Tuscon 76

[Glenn]

Is Tuscon 76 better than the awful Tuscaloosa cd from august 1976.

Will i love Tuscon 76 more as time goes by or will i get tired of it.

[EnigmaticSun]

Interesting to hear that there are others who are also listening to Tucson '76. Although this particular performance has been underrated, I think the concert isn't bad at all.

Elvis' voice sounds pretty warm, soft and delicate, while also able to carry power ballads like Hurt. And there are other songs like Danny Boy (a real treat) and And I Love You So which are quite suitable for Elvis' voice at this period.

Something strange is that Elvis' voice changed in 1976. In October '76 Elvis often sounds a little raw on the ending of Hurt. Like on the album 'Bringing the house down' Elvis does the reprise of Hurt, but it sounds like his voice is a little bit 'strained'. Elvis knows this and proclaims his performance to be 'mediocre' but the crowd loves it anyway.

I can not hear this on the Tucson CD and the raw sound dissapeared after October and November of '76. In December '76 and the whole year of '77 he was very much able to reach the high note without hurting his throat too much.

I'm sorry that I do not know much about the Tuscaloosa concert, maybe there are other butterwings on this forum to answer that particular question. I hope you enjoyed the fact that I also like to share my experiences with you regarding the Tucson concert.

[Lonniebealestreet]

I assume you're referring to the Old Times They Are Not Forgotten CD, which I think is really good.

Soundwise, it's certainly superior to Tucson, as well as in regard to Elvis' mood or spirit. I think that vocally he was better in Tuscaloosa also, although I agree with Enigmatic's assessment of his voice in Tucson. It seems warmer, fuller perhaps, and more capable of delivering at the lower end of the register than in Tuscaloosa.

In Tuscaloosa there was more energy and Jailhouse Rock really rocked. Not related to Elvis' performance really is the nice bonus of hearing Kathy Westmoreland sing My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me (the song she sang at Elvis' funeral). Hearing Elvis' sincere, humble appreciation of her skills was nice too, telling the audience they were in for a real treat beforehand and afterward stating, "That's beautiful, honey. Absolutely beautiful...I tell you what--that's hard to follow..."

Tucson is a solid show, certainly most noteworthy for Danny Boy, which is amazing and by far outshone the rest of the show, not only for its rarity but on the merit of the performance itself. Many consider it better than the studio recording.

Tucson was one of the first shows I heard from '76 if not the very first, and initially I wasn't as into it as I am now. Revisiting it after hearing most of the '76 soundboards that are out there, I later developed a greater appreciation for it. But Danny Boy has always really impressed me.

OK, so if I had to choose which is the overall better show, or which I enjoy listening to more beginning to end, I'd probably go with Tuscaloosa.

If you think Tuscaloosa was awful, I don't know what you'll make of Tucson. But I do think you'll probably come to like it more over time as I have.