FTD really treated us in 2015 (not as bad as the main label thou)! Just before Christmas they gave us the pleasure of more 1976 shows (again). This time it's the last double date in his career: the afternoon and evening show in Huntsville on September 6.
Design
The 'design' reminds me of the early PC days when everybody started to make his own covers. "Here we have another font, let's use it!" in other words: there is no consistency at all. They can't help Elvis was looking like he was, a parody of himself, just not as bad as most impersonators, but the presentation certainly did not hide that fact.
Content
The soundquality of both shows is pretty good. Too bad the same can't be said of the shows. Don't get me wrong, it's much better than that Texas thing we got recently, but still. Automatic pilot, weak versions of songs, but at least he could carry most of the tunes this time and he was not 'sleeptalking'.
The notes I made during listening tell me enough: not much worth noting. When Fairytale is one of the highlights of the show it can't be really great. And I noted that on both shows. The negative highlight during the afternoon show was the clavinet solo during the (oh so boring) intros. In the evening show that solo was beaten by Sherrill 'Singing Saw' Nielsen. He should be imprisoned for rape, this time of a minor: Danny Boy. The other differences are the replacement of One Night by Fever. Both were not special, so it was lead for old iron, to speak with Louis van Gaal. In the evening Elvis also added Blue Christmas by request (even after protests by others) and an okay version of Mystery Train/ Tiger Man.
Conclusion
For completists only, if you want to enjoy a real great live show, go back with me to Star club in Hamburg, Germany in the wonderful year of 1964...
Rape of a minor? What the ....???
I'm no fan of Sean Nielsen's singing either, but to say that of someone who's actually passed on and a devout Christian ?? Way over the top Lex !! Even in jest.
BTW does this set come with a booklet ?
$30 plus tax for two decent versions of "Fairytale". . .
I think I'll pass on this, and wait for the next classic album issue by FTD.
No, there's no booklet. I did enjoy listening to these discs but probably won't play very often.
'Automatic pilot, weak versions of songs,he was not 'sleeptalking'. For a man of only 41 that says all that is needed. I could never get thru a show like this, never. Give me the real Elvis. Completists? Those days are long gone. Wise men say,,,
Dazman, only two words: Catholic church. That's all for politics or religion. Excuse me for having a different sense of humour.
Steve, sometimes I miss a like button on this site :D.
No, not 1962. Surely Lex is correct... April 5, 1964... Live at the Star Club, Hamburg... Jerry Lee Lewis.
Then I rather have fifties show of the King.
Sorry I thought Lex was referring to The Beatles performing at the Star Club, Hamburg '62
1964 is mainly wonderful to me because I was born :P
This is a poor review- in that apart from liking 'fairytale' it tells me only that this show was better than Elvis in Odessa 1976(which isn't saying much!) what is CLEAR in these 2 shows is that we don't have a 'foggy' Elvis we have a CLEAR speaking Elvis performing quite well and certainly at the very least 'acceptable shows'.. which cannot be said about the Odessa release.Sure its NOT Elvis at his 1976 'best' but compared to a week earlier its a complete improvement and an enjoyable 2 x 1976 shows to listen too. Clearly Elvis seems to like Huntsville and put out Decent shows for them.
I hope Ernst Jorgensen doesn't release anymore '76/'77 soundboards until the remainder of the classic albums (and movie soundtracks) have been issued on the FTD label.
1. For LP Fans Only / A Date With Elvis
2. Kissin' Cousins
3. Roustabout
4. Speedway
5. Charro! / The Trouble With Girls / Change of Habit
6. Elvis' Gold Records, Volume 4
7. ELVIS NBC-TV Special / Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others (RCA Victor 1968)
8. Welcome To My World
9. Elvis In Concert
You can add Aloha, Madison Square and Gold Records 5 to the list in the interests of classic album completeness. I know two of them have been given the Legacy treatment already but I'm sure something imaginative could be done to justify their release in 7". And of course the obvious omission, a comprehensive On Tour package.
I have enough Jerry Lee shows in my collection that make Elvis' Huntsville Shows feel like a music-history highlight. You can't bear a drunk nasal singing Jerry more than 10 minutes. So much about that. Star Club and Huntsville .. bad comparison.
I'm always astonished how things have changed. When the first 1976 soundboards came out nobody was that negative about these shows. That change came with the mass and the feeling of being lush. I have newspaper clips of about every tour-concert Elvis gave. Many of the 1976 shows were reviewed very positive by the Reporters who were there. Fact is that many soundboards -even by other artists- let them sound very weird. I have soundboards of Freddy Mercury you can't bear for more than 15 minutes. In the 80s and 90s I listened to countless 1976 Elvis shows. Okay, on some he sounded a little slow but I never had the impression he was sleepwalking. And I can't remember other fans talked that way back then. There were good and not so good shows but well, when you have 1000 given shows there are always some weak spots. I wonder what caused that new way of thinking. The thinking of what the often enthusiastic witnesses and reporters and the fans in the 80s and 90s had and the one that the new lush soundboard generation has. Oh wait .. I know that Elvis was sick and under medication. I don't discuss about that. It's just my thoughts about that matter. And now please go to Youtube and search for 'mic feed' or 'isolated vocal'. Click on "Celine Dion worst vocal ever' or Maria Carey or all the other superstars and you will again come to the decision that the Huntsville shows are a milestone in music history.
I guess there is indeed a big difference between "being there" and really listening to a soundboard CD. The fact is that I just don't like to listen to them if they are bad. Maybe not as bad as others, but certainly not good. And no, I also do not listen to bad Jerry Lee shows or bad who-ever else shows. I prefer to fill my time with music I do enjoy.
fair comments Lex... and IMPACT of these 2 shows would have been much greater (IF) 2nd show had never come out on bootleg FIRST! Still after listening to both shows fully yesterday i can report that the FTD sound guy did a great job and the E/S does sound about 10% better to my ears after THEIR WORK(compared to bootleggers) my final comments are that the A/S is passable and at E/S he sings slightly STRONGER.+ great fun to be had between Elvis and 'THE GRANNY" made me forget all abut Elvis trying NOT to sound drunk in Odessa in 1976!
so far I only listened to the afternoon show and this is a very good show, a strong one. I am just reserved regarding the recording cause elvis voice is too much upfront for me - i feel a real lack of balance here between his voice and the musicians, apart from it a very good choice, have a nice week end
I'm guessing that the last Memphis date (July 5, 1976) will see an FTD release sometime this year.
Granted ..these shows are not everyone's cup of coffee. But for a collector it makes sense...the last double date...and we get 2 in 1..including one new SB. And the show are presenting Elvis at the beginning of better concerts..this was a good start and the next FTD will present him even better. Anaheim was really fine.
Memphis fan: I just got my copy. Re your comments on 'America', sorry but I hear 2 completely different versions here with the one from the matinee being the best.
Cisco: Thanks for giving us something even better to look forward to with the 'West Coast' release. In just a few words, whats the San Francisco show like ?
Anaheim is the better show for sure....I see San Francisco as a bonus.
Dazman: Thanks for the clarification. I recently looked at the new track listings (somewhere) that had "America The Beautiful" listed only for the matinee show, so I immediately thought the bootleggers had pulled it from the matinee show and edited it into the evening show. Hey, I just might buy this now!
