Customer Reviews

In Concert

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Oh, my boy, my boy...what a treat for the fans in Rapid City, S.D. and Omaha, NE in the Summer of '77. Most of the "Elvis in Concert" album was taken from these two shows, which happened on June 19 and 21, respectively. Contrary to what a lot of music critics say, this is album is fantastic. Starting with the fan commments and the ominious, opening strains of "Also Sprach Zarathustra," one gets a sense of the excitement that Elvis created when he appeared "in concert." It was a happening! The Super Bowl, the World Series and New Year's Eve all rolled into one!!! This music on this CD starts with the most rocking version of "See See Rider" that Elvis ever did. Other standouts on this album: "You Gave Me a Mountain," "How Great Thou Art," (really beautiful and done with a lot of soul), "Hurt", "My Way," and "Can't Help Falling in Love." All in all, a great album. Don't let people who don't know what they're talking about fool you: despite his deteriorating physical health, Elvis did some of his best, most soulful work late in his career. This album really captures that flavor as well as the excitement that EP generated when he toured in the 70s. "Elvis in Concert" is a must-have album for any fan

This is the first Elvis album I purchased for myself. I bought the 8-track in 1977 and I was ten years old. It sounded great to me and boy did I wear that tape out !

Looking back though and knowing his music catalog the way I do now I cannot suggest it as a starting point. You would really need to have a close connection with Elvis to actually enjoy this album.

It has its great moments but at the same time it can be totally painful if you love him.

There some other reviews I have read and some of the statements I agree with and some I don't.

I have heard so many times about how bad Are You Lonesome Tonight is because Elvis forgets the words. He didn't forget the words. There are other live recordings dating back to 1969 where he plays around with this song. He loved to act like he was forgetting the words to play with the crowd and get a laugh. Just because Elvis looked bad physically people automatically assume he had no humor left in him.

His band sounded better than ever on this album. Probabably because they knew he well needed the support. Not to say he sounded bad but he had lost some of his range.

On album one you will find the best version of 2001 Space Odyssey. You gave me a mountain is awesome. Hurt could never be done better and my favorite version I Really Don't Want To Know is from this album.

Elvis was obviously tired of the 1950's hits. He no longer wanted to do them because he was a much different person now. He continued to do them for the fans but it is easily seen he just runs through them and almost uses them as breaks to catch his breath.

Album two has a really good version of I Got A Woman which may be a 1950's song but he never tired of this one. He wasn't doing this song for anyone but himself. He really enjoyed it. Trying to get to you proves he had yet to lose his ability to croon and the ballad And I Love You So reminds of why we fell in love with him to start with.

The majority of songs on this album are worth the price of the CD. Excellent versions of Jailhouse Rock, CC Rider, I really don't want to know. Contrary to many of the other reviews, Elvis did not forget the words to "Are you lonesome tonight". You only have to listen to the many "unauthorised" live albums to know that, this is a song that he ALWAYS messed around with in the monolog - observe the perfect timing as he speaks and jokes with the section, returning, on beat, to complete the vocals. The "forgot the words" was media hype at the time.

Enjoy! It is a real pity that the "Estate" wont let us view this final concert. I saw it at the time it was telivised - it was good.

This was a favorite album of mine before I was even in kindergarten...and on some level it's still a favorite. Objectively though, there are some serious drawbacks. It's pretty clear that Elvis was zonked on something during some of these numbers, and anyone who says they don't hear it haven't known too many drug users. His rambling ad libs and total meltdown during "Are You Lonesome Tonight" are pretty clear indications that something isn't right. It's almost impossible to decipher a single word of the abbreviated "Johnny B. Goode."

On the other hand, Elvis still manages to turn in *excellent* vocal performances on "How Great Thou Art", "Hurt", and "You Gave Me a Mountain." His interpretations of "My Way", "Fairytale" and "And I Love You So" are at least credible. There is enough here for a serious Elvis listener to be worth the money. But it's not as representative of the best of Elvis as his Madison Square Garden, Las Vegas and Hawaii live albums.

On January 8, 1977, Elvis turned 42. It would be his last birthday. This CD is the soundtrack to a TV special filmed in June of 1977, on Elvis' last concert tour. He was bloated, weak and ill, but that didn't stop him from putting on a good show. He put all the strength he had left into this show. He takes the stage and gives an energetic performance of "See See Rider"; this is followed by a mix of old and new hits. Occasionally he sound bored or tired, but his powerful renditions of gospel songs make up for that. Buy this CD, and enjoy Elvis' last tour.

Elvis Presley recorded this live album at two shows, recorded on June 19 and June 21, 1977. (Contrary to popular belief, the concert on June 21 was not his last show, which was on June 28). The shows were also filmed for a CBS concert special aired in October following the King's untimely death in August. Some people say that Elvis wasn't too good here, but he's absolutely stellar.

Elvis's voice may not be as up to par as it used to be, but he can still belt out the closing lines of the classic "How Great Thou Art", featured here in an astounding performance that causes screams and wails from the audience. Elvis also delivers a vibrant "Trying To Get To You" that sets the audience screaming with every chorus. There are very poignant moments with Elvis dusting off stellar renditions of "I Really Don't Want To Know" and "My Way", and he proves that he is still the tender balladeer on a heartbreaking "Can't Help Falling In Love", which brings tears my eyes. Elvis's sense of humor is evident here, most notably during the spoken interlude of "Are You Lonesome Tonight". Elvis's vocal performance of "You Gave Me A Mountain" is powerfully compelling, and his performance of "Jailhouse Rock" proves that the King still can rock. His earthshattering vocal performance makes the pain of "Hurt" bonechilling. Elvis delivers "Hound Dog" with such energy, setting the audience ablaze. He also does a heartwarming performance of "Hawaiian Wedding Song", and he does a beautiful, tender rendition of "And I Love You So". He also delivers rocking performances of "Little Sister" and "Johnny B. Goode". If you want to hear a great live show by Elvis, then this is it.

By June of 1977 the burst of vitality that Elvis had gained in the December 1976 tour was gone. He was again fat, bloated, pale, and above all tired. He had recently sprained his ankle and was more static than ususal. On the whole he was in no condition to give a TV appearence, but the Colonel scheduled one anyway.

Elvis was determined to give his fans a great performance, he gathered all his remaining strength and fed it into these two incredible shows. The fireworks begin with a rocking version of See See Rider and then he after a drug ridden monologue introduces his debut single "That's Alright Mama" he continues with a rendition of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" where he replaces the depressing part in the middle with joking slurs. He goes on to put in great perormances of "You Gave Me A Mountain" "How Great Thou Art" "Hurt" "Fairytale" "Trying To Get To You" and "It's Now Or Never". But the shining moment of both concerts is the heartstopping tragic rendition of the Frank Sinatra hit "My Way" he lifts the autobiographical song to tragic heights and then before closing with "Can't Help Falling In Love" tells the crowd "We'll meet you again, God Bless You and Adios" but he never came back.

Elvis gave his final concert five nights later in Indianapolis on the 26th of June.

As is the case for other Elvis fans, this album by far evokes the most emotional reaction from me. It is a collection of songs from his final live performances prior to his death in 1977. When I listen to the Elvis from this album, it's like I'm listening to an old friend. Although many say that he was passed his prime, overweight and was forgetting his lines, I say that Elvis was still an excellent show man, his voice was mature and comforting, and its range was still very impressive. The album contains an excellent collection of songs from his early years as well as some covers of songs by such artists as Frank Sinatra and Olivia Newton-John. Elvis goes through such an incredible range of musical styles including Classic Rock i.e. "Jailhouse Rock" and "Don't Be Cruel/Teddy Bear", Gospel/Spiritual i.e. "How Great Thou Art" and finally Country i.e. "If you love me let me know". To add to the nostalgic aspect, the album contains messages from fans and a final message from Elvis' father after his (Elvis') death. At the same time it has its light moments such as Elvis' comical interludes including his "unusual" rendition of the monologue in "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". It doesn't seem to be rehearsed, which makes it all the better. This album in a way summarises Elvis' career as it contains so many gems. This in combination with the fact that all his songs are presented with so much feeling makes me want to give it 6 stars. In concluding I would recommend this to anyone who already thinks of Elvis as the King, however it might be a little too "mature" for those who might be listening to Elvis for the first time, baring also in mind that it is a live performance.

Elvis- in concert...very sad and very historical at the same time.This is definitely not the Elvis album to start out with.But it is also very intriguing and surprising to listen to the fan's comments all through the album. They love him!The women still say he's good-looking and the men still respect him as an entertainer. This shows the impact Elvis still had, even in his last year. I have never heard Elvis' voice sound like that before or since.It is not very strong at all.But it is also apparent that he is trying his hardest,which he rarely ever did in his last years."Are you Lonesome Tonight?"is sang straight and with all of the words intact, except for the monologue in the middle of the song. He is obviously playing this speaking part for laughs,and seems to have alot of fun doing it.He did about three words of the opening part of that same monologue on the comeback special in '68, and laughed and went on singing. He obviously always thought the speaking part was corny,and purposely messed up on it. He takes more than a minute to actually get started on "I Got A Woman".Before he actually starts it,he sings,"Well,Well,Well",for what seems like forever ,and the band goes along with him,singing "Well, Well,Well," right along with him.When he finally gets started on it, he does just fine. Alot of times he seems to talk way too fast, and sometimes he stutters awkwardly, mumbling his words, slurring, but the audience still loved him no matter what.His sense of humor is definitely present,but seems inappropriate at times.Even the songs he sings all the words to seem not to be sung very energetically or clearly. All of this being said, this was said to be his best concert in a long time,and he really seemed to pour his heart into this.He almost seems to know this would be his last big concert on TV, and has a broad selection of songs. Definitely not Elvis in his prime, but is historical in a way and if you are an Elvis fan, it should be part of your collection. However , If you want to hear Elvis' best work in 1977, listen to "Moody Blue." Thank you. Thank you very much.

This is one of the most difficult Elvis albums to listen to at first. Released only months after his death, this album features songs from two of the shows in the final year, 1977. Both shows were also filmed by CBS as a special, which also aired shortly after. That special has not been released officially, and that reason is obvious: Elvis just looks too bad. The album cover features a photo two years older than these shows: a far cry from what Elvis now looked like. He was puffy, bloated, and ill-looking. But, the one thing that never left him was his voice. It was just as strong as it ever was. While you can tell that he obviously does not appear to be feeling too well (you can hear his heavy breathing during his speech segments), he did his absolute best to please the audience. Among the standouts are his version of "My Way", which is even more powerful and heartfelt than the "Aloha" version. There is "You Gave Me a Mountain", which sounds just as powerful as ever. The biggest highlight is "How Great Thou Art", which can make the listener say "Wow!", for he gives a version that has to be heard to be believed. Even his closing song, "Can't Help Falling In Love" (about half-way into this disk), despite being performed no less than a thousand times, is another gem: Listen to his final note on this, it can really sadden you. Six weeks after these concerts were recorded, The King was gone. All we have left are the memories. For those of us who never got to see him, the concert disks are the closest we have to experiencing the magic of Elvis Presley. This is one of those experiences.