Under The Midnight Sun

Let`s keep an eye on I Got a Woman..if it`s incomplete it`s the CDR source..the missing 2001 Theme is another indicator..

Did he ever change his line up lol, geesh id bored myself to death. Sorry but its shocking how much of his catalog of music was never done live and by the 70's its was weepy i miss you cilla songs. He lost his way thats for sure.

Mature_Elvis_Fan, he tried but for fans obviously he had to stick to the well known songs. I can imagine that if I had the money to go to the USA back then to see his show I would love to hear him sing those songs. I think he also got bored with that. Those live shows were given for the ones attending. And as I gather from the cds the audience enjoyed themselves!

This Vegas season doesn`t belong to the good ones...the Aloha event was just over and he had to go back to Vegas business..the shows were boring at many times with an uninspired King..just a few exceptions..he often seemed very tired..when he was out on the road a few weeks later..he was a totally different man..these following tour concerts had that sparkle again..

Why are you bored to death? Nobody changed his repertoire like Elvis. Give me a songlist and I'll tell you the engagement of the show instantly. And after another minute I'll tell you if it's from the end or the beginning of this engagement. So, no matter what songlist you give me, I can date it within a timespan of +/- 2 weeks in the worst case. And blaming him for singing his most famous songs .. well, guys c'mon. Yes I would love to have 9 or 10 CDs of shows in which he sang only songs for collectors or bootleggers .. like all other stars constantly do..... uh .. do they?

You need 2 weeks..?.....I date you a show in 20 minutes..;-)

No, I'll date the show with a + or - of two weeks.

great comment jack409.I agree,Elvis was the greatest all round performer although I do get frustrated that he didn't record more hard rock songs in the 70s,because he certainly looked the part.When I see my other favourite rock singers,such as David Coverdale,Bon Scott,Ian Gillan,Lou Gramm,Freddie Mercury,Meat Loaf belting out fabalous music while Elvis sings mediocre country songs.He was worth much more than that.He proved he could really rock at 40 years of age,from time to time,as shown in the live versions of Promised Land,If you talk in your sleep,polk salad annie,t.r.o.u.b.l.e etc.

Another MJ comparison, OMG, give it a rest. As for The Beatles, since they were only together as a band from 1962-1970 and stopped touring in 1966, I hope Elvis played more concerts then them. You see how silly your comparisons are? The have no merit. The fact is, many of Elvis shows' were boring. People were walking out of Vegas 1974 shows because he talked more than sang. For me, when the King started doing Olivia NJ songs and 6 minute Amen medleys, he became mighty boring.

Once again I have to agree with dgirl. Elvis after 74 was just a parody of his former wonderful self. His concerts were tired & routine. He should have retired as he couldn't cut the mustard. Same shows same songs same banter. He was slowly dying & those last few years were just tragic. I watched Elvis in concert the other day & I felt saddened. He should have stopped the live concerts after Aloha. The legacy would have been better served if he had.

dgirl your excuse for the beatles is dead wrong. thats 8 years from 1962-1970 same amount of time elvis had from 1969-1977. elvis loved to perform on the road. i can almost bet you if elvis didnt have them 6 weeks off from june 26 till august 16th he would still be alive performing is what kept him living. i dont get why a lot of you trash elvis for singing the same old somngs half of you were alive back when he did change the repitore in august 1974 yet you guys didnt like it and he ended up having to go back to teh sam eold crap your complaining about him singing now. so dont blame him blame yourselves .

Good justification mofoca22. Though Elvis sang the same songs, every concert had its own magic. They are still fabulous to my ears. He's still magical, till today! Keep releasing all those concerts folks, we will support you.

dgirl, we respect your opinion but 'to each his own'. I love Elvis version of ONJ's songs and the alleged 6 minutes of Amen. This is what makes Elvis different and stand out in the crowd. Not to degrade other singers but in actual fact, they sing their songs in concert exactly like how they sing in the studio. Elvis is different. His musical arrangement in concert, his voice & showmanship is something to look forward to. THE BEST EVER.

It was mentioned below that the fault of Elvis not varying his set list is the fault of the fans who were alive in 1974 when Elvis did make drastic changes to his show. I don't think we are all entirely to blame, as for myself, I was ten years old and in England, plus Elvis was not asking my opinion. If that sounds sarcastic, it is because putting the blame on all of the fans back then in just plain stupid.

Tony C, of course it is much more complex. Elvis did try to change his song list but people immediately asked for the 'older material'. He pleased the fans. On the other hand he could have focused on other songs too. In recent times at some concerts they include other songs too and that is fantastic. Elvis was possibly not so much in touch with the fans and had to do with his stage experiences. Furthermore I can understand he got fed up with Hound Dog (as is obvious!) and other songs. He had a lot of fun with Polk Salad Annie and other rock songs. Maybe his physical state and age prevented him from being explosive the whole show, so he selected songs he liked or thought his fans would like. By the way, I became a fan in the early sixties and am a R'n'R fan basically. So my earlier statement said more about me too! Again, I don't blame any person or group. It is a too complex aspect based on many conditions. I just tried to put things in a broader perspective, not just a choice Elvis made (though he is ultimately the one who decided what to do).

Elvis changed one show, the opening night 1974 Vegas show. He didnt care for the audience reaction, so he went back to the usual format. I dont think that means fans immediately asked for the old show. First of all it was Vegas, to me the real fans are on the road anyway. He should have kept trying to experiemnt with his other back catalog. I think fan reaction would have been different. Didnt he open with Big Boss Man? Thats a poor choice for an opener in my opinion. As been mentioned before he was bored with Vegas and it showed just like he got bored with the movies. Two major ruts in an otherwise great career. And Mofoca, read my post again. The Beatles STOPPED touring in 1966, so that only leaves 1962-1966 for their live shows, 4 not 8 years.

When you get down to it, The Beatles only toured for 2 years since Beatlemania broke worldwide in 1964. The prior years, they were only known in England & Germany. In 1964-66 they played all over the world, something Elvis never accomplished even though he said he wanted to countless times. There were no excuses, he should have done a world tour.

And Steve V that would have been smashing!

If you have a closer look at the setlists through the years ..you can easily make out that the song selection changed within a certain time range...not from gig to gig...

But the changes weren't as radical as they should have been. Okay, so he slipped in the odd new song here and the odd different song there, but his set was never massively different. What annoys me is how much of his OWN material he chose to ignore. Things like 'Good Luck Charm', 'She's Not You' and 'Return To Sender' were three huge hits that he never made part of his show, yet he'd do other people's songs such as 'You Gave Me A Mountain', 'What Now My Love' and the dreadful 'My Way'. He became lazy, and that's never any good for a performer. The only people who enjoy those kind of performances are the "fans" who think everything he did was wonderful. But it wasn't. And that's what ultimately killed him - he was bored to death. He knew he could go on stage and his audience would yell, clap and cheer regardless of what he did.

As Harvey stated, a new song here & there is not changing his basic show. His 60's hit catalog was massively ignored in concert. Its the only full decade in which he recorded and he sold more records in that decade than any other. Yet he ignored most of that decade when it came to his concerts. I never wanted to use the 'L' word when describing Elvis, but I agree with Harvery. Elvis was a lazy performer, especially after 1970. He liked his comfort zone. I remember seeing Rick Nelson a year before he died. He played guitar, sat at the piano, did an acapella song with his backup singers, and sang his hits thoughout the years (full versions). He threw in some covers like Honky Tonk Women and some Dylan. As I sat there, Im thinking if only Elvis would have done a show like this and gotten rid of that Tin Pan Alley stuff he was doing most of the 70's. You like the over tired Amen medley? I imagine a show without it!

Dgirl,Harvery,perfectly said,fans settle the same way he did,doesnt mean i dont like him, i just am more mature now to see that everything he did wasnt gold. To ignore your own songs in favor of others ballads is odd.

Introduction of the Russian Olympic Team? I don't know that song. So this release is certainly worthwile!..

I also find it odd people speaking for Elvis,you dont know what he really thought,and judging from some of his shows he wasnt always enjoying himself,people back then expecially woman were so star struck he could have sang yankie doddle dandy and they would have loved it. Again im a fan but have grown up alot and see now that he wasnt the live performer that some have dreamed up. His shows were short and the classics he did choose to sing were throw aways. Dont worry what others think Elvis doesnt care he really doesnt. Jerom i hear the song you speak of features all original lyrics.

I simply don't get the dynamic of this website. Why in the world are people wasting their time commenting on how little they like Elvis as a concert performer? Please, find something better to do with your time! If you're bored with Elvis, you think he was lazy, you're frustrated that he sang Bridge Over Troubled Water instead of Return to Sender, you can't stand to hear the same songs in each show, and in your "maturity" you feel that he was washed up by 1974, then go play Angry Birds or something! I'm serious about this. And before you jump on me about your freedom to comment as you choose, know that I get it. You have the right to say what you want, but why bother? Go somewhere you can be happy and let the rest of us enjoy Elvis. I for one loved his concerts, all the way through Indy. Yeah, he had some bad nights, but who hasn't? In the short 42 years Elvis was alive, he accomplished more than most performers could imagine in three lifetimes. Which one of you could give us a better concert than Elvis did? The day that you can is the day I'll take your criticism to heart.

Lefty and On Stage, well stated.

I wholeheartedly second Natha,Lefty and On Stage. Always El.

Seems to me that some folk on this forum believe the same things I did when I was 18: that Elvis could do no wrong, he made great films, every record was great, every concert he gave was great, his jumpsuits were all stunning and he was the greatest performer in the whole wide world. Then I grew up.

Well Harvey I grew up too. In my case I was more able to put things in perspective. I never thought he was perfect and I was heavily puzzled as a young man about his death etc. Now as I am older I can fathom what he went through as a person. That for one. Another point is his music. It is a matter of taste I guess. Basically I am an old Rocker (RnR, not just Rock actually). And I had to get used to his later repertoire. Again as I grew older I started to appreciate, like etc the seventies too. I love to hear his beautiful voice. No one else can thrill me like that. Then his movies. As a youngster I loved the sixties movies (not all equally, mind you) as it is easy going. It is just fun. Nothing top. I don't like heavy drama, war movies etc. Now I hardly ever watch them, apart from Jailhouse Rock and King Creole. And I don't like all the stuff he made. I don't like the gospels at all. I never did and never will. Nevertheless his gospels are the only ones I can listen to, ignoring the lyrics and just listening to his exceptional voice. Then the jumpsuits. These were just stage costumes. All artists have them. So what is wrong about that. Again. some I like others are dreadful. And yes he was the greatest performer in the world. And after 40 years being a fan I did not grew over it. Maybe you did. That's your right and I don't judge you on that. Don't judge the other people of 'not growing up' the way you did.

Well Natha, you were just one step ahead of me with your reaction. Here's mine : Dear Harvey-boy, just like Natha I'm basicly a R 'n' R-man. (correctly stated by Natha as not just "Rock" as is it understood these days, but real R 'n' R from the cradle, from Bill Haley through Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Ricky Nelson, Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens,The Treniers, Freddy Bell, you name it, to Elvis ( not necessarily in this order, but Elvis on top ! and an almost endless list of other artists of the 50s and 60s from whom I possess recordings).Being a teenager in 1956 this can give you more or less an idea how old I am now. I grew up too, and to-day there is one thing (of the many) I learned during my life : LIVE and LET LIVE ! I'm not one of the fans who buy every release of our man, a lot of his movies were just fun, and to this day I stick to that "just fun", not more, not less. I have no problem at all with fans truly feeling in their hearts that Elvis was , let's say, " Perfect in every way". If they have a happy feeling with this why shouldn't they feel that way? Feeling happy, feeling joy, is one of the most important and essential things in life IMHO. It's basically a matter of LOVE for someone or something, (even if this expression of love may look exaggerated to some people) and you can't blame 'em for that. Apparently you see things in a different way and you have the right to, but growing up, to me, is , no matter how old you are, still keeping inside the feeling of being a litlle bit of an enthousiastic child, but NOT CHILDISH !!! Wishing all Elvis-fans a "Have A Happy" and a nice weekend! Always El.

Well Benny Scott, be careful (smile) we have the same taste! I just realised that my first Elvis influence dates back to Such A Night and that makes the whole thing some 50 years by now. Indeed you are so right. We all grow up differently. And there is so much unwholesome energy in man, that we should at least derive some sympathetic joy with those who find that musical happiness. Who are we to judge that it is a matter of growing up! Your choice of word play (child - childish) is exactly like I tell my people. I am no more a boy, but still boyish. Wish more people of our age have that! So, for this weekend: let's Rock 'n' Roll and let's 'have Elvis back in the building'. He may not be the last man standing (in life), yet for me he will ultimately sing the last song/dance! Your buddy!

Natha ( and some others ): wish I could meet you in person ! Your pal ! Always El.

My comments are not attacking anyone, from a fans points of view, i know his shows were not what they should have been. Elvis was not the best live artist ever,doesnt mean im not a fan,he made some great recordings. Its so easy to agree with everyone and say he have was perfect but he wasnt, from the bad movie songs to short shows and not singing his own catalog in favor of weeps ballads. With that said i spent thousands of dollars on his stuff. Its just clear to see with every new import or ftd concert release that you are buying what you pretty much already have. I think there was a lack of confidence and also the misfortune of him catering to the female audiance. As much as he is remembered just think if he had recorded real music instead of movie fluff. But as i said im still a fan but wont live in a fantasy world,his career was mis managed by him and others. I also think we have gotten to a point were theres too much out there,ftd has a few good releases left.

For those that have grown up beyond a child-like admiration of Elvis, please move on. Go away and leave the rest of us kids alone to enjoy the music without having to read how you don't like this, and you can't stand that. Maybe that's too much to ask. Maybe you're not ready to abandon the play ground altogether. Well then, try telling us for once what you do like about Elvis. There's gotta be something that keeps you in these circles. Share what you like with the rest of us! Be a kid again, if just for a little while.

To Mature, have to disagree with one thing, when he was on top of his game Elvis WAS the best live performer out there. Lefty is right, what's with all the bashing. Getting a little tiresome now.

I don't buy all these bootleg concert cd's, (Wouldn't know where to find them anyway). I do purchase those released by FTD because I want a full collection of FTD releases but I think that FTD releases too many of these concerts and insures Elvis will basically be competing with himself for fan dollars; between FTD releases and Sony/BMG releases there are never fewer than 10-12 Elvis albums per year, EVERY year since FTD was formed. The average fan would need to spend $500.00 per year just on cd's, heaven forbid they want to buy anything else! No other artist's catalog is given this treatment and I feel it cheapens Elvis' catalog because there is so much out there. Hardly any release could be determined to be specal or rare, ect. That which is rare is wrapped within a bunch of other stuff (this making it more expensive) and gives the true collectors the "opportunity" to purchase what they already own (usually for the third or fourth time). That is my chief complaint, otherwise I look forward to new Elvis releases which take up residence in my over 300 album collection, not bad for an artist who only recorded about 80 albums before he died.