Elvis Presley ~ 24 Karat Hits

~ the King of rock ‘n’ roll, the icon, extremely passionate, immensely influential, sexy, unique and irreplaceable.


Elvis has released more than 200 singles and close to a hundred of studio, live and compilation albums during his career and probably thousands more of compilation albums after his passing.



Of the entire available compilation albums, I understand from the audiophile fraternity, that this reissue edition by BMG Special Products/DCC in 1997 is of the best sounding.


This album was compiled and remastered by Steve Hoffman using “all vacuum tube cutting system” (unlike the digital remastering usually done nowadays)

When I was persuaded by my audiophile kaki several years ago to “invest US$50” in this double LP album, I was hesitant initially, but soon proven every Sen worth.

Not only that you get 24 tracks of some of the best from the King, the sound is awesome and so real that you feel touched (literally speaking) by Elvis in your listening room especially the track “Love Me Tender. It definitely makes one of LP that I will bring along to a desert island.

Note that the nine mono tracks are from the original form recorded at that time.

This is an outstanding album and the kind of quality reissue of LPs I wish album producers can benchmark on before they consider pushing out to us.


Track Listings

1. Heartbreak Hotel (mono)
2. Love Me (mono)
3. Don't Be Cruel (mono)
4. Hound Dog (mono)
5. Love Me tender
6. All Shook Up (mono)
7. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear (mono)
8. Jailhouse Rock (mono)
9. Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (mono)
10. A Big Hunk (mono)
11. Stuck On You
12. It's Now or Never
13. Are You Lonesome Tonight
14. Surrender
15. (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame
16. Little Sister
17. Can't Help Falling In Love
18. Good Luck Charm
19. She's Not You
20. Return To Sender
21. (You're The) Devil In Disguise
22. Crying In The Chapel
23. In The Ghetto
24. Suspicious Minds

BMG Special Products/DCC
LP No. Living Stereo LPZ(2)-2040

Stardust

Stardust was composed by Hoagy Carmichael with the lyrics by Mitchell Parish in 1927 (almost hundred year’s old:)

Stardust has been recorded by famous singers including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, , Harry Connick Jr, , Barry Manilow, John Coltrane, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson and many many more.



This song is melodious and silky. It makes you feel very relax and calm and especially “shiok” to listen to before you going to sleep at night.

I do not have many versions but I particularly like the versions by Nat King Cole, the coarse voice of Rod Stewart, Jacintha and Willie Nelson from their album shown here.

The lyrics of Stardust

And now the purple dusk of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart

You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by

Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you

When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairy tale

A paradise where roses bloom
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain

orak arek – Zainal Abidin

This a live recording of Zainal Abidin’s Japan Tour covering places in Tokyo, Owase, Osaka Fukuyama, Yokohama, Sendai , Fukuoka in September 1992.

What so shiok about this album?

The hollow and 3-dimensional sound effect simply played from a decent 2-speakers stereo system (not those home theatre systems with 5 or 6 speakers and multiple gigantic sub-woofers) amazed me. It imaginarily transports you into live venue with Zainal Abidin and musicians as if they are right in front of you with crowd atmosphere.

If you are feeling lethargic, this CD could be a marvellous antidote for you. It is full of rhythm, very energetic tempo with mixture of little reggae-type music. The crystal clear recording and the skin effects from the drums and percussion is enough to give you the Oomph for the day or week.

No wonder my friend in HK told me that the music aficionado there have high respect for this particular CD from Malaysia. Wah! Really Boleh.

I have included "Hijau" from this CD in the playlist on the left for sampling.

WEA Roslan Aziz Productions Sdn Bhd CD 4509-93749-2

Sally Yeh 葉蒨文 - 13 Greatest Hits

A compilation of Sally Yeh top hits released in 1989.


Sally's sultry voice in the first track 祝福, damn shiok!!

George Lam (now Sally's husband) penned 零時十分 "Happy Birthday" track for her in 1984 and she shot to stardom in the HK singing arena.


晚風 (Serenade); music and lyrics by the late James Wong is a great classic, very soothing and pleasant song. There are 2 versions of this song, the Mandarin is included in this CD although I prefer the Cantonese version.

Cover version of Madonna's Material Girl is punchy.

IMHO, the recently released XRCD version is the best CD version for this album, as usual YMMV :)

2007 Warner Music HK Ltd, XRCD2 No. 5051011-6403-2-2

Tracy Chapman - Debut Album

• All the tracks in Tracy's maiden album are very nice - great acoustic guitar rendition.
• The most prominent ones are Fast Car and Taking About Revolution.
• You can hear this album throughout from Petaling Streets, McDonalds till Hi-Fi shops and A&V shows.
• The subtle reverberating effect from the drums of track #6, Mountains O' Things is Damn Shiok!
• I paid RM36 for an US pressing CD version and I guess I have been spinning it for more than 500 times over the years. Great return on investment :).
• The vinyl version of this album is great and fast becoming collectors' item.

1988 Elektra/Asylum Records, CD 60774-2, DDD