Elvis Presley – Elvis In Concert

Would be excellent, if had only music, but unfortunatelly someone had a idea to put speechs and other things besides music

My NM original, with 4s variant, is a very much free from any noise and plays through very well, it's a typical 70's quality Elvis concert recording however of slightly lessor sound quality compared to his early and mid 70's live shows. As a fan and collector you need to have this one, glad I got it, used to watch this show on VHS and heard the tapes for so many years prior during the 70's and 80's.

It is merciful, in some ways, that Elvis died prior to the release of this LP and the train wreck of the CBS television special that it was taken from. Despite some upbeat live records "Live From Madison Square Garden", "Aloha From Hawaii" and "Live Recorded on Stage in Memphis" there was no legitimate reason for another live concert release in 1977 - the fourth in six years - save for a need to satisfy a nonsensical recording schedule, contractually arranged courtesy of Col. Tom Parker. Like the '73 special, "In Concert" was set to explode on America's TV screens in the fall of 1977 to a nation desperate to see the "King" once more on the small screen.

The only thing desperate about this show, cobbled together from two obscure concert venues in the midwest, is Elvis' condition. It would have been unthinkable to release this debacle had Elvis been alive. His death in August, two months before the October release date of the TV program, answered that uncomfortable question.

From a fairly strong "See See Rider" open, things deteroriate quickly. Elvis embarrassingly warbles "That's All Right Mama", flubs up on "Are You Lonesone Tonight" and stumbles onward to toss-off versions of some of his 50's classics that are totally unrecognizable.
Elvis stumbles and bumbles like a sick and dying man. Which he was.

There is faint redemption in songs like "Hurt", and "It's Now or Never", and genuine life with a scorching version of "Trying to Get to You"... but Elvis no longer has the strength or will to sustain it. The setlist is confusing and what's worse, we've heard it all many times before - and much better than what we hear here.