America's Own, vol. 2

I first bought "America's Own" on vinyl almost 20 years ago, and it has remained a true favourite over the years. So I had high hopes for "Volume 2" when it made its way into my CD-player a couple of months ago. I was in for no disappointment - on the contrary, the evening show on "Volume 2" is every bit as good as the famous afternoon show. The sound on "America's Own" has always left me with a slight headache, but I was happy to discover that the sound on "Volume 2" is more enjoyable.

What about the show? If you are familiar with other shows Elvis did in July, 1975 (the Asheville shows among others), then you know what high quality to expect. The first real highlight is "Love Me Tender", performed very differently this time - it starts out as a solo performance and gradually there's a build-up to the more familiar version from the ´70s. Beautiful!

The real show-stopper comes with Elvis at the piano - a rare version of "You'll never walk alone". I hope the audience realized how privileged they were to be there. He is hitting all the high notes with fervent passion and it's a shame that RCA was not on hand to make a proper recording.

Event Number 8

Peter Guralnick writes in his book Careless Love that the Colonel confided to Joe Esposito early 1974 that "they could not even contemplate a European tour with Elvis in this kind of condition" (p. 529). Whatever reasons the Colonel may have had keeping Elvis within the States, a foreign tour could have saved Elvis in his downfall, who knows. One thing that's certain though, Elvis would have been very welcome to Europe in the condition he was in the spring of 1974.

Just like in 1970, Elvis was brought to the stage standing in an open car waving to the audience, as he circled the gigantic Houston Astrodome. And he confessed to the audience that he was "a wee bit nervous", since this was the biggest crowd he had ever played. And he looks sort of abandoned on stage, as there was only room for the rhythm section and the back-up singers to support him, making this concert even more interesting to listen to. I have a feeling that Ronnie Tutt and James Burton both felt a bigger responsibilty to back their boss up - they both played their hearts out this evening.

The crowd is so far away, it's hardly audible - Elvis voice is very up-front, and you hear every grunt he makes and breath he takes, almost like in Eagles Hall back in 1955. This is a must have. Go and get it!

Checkmate in Vegas

Vegas January-February 1974 is something of a grey area in Elvis career. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are less pictures taken, less comments made, and to my knowledge there is only one soundboard available from this period. And "Checkmate in Vegas" is that very soundboard - it's worth having only bacause it is one of a kind.

Apart from the Studio session in Memphis in December, this is Elvis first public performance since he was clowning away in Vegas the previous summer. And this is a new chapter in the book of Elvis. There is less fooling around, the shows are carried out very professionally...and there is an air of maturity about Elvis, the boy is more or less gone.

There are some differences in the material from his last Vegas stand. Here we find a return of a glowing oldie, "Trying to get to you", and he sings it so naturally, it makes you wonder why he hasn't included it in his act before. Pleasant and "mature" newcomers are also "Help me" and "Spanish Eyes", from his recent session. "Sweet Caroline" has been brought down from the shelf, with a slightly new arrengement - there is a more of a funky beat to it.

Chicago Illinois

In Kaauw's terrific bootleg list you can read the following about this record: "Skip this one, nice show but terrible sound quality". Yes, if you are only in it for the sound quality, you can discard this CD right away and spend your money on "An Afternoon in the Garden". But there's so much more to this record than just lousy sound quality.

This CD succeeds in something important that many good soundboards do not: it manages to transfer a good portion of the electricity and the tension of an Elvis concert. The sound picture is dominated by drums and bass and there is a wall of muffled echo that often dominates the sound in indoor sports arenas, not built with good acoustics in mind. The sound on the record is very similar to the sound you perceive in a concert hall.
Elvis voice is distant and the crowd of 20 000 does a solid job in drowning both Elvis and the band in screams and shouts, especially in the slower numbers, like "Until it's time for you to go", "Love me tender" and "For the good times". You get the feeling that you are actually in the crowd, you feel closer to the event than when listening to a show in better sound quality.

The show is pretty standard for Elvis on tour in the summer of ´72 - a very good show with very little talking and almost no interaction with the crowd. Listen to "Proud Mary" when Elvis switches gears, taking the crowd on a spin on the roller coaster of rock'n'roll.

I wouldn't want all my records to be in this sound quality, but it does make my collection richer.

One Night in Portland

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was a difference in Elvis' attitude and behaviour when he performed on his second tour of 1970. There is no doubt that Elvis is in good mood this evening in Portland, but there is also a feeling of frenzy and fury in his appearance. There is less self-mockery, and more of making fun of other performers. He had been self-confident in Vegas in August-September, but this is on another level.

It is indeed a strange performance - when I listen to it I get some of the weird feeling I get when I listen to Desert Storm, but with one major difference - Elvis is here in COMPLETE control. His voice is strong and it cuts like a razor-blade, moreover, he is surprisingly enough never out of breath. The tempo of the show is furious and Elvis throws himself head over heels into the next song - listen to "Johnny B Goode", not to mention "Blue Suede Shoes" - Elvis is racing Ronnie Tutt, almost like to see who's able to sing/drum the fastest. When he comes to "Bridge over Troubled Water", it takes him a couple of minutes to calm down in order to get into the right mood to do the song justice - once focused, he gives a wonderful performance, perhaps closer to the 1972 version than the Vegas version from earlier the same summer/autumn.

The sound is rather good for an audience recording and I would recommend the show to anyone who is curious about the Nation's only atomic powered singer...

Goodbye Memphis

Marty Lacker says in his Portrait of a Friend: "On July 5, 1976, Elvis finished a tour with a show in Memphis. This show was to become something of a turning point in his relationship with me, as well as others with whom he was very close."

A week following this show, Elvis had his father sacking old friends and employees - the summer of 1976 was probably a very abysmal one for the King. Still, the show in Memphis showed little of Elvis' personal problems - he is seemingly in a happy mood, and the show is indeed very good. At times his voice is slightly nasal and thin, like it often was when unispired during this period, but we also get a handful of really good versions of songs, like "Jailhouse Rock" and "One Night - not to mention "America, the beautiful". The highlight in this 2 CD-set is perhaps when he says: "I heard a couple of people say ‘you can't do that any more’ ... you by God watch me!" And much to the delight of the audience, he delivers an absolutely flawless version of "That's All Right, Mama". Well done!

In this set, we also get more than 10 songs from the soundboard in Toledo, April 23, 1977 - this show may not be as good as the show in Memphis the year before, but there are certainly highlights here too - what about a killer version of "Polk Salad Annie", and an emotional "My way" - who can resist that?

Opening Night August 1975

On the 15th Elvis was having difficulties breathing and his Jet Commander had to make a stop in Dallas on their way to Vegas. Opening Night in Vegas three days later, and it was clear that something was wrong. Still seemingly out of breath, and he did not look as good as he had on the successful tour the previous month. But he sounded good and he was in a good mood when entering the stage in his dazzling Gypsy suit.

However sick he was, this is a very good show, no question about that. "C.C. Rider" is just as explosive as the versions from July, and teasingly he says "that's the end of the show". It wasn't of course, and we get to hear excellent versions of "If you love me let me know" and "Blue Suede Shoes". The request box is out, and Elvis neglects the request for "Memories" and "Kentucky Rain", but gives a rare 1975 version of "Suspicious Minds".

"Heartbreak Hotel" and "Polk Salad Annie" are both good, but they leave Elvis so tired that he has to sit down rest on a couple of occasions - and after a mighty version of "How great Thou art" he sounds very, very tired. He does a weak "Can't help falling in love" and cuts the show short at only 50 minutes.
The sound is pretty good, and the CD is highly recommended.

Snowbird

It is said that Elvis often found all the attention and adoration weird and unreal. I wonder what he would have thought about "Elvis-freak leauge", sitting here some 30 years later, scrutinizing and examining every show he made, every song he sang and every comment he made on stage.

This member of the above mentioned leauge has chosen Snowbird among his favourites - a choice not so easy to make. Elvis' fourth season at the International must be considered his weakest so far - and there are certainly proof for that in this show. The show is short (about 40 minutes) and to be frank, there are songs in this show in which Elvis seems to be painfully uninterested (Heartbreak hotel, for instance) - he makes snoring sounds and at one point he even says: "I ain't gonna work too hard tonight. Hell, I just got through eating". Remember that only 8 weeks have passed since the jittery and explosive November tour of 1970, but this is what Vegas did to a performer who needed a challenge.
Well, that was the minus side.

Over to the positive side. "2001" makes my hair stand up on end -it's brand new, and it would never sound this good again - later the band would rush it and ruin it with guitar licks, not belonging in a classical piece of music. "I got a woman" is very good this afternoon - listen to the line "Oh she's my baby", it sounds almost like the versions of 1969.

The biggest reason for selecting this show is the ending. Elvis manages to find some inspiration for "Hound dog" - the introduction is playful, and once he gets going he makes the room explode. This is a version I can not listen to without having to repeat the song over again. It's almost as if the energy in "Hound dog" comes as a surprise for Elvis himself. He becomes adventurous and makes a very good stab at the rare "Snowbird", throws a few cheeky comments and is clearly enjoying himself. The show finishes with a very passionate and intense "Impossible dream" - one of the best versions I've heard.

Adios - The Final Performance

"...falling in love with you". And so the story ends. I'm happy that he did end with a bang and not with a whimper. Because this is really a good show, and the 16.500 in the audience did obviously think so too. I'm also very happy that this recording exists - with the sad performances from "Elvis in Concert", it's a relief to hear that he had more to give.

At times his voice sounds a little tired and strained, but more often it is strong and powerful. In my eyes, the highlight comes in "Bridge over troubled water" - Elvis knows that he is on top of things this evening and he has that extra confidence that makes him able to really reach the high notes. This must be one of the best versions of "Bridge", ever. Another delight is the soulful "I really don't want to know" -too bad it's so short. Always leave them wanting more. And "Hurt"...that last note...

I wonder what next tour would have been like, in his new Light Blue Historic suit he would meet his fans and give it all on such classic grounds as Portland, Long-Island, Roanoke, Asheville and finish with two shows at the Mid-South Coliseum. According to Larry Geller, the next 7 weeks were very hard on Elvis, so perhaps it's for the best that we never got to know.

An Afternoon in Nashville

Sometimes I find myself trapped in the treadmill of collecting records, with little time for listening and enjoyment. The first time I heard this CD I was reminded of the real reason why I'm collecting Elvis records...he is just so incredibly good. Well, I get carried away...
Summer of ´73.

Elvis was indeed an impressive figure, still donning his Superman-like cape. Just look at the cover of (the severely underestimated) Raised on Rock, one of my favourite pictures of Elvis. There are at least three CDs from this tour good enough for taking a place among my favourites, but I think this may be the best one.
At first I thought that the CD was spinning slightly too fast, but after listening to the show a couple of times, I think I was first deceived by the sheer tempo of the songs. Listen to the Medley...it's so fast that it is virtually impossible to get in another note edgewise. There is almost no talking and very little fooling around, just a first class rock'n'roll show at 100 m.p.h.

Splendid versions of "Help me make it through the night", "Faded love" and "I'm leaving" make this CD a must have - at least until a soundboard from this tour turns up.