Dixieland Rocks

[Albert]

Live in: Murfreesboro, TN. - May 6, 1975

Tracklist: (click on the track to hear a 20 second sample) Help

01. Also Sprach Zarathustra
02. See See Rider
03. I Got A Woman/Amen
04. Love Me
05. If You Love Me
06. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
07. All Shook Up
08. Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel
09. The Wonder Of You
10. Polk Salad Annie
11. Introductions/Johnny B. Goode/School Days
12. My Boy
13. T-R-O-U-B-L-E
14. I'll Remember You
15. Why Me Lord
16. Let Me Be There
17. American Trilogy
18. Fairytale
19. Little Darlin'
20. Funny How Time Slips Away
21. Can't Help Falling In Love
22. Bridge Over Troubled Water
24. Love Me Tender

Tracks 19-24 - recorded live in Murfreesboro, TN. on May 7, 1975


Reviews:
Hans
Armond Joseph
Jungleroom76
Andy Urias

[Albert]

"Great show and a very fine release from the FTD-team"
Reviewed by: Hans / Elvisbay

This is the second soundboard-release on the Follow That Dream label, and it is a very fine one indeed. Elvis started this first tour of 1975 a little frightened because of the many press reports about his weight problems, but he must have lost all his worries during this tour. Murfreesboro was only scheduled for one show, but instead he gave 3 sold out performances.

Elvis starts very energetic with See See Rider and I Got A Woman. Love Me gets the usual treatment, and it seems Elvis does have a lot of fun. If You Love Me and You Don't have to Say You Love Me are solid performances. All Shook Up and the Teddy Bear-Don't Be Cruel medley could have been done sleeping, while The Wonder Of You just isn't the wellknown 1970 version, although well performed. Polk Salad Annie really rocks displaying both Jerry Scheff's and James Burton's skills in the instrumental parts.

Time for some chat with the audience and the band introductions, followed by a beautifull My Boy. Elvis really gets into this song.! T.R.O.U.B.L.E. is a rocking version and I'll Remember You is also a beautiful performance. Elvis is trying to make JD Sumner laugh while singing in deep voice. Let Me Be There and An American Trilogy are brought inspired, while fairytale seems a little bit too slow, although Elvis keep on asking 'one more time' for the last verse, taking the song over 5 minutes.! Little Darling is a fun song, and the show ends with Funny How Time Slips Away and Can't help Falling In Love.

Bridge Over Troubled Water does have Elvis' attention and is a strong version, while Love Me Tender is used by Elvis to interact with the audience. The disc displays an overall inspired Elvis who's having lots of fun on stage and really delivers. The voice is strong and the band tight.

Conclusion: Don't expect a perfectly balanced disc just because it comes from the BMG-vaults; this is just another soundboard recording, nothing more or less although it is a very good one. Just don't expect a multi-track recording like Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis or the Madison Square Garden shows, and be glad with this one, for you can not change the way it was recorded in 1975. There ain't too many Polk Salad Annie's from the 1975 tours, and I believe that the Follow That Dream team gives a lot of attention to the material chosen to be released.

__________________________________________________ ___________________________


"We haven't even had a chance to say hello..."
Review by Armond Joseph

A little background. When Dixieland Rocks first came out, I didn't want to buy it. I already have the concert from the Elvis Aron Presley (Silver Box) set, and the awesome yet unofficial Let Me Take You Home CD. Why add another show from 1975 to my list? Then Dinner At Eight was announced, and I was excited about buying that CD because of the significance of the December 13th shows. When I read that 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' was dropped as well as 'My Heavenly Father,' I decided instead to purchase Dixieland Rocks, which has the feel of a complete show, and I'm glad I did.

From the start, I noticed that the sound quality of this CD is far superior to the sound quality on the Silver Box concert. You can hear all of the band members clearly; even the tambourine is audible. You can also hear the applause of the audience when Elvis walk out on stage, which I think is a big plus. The sound would only have been better if FTD added the "stadium echo" that you hear on soundboards released by DAE. That echo adds a stereo feel to mono recordings. Anyway, the sound is great! You'll notice that the bass is way out there at times, but cool nonetheless. Scheff is awesome!

The show has some pretty neat surprises. I thought 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' died in 1972, but Elvis does a good performance of it here. Elvis opens 'Polk Salad Annie' with some unusual vocalizing and a growl that reminds me of Roy Orbison. Plus, Scheff really kicks on bass (though a bit loudly)! It's one of my favorite versions of this song. Elvis sings 'My Boy' with a lot of feeling. It sounds almost exactly like the version on the Live In Las Vegas box set, except the sound is ten thousand times better here! 'I'll Remember You' is an unexpected surprise, and Elvis tells the audience that it is from the Aloha Special. 'Fairytale' is a little too slow for my tastes, and you can tell that neither Elvis nor the band were as yet comfortable with this song. Later versions are better. Overall, the songs are done well, and Elvis throws out his typical 1975 humor. In terms of the song list, 'How Great Thou Art' is conspicuously absent. Maybe Elvis just didn't sing it, or maybe FTD edited it out? Who knows? One thing I do know is that Murfreesboro could be the belt buckle of the Bible belt, and the song would've been a great "show stopper." Too bad it didn't make it onto this CD. 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' is a good substitute, even if it is added as the caboose.

The artwork on this CD is too plain. I'd really like to see future FTD releases with a booklet, liner notes, and some more photos. I don't care much for digi-packs, but if FTD is going to continue to use them, it would be nice to have a bi-fold cover like the DAE releases. At least then they could give us some more photos. Anyway, that's a minor complaint for an otherwise great album.

? Armond Joseph, Union, Missouri USA - January 2003

[Jungleroom76]

HERE IS A REVIEW FROM MY WEBSITE I WROTE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON "DIXIELAND ROCKS":

"Dixieland Rocks" is the ELEVENTH release on the VERY POPULAR "Follow That Dream" (FTD) Collector's Label, and once again, we are treated to a MOSTLY previously unreleased soundboard recording of Elvis In Concert!

[imgl]http://www.tcb-world.com/images/reviews/may06_75.gif[/imgl]"Dixieland Rocks" contains MOST of Elvis' May 6, 1975 performance at the Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. The last 4 tracks of the concert are taken from the May 7th performance in Murfreesboro. According to the liner notes, "The tracks from May 7 were used, as the ending of the show was missing on the May 6 tape." According to the pre-release advertisements, the people at "FTD" claimed that "Dixieland Rocks" contained a "brilliant show and the technical quality of the recording is about the best you'll ever hear from an informal soundboard recording." SO...does "Dixieland Rock" live up to the HIGH EXPECTATIONS advertised by the good people at "FTD"?? The answer...A VERY RESOUNDING YES!!!

Naturally, "Dixieland Rocks" opens with "Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme to 2001)"/"See See Rider". This performance, along with the following standard medley of "I Got A Woman"/"Amen" are the only previously released tracks on this GREAT CD. These two performances were originally released on the 1980 8-LP package "Elvis Aron Presley". Both of these performances get an above-average treatment by Elvis.

Following the opening numbers comes a standard version of "Love Me" and an upbeat "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)". A surprisingly rare, and impressive 1975 version of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" is up next, and Elvis turns in a VERY solid performance of a song he hadn't used in concert much since 1972.

"All Shook Up" and "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear"/"Don't Be Cruel" each receive the abbreivated performances, while "The Wonder of You" is a welcome change to Elvis' concert line-up. A REALLY ROCKIN' version of "Polk Salad Annie" leads into the standard band introductions.

Another OUTSTANDING performance, "My Boy", follows the introductions. Elvis then introduces his newest single "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" to the audience, with much fan excitement! A relatively quick version of "I'll Remember You" and a comedy filled "Why Me Lord" are a prelude to the 1975 concert standard "Let Me Be There". Another song, which in 1975 received the "rush through" treatment, "American Trilogy", follows.

Elvis then turns in an EXCELLENT performance of "Fairytale". "Little Darlin'", "Funny How Time Slips Away", and "Can't Help Falling In Love" round out the concert. Following the conclusion of the concert, fans are treated to TWO BONUS performances...a VERY GOOD version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and a less-than-stellar "Love Me Tender", both from the May 7th performance.

Overall, the concert is an excellent one. 1975 was a VERY good year for Elvis...his health was MUCH IMPROVED over the previous year. Elvis had slimmed down, and looked GREAT in his jumpsuits again. He attacked his songs on stage with a youthful vigor that had been missing for the past couple of years. He included songs that had been out of his concert lineup for years, and generally seemed to be having fun again on stage! "Dixieland Rocks" thankfully captures that high energy and excitement of Elvis and the audience. Elvis is in a very playful mood throughout the show, and seems VERY happy to be on stage singing for his fans!

The sound quality of "Dixieland Rocks" is OUTSTANDING!! The only small complaint we have with the sound quality is in the overall mix of the show...apparently, the engineer who re-mixed the material for "Dixieland Rocks" was a HUGE Jerry Scheff fan, as the bass guitar is very prominent in several areas of the CD. Aside from that, the overall quality of the sound is EXCELLENT!!

[imgr]http://www.tcb-world.com/images/reviews/may06_75_02.gif[/imgr]We are also a bit baffled at "FTD's" choice to add 2 bonus songs at the end of the performance. We are VERY HAPPY that the good people at "FTD" wanted to generously provide a couple of bonus songs for the fans enjoyment...but, why stick them at the end of the concert?? Wouldn't it have made more sense to include them IN the concert, and include a liner note explaining their inclusion in the concert?? Having the bonus songs at the END of the concert, seemingly out of place, seems illogical to us. But, as always, this is just our opinion!

Our only true negative criticism of "Dixieland Rocks" is the packaging!! Once again, fans are treated to a very plain digi-pack. Although, the photographs included in the packaging of "Dixieland Rocks" are admittedly better than in previous releases. A VERY close-up photo of Elvis in concert (presumably from one of the Murfreesboro shows, although the liner notes do not say) graces the front cover, while another concert photo (again, we presume, from one of the Murfreesboro shows) has been tinted blue and placed on the right-hand side of the back cover, with the songs printed in white along the left-hand side of the back cover. The inside CD tray contains yet one more color photo from the same period. Normally, the liner notes for "FTD" releases are scarce, and "Dixieland Rocks" is no exception. The inside cover of the digi-pack contains the song titles, songwriters, duration of each song and photo credits. THAT IS ALL!! Hopefully, one of these days, the braintrust at "FTD" will provide the fans with some different, and more decorative packaging! Our only negative in an otherwise OUTSTANDING release!

In closing, ALL fans of Elvis should truly enjoy "Dixieland Rocks"...this is Elvis in TOP FORM!!! Definitely recommended!!

HOPE THIS HELPS EVERYONE OUT!!
TCB!
Mike

[Albert]

"An above average concert"
Reviewed by Andy Urias

When it comes to material from 1974-1977, I never get my hopes up or have too high of expectations. There is no question that Elvis had some brilliant moments vocally during his last few years on stage, but there were also a lot of very poor performances during this time as well. When FTD announced that they were releasing a live soundboard from 1975, I had mixed feelings. A show from 1969 or 1972 would have been great or a show from 1977 could have been more fascinating. However, I figured that a live concert from Elvis is worth checking out regardless of my initial lack of enthusiasm or concerns over the strength of certain material and performances. What a great concert Dixieland Rocks turns out to be.

Although every bit of essential and desirable information about the CD is absent (it would be at least nice to have the band credits), the artwork is quite nice. Some of the mock-up cover-art that was floating around the Internet prior to the release of the actual CD artwork was very nice, but what was eventually used on this CD is still attractive.

Compared to the last soundboard released by BMG - Tucson '76, Dixieland Rocks immediately is off to a better start with the inclusion of 'Also Sprach Zarathustra'. The sound is much better on this disc than the Tucson show as well (ignoring that fact that the bass seems to be way up in the mix). In addition to the sound, Elvis is in much better form. Aside from throwing away his 50's hits ('Love Me', 'All Shook Up' and 'Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel'), Elvis seems pretty focused throughout this concert.

Although I'm not a huge fan of 'If You Love Me', the version on this CD is as strong as I've heard. 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me', 'The Wonder Of You', 'My Boy', 'I'll Remember You',
'T-R-O-U-B-L-E' and 'American Trilogy' are also well performed. The highlight of the show is a powerful version of 'Polk Salad Annie' that has some great lead guitar and bass interplay. And for once, I can honestly say that the band intros segment is enjoyable. The segment of 'Johnny B. Goode' really rocks, even though Elvis isn't completely comfortable with the lyrics, and none of the solos are too excessive except for maybe the bass solo, which Elvis even jokingly notes by saying it was 5 minutes too long...

I don't have a big problem with the inclusion of the material from May 7. BMG had to finish off the concert as the last few numbers were missing and fortunately they had a soundboard in the same sound quality from the next night and were able to insert the original song titles into their proper sequencing within this show. It may have made more sense for them to just insert the final 2 tracks of the CD ('Bridge Over Troubled Water' and 'Love Me Tender') into the actual show before the usual 'Can't Help Falling In Love' closer if adding tracks to this CD was so important. At the same time, there are a few bootlegs out in the market where additional bonus material is added to the CD after the end of a show. And since FTD is essentially BMG's bootleg label its not like they are completely out of line for doing this.

'Bridge Over Troubled Water' is well performed while 'Love Me Tender' has careless execution, but shows some playful interaction between Elvis and the audience. Editing and tampering with the sequencing of recorded concerts is a delicate matter, but since a lot of Elvis' shows that are recorded on soundboards are slightly incomplete, it is understandable why BMG needs to add material. However, there is always the possibility that Ernst Jorgensen has done even more edits to the content of Dixieland Rocks, so hopefully a great song hasn't been cut from the original set list of the concert.

FTD is off to a solid, but slow start in regards to releasing live shows. Tucson '76, One Night In Vegas and Dixieland Rocks are the first 3 concert CD's in hopefully a long list. Tucson '76 was essentially released to showcase a one time only performance of 'Danny Boy' and One Night In Vegas is a display of Elvis truly in his prime. Dixieland Rocks is an above average concert, if not a strong concert from 1975. This concert isn't a groundbreaking event or a highlight of his career. But it clearly shows that on this particular night, Elvis was enjoying himself and more importantly, his voice was strong. To fully gauge the spectrum of Elvis' live career, it is an important addition to any catalogue.

? Andy Urias, July 17 2001

[dirklandwehr]

This show is not just above average, this show is a really good one. Elvis sings great and his performance of MY BOY is the best I have ever heard! A great concert on a great sounding cd!

[FlamingStar]

This CD looks very great...

Funny how time slips away, My boy, Bridge, Fairytale, it's all the great classics

[vulcandude]

I just recently got this FTD release, mainly because I lived in Murfreesboro for more than ten years, and had graduated from MTSU, where the concert was at. It's a magnificent performance, and I especially loved how Elvis tried cracking J.D. up. "Why Me Lord" is especially moving, and "Fairytale" is excellent. "T.R.O.U.B.L.E." is probably one of my favorites one this CD. I only hope FTD decides to release the soundboard recording from the 5/7/75 Murfreesboro show. Now if I could just be able to find a picture of him from this concert to own....

[Unchained Melody]

This has to be one of the best sounding soundboards period!!

Along with the good sound, we get an awesome show from the summer of 1975. One of my favorite years for concerts.

Brad

[nabelt24]

I don't know if there's anything more that can be said about this show aside from FANTASTIC!!! What a great concert! This is a must have!!!

[Elvis Girl]

just wanted to say Dixieland Rocks it's great! people there in murfreesboro still remember all his shows he did there and u can find many pictures and etc still available there in murfreesboro of Elvis they remember Elvis ! and people love to talk about it. you can find some wonderful information on that from murfreesboro. personally i think Dixieland Rocks is so great!