AMG Review of Elvis: Close Up

Greg Adams
All Music Guide

Elvis: Close Up is part of an ongoing series of Elvis Presley box sets BMG has created to keep collectors supplied with "new" material, in a manner of speaking. All 89 of the recordings are previously unreleased mixes and alternate takes, with each disc focusing on a different period of Elvis' career. The first disc contains stereo mixes of recordings from 1957, including "Jailhouse Rock" and "I Beg of You." These mixes, created from the binaural session tapes, will be worth the price for many stereophiles. The second disc has alternate takes of songs from four of Elvis' early-'60s movie soundtracks, with all of the recordings hailing from 1960 and 1961. Disc three is titled "The Magic of Nashville" and features Nashville recordings mainly from the early '60s, but not Elvis Country fare; with the exception of Jerry Reed's "U.S. Male," the songs are pop, rock and gospel tunes that include alternates of the hits "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" and "Kiss Me Quick." The fourth disc presents a live show from San Antonio, TX, recorded on April 18, 1972, which was the final show of the tour documented in Elvis on Tour. Apart from the stereo mixes, there aren't many revelations, but those who never tire of alternate takes will get exactly what they expect. The import-only Follow That Dream label goes into even greater depth for collectors with an inexhaustible passion for all things Elvis, but Elvis: Close Up has the added advantage of being readily available and often at very reasonable prices.