knew that there was some 'fault/unexplained reason' for that and my thinking has now been vindicated, and partly as it is not a radical remix -- however -- there is a VERY distinct sound difference, as I found out on switching to the CD only release with the original mixes. As I said, certainly nothing radically different [like say A Little Less Conversation / Elvis Vs. JXL] but there is an effect on Elvis voice and the music that after much going back and forth I conclude both are good but the new mix is preferable and clearer. But I could easily listen to either.

One thing that is very noticeable is the at the start of That's All Right of the Afternoon show the crowd roar is not increased in volume for a few seconds on the 'Prince From Another Planet' set as it is on the original mix.

Then after this I 'let go' and just played and enjoyed the concerts both intently listening and also just in the background as I was doing other things -- and it is from this I can say that the sound is excellent, the important thing is 'does it sound good?', do Ienjoy listening to the CDs?' - and the answer is a resounding YES.

I don't need to tell you how Elvis sings or what the concerts are like, most fans will be familiar from previous purchases, this is a modern sound upgrade, Michael Brauer has done a great job and Vic Anesini has an established reputation for bringing us the finest sounds from Elvis' recordings. And a special touch, at the end of the evening show, after 'Elvis has left the building' you will hear an extra 50 seconds with the announcer promoting the following days 2:30pm 'special' show and the Elvis memorabilia available for purchase.

The DVD

The DVD contains actual film footage taken by a fan in the audience with an 8mm film camera. The film has undergone restoration and color correction but is still noticeably from an 8mm source, however this is not a concern as you sit in awe watching something you never thought you would. Sony have quite amazingly synced up the audio to the film, and to make it more so, there is only 20 minutes of actual film recorded and it is in bits and pieces starting from outside the auditorium and the opening That's All Right [in full] to the closing with Elvis leaving the stage. In between when there is no film the screen goes blank but the audio continues and keeps in sync when the next piece of film comes along, this must have taken some work! So by doing this you can in fact listen the same way as a CD but with 20 minutes of film as a bonus.

The 'blank' spots are explained in the booklet as being caused by when the camera operator has had to change tape cartridge - which clearly took some time to do - however I think as there is only 20 minutes in total and the length of the blank spots vary that the camera operator has needed also to preserve tape - and indeed he succeeded as he managed not only to film Elvis opening his cape at the end of the concert but then his leaving the stage which is kind of important, somehow it just seems to make it 'compete', certainly better.

Also on the DVD is a documentary and the June 9 press conference. Now the latter runs exactly as WNBC gave it to Sony and an oddity here is we hear the question 'are you happy with the image you have established' yet it is sometime after this that we see Elvis look behind himself as a joke and answers the question. Why Sony have not attempted a correction here I can't be sure but it is good to have the film included.

Despite the film only being 20 minutes in total, you will not likely be disappointed! This film is not something that comes along very often and is indeed very special.

In Conclusion

My conclusion is easy, if you have yet to purchase this CD, do so -- don't miss this set, it is excellent in every way. I don't need to tell you how Elvis sings or what the concerts are like, most fans will be familiar from previous purchases, this is a modern sound upgrade, Michael Brauer has done a great job and Vic Anesini has an established reputation for bringing us the finest sounds from Elvis' recordings." (Source: Elvis.com.au)

Incl. covers