Review by Bruce Eder

There had been Elvis Presley boxes before A Golden Celebration, but those were primarily made up of previously available material. Originally intended to celebrate what would have been Elvis' 50th birthday, A Golden Celebration was six LPs' worth of music, most of it not previously available in any easy-to-find (or legitimate) form, and devoted almost entirely to the early years of his career -- the period when Elvis Presley was not only exciting, but changing the way people perceived music. Seven Sun Records outtakes lead off this set; next up are all six of Elvis' live appearances on Stage Show, the entertainment showcase hosted by Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey. The quality of these shows is extraordinary, and the virtual absence of background noise makes every nuance of Presley's performances stand out; it's particularly fascinating to hear the growing enthusiasm of the audience from week to week. The second disc, consisting of Presley's appearances on the Milton Berle Show and the Steve Allen Show, is very different. In contrast to the Dorseys' cautious enthusiasm for their guest performer, Berle clearly understood at least the superficial range of Presley's cultural impact. The appearance would work better as a video, however, since it features a lot of clowning by the participants. The Steve Allen material reveals more of Presley and Allen than either was letting on. Allen had major doubts about rock & roll (betrayed in his voice during his introduction), but was virtually forced by public demand to book Presley; Presley, in turn, was eager to get past doubts about the wholesomeness of his music and personality. The bulk of the disc, however, is made up of a performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in his hometown of Tupelo, MS, on September 26, 1956. The afternoon show is very lo-fi, but the evening show, on disc three, has better sound. The Ed Sullivan appearances round out the disc, and they have the best sound quality of all the live material. Disc four features Presley's home recordings during his military service in Germany, some tracks of unknown origin, and excerpts from one of the informal "sit down shows" used in his 1968 television comeback. Overall, as a pre-CD Elvis Presley package, A Golden Celebration has held up exceptionally well; the producers of the CD version have taken great pains to boost the volume and clarity of the original masters.

Track List:
Disc: 1
1. Harbor Lights
2. That's All Right (alternate takes)
3. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (alternate takes)
4. I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine
5. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (slow version)
6. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') (alternate takes)
7. When It Rains, It Really Pours (alternate takes)
8. Shake, Rattle and Roll / Flip, Flop and Fly
9. I Got A Woman
10. Baby, Let's Play House
11. Tutti Frutti
12. Blue Suede Shoes
13. Heartbreak Hotel
14. Tutti Frutti
15. I Was The One
16. Blue Suede Shoes
17. Heartbreak Hotel
18. Money Honey
19. Heartbreak Hotel
Disc: 2
1. Introductions
2. Heartbreak Hotel
3. Blue Suede Shoes
4. Dialogue
5. Blue Suede Shoes
6. Hound Dog
7. Dialogue With Milton Berle
8. Dialogue
9. I Want you, I Need You, I Love You
10. Dialogue With Steve Allen
11. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
12. Dialogue With Steve Allen
13. Hound Dog
14. Heartbreak Hotel
15. Long Tall Sally
16. Introductions and Presentation
17. I Was The One
18. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
19. Elvis Talks
20. I Got A Woman
21. Don't Be Cruel
22. Ready Teddy
23. Love Me Tender
24. Hound Dog
25. Vernon & Gladys Presley
26. Nick Adams
27. A Fan
28. Elvis
Disc: 3
1. Love Me Tender
2. I Was The One
3. I Got A Woman
4. Announcement
5. Don't Be Cruel
6. Blue Suede Shoes
7. Announcement
8. Baby, Let's Play House
9. Hound Dog
10. Announcement
11. Don't Be Cruel
12. Elvis Talks
13. Love Me Tender
14. Ready Teddy
15. Hound Dog
16. Don't Be Cruel
17. Ed Sullivan
18. Love Me Tender
19. Ed Sullivan Introduces Elvis
20. Love Me
21. Hound Dog
22. Elvis' Closing Remarks
23. Introduction
24. Hound Dog
25. Love Me Tender
26. Heartbreak Hotel
27. Don't Be Cruel
28. Too Much
29. Elvis Talks
30. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
31. Ed Sullivan Speaks
32. (There'll Be)
Disc: 4
1. Danny Boy
2. Soldier Boy
3. The Fool
4. Earth Angel
5. I Asked The Lord (He's Only A Prayer Away)
6. Excerpt From An Interview For TV Guide
7. My Heart Cries For You
8. Dark Moon
9. Write To Me From Naples
10. Suppose
11. Blue Suede Shoes
12. Tiger man
13. That's All Right
14. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
15. Baby What You Want Me To Do (alternate take)
16. Love Me
17. Are You Lonesome Tonight
18. Baby What You Want Me To Do (alternate take)
19. Blue Christmas
20. One Night
21. Trying To Get To You



maybe this set is for fans only?
decide for yourself
sorry, but this time only front & back cover scans
thanks to my friend huddel