4 1/2 Stars: Lots of Rarities

With 47 previously unreleased performances this really is essential Elvis Presley from beginning to end. The only live version of 'Rubberneckin' is here, along with other gems such as 'This Is The Story,' 'Inherit The Wind' & 'Reconsider Baby.' The hard-to-find 'Are You Lonesome Tonight (laughing version)' is also here and sounds great within the context of such a dynamite live show. Elvis even sings "Happy Birthday" to James Burton. - shopelvis australia

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'Collector's Gold' was the first time that Ernst & Co had scoured the Elvis vaults to compile a set of undiscovered gems for a mainstream release.



All the CDs were themed (which is why 'Elvis : Close Up' works so well) and, after the few & far between outtakes we had been getting over the years, 'Collector's Gold' really was a treasure chest of Elvis goodies.



The 'Hollywood' CD stuns, from the first very different version of 'G.I Blues' to the rare 'How Can You Lose What You Never Had.' The longer 'movie' version of 'One Broken Heart For Sale' was released here for the first time and the Elvis solo version of 'Lonely Man' is astounding. The brilliant 'So Close Yet So Far' take 4, is still unavailable anywhere else, even on the new 'Harum Scarum' extended FTD.



The 'Nashville' CD is one of the best selections ever released, featuring eight "first takes" and showing Elvis at his 60's creative best. The dynamite blues of the unreleased take of 'Give Me The Right' is worth the price of admission alone but tracks like 'Like A Baby,' 'Memphis Tennessee' (Jungle 1963 version) & 'Love Letters' are also revelations. All these help demonstrate how Elvis was producing some astounding material while The Colonel pushed the lackluster movie soundtracks.



However it is the 'Las Vegas' 1969 CD that is the real stunner featuring a collection of fabulous rarities. The only live version of 'Rubberneckin'' is here, along with other gems such as 'This Is The Story,' 'Inherit The Wind' & 'Reconsider Baby.' Elvis introduces Del Shannon (who is in the audience) during his performance of Del's 'Runaway.' While 'TTWII' captured Elvis at his 'professional' best, this Las Vegas CD shows the power of Elvis, unleashed and ready to re-conquer the world!



Disappointingly, this set has been deleted by BMG. Grab it if you get a chance. - Daveyboy

The Title Says It All

This is an essential 3 CD set for any serious Elvis collector.
For some reason, it seems to be out of print, but can of course can be found online. It contains rare outtakes from his movies and a great concert that features his famous "laughing version" of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" that cracks me up every time and is actually one of my favorite Elvis moments. He does "Runaway" in his concert and then introduces Del Shannon in the audience. He does a lot of songs he never usually did live like "Mystery Train", "Rubberneckin", "Aint it Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Inherit the Wind". His duet with Ann Margaret "You're The Boss" was a famous deleted track from their "Viva Las Vegas" movie and can usually only be found on big expensive box sets. Needless to say, there is nothing here for the casual listener, this one is strictly for the hardcore Elvis completionist fan.

Worth It For The Vegas Disk Alone

This now hard to find Presley collection is absolutely true to it's title. "Collector's Gold," is a goldmine of rare material for the serious Elvis collector. I can't say enough about Disc Three, which includes highlights from his 1969 run at the International Hotel in Vegas. Not only does it include the infamous laughing version of, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," but also, cuts you simply would never find on another Vegas release (Rubber Neckin', Inherit The Wind, and This is the Story...I rest my case). Mix this disc with the original '69 Vegas release, and you've got one helluva comp. As far as the other two discs, they include alternate takes of Elvis' 60s material (Hollywood on Disc One and Nashville on Disc Two). The one complaint I do have about the set is that there's only an average of about 45 minutes on each disc. However, they weren't loading discs with 76 minutes of stuff back when this was released in 1991. Other than that minor quibble, I believe, "Collector's Gold," to be an exemplary set.