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A selection of my other Elvis writings.

REVIEW: Stay Away, Joe CD (FTD)

/ TY

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Stay Away, Joe CD (Follow That Dream Records, 2013)

I never quite know what to make of Stay Away, Joe. The first time I tried to watch the movie as a teenager in the early 1990s, I couldn’t get past the non-stop party scene near the beginning. The whole thing just seemed so unbearable.

Yet, over the years, I have come to love most of the five songs Elvis recorded for this film. While Elvis performed many country songs in his career, he rarely delved into “outdoor” country songs that celebrate nature like “Stay Away” (“Greensleeves”) and “Goin’ Home” do. Elvis infuses a passion into these numbers that makes them stronger than the lyrics might otherwise suggest.

“All I Needed Was The Rain” is much the same, but this time with Elvis making the most of an otherwise lesser blues number.

The rollicking “Stay Away, Joe” is a song that had to grow on me. Somewhere, I’ve seen it accurately described as a “campfire song.” Taken in that spirit, “Stay Away, Joe” is just as much fun as it needs to be.

The outlier is the awful “Dominic,” which Elvis recorded against his better judgment after securing a promise from producer Felton Jarvis that it would never be released on record. Though it appeared in the movie, RCA did not release the song until the Double Features series in 1994 – long after the deaths of both Elvis and Jarvis.

I’m torn about whether “Dominic” should have ever been released. On one hand, Elvis lost the right to decide what should and should not be released once he passed away. Surely, had he lived, he would have been against quite a few of the releases that have kept us Elvis fans going over the years. Of course, had he lived, many of those releases would not have been necessary. On the other hand, “Dominic” is such a wretched song, even among the already low standards of Elvis movies, that maybe his music label’s current Elvis team should have respected his wishes in this one instance. Releasing it served no purpose other than to please completists.

FTD’s Classic Albums series edition of the Stay Away, Joe soundtrack supplements the movie tunes with two far more commercial recordings made during the same period, “Too Much Monkey Business” and “U.S. Male.” My first exposure to “Too Much Monkey Business” was watching the 1981 documentary This Is Elvis on TV in the early 1990s. Though “Too Much Monkey Business” is not heard in any of Elvis’ real movies, I’ll always associate it with them due to its perfect use in the montage sequence of his Hollywood years. Elvis’ take on the Chuck Berry hit certainly fits within the spirit of many of his better movie songs, anyway.

Penned and first recorded by Jerry Reed, “U.S. Male“ acts as a natural follow-up to Elvis’ 1967 recordings of Reed’s “Guitar Man” and Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man” – the evolution of which are chronicled in the essential FTD release Elvis Sings Guitar Man. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Elvis plays up Southern “country boy” stereotypes in “U.S. Male,” including his wonderful ad-libbed clarification at the song’s conclusion: ‘. . . the American U.S. male.’ As with “Guitar Man,” Jerry Reed provides guitar support on Elvis’ cover of his song, making it far more authentic than it otherwise would have been.

Unlike Elvis Sings Guitar Man, which felt like a true album, albeit imaginary, the master recordings portion of the FTD Stay Away, Joe feels disjointed. Seven songs do not an album make, and the listener is never treated to the illusion that this is an album that “might have been.”

While it would have padded the “album” out to a more plausible length, adding in the Live A Little, Love A Little soundtrack session would have only made for an even more disjointed experience, given the entirely different themes of those recordings. FTD has done the right thing by sticking to the October 1967 and January 1968 sessions that make up this release.

I should clarify that the label does not even try to pass this off as an imaginary album anyway, forgoing the usual “Side One” and “Side Two” divisions in the track listing. Given this, I believe the ideal sequencing of these particular sessions would simply have been to present all of the songs and takes in the order recorded, rather than front-loading the masters. There is a definite “party” atmosphere to these sessions, particularly in the studio chatter, which is lost by FTD holding firm to its routine, scattershot approach. Though normally intended to create a better listening experience, it fails in this case.

The FTD release, of course, adds a multitude of alternate takes and false starts. However, beyond the false starts, there are not many completely new takes here. Whether this is due to unavailability of additional tapes or a budget-saving maneuver to avoid a second disc and requisite work on previously unreleased tracks remains to be seen.

Take 13 of “Stay Away, Joe” is a spirited version, with lots of hootin’ and hollerin’. As with the master, the acoustic guitar and Charlie McCoy’s harmonica drive the song.

An “alternate mastering” of “All I Needed Was The Rain” features some studio chatter and a false start. The song also fades later and includes Elvis joking at the end. Other than that, any other differences compared to the standard master are beyond my technical abilities to detect.

Take 3 of “Too Much Monkey Business” is a long false start, but notable due to the prominence of slightly different sounding guitar work reminiscent of what would later be heard on the master of “Burning Love” in 1972. As fans probably expect from a song with this many words, Elvis confuses some of the lyrics along the way, including an “…Army chow, Army clothes, Army jeep, Army car!” line that made me laugh.

The various false starts of “Goin’ Home” reveal that there was audio trickery involved in the studio chatter that appeared on the Collectors Gold release. The snippets heard on that 1991 boxed set are actually edited together from a few different moments. I’ve heard it that way for so long that it’s hard to get used to these snippets within their proper contexts.

Be sure to listen out for Elvis singing the line “You belong to my heart…” before the Take 11 false start of “Stay Away.” Elvis sang a tiny bit more of this while jamming with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis at SUN Studios in December 1956, as first heard on The Million Dollar Quartet.

The most interesting parts of the accompanying booklet are reproductions of advertisements and other vintage memorabilia. The modern text is perfunctory and exhibits the same awkwardness all too often associated with FTD. Even if a professional proofreader were outside of the budget, it would still be a good idea to have someone else read these items before printing and selling them.

FTD’s Stay Away, Joe is a decent release buffeted in no small part by Jerry Reed’s guitar work on the 1968 tracks. While most of the tracks have appeared before on various releases, this CD offers the opportunity to obtain them all in one package. While not essential, Stay Away, Joe is certainly recommended to fans of these songs who might not have already collected key alternate takes.

About a year ago, I finally revisited Stay Away, Joe as a film. The majestic, opening title visuals, accompanied by “Stay Away,” are unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in an Elvis movie. That dreaded party scene follows shortly thereafter, but the rest of the movie proves watchable and, at times, entertaining. Elvis looks terrific and, as evidenced by this soundtrack release, most of the songs are more than worthwhile. Too bad “Goin’ Home” fails to make the cut (as with “Stay Away,” it was actually recorded after filming completed), while “Dominic” is there to remind us that “Old MacDonald” wasn’t such a bad song after all.

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A Man From Elvis Presley Boulevard

/ TY

Readers,

I sincerely hope you like my new FTD Album review.

My best wishes,
TY

A review of the new FTD edition of From Elvis Presley Boulevard

The Original Album

The first ten tracks of FTD’s From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee represent the original album that RCA released in May 1976. Recorded at Graceland in February of that year, this album is thematically the saddest ever released by Elvis. It also may be the most honest look at himself ever made available by the man living behind the gates of that home on Elvis Presley Boulevard. Despite the at times overblown production, From Elvis Presley Boulevard is a beautiful and moving album. Highlights include “For The Heart,” “Hurt,” “Never Again,” and “Love Coming Down.”
Today, Elvis is often spoken of as a singles artist rather than an album artist. Part of this comes from the admittedly mishmash quality of some of his albums. RCA had been hauling leftovers out from the vault since the very beginning when it included rejected SUN cuts like “I Love You Because” on the much-lauded Elvis Presley album in 1956. There is no question, though, that From Elvis Presley Boulevard two decades later is a coherent album through and through.
In fact, the twenty years that separate the albums Elvis Presley and From Elvis Presley Boulevard are quite evident – which is a good thing. Elvis did not devolve into an Oldies act looking to recapture past glories by singing the same types of songs over and over. As an artist, he changed over the years rather than stagnating with one style. That is not to say that From Elvis Presley Boulevard is superior to Elvis Presley – but that it is, quite rightly, an entirely different experience. It reflects the years of living the man did in those twenty years.
While Elvis Presley may be described as a bright, optimistic album, From Elvis Presley Boulevard is dark and moody. There are still bits of joy, but they are scattered and buried. Elvis had been intensely exploring “lost love” songs since at least 1972, and From Elvis Presley Boulevard represents the culmination of that often depressing but still worthwhile journey.  From Elvis Presley Boulevard is certainly among the twenty best albums that Elvis released during his lifetime.
That the Elvis of 1956 is different from the Elvis of 1960 or 1976 is one of the things that draws me to his music. No matter my mood or what is going on in my life, there always seems to be an Elvis that fits. This particular album has brought me comfort when I needed it. It is part of my journey.
Sound here on this 2012 edition is terrific. Listen to “Danny Boy”, a song Elvis had been fooling around with for decades, and you may imagine that he is singing in your den rather than his own.
The Alternate Album
Next up on disc 1 is an “alternate” version of the album using different takes of the same songs in the same sequence as the original album. I love this concept. As evidenced on A Life In Music and The Jungle Room Sessions, alternate takes of these songs can be quite revealing because they do not contain any of the post-session overdub work that either plagued or enhanced a given song.
Take 1 of “Hurt” falls apart after only a minute, though Elvis sounds great. The slightly weaker Take 2 made its debut on A Life In Music, but sound quality seems better here. I have not done A/B comparisons on any of these songs, though, so this is just based on an admittedly faulty memory.
Take 11 of “Never Again” first appeared on The Jungle Room Sessions. Again, the sound quality seems much improved to me. While I have long enjoyed The Jungle Room Sessions, there was always a muffled quality to the sound that I am not picking up here on this new release. In any event, this happens to be one of my favorite songs on the album, and this is a fine rendition.
Take 4 of “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” is a newly released version. Here’s a song that definitely benefits from the simpler sound compared to the released master. Check out that guitar solo at about the 1:45 mark. Unfortunately, Elvis’ voice is not quite up to par at times on this run-through – yet, it still works. “Baby, blue eyes cryin’ in the rain…” he sings near the end. Overall, he sounds much more engaged in the recording than we have been led to believe at this point of his life. This may be my new favorite version.
A Life In Music was also the debut of Take 9 of “Danny Boy,” though to my ears, this sounds different than that version. Perhaps it is only the apparent improved sound quality. Though foreboding, I love Elvis’ take on this song. At 41, that boy could still sing when he wanted!
The FTD producers get a little creative with “The Last Farewell” by creating a composite of takes 3 and 2. The master version from the original album itself was a splice of takes 5 and 3. Take 2 was previously released on The Jungle Room Sessions. As with the standalone Take 2, this new composite version is superior to the released master with overdubs. The interesting thing about this alternate album so far is that Elvis’ voice does not have as much of a depressing quality as evidenced on the released album. I am not sure why that is, whether it was a product of the subsequent overdubs or simply which takes were selected for use.
“For The Heart” is Take 1, as originally released on A Life In Music. Featuring rock ‘n’ roll infused with country, this is one of the hidden gems of the 1976 sessions. Terrific song.
Take 6 is previously unreleased for “Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall.” As with the original version, nothing really stands out about it. It is just an average album cut.
“Solitaire” always gets to me, especially the opening… “There was a man… a LONELY man…” This is take 3, previously released on The Jungle Room Sessions. How I love this song, though it can bring tears to my eyes. He was putting his pain right there on the record for all to hear.
The previously unreleased Take 3 of “Love Coming Down” is as genuine and effective as the superb master. In fact, in some ways, it may even be better – including a brief, unexpected spoken part on “and lookin’ back now…” early on in the song.
The previously unreleased Take 4 of “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” falls apart within seconds, while Take 5 was first heard on The Jungle Room Sessions. Here is one where I definitely prefer the original album version. I cannot stand the piano work on this version. The piano portion sounds like it was intended for use at a retirement home, and it distracts me from the rest of the performance.
The Alternate Single
Every imaginary album deserves an imaginary single to promote it, and that is what FTD delivers here – mirroring the “Hurt”/”For The Heart” single released in March 1976.
Up first are previously unreleased versions of “For The Heart” — two false starts and then the complete Take 5B. It is an energetic and engaging performance.
Disc 1 concludes with a composite of Takes 4 and 3 of “Hurt.” Take 3 was previously released alone on The Jungle Room Sessions. This is a nice composite that will definitely get many spins by me.
The Making Of
Disc 2 consists of additional takes of the various songs from this album. Though I personally would have preferred a sequential presentation for this portion, reflecting the order in which Elvis recorded the songs, I can understand FTD’s decision to place entertainment considerations above historical ones. Besides, it is easy enough to re-order the songs if desired.
“For The Heart” kicks things off right with Takes 2 and 3A, previously released on The Jungle Room Sessions. Next up is Take 1 of “Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall.” This was first released on Made In Memphis, a CD I do not have. This is actually the first recording of the February session at Graceland. This is not a particularly compelling take. Elvis often sounds uncertain.
Next are two previously unreleased takes of “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.” Take 1 is a false start, while Take 3 is complete – including that annoying piano. Elvis is hard to listen to on this one, yelling parts of the song. Between that and the piano, I found myself wishing for the song to end.
Take 3 of “Hurt” was previously issued on The Jungle Room Sessions. As with that album, it begins here with a false start and then the take is re-tried. A decent enough performance, though I prefer the master.
Take 1 of “The Last Farewell” is previously unreleased. It is okay, but certainly not a highlight. The take falls apart about three-fourths of the way through the song.
The next attempt, Take 2, of “The Last Farewell” follows. As noted above, this was originally released on The Jungle Room Sessions. I think I like the composite version from Disc 1 better.
“Never Again” features three false starts (Takes 1-3) before jumping ahead to the complete Take 9 – all previously unreleased. Take 9 is okay, but a disappointment compared to the versions on Disc 1.
“For The Heart” Take 4A first appeared on the excellent Today, Tomorrow & Forever. For those who have not been able to collect all of the individual releases, FTD’s Classic Album series does a commendable job bringing together previously released material such as this. Enjoyable, but I much prefer Take 1 from Disc 1.
Takes 6 and 7 of “Danny Boy” make their debut here, the earliest takes yet released of this song. Elvis sounds off on Take 6 and he eventually quits about a minute into the song. “Let’s take it up to E” he says before trying again on Take 7. When he once again struggles with the high notes, he quits again and states, “I liked it in C better. That’s how I’d like to do it, better.” [Interestingly, Ernst Jorgensen’s quote in A Life In Music, page 398, of Elvis saying, “I can’t make it. I’ve got too much sh-t in me, man…” when he blows take 7 has either been edited out or never actually happened.]
Take 8 is next, in C, and Elvis indeed does a better job this time, managing to complete the take – as previously released on The Jungle Room Sessions.
Made In Memphis included Take 4 of “Love Coming Down.” I find that I do not enjoy this take as much as the master or Take 3.
Take 1 of “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” is only a false start. Take 2, previously released on The Jungle Room Sessions, does not have the spark of Take 4. For all takes, a simpler arrangement would have greatly benefited this song. Imagine something similar to Elvis’ 1967 recording of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as an example of what I mean. Instead, there is just too much going on here.
Take 5 of “Solitaire” is a previously unreleased false start. Take 7 was previously issued on Made In Memphis and, thus, is new to me. An okay version.
“Hurt” Take 6 is a previously unreleased false start. Take 5 is from Today, Tomorrow & Forever, a strong version.
As previously released on The Jungle Room Sessions, up next are takes 3, 4, and 5 of “Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall.” Takes 3 and 4 are false starts due to interruptions by a ringing phone and a barking dog. I guess that’s what happens when you try to record an album in your den. Take 5 manages to be complete, and Elvis puts in an enthusiastic performance.
Take 5A of “For The Heart” was first issued on Made In Memphis. Great version! This sounds pretty close to the master.
Take 4, a very brief false start, of “The Last Farewell” is previously unreleased. It is followed by the undubbed master of the song, which is superior to the album version.
I’m not exactly sure what a “master rough remix” is, but it turns out to be somewhat enjoyable for “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” – except for that darn piano kicking it 1920s style every now and then.
For “Never Again,” we are treated to a “master remix” – this one is apparently not rough. (By the way, we are not talking JXL or Viva Elvis style remixes here, but simply changes to the original mixing channels – lest there be any confusion.)  And this one really is a treat. “Never Again” sounds wonderful like this. I would have been interested to hear the whole album receive this kind of treatment.
Finally, FTD’s From Elvis Presley Boulevard closes out with a “master rough remix” of “Danny Boy.” A beautiful recording, it seems, no matter the mix.
Disc 1 is definitely the highlight of this release. I imagine I’ll be playing that one quite often. Disc 2, while not a total letdown, mostly features some of the lesser takes.
Packaging/Booklet/etc.
As usual, the front cover mimics the original album – though I really do not like the printed inclusion of what was actually a sticker applied to the shrink wrap on the original version. It makes for a cheap look. The back cover is FTD-designed, and they have chosen to include a relatively poor photo of Elvis. He looks tired. Certainly not something to include on a cover, but FTD does not exactly have a great track record when it comes to choosing appropriate images.
The inside gatefold includes the original back cover, which I prefer. It includes a letter from Elvis stating, “I sincerely hope you like my new RCA Album.” The CDs mimic the tan labels of the original album release.
The booklet is standard fare for the Classic Album series, including a timeline and a listing of takes. The vintage RCA communications around the cover art and album content are, as always, of interest, though I wish there could have been more in this case. Apparently, Graceland was at one time to be featured on the cover in addition to Elvis. Though no reason is given, this may have been dropped for looking too similar to 1974’s Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis album.
Communication related to recording at Elvis’ home would have also been interesting to read, but nothing is provided. Like the cover, most of the booklet’s Elvis photos were taken by Ed Bonja at Elvis’ June 10, 1975, concert at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis. Just about every photo inside the booklet would have been a better choice to use on the back cover.
Overall
Follow That Dream Records delivers a fantastic upgrade to From Elvis Presley Boulevard. This release, especially Disc 1, will be stuck in my CD player for quite awhile. I eagerly await FTD’s take on the concluding chapter of the Graceland sessions, Moody Blue.

 

REVIEW: Stage Rehearsal CD (FTD)

/ TY

Stage Rehearsal (FTD CD)

August 10, 1970. The MGM camera crew has been following Elvis around for almost a month now. This afternoon, it’s time for one final rehearsal before the opening show later tonight. No camera crew allowed this time, but RCA is rolling tape in preparation for the concert recordings. Follow That Dream Records’ latest release, Stage Rehearsal, takes us behind the scenes of this event.

One of the things I’d been wondering about this release was how FTD would deal with the fact that most of the songs from this rehearsal were incomplete, due to having a “late start.” The first several seconds of these songs were not recorded. After all, RCA never intended this rehearsal for release.

The way I saw it, FTD had at least three options:

1.) Leave the recordings alone and let them start in progress — a bit jarring, but historically accurate
2.) Fade the songs up slightly as they start in progress — a little less jarring
3.) Repair the beginnings using recordings from other summer 1970 rehearsals — requires more work and is not historically accurate

I usually try to avoid reading the opinions of others when I’m planning to review something. That way, my expectations and reactions do not get swayed one way or the other in advance. Sometimes, this is impossible with FTD releases because I am in the United States, and we tend to receive them two or three weeks after most of the rest of the world.

In the case of Stage Rehearsal, I came across a comment revealing that FTD had repaired the beginnings of the songs by using live versions. My initial reaction was shock and dismay. Why would they make such a strange choice?

Once I had the actual CD in hand last week, though, and played it for the first time, it became obvious why FTD chose this path.

The sound quality of the August 10, 1970, stage rehearsal contained on this CD is comparable to the concert recordings that began later that night and continued for the next few days. To my knowledge, there are no other That’s The Way It Is rehearsals that have this level of sound quality. Using subpar sounding rehearsals as lead-ins would have probably been too obvious as splices. Instead, FTD elected to go with the live recordings to more closely match the sound of this rehearsal.

My personal preference would have been that FTD just release the rehearsal as-is, with truncated introductions. This is supposedly a collectors label, after all.

However, I can understand and appreciate their desire to make this a quality listening experience. After all, we were Elvis listeners prior to becoming Elvis historians! In this case, entertainment value won out over historic context. Considering how much I otherwise enjoy this CD, I can forgive them that.

One thing different about this rehearsal compared to some of the others I’ve heard over the years is that it does not feature Elvis really working on the songs. It feels more like a live show in that regard. This may be because this is literally hours before the opening show (captured on One Night In Vegas, a must-have FTD) and most of the kinks have already been worked out, or it could be because the recording was obviously turned off between songs. Two of the songs are repeated, so that’s evidence they were doing some work.

The stage microphones experience feedback a number of times, foreshadowing what would happen later that night during the actual concert. I wonder why this problem was not resolved prior to the show, since it was evident in the rehearsal?

There are many loose, fun moments but, in the end, the real appeal of the 1970 portion is the sound quality. None of the versions are revelations, though “version 1” of both “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” are stellar. Oddly enough, “version 2” of both of these songs splices the exact same live introductions as used on version 1. I suppose the tempo matched better than other alternatives, but this really shows why repairing the audio in this fashion was not the way to go.

A few years ago, Warner Brothers released “The Richard Donner Cut” of Superman II, showing what that director’s version of the 1980 movie may have been like had he not been replaced midway through production. To augment the available footage, screen tests of the main actors were used. This footage looks totally different compared to the rest of the film. Stage Rehearsal‘s “what if” splices between live and rehearsal material reminds me of this.

The 1972 and 1973 bonus songs that comprise the rest of this CD were recorded on a portable tape recorder. Therefore the sound quality is akin to “When The Snow Is On The Roses” and other recordings of that nature. These are definitely listenable, though they suffer a bit in following up the near-pristine-sounding 16-track recordings from 1970. I suggest playing the bonus songs first to avoid this effect.

Finally, here, we get some rehearsal work, which is pretty much lacking from the 1970 portions of this CD.

Any Day Now: By 1972, it seemed that Elvis had all but abandoned the songs he recorded at American Sound Studios only three years earlier, save the obligatory “Suspicious Minds.” Apparently not, though, for here’s Elvis sounding awesome on “Any Day Now,” leaving me to wonder why this apparently did not become part of the show.

True Love Travels On A Gravel Road: This is a good version, but seems less concert-ready than “Any Day Now.” It could’ve worked for occasional use as something different. Who knows, maybe he did use it that way.

Portrait Of My Love: Elvis does a brief, unidentified blues number before launching into “Portrait of My Love” on a whim. This is not so much a “rehearsal,” then, as it is an off-the-cuff song. It’s pretty and probably would’ve been a decent number if further developed. Wonderful to hear a “new” Elvis song, I might add.

I’m Leavin’ It All Up To You: Another “new” Elvis song. This one sounds pretty basic, but I believe that is because Elvis severely shortened it.

The funny thing is, I bought this CD because of the 1970 material, but it is the 1972 and 1973 material that stands out.

Ultimately, Stage Rehearsal is a well-intentioned release that I recommend with reservations. It offers 1970 rehearsals in terrific sound quality, but with unfortunate splicing decisions. It also offers some 1972 and 1973 rarities, but in subpar sound quality. Be aware of what you’re buying so that you won’t be disappointed. Then, just crank it up and enjoy. That’s what Elvis is supposed to be all about anyway.

REVIEW – Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show CD (FTD)

/ TY

Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show CD (Follow That Dream Records, 2011)

If you believe some fans, surely we’ve already heard enough 1969 Las Vegas concerts. Now that Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show is available from FTD, let’s take a closer look at their claims.

Claim: If you’ve heard one 1969 show, you’ve heard them all.
Verdict: FALSE

For those who believe there are no more revelations to discover in these shows, I can easily pull one example of many from this release alone. For over 40 years now, Elvis fans have listened to the 1969 compilation Elvis In Person. How many ever realized that Elvis dedicated the specific performance of “Suspicious Minds” contained on that album to Barbara McNair, one of his Change Of Habit co-stars?

Elvis evidently thought a lot of McNair, who played Sister Irene, for he plugged her upcoming TV series, The Barbara McNair Show, when presenting her to the audience. As mentioned, Elvis’ introduction of the familiar version of “Suspicious Minds” is now slightly different: “A new record that just came out, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you like it, I’d like to do this especially for Barbie, it’s called ‘Suspicious Minds.'”

Though it is the sixth full-length show released from this engagement, Live In Vegas actually marks the first release of a concert that contributed songs to the Elvis In Person compilation (“Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love”). One of the joys of being able to hear complete 1969 shows like this one is re-discovering a song within its original context.

Claim: Every 1969 show had the same set list.
Verdict: FALSE

Live In Vegas is actually the first full show released thus far to include “My Babe” (previously compiled on Elvis Aron Presley) or “Inherit The Wind” (previously compiled on Collectors Gold). This is also the first full show so far where Elvis omits “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and only the second where he omits “What’d I Say.”

Incidentally, the inane argument that the set lists were always the same wasn’t even true of the first five shows released. Don’t get me wrong – of course, the core set lists are similar. These shows were all recorded within less than a week’s time, after all. The amusing part is that some fans apparently expect that Elvis should have completely revamped his show night after night. The 1969 concerts were about as perfect as any Elvis did in his career, but that’s not good enough for some.

Claim: If you’ve already heard the Midnight Show from this same date on All Shook Up, Live In Vegas will just be more of the same.
Verdict: FALSE

Though indeed recorded just a few hours apart from one another, the shows captured on All Shook Up and Live In Vegas are quite different from one another and do not play like repeats of the same show. The biggest difference is tone. While Elvis seems unable to control his infectious laughter through much of All Shook Up – including the fantastic “Are You Laughing Tonight” – he is much more focused on Live In Vegas. In fact, other than a few snickers here and there, there is little foreshadowing in the Dinner Show as to what will occur in the Midnight Show.

As far as the songs performed for these specific shows, the Dinner Show (Live In Vegas) features “Memories,” “My Babe,” and “Inherit The Wind,” which are not present on the later show. The Midnight Show (All Shook Up), on the other hand, features “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” “Rubberneckin’” and “This Is The Story,” which are not present on the earlier show.

I find being able to listen to two shows from the same day during this incredible time of Elvis’ career to be one of the most positive aspects of this release, certainly not a drawback. It is fascinating to imagine being there for that single day, somehow fortunate enough to have tickets to both shows.

Show & Sound Quality

I’m just glad Ernst Jorgensen and the rest of Sony’s Follow That Dream team do not subscribe to the sort of claims refuted above. If they did, we might have missed out on Live In Vegas.

With that out of the way, we can now move on to more important things, like show and sound quality. The first few times I played this disc, my opinion was that no 1969 show had ever sounded this vibrant.

I have played all six full shows this week and part of me believes that Live In Vegas is the best of the complete 1969 shows released so far, in terms of Elvis’ performance. I am not quite ready to say that yet, though. I want to give more time for the newness to wear off and allow myself to compare the various shows more objectively. Like all of the other 1969 shows thus far released, though, this is without a doubt one of Elvis’ greatest concerts.

Elvis treats his classics with more respect in 1969 than he would in later years. “Blue Suede Shoes,” “All Shook Up,” “Love Me Tender,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel” are all contenders as his best 1969 versions.

“You see, they fixed these lights up for Nancy Sinatra. They wouldn’t do it for me. That shows where the pull is. . . . I’ll show ’em, I won’t come back,” Elvis states shortly after welcoming the audience early on. Nancy’s engagement on the same stage would begin on August 29, just a day after Elvis’ would end. Elvis stuck around and caught her show and, despite his joke, returned to the International for another engagement just six months after this first one.

“Hound Dog” is also great, once you get past his cringe-inducing introduction of the song that also plagues every other version released so far from this engagement.

There are two tracks I always pay close attention to on the 1969 shows. One is “Suspicious Minds” – already a known factor on this album – and the other is the “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” medley. Elvis does a kickin’ rendition of this medley on Live In Vegas.

While Ronnie Tutt’s jungle drums are the focus in the first bits of “Tiger Man” before the second guitar break, the mix turns over to James Burton’s rockin’ guitar riffs for the other half of the song. It makes for a great compromise and one of the best versions of the song yet released.

I have yet to hear a bad version of “Runaway” from these shows, and this one is no exception. What a terrific performance from Elvis, driven again by James Burton. Too bad it was dropped from the show after 1969.

“Yesterday” is the typical “I’m not half the stud…” version and, as usual, the tacked on “Hey Jude” ending is no help.

After introducing the band, Elvis has Barbara McNair stand and introduces her as “a young lady that I just got through making a picture with called Change Of Habit, and I found her to be one of the nicest, warmest, lovingest people I’ve ever met.” When audience members complain they could not see her, he has the lights turned back on so she can stand up again.

It’s really cool hearing Elvis promote one of his movies on stage. Since he took a break from concerts through most of the 1960s, when he made the bulk of his movies, this was not an opportunity he had very often.

“In The Ghetto” is beautiful, similar to the Elvis In Person version.

On both of his August 26 shows, Elvis omits his breakneck speed version of “What’d I Say” and, in my opinion, the shows are all the better for it. “Suspicious Minds” is the ideal penultimate song, segueing perfectly into “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”

Speaking of “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” the Elvis In Person version has always been my favorite from 1969, and it sounds even better here.

* * *

Live In Vegas showcases Elvis Presley at his best on stage in a sound presentation that is richly mastered and crystal clear.

Sony reportedly has another six full shows from this engagement in its vault, including three more that contributed songs to the Elvis In Person album: the August 25 Dinner Show and the August 24 & 25 Midnight Shows.

There will always be complainers–even when Elvis was alive, he couldn’t please everyone, not even in 1969–but here’s hoping the rest of those 1969 shows, particularly the Elvis In Person ones, are eventually released. I’m looking forward to hearing each and every one of them.

Elvis is not just for Christmas anymore

/ TY

I wrote this guest post in 2010 for Elvis Today.

Outside of Oldies stations and incidental music, I never hear Elvis on the radio here in the United States anymore – except at Christmas time. This phenomenon is not unique to Elvis, though. The same applies to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and many other legends who seemingly turn up in the collective consciousness only during this season. There is something universal about Christmas music that spans across generations and genres.
Non-fans in the general public often seem to enjoy Christmas music by Elvis, even if they listen to little else by him the rest of the year. As an Elvis fan, it’s actually hard for me to relate to that point of view. It seems to me, if they enjoy his Christmas music, they could just as easily enjoy his other music all year long, just like we do.
The next time one of your friends asks you to recommend some Elvis Christmas music, consider giving her or him both some Christmas and year-round music selections. They might be surprised to learn that Elvis is not just for Christmas anymore.
With that in mind, I started thinking of non-seasonal songs with similar vibes as his Christmas music.
  • Trade “Blue Christmas” (1957) for “One Night” (1957)
  • Trade “White Christmas” (1957) for “Such A Night” (1960)
  • Trade “Here Comes Santa Claus” (1957) for “Treat Me Nice” (1957)
  • Trade “Silent Night” (1957) for “Love Me” (1956)
  • Trade “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (1957) for “Young And Beautiful” (1957)
  • Trade “Santa Bring My Baby Back” (1957) for “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do” (1957)
  • Trade “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” (1957) for “Reconsider Baby” (1960)
  • Trade “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” (1957) for “Don’t” (1957)
  • Trade “Santa Lucia” (1963) for “It’s Now Or Never” (1960)
  • Trade “If Every Day Was Like Christmas” (1966) for “I’ll Remember You” (1966)
  • Trade “Blue Christmas” (Live-1968) for “One Night” (Live-1968)
  • Trade “It Won’t Seem Like Christmas” (1971) for “Where Did They Go, Lord” (1970)
  • Trade “If I Get Home On Christmas Day” (1971) for “It’s A Matter Of Time” (1972)
  • Trade “Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees” (1971) for “Separate Ways” (1972)
  • Trade “Merry Christmas Baby” (1971) for “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (1971)
  • Trade “Silver Bells” (1971) for “Stranger In The Crowd” (1970)
  • Trade “I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day” (1971) for “I’m Leavin”” (1971)
  • Trade “On A Snowy Christmas Night” (1971) for “How The Web Was Woven” (1970)
  • Trade “Winter Wonderland” (1971) for “Jailhouse Rock” (Live-1968)
  • Trade “O Come All Ye Faithful” (1971) for “Always On My Mind” (1972)
  • Trade “The First Noel” (1971) for “We Can Make The Morning” (1971)
  • Trade “The Wonderful World Of Christmas” (1971) for “Help Me Make It Through The Night” (1971)
So, there you have it, a non-seasonal playlist designed to feel like Elvis’ Christmas music. Maybe next year, Sony can release a double CD Christmas gift set with this kind of theme. It would give them a chance to put a slightly different twist on their annual Elvis Christmas music re-release.

My thanks to Thomas for letting me ramble on here on Elvis Today. Have a wonderful Christmas and a merry New Year, everyone!

/TY, The Mystery Train

“They couldn’t put diapers on me”

/ TY

I wrote this guest post in 2010 for Elvis Today.

In honor of Thomas and his wife having their first child, I’ve compiled a ranking of baby Elvis songs. Admittedly, not all of these songs refer to an infant baby. Many of them refer to a baby of the grown woman variety.

#1: Reconsider Baby
#2: Baby, Let’s Play House
#3: Baby, What You Want Me To Do
#4: Baby, I Don’t Care
#5: Like A Baby
#6: I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby
#7: My Baby Left Me
#8: Merry Christmas Baby
#9: Bossa Nova Baby
#10: Rock-A-Hula Baby
#11: Santa Bring My Baby Back
#12: It’s Your Baby, You Rock It
#13: Ain’t That Loving You, Baby
#14: Baby, If You’ll Give Me All Of Your Love
#15: I’ve Got To Find My Baby
#16: Your Time Hasn’t Come Yet, Baby

Of course, if we expand this list to songs that include “baby” in the lyrics rather than the title, we’d have a lot more from which to choose. One fantastic song that comes to mind is “Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming” from the Promised Land album.

Songwriter Rory Bourke talks about this one in Ken Sharp’s Writing For The King (FTD):

“That song was written about my daughter, Allyson. I wrote it days after she was born. I think Elvis thought he was singing about a big grown up girl but in reality he was singing a song about my baby. His version was absolutely awesome. He caught the complete emotion of what I was trying to say about myself in relationship with this small bundle of love.”

Elvis cut this song in 1973. By then, he had been a father for over five years. I personally think he knew exactly what kind of baby he was singing about, as he undoubtedly had similar thoughts while holding his own “bundle of love” for the first time. I imagine Thomas can suddenly relate to this song in a whole new way.

Congratulations, buddy! All the best!

/TY, The Mystery Train

REVIEW: Boston Garden CD (FTD)

/ TY

Elvis As Recorded At Boston Garden ‘71 CD (Follow That Dream Records, 2010)

Yesterday’s dream

You have been an Elvis fan for 15 years, through the ups and downs since 1956. When the Beatles came to Boston seven years ago, you stayed home. Now, finally, the one you were really waiting for is here.

You forget about the borrowed camera you are clutching as Elvis appears, as if out of magic.

Fans erupt in screams. You do not even realize that you are yelling, too, as Elvis grabs the microphone.

“Well, that’s all right little mama, that’s all right with you. That’s all right little mama, just any way you do,” he sings. Are you dreaming? Is this really happening?

By the middle of the show, you suddenly remember the camera. You only make it a little closer before the police and security guards push you back. You have never used this camera before, but you snap away, hoping it is close enough to preserve this moment, this feeling, forever.

Then, all too soon, it comes to an end.

Before you know it, Elvis is gone, and 39 years have passed by.

You would have never believed back then that photos you snapped in 1971 would appear in an official release of the Elvis concert you witnessed that day at Boston Garden. You even write the liner notes, filling them with your memories of this unforgettable event.

Like the idle daydream of an Elvis fan, it sounds too good to be true. Yet, this is exactly what happened for Cathi Avenell, who supplied photographs and liner notes for FTD’s latest release, Elvis As Recorded At Boston Garden ’71.

Bridging the gap

While the best concerts of the 1969-1977 Elvis era undoubtedly took place in the hot Vegas summers of 1969 and 1970, this November 1971 show stands out among the others. For this time period, it represents the earliest recording yet released of Elvis on the road in the 1970s—rather than in a Las Vegas showroom. It also serves to bridge the gap between his 1970 and 1972 live recordings.

Though this show only precedes his 1972 Vegas engagement by three months, the difference is sometimes striking. This late 1971 Elvis still has some of the 1969 and 1970 fire in him, as opposed to the subdued performances of the early 1972 engagement.

This late 1971 Elvis interacts with the crowd and still apparently enjoys himself, while the early 1972 Elvis seems to do little of either.

If anything, the Boston show often feels like a bizarre crossbreed of August 1970’s That’s The Way It Is concerts and June 1972’s Madison Square Garden shows.

Quick tour of the tracks

Track 01 “Also Sprach Zarathustra”/Track 02 “That’s All Right”: Elvis experimented with various show openers over the years, but the ultimate was “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) segueing into “That’s All Right,” his first record. Elvis really rocks “That’s All Right” here, the first sign that this will be a great show.

Track 03 “I Got A Woman/Amen”: What sometimes feels like a throwaway version of “I Got A Woman” early on eventually tightens up. “Amen” here is relatively short, not the endless repeats of later years.

Track 04 “Proud Mary”: Though it sometimes has more energy, this sounds like Elvis’ 1972 versions.

Track 05 “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me”: I have still yet to hear a worthwhile version after 1970.

Track 06 “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”: Disappointing. Elvis sounds distracted throughout.

Track 07 “Polk Salad Annie”: Here is a perfect example of why As Recorded At Boston Garden ’71 is so cool, a hybrid between the 1970 and 1972 variations of “Polk Salad Annie.” While the overall vibe matches 1972, the talking portion is still present at the beginning. Elvis jokes his way through the “little story” though, perhaps an indicator of boredom that resulted in its eventual removal. After the jokes, this is a strong version of the song.

Track 08 Instrumental: You’ll recognize this one as “Comin’ Home Baby,” the instrumental often played while Elvis introduced his band and other stage performers. No introductions on this track, though, making it a rare stand-alone version of the song.

Track 09 “Love Me”: Already sounding like 1972 and beyond throwaway versions, this “Love Me” lacks the spark of the 1970 versions.

Track 10 “Heartbreak Hotel”: Speaking of throwaways, one of the worst versions of this song I have heard by Elvis. I like the bluesy take on it he first introduced in 1969, but Elvis fools around too much on this one for my taste. Maybe it was a ‘You had to be there’ moment.

Track 11 “Blue Suede Shoes”: Rushed, 1972-style. Better than “Heartbreak Hotel,” at least.

Track 12 “One Night”: Right after he sings, “Just call my name. . .,” someone with an irritating voice yells out “ELVIS!” and spoils an otherwise great version, reminiscent of 1970.

Track 13 “Hound Dog”: The typical bluesy slow start into a fast rocking ending, 1972-style. I never cared for this arrangement.

Track 14 “How Great Thou Art” (incomplete): We get about two-thirds of the song here before an artificial fade. Hard to judge without the big ending, but it probably would have been a contender for best song on the album had the performance been intact.

Track 15 Introductions (incomplete): “Comin’ Home Baby” plays again as Elvis introduces the band (joined in progress).

Track 16 “I’m Leavin’”: A true highlight, the best live version released so far. This was only six months after he recorded the song in RCA’s Nashville studio.

Track 17 “Bridge Over Troubled Water”: A stunning performance, especially considering that it sounds average at the beginning. Do not miss this one, best track on As Recorded At Boston Garden ’71.

Track 18 “I Can’t Stop Loving You”: A tad slower, but otherwise sounds like a 1972 version. Enjoyable.

Track 19 “Love Me Tender”: Annoying that this becomes a throwaway with ad-libbed lyrics, because Elvis sounds in such good voice.

Track 20 “Suspicious Minds”: By far, the biggest disappointment of the album. Perhaps the worst live version I have heard, due to jokes and distractions. Arrangement is 1972-style.

Track 21 Elvis Talks: For the third time, “Comin’ Home Baby” plays. Elvis does his traditional request to turn the house lights up so that he can better see the audience. It is fun hearing Elvis thanking the crowd in a mellow kind of way as the music goes on behind him. It almost sounds like he is about to leave on the spot but instead he launches into. . . .

Track 22 “Funny How Time Slips Away”: Like “Polk Salad Annie,” this version is interesting as a previously missing evolutionary step for the song. The softened lyric “In time, it’s all gonn’ be okay” has already replaced the original “In time, you’re gonna pay,” but the finale is still “Ain’t it surprising how time slips away.” Probably the best post-1970 version.

Track 23 “Can’t Help Falling In Love”/Track 24 Closing Vamp: “Let’s take it home,” Elvis announces, then launches into a decent 1972-style version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” and the show is soon over.

Final verdict

Taken as a whole, Elvis As Recorded At Boston Garden ’71 is a strong release. Concerts probably should not be picked apart song-by-song as I have done here, as it is the overall experience that counts. Elvis more than delivers a fantastic show. This is one of many concerts where I find myself wishing that I could have somehow been there.

Sound quality is impressive, considering that it is a soundboard recording. I love how FTD tied in the album art with the Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden album. The liner notes and photos by Avenell give this release a personal feel and warmth.

A must-have for fellow fans of the era.