Customer Reviews

On Stage February, 1970

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

RCA/BMG's remastered "On Stage" is a vast improvement over the 1970 Presley release. Elvis takes familiar songs such as "Sweet Caroline" and "Release Me" and makes them his own - erasing any lingering memory of the originals. His performances of "Polk Salad Annie" and "Suspicious Minds" still pack a powerful punch. The bonus tracks (particularly a standout version of "Long Tall Sally") are excellent and should have been included on the original album.

"On Stage" is Elvis' second live album (following "Elvis in person: at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV"). The album was originally released in 1970 and was made up of 10 performances recorded in February of that year. However, the liner notes do admit that some are from 1969. This 1999 remaster not only sounds exceptional, it also has 6 bonus tracks: "I can't stop loving you", "Long tall Sally", "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain", "In the Ghetto", and "Don't cry Daddy". Elvis is top notch in both voice and energy on all 16 performances. In my opinion, he sounds better here than on the "An Afternoon at the Garden: 1972" CD. Both albums are essential though. "Afternoon" for its being a "complete" recording of an Elvis concert from one afternoon, an hour's worth starting with "Theme from 2001" and ending with the guy saying "Elvis has left the building". "On Stage" is essential because it is the only way to get most of these tracks ("live" versions)on a single disc and although it does have that edited together feel, where you can tell that certain songs are either not from the same show or are placed differently, the performances are so good (Elvis doesn't miss a word) you won't care. "On Stage" is also refreshing because it was before Elvis started doing the quick versions of his old standards ("Hound Dog", "All shook up", etc.). In fact, at one point some people from the crowd yell out "Do Jailhouse!" and Elvis turns them down politely, telling them that "it isnt in the program".

*The live performance of "Polk Salad Annie" has the beginning dialogue where Elvis begins with "Some of y'all haven't been down South too much..." Some people might not care about this, but I did. Its a much better version than the Madison Square Garden performance. You can hear the Sweet Inspirations clapping and doing their "Chicka Booms" much more clear. This version is remniscent of the performance he did in the 1970 "That's the way it is" concert film. Outstanding! "Talk a little polk salad..."

TCB

Elvis, on stage, 1970- good stuff! What a great line up of songs. See See Rider, Sweet Caroline, The Wonder of You, Pol Salad Anie, Yesterday/Hey Jude, Walk a mile in my shoes, Don't cry daddy, Kentucky Rain, Long Tall Sally, etc...all top line songs done superbly by the King of Rock and Roll. The sound is fine (yes it is not pristine/ crystalized digital sound as some reviewers seem to harp on?),the band is solid, and Elvis is Elvis. If you like later day Elvis, I would start here. I will next look into Aloha from Hawaii and Elvis from Memphis. Rediscover the King and listen once again to the soulful, pure, simply beautiful voice of the master.

In the mid-1980s, during my childhood, I saw Kurt Russell star in the movie "Elvis - True Story". I liked the music so much I wanted to buy a soundtrack album. However, my Granddad had a copy of "Elvis: 40 Greatest," so I borrowed that instead.

Reading the sleevenotes of that album and listening to that album, I was blown away. I had enjoyed great Country Music and the hit's of The Beatles before that, but this was different. I felt i had travelled back in time to the 1950s and 60s and was sitting in an American diner listening to the great Elvis hit's on a jukebox, as hit followed hit.

Pretty soon I saved up my pocket money and bought "The Sun Sessions", "20 Rock N Roll Greats" and then the "On Stage" collections. This was all before Compact Discs, so there was vinyl and tape.

This album originally continue no tracks for the concert that were on previous Elvis albums. They were all new songs or covers from the show that hadn't appeared on any of his previous work (unlike much later live albums which contained alot of the hit's).

Nowadays, in the CD age, this CD contains several bonus tracks, which feature some of the hit's Elvis sang at that concert ("In The Ghetto", "Kentucky Rain", "Long Tall Sally", etc, etc).

The opening track called "C.C. Rider" on the original LP (or "See See Rider" as it is credited as here) is a song Elvis sand at many concerts and it's just a good as opening as any album ever recorded.

Elvis then treats us to a version of Englebert Humperdincks "Release Me" (better than the original!) and then pays tribute to Neil Diamond with "Sweet Caroline (good times never seemed so good)". He does justice to Del Shannon's "Runaway" (a song in the style of many of Elvis' early rockers).

My favourite song on the album has to be "The Wonder Of You" a tender love song, sung as only Presley can, that was released as a single.

"Polk Salad Annie" is a great song with a novelty element. About a no good lying and stealing family, who have nothing better to do that steal watermelons. (lol)

Elvis then disproves any claim he hated the Beatles with a wonderful tribute to them, his version of "Yesterday". Not as good as Paul McCartney's original, but better than most of the other 50,000 cover versions!

On the CD Elvis then goes into a brief version of another Beatles classic "Hey Jude" (that was edited off the original album). It's a shame he didn't sing the whole song as he was doing such a great job!

Country music is where Presley's roots are and that's why songs like "Proud Mary", "Let it be me", "Kentucky Rain" (a pure classic!) and "Walk a mile in my shoes" (another pure classic!)
fit so well on this collection.

The versions of "long tall sally" and "in the ghetto", included a bonus tracks on this CD are just as good as the ones on the original studio albums by Presley.

"On Stage" was recorded at the beginning of the 1970s, a decade which saw many live albums by him. It ranks as one of the best.

Bolstered by a half-dozen bonus tracks which focus heavily on Elvis' famed 1969 American Studios sessions, this expanded edition of ON STAGE is an essential link between the King's late sixties comeback and his sumptuously orchestrated pop outings of the early seventies. It's also a hell of a show, even if it is assembled from numerous performances recorded over a period of half a year.
The focus here (and henceforth) is on "new" material, rather than the rock & roll songs that made Elvis a star, with big but remarkably supple arrangements backing the finest set of vocal cords ever recorded. Elvis tackles a range of eras and styles, finding new things to do with CCR's "Proud Mary," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Del Shannon's "Runaway" and a saccharine staple like "Let It Be Me" literally without missing a beat. But it's the additional cuts that really make this set. "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" is in itself worth the price of the disc, but hearing the band slow its groove down in the closing moments and effortlessly turn it into "In the Ghetto" is a bit of concert magic on a par with anything anyone else was doing in 1970, and that's saying a lot. Even the schmaltzy "Don't Cry Daddy" gains a certain magic in this context, paving the way for a show-stopping workout on "Kentucky Rain" that manages, against all odds, to equal if not better the stellar original version. "Suspicious Minds" is given a similarly mammoth treatment, though perhaps less so than would be the case a few months later in the THAT'S THE WAY IT IS period. Only on "Yesterday" (a song I've never much cared for) does the King stumble a bit, fudging the lyrics before putting things right with a bit of the coda from "Hey Jude."
In short, ON STAGE is a fine way to hear rock's most important figure at the height of his powers, covering a broad spectrum of excellent material with outstanding support from his band. Not to be missed!

Elvis sounds great on this CD. And the extra tracks particularly Kentucky Rain I love. Elvis is very energized and puts on a good show. The only bad thing is the re-mastered copy of this CD toned down the instruments too much. You no longer can hear ronnie tutt's awesome dumms as well as on the orginial. And James Burton's guitar playing is awesome but also very quiet which makes performances like Polk Salad Annie and Release Me far less powerful then the original. I would stil buy this CD due to the extra tracks I just wish they wouldn't have toned down the instruments so much. This CD does not come close to comparing to disk 2 of the new That's The Way it is box set. There is an example of a good mix and a great and complete show. But if you don't want to spend the money for the three CD set this is a pretty good compelation of his Las Vegas work.

with is 1970 release we get extra bonus tracks...which gives the listener his money's worth. i bought the album when 1st released, however, this album was released on quadraphonic 8 track, this version should be the version that was reeleased on to c.d...elvis is in fine form, lot's of energy and bmg-rca has mad good efforts to clean up the soundtrack.

Elvis in 1970, Las Vegas. Enough said. Too bad there isn't a 6 or 7 star rating. You would be hard pressed to find Elvis sounding better than on this CD (maybe the Garden or Aloha) but then again, when did E not sound good? I was very pleased when RCA/BMG released this album with bonus tracks, providing for another 15 or more listening minutes. The sound is also improved and crisper. Highlights from the disc are "Sweet Caroline", "The Wonder Of You", "Polk Salad Annie", the showstopping "Suspicious Minds", plus many others. Overall, the disc doesn't fail to please and gets top marks all around.

This version is way to heavy in the mix. What happened to James Burton's incredible licks and Ronnie Tutt's slaps. Elvis sounds better on this remix but all the backup is faded into the orchestra becoming one wall of sound. If your into rock and roll get the original to hear what it really sounded like. Otherwise, get this one. I hope they don't screw around with the "In person at the International Hotel" release.

The original l.p. mix was perhaps a little light in the rhythm section but pushing the Sweet Inspirations that far back hurts the music...and our nostalgia.
The band is pushed forward and so is Elvis - good choice, because he is in excellent voice throughout, and overflowing with exhiliration and Soul.
Even when he pays tribute to concert attendee Antoine "Fats" Domino by singing a few ines of "Blueberry Hill", he's making great music. I'm surprised RCA/BMG didn't list this bit on the jacket. It sounds to this reviewer that he came right in on the same key and pitch he did in 1957! A Classic Elvis moment.
My taste doesn't easily extend to non-Elvis Top 40 stuff like "Sweet Caroline" and "Runaway", but again, his singing is so impressive that cringe left my visage very quickly.
Another '50s reflection is the track just prior to the powerful finale ("Let It Be Me") - "Long Tall Sally", another oldie done with much of the feel of that golden era. Far better than later live cuts by E.P.
Here was Elvis in high spirits, ridin' along in style on his Comeback Trail. Get it while you can. By '72, '73, some of that drive was missing.