Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

I really dig this version by Elvis and I am also a huge fan of the Ray Charles hit version as well. I think his vocals are fantastic and the way that he teases the audience with his powerful and drawn out vocalization on the word Yeeeseerter...errh...daaay is just fantastic to my ears.

I really think that Elvis's version of What Now My love is terrific as well. I also think every other version pales in comparison to Elvis's stupendous take on that warhorse of a ballad, although Roy Orbison did a pretty great take on it as well, which Elvis might have even based his own version on given the fact that Orbison was one of Elvis's very favorite singers.




2:47NOW PLAYING

 

Well, there are certainly more than a few critics that probably agree with you about the superiority of the rehearsal show over the actual telecast, but I agree with Elvis himself, who decided the hair bangs on his forehead looked terrible and asked his stylist to give him a new look, one much more like his classic pompadour of the 50's or 60's. I love his sleeker look and Elvis is clearly less medicated on the actual live broadcast as he does not miss a single vocal cue or lyric and virtually never slurs a word. I love the rehearsal show for its sheer rawness, but it is not a superior performance for me, and Elvis looked a tad sharper in the actual satellite broadcast two days later in my opinion.

 

Welcome To My World
Elvis here puts down the classic Jim Reeves track, that is based around a passage from Matthew in the bible.
Elvis does a very passable job of the song, and the audience laughter is based around Elvis handing out one of his scarves to a lady in the audience.

 

Suspicious Minds
This track was the biggest thing at an Elvis show for the 3 or 4 years prior. To some degree Elvis was starting to tire of doing it. I personally think he is still doing a good job of it here. Things would come to a head in about nine months during the International closing night show Sept 3, where Elvis would intentionally make a joke of the song. He would start the song by singing the words to Bridge Over Troubled Water, and then finally play the song proper... where he basically makes fun of the song, and then sings about how sick of the song he is.
I know it's a medication and a general disinterest problem, but Elvis had so many great songs that he could have played and the audience would be happy with, that the songs he essentially dismissed at the shows, could easily have been replaced with other songs.

 

Introductions
This is pretty straight forward.
Often times this could go on for a while, but here Elvis keeps it quite succinct.

 

I'll Remember You
This song is (i believe) written by the gentleman that the concert was a benefit for - The Kui Lee Cancer Fund - Kuiokalani Lee.
I think Elvis does a very sweet and tender version of this here.

 

Long Tall Sally/ Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
This is ok, but this track Elvis vocal is pretty average ... It sounds like he is getting tired, or is completely disinterested. It always seems to be the fifties songs that receive the short shrift from Elvis in concert, which is why I wonder if he shouldn't have just dropped them....
This picks up towards the end, but essentially it has fallen flat for me by then.

 

Actually, the WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' section is pretty good. The issue here is LONG TALL SALLY with those uninspired-nasal vocals. Had he given his 100% like on TRILOGY just after, he could have killed but, of course, we're talking now about "some silly 50's tunes"......

 

The Fifties Easy Reference guide
Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread *

1959 - Feb 10 1964 - Reference guide -
Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt2 The Sixties

April 1964 - Sept 1967
Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt2 The Sixties

October 1967 - December 1969
Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt2 The Sixties

 

Reference Guide

Jan 27 1970
Kentucky Rain/ My Little Friend Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Apr 1970
Lets Be Friends - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 Stay Away Joe Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 If I'm A Fool For Loving you Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Lets Be Friends Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Lets Forget About The Stars Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 Mama Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 I'll Be There Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 Almost Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 Change Of Habit Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 Have A Happy Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Apr 20 1970
The Wonder Of You/ Mama Liked the Roses Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

June 1970
On Stage - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 See See Rider Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 Release Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Sweet Caroline Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Runaway Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 The Wonder Of You Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 Polk Salad Annie Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 Yesterday Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 Proud Mary Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 Walk A Mile In My Shoes Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 Let It Be Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

July 1970
I've Lost You/ The Next Step Is Love Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

August 1970
Worldwide Fifty Gold Award Hits vol 1 - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

August 1970
Elvis Christmas Album (Camden) - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

October 1970
Almost In Love Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

October 6 1970
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me/Patch It Up Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

October 1970
Elvis in Person Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

October 1970
Back In Memphis Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

November 11 1970
That's The Way It Is Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 I Just Can't Help Believin' Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 How The Web Was Woven Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Patch It Up Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 Mary In The Morning Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 I've Lost You Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 Just Pretend Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 Stranger In The Crowd Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 11 The Next Step Is Love Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 12 Bridge Over Troubled Water Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

December 8 1970
I Don't Really Want To Know/ There Goes My Everything Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

January 7 1971
Elvis Country (I Was Born 10,000 Years Ago) - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 Snowbird Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 Tomorrow Never Comes Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Little Cabin On the Hill Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Whole Lotta Shakin Going On Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 Funny How Time Slips Away Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 I Really Don't Want To Know Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 There Goes My Everything Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 It's Your Baby, You Rock It Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 The Fool Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 Faded Love Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 11 I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 12 Make The World Go Away Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

February 23 1971
Rags To Riches/Where Did They Go Lord Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

March 22 1971
You'll Never Walk Alone - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 Who Am I Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Let Us Pray Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

March 1971
Life/Only Believe Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

June 16 1971
Love Letters From Elvis Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 Love Letters Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 When I'm Over You Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 If I Were You Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off It Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 Heart Of Rome Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 Only Believe Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 This Is Our Dance Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 Cindy Cindy Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 I'll Never Know Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 It Ain't No Big Thing Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 11 Life Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

June 22 1971
I'm Leavin/ Heart Of Rome Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

July 1971
C'mon Everybody - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

August 1971
The Other Sides - Worldwide Gold Award Hits Vol. 2 - Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Sept 21 1971
It's Only Love/The Sound Of Your Cry Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Oct 1971 I Got Lucky Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Oct 20 1971 The Wonderful World Of Christmas Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 O Come All Ye Faithful Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 The First Noel Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 On a Snowy Christmas Night Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Winter Wonderland Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 The Wonderful World Of Christmas Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 I'll Be Home On Christmas Day Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 It I Get Home On Christmas Day Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 Merry Christmas Baby Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 11 Silver Bells Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Nov 9 1971
Merry Christmas Baby/ O Come All Ye Faithful Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Jan 4 1972
Until It's Time For You To Go/ We Can Make The Morning Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Feb 1972 Elvis Now Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 Help Me Make It Through The Night Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 Miracle Of The Rosary Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Hey Jude Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Put Your Hand In The Hand Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 Until It's Time For You To Go Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 We Can Make The Morning Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 Early Morning Rain Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 Sylvia Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 Fools Rush In Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Feb 29 1972
He Touched Me/ Bosom Of Abraham

April 1 1972 He Touched Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 He Touched Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track to
track 2 I've Got Confidence Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Amazing Grace Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Seeing Is Believing Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 He Is My Everything Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 Bosom Of Abraham Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 An Evening Prayer Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 Lead Me, Guide Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 There Is No God But God Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 Thing Called Love Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 11 I John Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 12 Reach Out To Jesus Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

MSG press conference and other bits and pieces Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

April 4 1972
American Trilogy/The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

June 1972 Elvis Sings His Hits From The Movies Vol 1 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

June 1972 Elvis As Recorded at MSG Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 1 Also Sprach Zarathustra Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 2 That's Alright Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 3 Proud Mary Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 4 Never Been To Spain Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 5 You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 6 You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 7 Polk Salad Annie Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 8 Love Me Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 9 All Shook up Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 10 Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 11 Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 12 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 13 Impossible Dream Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 14 Hound Dog (+introductions) Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 15 Suspicious Minds Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 16 For The Good Times Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 17 An American Trilogy Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 18 Funny How Times Slips Away Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 19 I Can't Stop Loving You Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 20 Can't Help Falling In Love Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
track 21 End Theme Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies thanks @Pelvis Ressley

August 1 1972
Burning Love/ It's A Matter Of Time Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

October 1972 BURNING LOVE AND HITS FROM HIS MOVIES, VOLUME 2 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

October 31 1972 (my fourth birthday )
Separate Ways/Always On My Mind Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

December 1972 Separate Ways Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Feb 1973 Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Pt 1 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Pt 2 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Pt 3 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Pt 4 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies
Pt 5 Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

 

Scarf distributions nothwithstanding, I really enjoy Welcome To My World. It's a sweet song, and Elvis sings it wonderfully. I seem to recall them playing this on the bus as you ride through the gates of Graceland...cheesy, but effective. As a side note, the What Now My Love/Fever/WTMM sequence is my favourite set of songs from the concert, though You Gave Me A Mountain/Steamroller Blues/My Way gives it a run for its money.

Suspicious Minds was a massive disappointment to me when I first heard it on the 70s box (it's a live performance of Suspicious Minds! It's bound to be amazing! And then it...wasn't). Listening to it now, it's not as bad as I remember it being, but it's still pretty dull.

Not a big fan of I'll Remember You. If I had to listen to it, I'd pick this version over the studio master. The arrangement is more engaging, and the performance isn't as depressing.

Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin'... is enjoyable enough, though it doesn't have the intensity of earlier medleys (Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel from 1969) or the sheer fun of later medleys (adding a few more songs seemed to do wonders for Elvis' approach to the rock medley during the 1974 Memphis show). I agree with PepiJean that the Shakin' part is much better than the LTS part.

 

Yeah, I have no idea why a musician would do a song they are sick of (unless it is their one hit and the only reason people come to them them). If Elvis was sick of doing some of his core material, then: hey Elvis DON'T DO THEM. With over 500 songs he has recorded, and so many other songs to choose from, you'd think he'd never have to sing Hound Dog, Teddy Bear, or Suspicious Minds ever again.

 

I guess I am a true outlier on this whole concert. Well, I guess a lot of fans have purchased it over the years as it is now 5x platinum and the DVD also has certified platinum sales, so a lot of people seem to love the concert, but maybe not so many of the dedicated fans on this fine forum. I think @SKATTERBRANE really got to an important point about the early Elvis fans being mostly female, and now we have a whole lot of dedicated male friends on this thread who hear and see things quite different than their female counterparts. I think that perhaps his female fans appreciate Elvis's self depreciating humor and outright playfulness of his performances a little more than the male fans do. That is my general take anyway. I know that my own Mother loved the way that Elvis would tease the audience, with a mischievious smile or vocal hiccup, on occasion.

Now, I love all the upbeat performances From the Aloha concert, although Elvis certainly gives Hound Dog a whip job version, but I think that Elvis likes these songs more than some on this thread might think. I believe we are somehow forgetting the fun spirit and nature of those early rock 'r' roll records. Did not Chuck Berry and Little Richard have a keen sense of humor and wit with both their songwriting skills and some of their vocal intonations on these iconic rock 'n' roll records? Perhaps Elvis sings these songs in the jovial manner that he and his comrades felt was the very spirit of their iconic sound that helped to define a generation and forever change the course of popular music. I am not saying that Elvis sometimes did not dismiss his own hits too easily in concert or did not even do them at all on many occasion, but I think Elvis and the great TCB band loved every minute of Johnny B Goode, Blue Suede Shoes, Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, and perhaps even more amazingly, A Big Hunk O' Love. If Elvis's voice seems a to be a little lighter or weaker on Long Tall Sally, it is only because he is singing it in a pretty high register, and yes indeed, he is using a bit of his head voice there, usually something he does not have to do given his great vocal compass. I do not hear a nasal component to his vocal or a tired singer as some apparently do, but please keep in mind that Little Richard wrote some vocal challenging rock 'n' roll numbers in his time and this was surely one of them.

I guess the ballad performances from Aloha have a better consensus surprisingly on this thread, and I am a big fan of Elvis's velvety take on Welcome To My World, which follows Jim Reeves countrypolitan template closely, but Glen Hardin's country based piano licks sound really nice and the gentle brass gives it a slightly different sonic texture than Reeves's original hit version. I am currently working on a Jim Reeves project that should be announced shortly, so I am thrilled anytime I get to talk about Elvis's iconic RCA Victor label mate, who ironically is rated at number 34, right behind Elvis, on Billboard Magazine's All Time Country Music Artist's List. I also agree with @DirkM about the superiority of I'll Remember You over the original studio version, but it is a close call to my ears on that one.

 

I think the studio version of I'll Remember You just can't be touched by any of his live versions. I grew up with Elvis' 60s voice and aesthetic. When I saw him live in 1971 I was expecting to hear the voice of his Gold Records Volume 4 (which spanned from 1958-1967 sessions) He was sonically unrecognizable to me in that concert.

My mom, my aunt and my girlfriend were all there with me. And my aunt's main reaction was "It did not sound at all like him."

 

That original studio version of I'll Remember You has really grown on me over time. I don't think I'd ever even heard that version until the great 60's Essential Box Set came out as I only knew it as the song that Elvis sang on the Aloha special.

 

Wow I like Aloha. I find the lack of fan interaction a bonus. Especially in the later years he fooled around with the fans and the band etc too much. I like the professional atmosphere of the concert and he seems to actually care about the songs ,especially the ballads. Could he have been a little more personable, sure.But Elvis talking on stage is a mixed bag. I find a lot of the monologues from '69 embarrassing. He certainly could've moved more, even if he would've done one of his wild renditions of Suspicious Minds just to show he could, would've been enough, imo. But Elvis concentrating on the songs he's singing instead of fooling around is a good thing in my book.

 

Standing perfectly still and focusing on singing is a great thing to a lot of performers but not Elvis. For Elvis him standing still with a vacant look in his eyes is a warning sign if I ever saw one.

Nonetheless he performs the songs very well. I would be inclined to agree that the 69 monologues were a bit much.

 

To paraphrase, I bet the % of people who have even heard the Elvis Is Back album is pretty low. Ditto FEIM/Elvis Country. Which begs the question, what kind of promotion budgets did Elvis is Back/FEIM/Elvis Country get compared to the movie soundtracks GI Blues/Blue Hawaii/endless compilations that keep coming? That's more relevant surely to the success of these albums rather than the gender of the fan community.

Seeing it's come up, as the lone female posting on this thread I can tell you it's not easy posting here precisely because of the assumptions noted: that a) you're not a collector b) you must like Teddy Bear - which I sodding well hate btw - and that you're just a lightweight generally. It's really noticeable that Elvis forums are dominated by older males with old-fashioned ideas about women. Having said that, from a female perspective this forum largely avoids the cliches.

If there is a difference between men and women that I've noticed while being on this forum, it's that men notice a level of detail in the music that is difficult for women to perceive. I've come to appreciate and value that level of detailed observation, but its incorrect to say that because women don't perceive that detail that we are lightweights while men are more serious about music. We just notice different things.

If being an archivist/completist is the gold standard for being a serious Elvis fan, then hell yes, I fall way short, but curating a collection with the best sound that doesn't have too much repetition is absolutely No.1 - an approach that comes down to simple economics and negotiating Elvis' unwieldy recorded output within those limitations.

 

This medley is basically inoffensive, but hardly inspired. And why Elvis decides to perform hits by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard during arguably the biggest concert event of his career over his own pioneering 1950's era catalogue is odd to say the least (even though he previously covered both songs in the studio).

 

The concert was supposed to be commercial free but channel 9 in Melbourne slipped in some ads when Elvis started introducing the band.

 

What a fantastic post, Gilly. I think a whole lot of us Elvis fans can identify with this a great deal. Just terrific. I count you as one of the most intelligent and discriminating Elvis fans on this forum.

 

And you Steve are one of the most generous. Thank you.

 

American Trilogy
This is a very good version of this track. Initially I get the feeling he is going to not get there, but he seems to go from on the verge of struggling with it, to hammering it home.

 

A Big Hunk Of Love
This seems like the most successful of the fifties tracks. It is also interesting that Burning Love and A Big Hunk Of Love book end the main show, once you have taken the traditional opener and closer out of the picture.

 

AN AMERICAN TRILOGY
It's a good version for sure. The visuals help quite a lot too. Elvis is really into it, very focus, very straight too. The flute solo is a wonderful moment right before the perfect storm.
I still believe that the Hampton Roads take is - just - a tad better.

A BIG HUNK O'LOVE