Live In Las Vegas

[Sonny]

Short introduction: This 4-cd boxset contains a fair amount of Elvis' appearances in Las Vegas from 1956-1975.
It has two complete concerts from 1969 and 1970 on Disc 1 & 2. Disc 3 contains material that already got released on Burning Love and On Stage. The fourth disc has the 1956 Frontier performance, which also appeared on the Elvis Aron Presley boxset and a collection of previously unreleased 1974 & 1975 Vegas material.

Disc 1 - tracklist:

01. Blue Suede Shoes
02. I Got A Woman
03. All Shook Up
04. Elvis Welcomes The Audience
05. Love Me Tender
06. Jailhouse Rock / Don't Be Cruel
07. Heartbreak Hotel
08. Hound Dog
09. I Can't Stop Loving You
10. Johnny B Goode
11. Baby What You Want Me To Do
12. Runaway
13. Are You Lonesome Tonight
14. Yesterday / Hey Jude
15. Introductions
16. In The Ghetto
17. Suspicious Minds
18. What'd I Say
19. Can't Help Falling In Love
20. Elvis Talks About His Career

Disc 2 - tracklist:

01. That's Allright
02. I Got A Woman
03. Hound Dog
04. Love Me Tender
05. There Goes My Everything
06. Just Pretend
07. I Just Can't Help Believin'
08. Something
09. Men With Broken Hearts (Poem)
10. Walk A Mile In My Shoes
11. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
12. Polk Salad Annie
13. One Night
14. Don't Be Cruel
15. Love Me
16. Instrumental Vamp
17. Heartbreak Hotel
18. Introductions
19. Bridge Over Troubled Water
20. Suspicious Minds
21. Can't Help Falling In Love
22. When The Snow Is On The Roses (August 24, 1970ms)

Disc 3 - tracklist:

01. See See Rider (February 18, 1970ms)
02. Release Me (February 18, 1970ms)
03. Sweet Caroline (February 16, 1970ds)
04. The Wonder Of You (February 18, 1970ms)
05. Polk Salad Annie (February 18, 1970ms)
06. Proud Mary (February 16, 1970ds)
07. Walk A Mile In My Shoes (August 11, 1970ms)
08. In The Ghetto (February 19, 1970ms)
09. Let It Be Me (February 17, 1970ms)
10. Don't Cry Daddy (February 17, 1970ms)
11. Kentucky Rain (February 17, 1970ms)
12. Long Tall Sally (February 18, 1970ms)
13. I Can't Stop Loving You (February 19, 1970)
14. Suspicious Minds (February 19, 1970ms)
15. Never Been To Spain (February 16, 1972ms)
16. You Gave Me A Mountain (February 16, 1972ms)
17. It's Impossible (February 16, 1972ms)
18. It's Over (February 17, 1972ds)
19. Hound Dog (February 14, 1972ms)
20. Little Sister / Get Back (February 14, 1972ms)
21. A Big Hunk O' Love (February 16, 1972ms)
22. The Impossible Dream (February 16, 1972ms)
23. An American Trilogy (February 16, 1972ms)

Disc 4 - tracklist:

01. Heartbreak Hotel (June 5, 1956)
02. Long Tall Sally (June 5, 1956)
03. Blue Suede Shoes (June 5, 1956)
04. Money Honey (June 5, 1956)
05. Promised Land (August 19, 1974os)
06. It's Midnight (August 21, 1974ms)
07. If You Talk In Your Sleep (August 21, 1974ms)
08. I'm Leavin' (August 21, 1974ms)
09. Why Me Lord (August 21, 1974ms)
10. Help Me (August 22, 1974ms)
11. Softly As I Leave You (August 21, 1974ms)
12. My Baby Left Me (August 19, 1974os)
13. It's Now Or Never (August 27, 1974ms)
14. Hawaiian Wedding Song (August 21, 1974ms)
15. Trying To Get To You (August 20, 1974ds)
16. Green Green Grass Of Home (March 22, 1975ms)
17. You're The Reason I'm Living (March 22, 1975ms)
18. Big Boss Man (March 30, 1975ds)
19. Burning Love (March 30, 1975ds)
20. My Boy (March 30, 1975ds)
21. And I Love You So (December 6, 1975ms)
22. Just Pretend (December 6, 1975ms)
23. How Great Thou Art (December 6, 1975ms)
24. America The Beautiful (December 6, 1975ms)

Disc 1 - recorded: Las Vegas, August 24, 1969 Dinner Show
Disc 2 - recorded: Las Vegas, August 11, 1970 Midnight Show

CD Released: 2001
Essential: yes

Score:
Contents: 9
Sound: 8
Artwork: 7+

More information:

[elvisdownunder]

Some people dissed this boxset. I have no idea why, this boxset is worth every penny. You have 4 discs of Elvis's best Vega's stuff that would silence every Vegas critic, and anybody who had a bad attitude about his Vegas years. Disc 1 is a mult track recorded show of Elvis's 1969 engagement, which was his first. Even if there are better shows from this engagement, his average show from this engagement is in this show, and Average+1969=Excellent! Right from the first track, the electricity and energy is extremely apparent, Blue Suede Shoes is re-energised from a very energetic Elvis. Elvis seems nervous when talking to the Vegas audience, he hums or laughs very shakily, but the audience seems to live it up. Here is Elvis, their idol! EVERY track is performed with a high level energy, no fillers here no siree.

So what about the 2nd Cd? Well it is Elvis's 3rd engagement in Vegas, and Elvis has tamed down, but he is still rocking. The famous Vegas ballads are more apparent. Right from the new opening 'Thats allright mama', you know you're in for a good show. And you know Elvis is still King of rocknroll when he does the Ray Charles blues based rocker 'I got a woman'. 'Hound dog' rocks just like 1956, and is still performed with conviction, unlike the versions from 1973 onwards. Elvis is obviously having fun with the ladies kissing during 'Love me tender'. A fan comes to get Elvis to autograph a picture painted or drawn of him (This moment is in the documentary movie, Elvis:Thats the way it is). His charm is shown as he pronounces the woman's name right ,'Bahijah'. The audience warmly applauds, and then he leads in to a good version of the country classic 'There goes my everything', followed by a very touching version of 'Just pretend', although not as good as the unbelievable studio master.

Then a Vegas classic, I just can't help believing', performed very warmly. Then his version of the The Beatles's songs 'Something', which is performed very passionately. One of the highlights is 'You've lost that loving feeling', which features a very passionate and gritty voiced Elvis singing his heart out in desperation. One of the highlights of this CD, and of his entire live career.

Then Elvis says he is 'gonna get dirty now', and the audience applauds. Polk salad Annie' is performed very wildy indeed, and the band is cooking, edging Elvis along to a great performance. Then some 50's songs, some more audience interaction, and then a very moving version of 'Bridge over troubled water', one of his Vegas staples. A rocking 'Suspicious minds' shows us Elvis is in fine physical form, winding the song up to 6 minutes. Then the final song, ending a great show, but not the CD. A very special bonus, a good audience recording of 'When the snow is on the roses', which takes a while for Elvis to warm up to, but he performs a lovely version, saying the guy that wrote the song is in the audience

All of disc 3 had been released before, but on a best of Vegas boxset, we sure need it, and they are placed very well here. Almost all of it is excellent listening

Disc 4 is mostly soundboard material from 1974 to 1975. Elvis's voice is getting a bit slurry and much deeper, becoming related to what impersonators have caught on since. There are still some real gems to be found on this disc though. The 1956 recordings are especially welcome

I've been typing this review for quite a while, and my eyes are quite sore, and somewhere else too, but i won't mention that. Overall, this boxset, for Vegas buffs and historians alike, is a must have. A look at a vital chapter of Elvis's unreplaceable career(y)

[my boy]

I love this release. The vinyl version is a real cracker and great sound too.
So many great Elvis songs and many more classics, "Proud Mary," "Please Release me," "Johnny B. Goode, and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" – mindblowing stuff!

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