Customer Reviews

In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Elvis' first legitimate live album remains one of his best. The seven-minute version of "Suspicious Minds" surpasses the studio recording. Another highlight is a rare performance of Willie Dixon's "My Babe." Though abridged, "In Person" displays a revitalized Presley in triumphant form.

When Elvis returns to play before a paying audience in late July 1969, after a eight year, four month layoff to make Hollywood movies, he does so with a vengence. The shows taped in August 1969 capture a 33 year old legend who wishes to remind his audience that the fire still burns. This album is ample evidence of that fire, with an eight minute version of his soon to be number one single "Suspicious Minds" that astonishes. Some of the ballad arrangements are, admittedly, weak and pedestrian, but no fault can be found with the vocalist or musicians. One listen to Elvis's rather ironic version of "Johnny B. Goode" tells the story: they rock the house! Perhaps someday RCA/BMG will see fit to issue a single, complete performance from this engagement, but until then this serves as the best example of the "mature," rockin' Elvis Presley. (Note: two Aug'69 tracks snuck onto the following year's 'On Stage' album, "Yesterday" and "Runaway." The latter, a Del Shannon cover, harbors an amazing James Burton lead guitar solo and Elvis's stunning vocals turn the song from one of longing and regret to triumph. Check it out!)

This is Elvis' first live album, and his best. It doesn't feature one single show, but rather highlights from several shows from his August 1969 engagement in Las Vegas. Elvis was really fired up here. He put his all into every song, even the older songs that he tended to sleepwalk through at later concerts. Four songs made their first recorded appearances here, "Johnny B. Goode", "I Can't Stop Loving You", "My Babe" and "Words". For some reason, they used a version of "Johnny B. Goode" where Elvis forgets to sing the second verse, and instead sings the third verse twice. It still rocks, though. The rest of the songs are live versions of songs Elvis had previously recorded. They are all good, especially the epic seven minute version of "Suspicious Minds". If you only get one Elvis live album, it should be this one.

The 1968 Comeback Special was too brassy and was backed by corny TV sound. But this album from the very 1st season of Elvis's engagement in Vegas August 1969 is clutch. He wasn't sure he was going to make it so he put all he had into this show. He was dressed in black, thin, tan and healthy. He had incredible energy and focus. He has vicious precison in this album. Even the old songs snap with power. He kicks tail. After this season Elvis was never the same. He returned to Vegas in February 1970 playing much more sappy music. His old hits reduced to fast medleys. But this album he cared. There is a balance of romantic songs and some kick tail rock n' roll. He's incredibly impressive and the audience is stunned by his power. This is why he was called the King. His zenith only lasted one summer. His concerts from then on would become sloppy, forgotten words, old songs run through too fast. It sounds like he's on speed. This album is the way Elvis should have stayed, on top of his game, but he didn't.
Blue Suede Shoes (Deadly Precision)
Johnny B. Goode (Played like the 1st time, High Octane)
All Shook Up (Kicks)
Are You Lonsome Tonight
Hound Dog (Slams)
Can't Stop Loving You
My Babe
Mystery Train/Tiger Man (Attack)
Words
In The Ghetto
Suspicious Minds
Can't Help Falling In Love

THERE IS NOT A SINGLE BAD TRACK ON THIS CD.THE BEST SONG ON THE CD IS A SEVEN MINUTE VERSION OF SUSPICIOUS MINDS.THIS CD ALONG WITH THE ON STAGE ,1970 ARE THE BEST LIVE ELVIS CDS.I WISH MORE MATERIAL WOULD BE RELEASED FROM HIS 69 AND 70 LAS VEGAS RECORDINGS.

Well, it's now the end of September 2009 and those in charge of the treasure trove of Elvis Presley recordings have really missed a golden opportunity in not remastering and reissuing this seminal, great live album this past July/August, what would have been the 40th anniversary of this album's recordings and Elvis' retaking the stage for live concerts for the first time in nine years, as he said.

It is really tragic how RCA/SONY/BMG or whomever these days has control of the Elvis catelogue treats it so abysmally and with so little regard not only for those of us who've long been fans but also those who should be familiar with the greatest of all rockers.

Michael Jackson called HIMSELF the King of Pop and forced people, interviewers, his PR people, etc to call him that. But Elvis was given the title of The King Of Rock by others, his fans and those in the business, who knew there was none better.

Anyway, I am quite sad, when thinking of this particular recording, that this was not reissued with more material from those particular shows with a background/history of why the album and those concerts in 1969 were so important and how powerful and committed Elvis was to the music, the performances and his fans. And maybe a DVD with more of the rehearsals and performances that must still have never been seen in the "That's The Way It Is" film(s).

What a missed opportunity by the caretakers of The King Of Rock's music. And how his fans have missed out in being able to celebrate that specific time in Elvis' life and the great recordings made from that incredible set of shows.

Someone, somewhere, should hang their head in shame for not having had the respect for Elvis and his music, as well as his fans, in making something like this happen. What a great PR move that would have been for The King's work and place in music and cultural history, as well as how so many who're unfamiliar with this album would unquestionably been amazed and impressed by the sheer power and vigor of this set of recordings.


Now, the stuff below was written some years back:


WHY HAS THERE NEVER BEEN AN ANNIVERSARY REISSUE OF THIS ALBUM?!?

I wrote the review below some while back so I won't go into any further thoughts on it other than to say as these were culled from Elvis' triumphant return to the live stage in Las Vegas after nine years of doing the movie thing these recordings and this specific period of time for Elvis should be treated with greater respect and attention by RCA and the Presley estate.

I have great confidence that there are more recordings made from these concerts which could, AND SHOULD, be made available to Elvis' legions of fans who understand just how important this time, as reflected by this one album, was for The King.

C'mon, RCA and Presley estate! Get with the freekin' program and go through the material to find the rest of the recordings that this album was made from! Please. - Added 10/18/2005.

Original Review:

LOOK. IN TRUTH, ONE CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND ELVIS AT HIS BEST

(10/13/2003)

This is NOT to say that everything else the man did was bad. No.....Way! The ONLY song I ever heard Elvis record that WAS, in truth, awful, was The Beatles' "Hey Jude"(off the "Elvis Now" LP), and that is one of those songs NO ONE ELSE but the originators could do! Most of what Elvis recorded I would listen to over 90% of what's out there being heard listened to at any given time.

Still, if we're gonna talk "essential Elvis", ya know, the stuff that represents the man well and at his peak then really, I think, we gotta spell 'em out.

My picks for Top Five Elvis LPs:

1. "In Person At The International Hotel".

2. All of the "Memphis Sessions" recordings.

3. "Elvis Presley", Sun Records, 1956.

4. All of the so-called "'68 Comeback Special" recordings.

5. All recordings from the "That's The Way It Is" Movie and recordings(which, for this, I'll include the "On Stage" recordings).

I gotta say I came to be aware of Elvis during the early 60s, mostly from his films being shown on the Elvision Machine, aka the TV. My personal favorite of all the silly films has always been "Girl Happy". The movie, being the vacuous beach flick so popular back then, just worked very well from begining to end. Aside from Elvis, the cast, Shelley Fabares, Mary Anne Mobley and Gary Crosby, one of der Bingle's(Bing Crosby)older boys, were a pretty nice bunch who made the film easy to watch, and the film's music was, for an Elvis movie, much better than usual.

The next thing that really made me aware of Elvis was the "68 Comeback Special". I didn't getta chance to see this in it's original broadcast, as I likely had to get to bed early for grade school the next day, but I glommed onto the album at one point soon after and nearly wore it out.

But then came the "In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada" recordings which I purchased as a double album co-titled "From Memphis To Vegas/Vegas To Memphis", which paired up the live '69 recordings with much of the now legendary "Memphis Sessions".

I think we all have that one recording of anyone that we always, no matter what we listen to, no matter how long it's been since we listened to it, we jam back to at one point to refresh ourselves with what's at the core.

The '69 "In Person At The International Hotel" is my core recording. I will always, at one point, return to this recording for my fix of what is. Elvis was at the height of both his personal and musical/professional maturity on these recordings. Unlike anything since the original Sun recordings, and certainly never again afterward would he sound this vital, this powerful, this on top of his craft.

And let's not forget the band. What a tight-assed band this was and the arranger made the difference. Pianist Larry Muhoberac, and not, as everyone thinks, the great guitarist James Burton, was the original TCB band head man. He's the one that needs to be credited with the grittier, bluesier, more soulful instrumentals on these recordings. Note the overall sound shift from an edgier rhythm & blues band under Muhoberac in '69 to a still rocking, but more orchestra infiltrated sound under new leader Glenn D. Hardin. A dramatic shift to a cleaner, less rough sound, that may, oddly, and sadly in my view, explain why the '69 "In Person At The International Hotel" has been overlooked. I've always thought the average fan and off-the-street listener just didn't like this tough sound for some reason. Weird.

The core band of Jerry Scheff, bass; Ronnie Tutt, drums; Muhoberac, piano; and guitar god James Burton was one tough, tight band that kicked out the jams on these songs. James' lead and rhythim riffs are clean, stilletto sharp, often understated, but absolutely killer where they count!


Personally, folks, of ALL the albums Elvis recorded you could do no better than listening to this one if you've never heard the man beyond a few radio tunes to hear what Elvis was really all about.

Frankly, people, Elvis "In Person At The International Hotel" rates at LEAST a 10 Star rating.

In 1969, Elvis Presley went to Las Vegas with a lot riding on these shows. His comeback television special on NBC had been a big hit, and his follow-up album FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS was slowly climbing the charts. But Elvis hadn't performed live in nine years. If he flopped (which had happened before in '56), all the positive momentum he had built in the wake of his dreadful movies would grind to a halt. He may have felt as if he were backed into a corner, with the eyes of the world upon him.

Under all that pressure, Elvis came through. He didn't just survive those shows. He went out there with fire in his belly and delivered some stunning rock n'roll -- almost punkish in its intensity. The band backing him is outstanding, especially lead guitarist James Burton. I think this live album is so much better than 1973's ALOHA and the 1972 album recorded at Madison Square Garden. On this CD, he doesn't mail it in. He is giving it all he has. When he bothered to do that (which unfortunately wasn't often), he was the greatest who ever lived.

The songs are phenomenal - Elvis rocks here the hardest ever, and the band is so tight it defies description. This is the essential live piece for every pop/rock collection, even bests Madison Square Garden, even bests On Stage...a must have, Elvis' voice at its' best rocking ever.

Wow!!! This album is awesome. Let me describe your listening experience.
You put it in and at first you hear a horn intro most likely associate with jazz music. Then,you hear a guitat and just a few seconds later Elvis begins to sing Blue Suede Shoes. This leads into the greatest version of Johnny B. Goode Elvis ever did. "Here we go again" Elvis says before delivering a rocking version of his classic All Shook Up. "This is my first live appearence in 9 years",he states, "I've appeared dead before but this is my first live one" he jokes before delivering a beautiful rendition of Are You Lonesome Tonight. now it's time for the message song. "When I uh tried to think of a special song for tonight you know a message song I uh I uh what'd I do? Oh yeah I came up with this-I looked her square in the eye 'cause that's all she had was one big square eye right in the middle of her. I said baby,she said 'hu hu',she was weird to, you know. I looked her square in the eye,it was a very tender touching moment,I said baby baby baby YOU AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A HOUND DOG". Wow,what an awsome version!!! He then performs the country cassic I Can't Stop Loving You, followed by a spiced up version of Ricky Nelson's My Babe. Then he does the Mystery Train/Tiger Man medley,always a highlight of his shows. Now he does the Bee Gees classic ballad Words, the best on the album in my opinion. Next up are two of his newer hits, the powerful In The Ghetto and a 7 minute jam of Suspicious Minds. He ends the disc with Can't Help Falling In Love.
This is a must have if you are an Elvis fan. If you aren't buy it, you will be.

This is the best "live" recording by Elvis I've ever heard-far superior to his "Aloha from Hawaii" concert recorded only a few years later. Elvis rocks hard, but, more importantly, really seems to be enjoying himself. In latter years, Elvis could sometimes appear to be bored or even embarassed by his early recordings, but not here. "Suspicious Minds", "Johnny B. Goode", and the medley of "Mystery Train/Tiger Man" are particular highlights. I agree with earlier reviewers: RCA/BMG needs to release a complete recording of Elvis's 1969 triumphal return to live performances, but this CD is a good start.