Customer Reviews

Elvis on Tour [VHS]

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Director Robert Abel and producer Pierre Adidge present a marvelous look at Elvis in this documentary, using concert, rehearsal and backstage footage, as well as clips from the early days of his career, and a montage of him kissing his co-stars while "Love Me Tender" is performed. Excellent use of split-screen techniques are used, and the cinematography is always interesting.
Elvis looks in great shape from the neck down, quite trim and with the athletic flexibility to do deep leg lunges, and delivering each song with enormous emotional and physical energy. His face shows much dissipation however, and tells another story; the feeling one gets from this film is of a desperately sad man, a hurting soul, putting a brave mask on for the world. There is also not even a flicker of ego...we see only a hard-working guy, with not a shred of arrogance. He wears his flashy clothes with grace, style and humility, and sings his heart out, and it's a beautiful thing to see.

His voice is occasionally wobbly (and the sound quality also has its variables), but for the most part he shines, particularly in the songs with a spiritual theme. "Bosom of Abraham," "I John," and especially "American Trilogy" and "You Gave Me a Mountain" are very moving, and terrific listening.
His band is wonderful, and his back-up singers, The Sweet Inspirations and J.D.Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, an added delight.
Song list:
"Johnny B. Goode" (film titles)
"See See Rider"
"Polk Salad Annie"
"Separate Ways" (recording studio)
"Proud Mary"
"Never Been to Spain"
"Burning Love"
"Don't be Cruel" (over early stills and clips)
"Ready Teddy" (Ed Sullivan Show)
"That's All Right"
"Lead Me, Guide Me" (rehearsal)
"Bosom of Abraham" (rehearsal)
"Love Me Tender"
"Until it's Time for You to Go"
"I John" (rehearsal)
"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
"Funny How Time Slips Away"
"An American Trilogy"
"Mystery Train" (at an airport)
"Suspicious Minds"
"I Got a Woman"
"Amen"
"A Big Hunk of Love"
"You Gave Me a Mountain"
"Sweet, Sweet Spirit" (exquisitely sung by J.D. Sumner and the Stamps)
"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"
"Can't Help Falling in Love"
"Memories" (final credits)
You don't have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy this film, but you're guaranteed to have a deeper appreciation of his talent, and understand why he was "The King" after seeing it.
This is one of the best music documentaries I've seen, up there with Martin Scorsese's "The Last Waltz," who incidentally, is listed as Montage Supervisor in the credits of this film.
Total running time is 93 minutes.

To start, I won't labor through listing all of the music on the concert video. Reviewer Alejandra Vernon did that nicely in her excellent Spotlight Review.

This is not my favorite Elvis concert video from a musical perspective - that would be "The '68 Comeback Special". But this video belongs on your Elvis shelf because it reveals an Elvis that we have not seen in his earlier work.

Pensive, tired, still unselfishly giving of himself to his fans. The thrill is gone and it has become work. He has a constant trail of people following him, depending on him, and he has the burden of projecting that Elvis image continuously.

There is a lot of off stage footage, which shows him to be thoughtful of and genuinely generous with his fans. He looks great for his age, but he is aging, and he seems sad. It's interesting that his only apparent joy in life (at least in this on the road, tour environment) seems to be music, including especially the impromptu off stage stuff . . . singing to himself in the limo, jamming gospel backstage with the band members. He's very likeable (loved by millions, of course) and one is glad to see him find escape in some good thing that he enjoys.

The on-stage music is good but is lacking a bit of the fire of his younger years. The stagework in the video is a montage from the series of stops on the tour. Clearly some of the concerts are better than others. At some he is a bit reserved and his famous stage posturing and movement is stilted and a parody of earlier times. He is HOT at a couple of them and, again, you can tell that he never stopped loving the music. The video brings it out clearly. Quite remarkably, we also see that he is still dealing with stagefright.

Speaking of the music - It seems that in every concert video (by anyone), there is a standout performance. In this one it's Elvis' imperfect but driving performance of "Burning Love". He introduces it as a "new song", has to read the lyrics for much of it, and it is incomplete. The lyrics are a variation on what will later become maybe his last great #1 Hit recording. He even seems a bit embarrassed by the "silliness" of the tune . . . but he WAILS it out like the Elvis Presley of 10 years earlier.

This video does a pretty good job of showing the phenomenon of Elvis at (or a bit past) his peak: truly bigger than life, unarrogant, flashy but unassuming as only he could be, weary, human, lovable. I hope that God received him into the habitations that he loved to sing about.

Recommended - for Elvis fans, music lovers, and students of remarkable people.

This superb video focuses on the spectacular, 1972 Elvis Presley concert tour. Its chock full of entertaining segments of this captivating superstar, both on and off stage. Highlighting performances from his fifteen-city tour, he is clothed in an impressive array of costumes. All of them adorned with jeweled belts, capes and scarves. His presence on stage is totally spellbinding. Included are flash-back performances of a very riveting, young Elvis, as he sings and gyrates to "Don't Be Cruel" and "Ready Teddy." This is the actual performances as seen on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. Enjoy film clips of his boyhood days. Included are actual scenes of the famous hair cutting when he was inducted in the army. Experience Elvis singing all your favorite songs, up close and personal. See him perform "See See Rider," "Polk Salad Annie," "Proud Mary," "Burning Love," "Suspicious Minds," "Funny How Time Slips Away," " An American Trilogy," "I Got a Woman," " Mystery Train," " A Big Hunk O' Love," "You Gave Me a Mountain," "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," " Love Me Tender," " Bridge Over Trouble Water" and "Can't Help Falling in Love." A very entertaining movie from start to finish. Almost as good as being there with front row tickets. END

What a difference two years can make in the life of a touring mega-star. Having recently purchased the excellent DVD of the 1970 Elvis - That's The Way It Is, I was unprepared for the drastically changed Elvis of this 1972 theatrical release. The changes are not just in his appearance, but more importantly in his vitality and vocal performance. In fact, the appearance aspect was the least of my concerns. True, he has put on weight since the earlier film, but so what? He still looks handsome at thirty-seven, and if there are telltale signs that his lifestyle is beginning to catch up with him, then this is hardly surprising after 16 years of relentless stardom. Far more worrying, however, is the decline in sheer vocal quality.

From the very first song (Johnny B. Goode), Elvis sounds tired and slurred. His voice is worn, and lacks the resonant beauty that it had just two years earlier. On many of the slower numbers (eg Separate Ways, Love Me Tender and Bridge Over Troubled Water), a distinct "wobble" has crept into his singing, making it difficult for him to sustain a smooth line in the quiet passages. (Compare these with, say, his 1970 recording of Twenty Days and Twenty Nights and the unevenness of his later singing is immediately noticeable.) The change is nowhere more evident than in his middle register. He is still able to belt out the notes in climactic moments - An American Trilogy is proof of that - but gone is the wonderfully rich baritonal quality and freshness of his earlier singing.

The decline seems to have set in from 1971 onwards. Up until then his voice had been magnificent, with 1969 and 1970 arguably his peak years. There would still be moments - even right up until the end - when he would regain much of his former vocal beauty, but overall I believe this documentary confirms an ominous decline that would continue with the 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert.

Maybe the problem was simply tiredness and over-use of his vocal chords. If this was the case, then it's unlikely that those closest to him would have ever succeeded in reining him in. For as this video makes abundantly clear, Elvis loved touring, and his need to perform was a constant driving force.

And what a great performer he was! Vocal problems aside, this is a fascinating study of THE pop icon of the twentieth century. Far from being "static", as Leonard Maltin asserts, this is a fast-moving look at the hectic whirlwind of Elvis Presley's touring life. There are also reflective moments of quiet beauty, notably when Elvis rehearses gospel numbers with his troupe. Elvis' occasional narration also adds much to the film.

This is an honest, warts and all look at Elvis, and well worth your time.

The only major difference in Elvis' appearance between this film and 'That's The Way It Is' is that he doesn't have a tan, and his hair is longer. Elvis is NOT heavier, and even if he is, it couldn't be by more than 5 pounds. He is very lean in this, with a small waistline and overall striking figure. His voice is beautiful, and I love to hear how it matured and improved over the years. In this film, his voice is smooth, rich, and powerful. The way he sings "Bridge Over Troubled Water" knocks the original version right off the map. His energy during the song "Polk Salad Annie" is startling, this version being markedly faster than the 1970 version. The Stamps are spotlighted singing the moving gospel song "Sweet Sweet Spirit" that can move you to tears, especially seeing Elvis standing aside and admiring one of his heroes, J.D. Sumner. "I Got a Woman","Lawdy Miss Clawdy","Burning Love"...this film has no shortage of rockers. Also we get to go into the recording studio with Elvis while he records the song "Separate Ways", a poignant ballad about lost love clearly selected to mirror Elvis life while he was separated from Priscilla. We get to go backstage with Elvis and see his human side, he says "I've never gotten over what they call stage fright, I go through it every show". A long interview with Elvis was recorded to accompany some of the non musical moments, and we hear the man himself telling his story. They flash back to 1956 and show some of Elvis' early TV appearances to great effect. It was filmed in stereo, and plays just fine in Dolby surround. It's energetic, exciting, and contains some great songs. A must for any Elvis fan or fan of live concerts.

There are only three released videos filmed of Elvis "live" during performances. This is one of the three and the only one to show the King on tour. For that reason, it is to be treasured. But not only for this: it also shows Elvis performing his early seventies numbers, and his interaction with the audiences of that time. Every appearance by the King is moving, shows his character and his mischievous nature and most of all - shows every new generation of fans what it was like to see the one and only King of Rock n Roll perform. Why this is not on DVD baffles me. Although re-editing of the movie would make it tighter, the live performance segments make up for everything! Hey, MGM/Turner, whoever! please, do you have any plans for this to be on DVD ? Are there any more Elvis performances locked away in a vault that you could put on DVD ? Elvis fans all over the world are a growing force and would LOVE to see more of the real Elvis - trust me, these performances are nothing like the inane Elvis movies which are so readily available! THIS is the real reason they called him the KING!!

Finally, the wait is over. Elvis on Tour released on DVD/Blu-Ray. Follow the King on his Early '72 Tour as he belts out Some contemporary tunes as well as his classic anthems. Originally slated to be called "Sold Out!" and then "Standing Room Only", this Golden Globe winner offers fans a rare glimpse into "behind the scenes" and on stage of an Elvis Presley 70's tour. In his lifetime Elvis performed nearly 1,200 live shows! All the excitement of an Elvis show is captured here. Catch Presley back stage rehearsing, recording in the studio and entertaining thousands of fans across the country! There is something for everybody in this film. It's just too bad that literally hours of footage from these tours remains locked away in the MGM vaults. Maybe someday we will get a deluxe treatment, but until then, we will have to settle for the original theatrical release of Elvis On Tour...."Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has NOT Left the building...not yet!"

This is a great video of Elvis. Critics at the time who said he looked overweight in the film was somewhat of an exaggeration on their part. Although he isn't as thin as he was in previous years, he was still in great shape and he certainly fitted into his jumpsuits pretty well in 1972. See how sharp and lean he looked in his blue jumpsuit during his performance of See See Rider! But he is sad at times and looks hurt and adds this pretty well to his music which makes a viewer and listener admire his openness and feel for his pain. One scene that still breaks my heart is when he is in the limo and is talking and tries to be lively and attentive but then drifts off, stares outside the window, and puts his hand near his face as he suddenly looks very sad and enters some deep, penetrating thoughts. What a powerful moment to witness!

Elvis on Tour has a great version of See See Rider (probably Elvis' best version) and it is lively and Elvis' voice is full of power and intensity as he sings this version with great energy, arrogance and fervor. He shows just as much attitude and energy in the next number, the fan favorite Polk Salad Annie. The studio sessions are a must see as Elvis pours out his heart in gospel tunes and in the emotionally scarred song called Separate Ways which should have been a number one hit if he had the right people packaging and promoting his music back then.

He performed some of the concert songs in Elvis on Tour on stage in past years such as Proud Mary, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Big Hunk O' Love and Lawdy Miss Clawdy, but he is singing them with more power, emotion and freshness in Elvis on Tour. They seem to have a different feel to them as each song shows Elvis singing in a very emotional and dramatic way. He certainly was real and not some artificial star who promoted a fake product. This video shows Elvis and his music and how he expressed himself through song.

I love every song Elvis sang in this video because they show a different side of him each time and each performance is vocally and musically impressive. He shows he can sing anything and he challenges himself to hit notes and sing different styles that made him a truly unique legend. He makes you want to sing and have fun as well and to sing with feeling!

The band is soulful, rocking, and funky and the background singers are at their best especially during Sweet, Sweet Spirit. This band has to rank as one of the best rock and rhythm bands of all-time. Being on stage with them must have been very powerful for Elvis to experience as is evident in Elvis on Tour. He loves his band and his singers and this shows in some of the off-stage footage. He does not act superior to them, but shows he is a human being who loves being around people and enjoys having a good time even though he is personally going through hell.

The entire video is packed with incredible power and emotion. Elvis' hair is somewhat long and messy and not styled in some of the concert footage as it was before each show as can be seen in the footage of him as he is preparing to go on stage (the fans were becoming more obsessive and out of control at that time and some tried pulling his hair out so they could have a personal momento of him!) He is not tanned as he liked to be and as he would be in his Aloha special several months later and during the concerts Elvis is mostly flooded with intense spotlights and constant camera flashes (which he loved for drama purposes) so you don't get a true look at how great looking he was. He clearly is not wearing televison make-up. But who cares. He looks absolutely handsome and even substandard video technology used to film Elvis on Tour still shows Elvis as the best looking guy ever!

Although this review had mentioned the fact that Elvis looks sad and hurt, it should be noted that too much is spent analyzing Elvis' personal life when people should focus on his great music instead as some reviewers have pointed out. Some stories of his life have been blown way out of proportion especially by "friends" who betrayed him so it is a waste of time to focus on Elvis' personal life and problems when it is the music that matters and should be talked about and the music is what really matters in Elvis on Tour.

It would be great if they could come out with a big DVD edition, however. Complete concerts were filmed for Elvis on Tour so there are several hours of unseen footage that can be included on a future DVD edition of Elvis on Tour including the complete Gospel segment and the powerful version of American Trilogy that was included in the terrible This is Elvis movie released after his death. Unfortunately, Elvis Presley Enterprises does not own any of the rights to Elvis on Tour and the people who do refuse to comply to requests to release Elvis on Tour and its unreleased material on DVD. Therefore, it would be beneficial for fans and even non-fans to buy this rare video of Elvis in his prime and show the powers that be that there is a strong market for this great concert documentary that proves that Elvis was and still is the greatest singer and performer ever!

I own the original VHS of Elvis On Tour and when I saw the DVD I was dissapointed. First, the editing. Three full minutes of the film were taken out. Second: NO EXTRA FOOTAGE. I thought this film was going to get "deluxe treatment" that the Aloha From Hawaii and This Is Elvis got when released back in 2004. There were times where a line appeared right in the middle of the screen. The new edition simply did not live up to my expectations. I wanted the original version PLUS extra footage. All I got was a barebones version that was below the level of greatness of the original. After waiting for so long for the release of EOT on dvd I, as a fan and customer was dissapointed.

Warner Bros has screwed Elvis fans again. And it's become tradition.

In this newly released DVD/Blu-Ray for Elvis On Tour, Warner Bros has removed "Johnny B. Goode" from the opening credits and replaced it with a live version of "Don't Be Cruel." For anyone who has seen the original (which can be found on YouTube---Thanks, God) knows that this decision is a huge misstep. Not only did the opening song kick freakin' ass and set the tone for the entire film---it was so quite obviously chosen to be the song to accompany the stunning opening footage. It was an artistic choice made by producers and the editors to marry these 2 elements together. Now, in this first-ever-release of Elvis on Tour---WB has decided to remove Johnny B. Goode and replace it with a below-par version of "Don't Be Cruel." To make matters worse--the "editing" job to loop the track to fit the 2 minute credits is deplorable. I would not be surprised if the loop was created by a 14 year old kid with ProTools. Absolutely amateur hack job that leaves you speechless. Their new Frankenstein opening, insults the original intended opening and most of all insults the fans (or 'consumer' as WB would emphasize).

As you see on this product page---there is absolutely no mention of this change anywhere. Not in the description, nor in the press release announcing this project. It was an underhanded move. This only shows how little WB cares about their Elvis products...or his fans--a group whose patience has been tested time and time again:

That's The Way It Is Special Edition 2001 - instead of including a batch of bonus songs and special features---all plans were scrapped literally at the 11th hour. This film had reels and reels of extra footage that was waiting to be seen and WB took that away from the fans.

That's The Way It Is (2007) Now they've re-released the film with both the ORIGINAL film and the re-edited film from 2001. This time they included a collection of bonus songs---but in the poorest quality imaginable. Footage that looked like came from 5th generation VHS tapes with a mono soundtrack. This was WB's way of respecting their products?

And of course on top of all this-we had to wait nearly 15 years for Elvis On Tour to get on DVD and much like the film "That's The Way It Is", it is very well documented (and bootlegged) that there are hours upon hours of additional footage available from this film...more concert footage, tons of behind the scenes footage, reels of rehearsal footage and even a rare on camera Elvis interview. Enough material that could easily fit 3 additional discs, thereby putting together a magnificient 4 DVD box set that would no doubt put WB in a flattering light.

But we don't get that---instead we get a bare-bones release with not a drop of special features. But hey, we had won the war. We were just happy to get the damn movie on DVD---finally! It was a small victory amongst the fans. We turned the other cheek on the lack of bonus footage--we just wanted the original film. But now we learn--we don't even get that. They butcher the opening credits completely spoiling the film right from the beginning.
So what are fans to do? We are screwed time and time again only so WB can milk more and more money out of us. No doubt WB will release Elvis On Tour--properly some years down the line. But the fact, that they could not even preserve the original film for us right now just to tide us over---pathetic.

I have no idea what WB's plans are with Elvis' live material that are currently sitting in their vaults. Elvis fans are not getting younger and to hold out on this plethora of footage--they will eventually release to a fan base that wouldn't be as receptive as the living fans today. Some of Elvis' best live footage is being withheld by people that have no idea what they're withholding.