ELVIS IS STILL ACTIVE IN NORWAY

Follow That Dream is an exclusive Elvis specialty label run out of Denmark by BMG. To date there are almost a dozen and a half releases. Here is a review of Elvis New Year's Eve by Norwegian fan Oven Egeland who runs the fan site Elvis Is Still Active In Norway [http://home.online.no/~ov-egela/indexep.html] FTD releases are all officially approved releases but extremely limited.

ELVIS PRESLEY
FUN IN ACAPULCO - BMG 82876 50407 2
Recording By Elvis 1963
FTD

by Oven Egeland

1: Fun In Acapulco
2: Vino, Dinero Y Amor|
3: Mexico
4: El Toro
5: Marguerita
6: The Bullfighter Was A Lady
7: (There's) No Room To Rhumba In A Sports Car
8: I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here
9: Bossa Nova Baby
10: You Can't Say No In Acapulco
11: Guadalajara
12: Love Me Tonight
13: Slowly But Surely
14: Mexico (7) [Out In Hollywood]
15: The Bullfighter Was A Lady {re-make} (17) [Silver Screen Stereo]
16: I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here {re-make} (18/19) [Silver Screen Stereo]
17: Bossa Nova Baby (1, 2*) [Platinum]
18: The Bullfighter Was A Lady (4, 5, 6)
19: Marguerita (6)
20: I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (1)
21: Mexico (1, 2*) [Today, Tomorrow And Forever]
22: You Can't Say No In Acapulco (1, 2, 3, 4)
23: Guadalajara (V/O - 2) [A Leg. Performer Vol. 3]
24: Bossa Nova Baby (3)
25: Mexico (6)
26: I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here {re-make} (11, 12, 13)
27: Guadalajara (V/O - 3, 4)

Tracks in green denotes previously unreleased takes (officially).
Value for money!

This updated soundtrack is presented in a very stylish way. The CD is housed in a colorful gatefold pack with appropriate pictures and necessary information. Inside you will also find a booklet telling more about the movie and the soundtrack. A nice touch from FTD, indeed!

The CD first contains the original LP soundtrack. However, 'Fun In Acapulco' does not fade out on this CD. It plays to the very end. In addition you will find 14 bonus tracks, 8 of which has never been released officially before.

The sound quality is very good all the way through. FTD has however added reverb to the master takes. This does not work so fine on these recordings, in my point of view. It also means that the sound picture is not equal to the outtakes presented on the same CD, since they have not been treated the same way. Processing master takes through computers also give Lene Reidel an opportunity to add digital errors. Listen to the third second into 'Guadalajara'. A solid click there. It is easy to remove with a "DeClicker" filter, but should of course not have been there in the first place! SLOPPY!

The outtake of 'Marguerita' was somewhat different to what I had hoped for. This take 6 is quite laid back and totally lacks the punch found on the master take. A nice addition, anyway. Take 1 of 'I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here' humps along in a staccato, uncertain and expectant way, while 'Bossa Nova Baby' already on take 3 sounds a lot like the final master in both timing and phrasing from Elvis.

Take 4 of 'Guadalajara' is preceded by some seconds vocal overdub take 1 played at warped speed. All for fun, and by no means an attempt to sing the song. Still it is labeled as take 3?

I would recommend this CD whether you like the music or not. Such dedication from FTD should be supported!