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Live From The International

May 27, 2006 | Music
Released by the If label in their "Live from …" series is volume 3 with a concert recorded at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

Design

The design is the same as the previous two releases; simple, yet stylish. It is used consequently throughout the whole package. It is copied from the “Live From Texas” series by New West Records according to one of our readers. For this released they used the best picture – Elvis doing one of his karate moves – on the back, a poor choice. September 6, 1971 was the closing night; the designers could have used a correct image of Elvis, wearing a black jump suit with lots of gold colored studs. And just like on the previous releases we miss the liner notes to really complete the information.

Content

But more important than the design in the content of course. This release contains an audience recording from September 6, 1971, recorded at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, closing night. The audio quality of this show is below average. Elvis and his band are somewhere in the back.

This 5th season was a strange on. Only one week rest from his Tahoe engagement Elvis was not 100% top fit, and delivered short shows. On doctors advice he did not give his all on the big vocal song, his voice could not handle it. Yet he broke his own attendance record by attracting 4428 people in one night. According to “The Concert Years” this record could not be broken since the fire department later put a limit of 2000 per show.

The show itself is a bit tame, Elvis is not very talkative, nothing more than a few “thank you’s” for the applause and the introduction of the band and Charlie Pride (with a one liner) in the audience and his wife Priscilla completes all spoken interruptions we get. The rockers like “Polk Salad Annie”, and “Suspicious Minds” are done hastily and the ballads like “It’s Impossible” and “I’m Leavin’” simply don’t have the power. We did not make it to the last part of the show, the CD was broken.

Conclusion

You can skip this one with ease, a bad production of a bad show, for the completists only.

Track listing:
2001 Theme - That´s All Right - I Got A Woman / Amen - Proud Mary - Sweet Caroline - Polk Salad Annie - Love Me Tender - Johnny B. Goode - It´s Impossible - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes / Whole Lotta Shakin´ Goin´ On - Heartbreak Hotel - Teddy Bear / Don´t Be Cruel - Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Hound Dog - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - Celebrities Introductions / The Easy Part Is Over - I´m Leavin´ - Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Can´t Help Falling In Love - Closins Vamp
Gladyslove wrote on May 27, 2006
Is this Vol. 5 from that label ? I never heard about that show so I have to buy it.
Ciscoking wrote on May 27, 2006
It`s the third release of the If label...just like the two before..just for die hard collectors..
Gladyslove wrote on May 28, 2006
Ciscoking, thanks for the info. I just have I, II and IV so I thought it must be V.