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Back On The Mainland

June 29, 2005 | Music
Released on the “Memories Of Elvis” label is the CD “Back On The Mainland” with an audience recording of his January 26, 1973 performance from Las Vegas.

Design

As with a lot of the recent import releases this release has a sloppy design too. Two pictures, a basic font and two colors. No info inside, only a few pictures of the President of the UK fan club, Todd Slaughter, meeting with Elvis.

Content

Less then two weeks after his historic television broadcast by satellite to 1.5 billion television viewers around the globe we hear a different Elvis. Perhaps it is also due to the quality of this audience recording, but Elvis sounds a bit flat, not really inspired.

We can understand his personal problems. Having only recently signed the diverse papers formally ending his marriage to Priscilla, and having peaked in Hawaii for the world to see, the return to another series of Vegas gigs is not something the King Of The Universe (or King of Pop as the press named him) desires. He obviously did not want to be where he was. After taking the world by satellite, he should have taken the world personally. If only …

It isn’t even a bad show, most performances have a laid back feel, while they needed (and we want to hear) enthusiasm, passion and power. Sad to see how a man can, literally, drop from the sky and hit rock bottom in the Nevada desert.

The CD ends with a megamix ... this one isn't mentioned on the back of the CD, so let's call it a bonus.

Conclusion

Why get this audience recording from a guy who recorded Elvis holding a microphone in the air or hidden between the table decorations when you can have two great Aloha From Hawaii shows in 5.1. Dolby surround quality.