Customer Reviews

Memories: The '68 Comeback Special

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just for truth's sake, on disc 1, Elvis was not singing to taped music (or karaoke as it was condescendingly referred to), it was done live - I've SEEN THE OUTTAKES. You can see the band, and you can see if he makes a mistake the band stops. The only part that the vocals were dubbed were the story sequences, for obvious resons. He also jams with the band for a while during the stand up part playing lead electric blues guitar. You'd be surprised how good he really was on the guitar, no hendrix, but definately a Neil Young. I heard Elvis do guitar solos, oh yeah, the boy can play. And also, he has SO MUCH ENERGY on disc 1 it's mind-blowing. The sound quality is crisp, the bass is pumping, and Elvis vocals portray him as the grass-roots blues singer he is. Another thing is, you get a good glimpse of Elvis' sense of humor in this 2-disc set, which is good for seeing his humanity. That today a singer who gets involved with drugs is pitied and coddled, and Elvis gets called childish names is beyond me, but that's how comfortable it is to agree with a stereotype. Well, no stereotype here, you will hear why Elvis will remain the #1 Artist of all time.

Essentially this album is two parts--the over-the-top concert section where Elvis is pacing back and forth, and the unplugged set on the 2nd disc, which is pretty much the only thing that recommends this album.

Don't get me wrong, his voice hit its peak around this time--just compare the strength of these renditions to the 50's and 60's master recordings; you'll find there's no comparison. But the first disc is ruined by anemically taped music which is no more than Elvis doing Karioke. The song selection isn't bad; ditto the gospel medley. But disc one is NOT Elvis at his best.

Disc two, on the other hand, is the killer. It's far from perfect, filled with humour, and proves that all you need is heart and soul (you either got it or you don't) to make an audience feel what's real. Sparse acoustic guitars and just Elvis' voice make this disc kicking beyond belief, especially 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy', 'One Night', 'Baby What You Want Me To Do', and especially 'Love Me'.

3 stars for the first, 5 for the second, which is why this is only a 4 star rating.

For those who were paying attention, Elvis's music in the sixties were mostly confined to soundtrack recordings which were some of the lamest to be ever issued on vinyl, which is what makes his comeback so remarkable. This was no special where Elvis is crooning Christmas carols (which is what Colonel Parker wanted in the first place). This was do or die for Elvis's future to be taken seriously as an artist. It's hard to imagine what direction Elvis would've taken had this comeback special flopped. Fortunately (for him and for fans all over the world) it didn't.

The first disc concentrates on the elaborate production numbers. Although it loses some of its luster without the visuals, there are some fine moments here; "Trouble/Guitar Man" is a terrific opening number (in my mind Elvis rocks harder here than the King Creole version), and the gospel medley, "Memories", and "If I Can Dream", to name but three songs, are as moving as anything Elvis recorded up to this point.

The second disc features the informal "ringside" concert sequence and it is as incredible and soulful as other reviewers have alluded to. The same thing can be said really about the whole package. (So is the video of this program, which I also totally recommend.)

For Elvis diehards, this is an absolutely essential 2-CD set. But even if you're not don't let this stop you from enjoying the moment when Elvis stopped singing appalling junk for equally appalling movies by laying his (artistic) life on the line and truly recapturing the "Keys to the Kingdom".

Peace.

This is a two CD set by Elvis Presley devoted to what is popularly known as "The '68 Comeback Special". It was a television special that aired on NBC in 1968. The "comeback" part refers to where Elvis' career was prior to the special. He had been making a lot of bad movies, and he hadn't had a Top Ten hit since "Crying in the Chapel" three years earlier. The special featured a mixture of production numbers and live performances in front of a small studio audience.

Disc 1 begins with the show's opening production number, a medley of "Trouble" and "Guitar Man". Then we get the songs from the "stand up" performances. No, this isn't Elvis doing stand up comedy. It is a live performance of Elvis singing some of his biggest hits with a full orchestra. There were two of these "stand up" shows, and the CD features the "best" performances from them. For the most part, these are great, but "Blue Suede Shoes" doesn't really work with the big arrangement it's given here. Next, all nine minutes of the production number called the "Gospel Medley" is featured. Then we get "Memories", which was the second single released from the show. Next, "A Little Less Conversation", which was recorded for the show but not used (a remix of this song became a big hit just a few years ago). Then the production number called the "Road Medley" is featured, appearing for the first time in all it's 15 minute glory. The first disc closes with "If I Can Dream", the great first single from the special.

Disc 2 leads off with three songs from the "dressing room rehearsals", where Elvis and his friends work out what they want to do for the "sit down" shows. Speaking of which, one of the complete "sit down" shows is next, and makes up the bulk of the disc. There were two "sit down" shows filmed, and the other one is featured on a CD called Tiger Man. These shows were designed to feature Elvis in an intimate setting, playing songs with his buddies and joking around. The instrumentation is sparse, with Elvis on guitar supported by his original guitarist Scotty Moore, his first drummer D.J. Fontana (banging on a guitar case), his pal Charlie Hodge on guitar and his movie stunt double Lance LeGault on tambourine. Elvis is clearly having fun here, and it's a real treat to listen to, mistakes and all. The CD ends with the version of "If I Can Dream" that Elvis sang live to end the show.

This set features some of the best performances of Elvis' career. He sounds invigorated throughout, and his enthusiasm shines through to the listener. This is truly a "must get" for any Elvis fan.

This two-hour reissue is sort of a companion volume to MCA's September, 1998 disc "Tiger Man", which contains the complete set from the second of two concerts given by Elvis Presley on June 27, 1968.

It is pretty much just an expanded version of the original "NBC TV Special" album, featuring almost two dozen previously unreleased takes, including several alternates, which means that "Baby, What You Want Me To Do" is here in five (!) different versions.
That may be a bit too much for some, but the quality of the music is high all the way through. I am particularly fond of the tunes recorded with just a small group which includes 50s band members D.J. Fontana and Scotty Moore, and it is very enjoyable to hear Elvis Presley playing and singing with such conviction...he even plays a pretty mean R&B-styled rhythm guitar!

A must-have for Elvis fanatics, casual Elvis fans should also find this 35-track double CD to their liking. Most of the best-known classics are here, including "Heartbreak Hotel", "That's All Right Mama", "Jailhouse Rock", "Trying To Get To You", "Hound Dog" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", as well as several slightly lesser-known (but often very fine) songs, such as "One Night", "Guitar Man" (in a medley with "Trouble"), and "When It Rains It Really Pours".

I don't own very many Elvis Presley-albums, and I'm not really that big a fan. But if you only ever get one Elvis-CD, make sure you get either this one or the original NBC Comeback Special soundtrack. This is Presley at his best and most accessible.

This is the complete '68 Comeback Special by Elvis. The addition of these tracks are excellent inclusions and make the cd marvelous.

The first disc feature Elvis performing in front of a live orchestra. We hear him to do scorching performances of "Jailhouse Rock", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", and "Heartbreak Hotel". Elvis still is a genuine romantic on "Love Me Tender" and "Can't Help Falling In Love". He also delivers a blazing "All Shook Up". "The Gospel Medley" featuring "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", "Where Could I Go But To The Lord", "Up Above My Head", and "Saved", are great, especislly the latter. Elvis is marvelous. The performance of "Memories". The medley of "Nothingville", "Guitar Man", "Big Boss Man", "Let Yourself Go", "It Hurts Me", "Little Egypt", and "Trouble" rock, and they are the highlight here. Elvis's passionate performance of "If I Can Dream" is brilliant. Elvis never sang with more feeling.

The second disc features the sit-down show, in which Elvis is reunited with bandmates from the early '50s'Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana, who, in reality though, never left him. He does a blazing revival of "That's All Right", and he does a towering "Trying To Get To You". "One Night" is Elvis at his very best, with blazing guitar playing by The King himself. He also goofs up on "Are You Lonesome Tonight", but makes it worthwhile. The previously unreleased performance of "If I Can Dream" towers, and it's a great way to close these two very magnificent albums.

Here's a timeless document. And a rough cut diamond, friends. While the excellent show on Disc 1 already gives us an idea of how Elvis would sound like later in Las Vegas Disc 2 takes us back again to the very beginning. The Hillbilly Cat Live. We don't have a full band here tonight" Elvis says as he starts the 6 PM show and delievers an electrifying re-edition of his sun classic "That's Allright Mama". "We just sit here" he says later on. But sitting out there in this boxing ring in Burbank with "these guys from the early days" that night in June he shows to everyone who was around in the music scene at that time, where it all came from. He took the risk of a live jam session instead of performing some neatly arranged christmas classics. Being just himself. Doing what he left his truck for: To make music, great music. To entertain. To sing for the world, as Charlie Hodge said after these shows. Less than a year away from his essential American Studio sessions we listen to a great singer and musician finding his way back home.

Forget the Sun recordings or the 1969 Memphis sessions - this is Elvis Presley's best work. When John Lennon said that "Elvis died after he went into the Army," he obviously didn't see the historic Comeback Special. Lennon never came close to capturing the raw power of Presley's 1968 performance - nor has any other rock artist. "Memories" is an indispensable two-CD document of this legendary show. More than 35 years later, Presley's performance remains astonishing. The King not only earned his crown, but reinvented his music in the process.

All I can say is WOW! This double CD collection is absolutely the best. I have every record album he has recorded, including the original '68 Comeback record and this collection of those recordings with most of them previously unreleased is just incredible. Any Elvis fan will be happy with this.

Think of this music as all the proof you'll ever need that Elvis was the master of all musical forms--rock and roll, gospel, showtunes, holiday classics, and of course, lowdown dirty blues. The Colonel didn't strip him of all his integrity. I remember discovering the original LP of the "Singer Special" in my father's record collection one day when I was a wee lad; it changed me forever, and I soon sought out the VHS of the show, and this extras-packed double-disk set is the capper to an all-essential string of Comeback-related products. Everything that needed to be said about it has been said, but if my two cents helps to reverse the damage inflicted by [another reviewer]....