Customer Reviews

Impossible Dream

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This is another album from follow that dream that rehashes all of the kings signature songs in a live performance from 1971. Elvis seems relaxed in his performance and is in good voice. The only drawback I can find with this cd is the hissing noise that comes from the reel to reel tapes this recording was taken from. You would think with all the technology out there, they could do a better job in cleaning up the old recordings to present us with a better quality product for our money. But bottom line, elvis sounds great no matter what.

Of the final years of Elvis Presley as a concert artist, 1971 is undoubtedly the least well documented year. After the delectable abundance of the previous year with the "On Stage" and especially the "That's The Way It Is" sound and video recordings, 1971 remains a dark hole. RCA didn't record any concerts that year and the few bootlegs which surfaced are all below standard with disagreeable sound. The present Follow That Dream release, compiling performances from Elvis' 4th Las Vegas season in January 1971, is by all means a most welcome addition to the catalogue. True, the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired with tons of tape hiss, but is nonetheless better than anything we got from this season so far and considered within its historical context, this disc deserves to be heard by anyone interested in the man and how he developed during the 70's. By its rush tempo the general atmosphere of the concert is quite different from the previous Las Vegas seasons, but Elvis is in fine voice and in good spirits throughout, often sounding raw and risky (although the recording might be partly responsible for that) and this issue includes several songs which were rarely performed in concert, such as "It's Now Or Never", "Only Believe" and "Snowbird".

This concert by Elvis Presley was recorded in January of 1971 in Las Vegas. It is a good concert, with Elvis being in fine voice. It is a significant show because it was one of the few times that Elvis ended a concert with "The Impossible Dream", instead of his usual closer "Can't Help Falling in Love". The sound quality of the recording isn't great, but the historical significance of the show makes up for it. As I mentioned, Elvis ends the concert with "The Impossible Dream", the songs after that one on the cd are bonus songs taken from other concerts from the same period. The most interesting of the bonus songs is an unrehearsed version of "Snowbird", which unfortunately suffers from the worst recording quality on the cd, along with "Can't Help Falling in Love" which follows it.

This is another interesting collectible from the Follow That Dream label. When I started buying EP product in '64 I never would have dreamed that such a concept - substandard but enjoyable releases for the less-demanding but knowledgable fan - would be executed. But here is another attractive package with a cover photo superior to the average cover photo used on Presley's albums at the time - the '70s. The appearance of so many of the same 'ol same 'ol can upset even the most dedicated fan, but here there are three numbers I found to be worth the price of admission (barely). The "modern" gospel/inspirational "Only Believe"; "Make The World Go Away", a memorable ballad from the first Elvis Country l.p. from that '70 to '71 and from the Lost Performances videotape; and "There Goes My Everything", the classic which is pure Elvis.

I eagerly awaited this album's release because until then no material from Presley's 1971 Las Vegas performances had been made available. But, despite the rarity of these recordings, the material here is a mixed bag at best.

I could overlook the less than stellar sound quality if the performances showed some merit, but that's not the case here. Elvis has a smart-ass attitude here that is not especially becomming, and in many instances rushes from song to song in an apparent attempt to simply get the show over with. Several times he ad libs lyrics and laughs through the songs which in turn destroys any semblance of professionalism.

Still, there is some worthwhile material here. "Make The World Go Away" is beautifully performed, and there are good and ultra-rare versions of "Snowbird" and "Only Believe." During this time Elvis began closing his shows with "The Impossible Dream," and he takes his time here with a slow and sensitive version.

According to insiders, Elvis was boastful and self-absorbed during this stay in Vegas, and it's obvious here that this is a correct assumption. The tedium of doing two shows a night for an entire month was starting to take it's toll, and this album clearly shows us that Elvis needed a new challenge at this point. It's sad to admit, but his downhill slide had already begun by this time.

As a life-long Elvis fan all I can say is don't waste your money.In this concert he really could care less about this performance,talking and laughing in the middle of most of the songs.I listened to this cd just one time,and its at the very bottom of the pile never to be listened to again.Not a very good way to preserve his music or memory !!!