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It’s A Matter Of Time / Summer Festival ‘73

By ElvisNews.com / Kees, August 05, 2007 | Music
Bootleggers are probably scraping the bottom of the barrel with all he reissues and now a double release of the same concert by two entities at the same time. Both releases don’t contain any label information what so ever.

Design

The difference here is very clear. “It’s A Matter Of Time” comes is a crappy home made design while “Summer Festival ‘73” comes in a good looking bright design and little background info.

Content

The difference in audio quality is as clear as above, but the other way around. Where the “Summer Festival” wins on design, the “It’s A Matter Of Time” CD beats the latter hands down in audio quality with a much brighter and clearer sound. “It’s A Matter Of Time” sound a bit muffled. What a little remastering can do! We skipped forward on the “Summer Festival” and the audio quality improves during the concert, but it never reaches the quality of “It’s A Matter Of Time”.
The sources of both concerts appear to be different; you can hear this best during “Suspicious Minds” where the version of “Summer Festival” is a bit longer. Before you hear the tape change.

As for the actual content; the concert. It is a very enjoyable and entertaining concert. Elvis is very upbeat and delivers several good performances. He is really having fun on stage, a bit too much at times, the key ballads and rockers deserve a serious treatment. A highlight of this concert is of course the only complete live performance of “It’s A Matter Of Time” after a request from the audience. It is not performed completely seriously but our man does finish it, and it clearly illustrates Elvis mood on stage. Other highlights are “My Boy”, a new addition to the set-list for which Elvis really takes time to deliver a good performance, and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". The same goes for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” which is dedicated to Dee and Vernon, but the result isn't as good as the before mentioned song.

Conclusion

What to do with two CD’s with the same content but differences in both the design and content? Simply swap the silver disc and keep the best of both worlds ?. The concert is actually worth getting this release, but be sure to select the copy you want; the best design or the best audio quality.

Track listing "Summer Festival '73":

Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Blue Suede Shoes - Long Tall Sally (With False Starts) / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Your Mamma Don't Dance / Flip, Flop And Fly / Jailhouse Rock / Hound Dog - Love Me Tender - Fever - What Now My Love - Musical Intermezzo (Incomplete) - Suspicious Minds - Introductions (Incomplete) - My Boy - I Can't Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Release Me - It's A Matter Of Time - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Dedicated To Dee & Vernon ) - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Can't Help Falling In Love

Bonus-Songs - M/S- 19.08.1973 L/V:
Help Me Make It Through The Night - An Amercian Trilogy #2 - A Big Hunk O' Love - How Great Thou Art Las Vegas

Track listing "It´s A Matter Of Time":

Opening - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Blue Suede Shoes - Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin' On / Mama Don't Dance / Flip, Flop And Fly / Jailhouse Rock / Hound Dog - Love Me Tender - Fever - What Now My Love - Elvis Leaves The Stage - Suspicious Minds (Incomplete) - Introductions By Elvis - My Boy - I Can’t Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Release Me - It’s A Matter Of Time - Elvis Dedicates The Next Song To Dee And Vernon Presley - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Can't Help Falling In Love - Closing
Ronaldv wrote on August 05, 2007
This is a good and honest review, Kees! I agree to your opinion. I chose for it's a matter of time a couple of weeks ago, reasonable audio quality and a quite strong concert of our man.
BuzzingBee wrote on August 06, 2007
I heard that a major import label has bought the original tape in the sound quality ++ of the baxter release "It's a matter of time". This is planned next year. I heard the tape myself and know we can expect something good with a great photo booklet. Just something to consider.
memphisblues wrote on August 06, 2007
Is this just a case of Boots of Boots of Boots of Boots... ect..ect
Natha wrote on August 07, 2007
This is a useful review, especially for those among us who could not lay their hands on the earlier editions. And this is what reviewing is all about.