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Love American Style

By ElvisNews.com/ Lex, February 26, 2015 | Book

After a longer wait than expected - the products were announced for November 2014 - the latest Gravel Road Music’s outings are there: Love American Style and Vegas Rhythm. Let’s have a closer look on the first one, which is a re-release of “In Dreams Of Yesterday” by the Czech Memories label. It contains the June 28, 1974 E.S  in Milwaukee.

Design

The book exists of nearly 100 pages high quality print, mainly filled with photographs from the actual concert. Most of them are from the same source, looking at the angle, not all new, not all as sharp as can be, but all together a great collection.

The liner notes of the original are re-used. Certainly great for those who missed the original (or could not read over the fold), since Arjan Deelen’s text is enjoyable and well researched.

The only minor on the design is that the CD is in a paper sleeve that is not attached to a page, so it falls out easily. Gladly mankind invented glue for cases like this.

Content

First of all I can’t compare the sound quality with the Czech release, since it is not in my half of the property settlement. Knowing the often louzy sound of those releases, reading back the review and most of all knowing GRM’s quality, I suspect the sound has improved. Still it is far from a great sounding SB-recording. Sometimes it sounds muffled, then again there are way too much highs. Well, if the source is pour, you can only do so much to upgrade it.

The drive Elvis had makes it still an enjoyable listen, all relatively of course. It is nowhere as good as Elvis in the early 70s, but far from the bad shows he did during the final 2 years. The show contains a funny one-liner of Turn Around, Look At John.

My favourites of this show: a solid Tryin’ To Get To You, Polk Salad Annie (although I prefer the earlier versions above these ‘wall of sound’ versions), Suspicious Minds, a swinging Big Boss Man and Steamroller Blues. Bridge Over Troubled Water needs a honorable mention too, again not as good as most earlier versions, but it raises the standard of the show!

Conclusion

The strange format, the many pictures and an enjoyable show makes it worthwhile in my opinion. Once again Gravel Road put a lot of effort in a release!

 

 

 

marco31768 wrote on February 27, 2015
If you put this CD in a computer player, you will read: "In dreams of yesterday"...
Matthias Kuenzer wrote on February 28, 2015
Yes, the CD might be a computer tampered version of the original "In Dreams Of Yesterday", but don't forget the umpty pages high quality booklet with many pictures, some of which you might even have troubles finding online. Fortunately, the price is not as steep as it could be. Winner! As always from GR.
Ciscoking wrote on February 28, 2015
This I wrote on FECC and I can share my thoughts here, too I got both of them today and I got exactly what I have expected. Two hardcover books with 100 plus pages in pocket size which dont fall into pieces once you have opened them..I dont have any concert photo books besides a few by my friend Joe Tunzi...so its definitely a worthwhile addition to my collcetion..and all are in color....mayn of them I havent seen yet..but I am no photo expert..I think for starters or fans like me who arent so much into photos these little books are perfect..the text gives many infos and the behind the scenes liner notes in the Vegs Rhythm book is a nice addition..the sound..?..well..how can you improve the old Vegas Rhythm disc...its already perfect..and the 1974 Milwaukee SB sounds at least equal...but this one is hard to get..even I had my difficulties back then..so the choice is perfect...the multi media disc is a nice bonus..the footage is welcome..but I didn't need the 2 other shows necessarily...but as I said..for starters it is perfect...the die-hard fans could probably skip this..they have tons of photo books and the shows are known of course...the main focus for me lies the books anyway..I see the discs as extras for the fans..my overall impression is a great one..there were definitely made a lot of efforts for these releases.,,