CUT ME & I BLEED (Double "G" DG 003) (Released 1999)
1. Review by Crister Berge
Contains 22 tracks, all available somewhere
else. More or less "x-rated" material.
Supposedly printed in only 500 ex.
Probably the correct amount.... |
Different studio and live takes
Ode To a Robin
Wings Of An Angel
U.S. Male (take 4)
100 Years From Now (uncut)
Got My Mojo Working (uncut)
I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water (uncut)
Only The Strong Survive (uncut)
It's Midnight (reh. Aug. 16, 1974)
Promised Land (reh. Aug. 16, 1974)
Hurt (X-rated)
Cindy, Cindy (uncut)
Goin' Home (takes 16/19)
Beach Shack (Takes 1/3)
Don't Cry Daddy (reh. July 24, 1970)
Heart Of Rome (reh. July 24, 1970)
Memories (reh. July 24, 1970)
Stranger In My Own Home Town (reh. July 24, 1970)
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues (live, Aug. 19 1974)
You Gave Me A Molehill (reh. March 31, 1972)
Polk A Little Sock Salad (reh. Aug 10, 1970)
American Trilogy (Las Vegas, Aug 30, 1974)
Monologue (Drug Story) |
Review by Crister Berge
Released in 1999, CUT ME is a collection of 22 "X-rated" studio / live / rehearsal tracks that weren't suitable for official release, because of rude language. They even squeezed in a poem, 'Ode To A Robin,' which has a surprise ending, and the infamous "drug monologue" from closing night in Vegas, August 1974 (released in its entirety on Fort Baxter's DESERT STORM). Lots of "fuck" in all its different inflections and "motherfucker" is Elvis' favourite choice word of poetic spice. The title is a paraphrase on the remark "There's blood running through my veins" that Elvis uttered in a 1962 interview. "After all, Elvis was only human." No shit?! Playing time is 74:29 and the packaging is appealing: it sports three great color pictures of Elvis with fans from 1968, '69 and ? But: The editing between the songs is horrendous, there's a spelling error in the track list and the liner notes MUST be written by someone whose second goddamned language is English!
It starts out with a good example of Elvis' sense of humour. He says: "Did-did you hear the little poem that I wrote?" Elvis recites the words dead-serious, but the comical twist at the end breaks everybody up. It was taped by Elvis' girl friend Linda Thompson at her home. I laughed as Hell first time I heard it! 'Wings Of An Angel' is a rotten song, unknown to me, jaded by poor sound, and very short: just over a minute. The line "the balls of a big hairy coon" is the reason why BMG has not released it.
Since BMG has issued it, there are no swearwords in 'A Hundred Years From Now.' The profanity is to be found in Elvis' pre-song comment: "There goes my fucking career, right down the drain." First "motherfucker" of the CD is in the uncut master of 'Got My Mojo Working,' which runs for five minutes. From the same session, 'Muddy Water' is also five minutes, the dirty language here is just a mere "shit" at the end. All of the songs from 1970 are in excellent sound, by the way. 'Cindy, Cindy' features an extensive guitar solo by James Burton. Elvis shouts "Fade this motherfucker!" at the end.
The Memphis sessions are represented with the well-known alternate take of 'Only The Strong Survive' where Elvis is recitin' a letter: "Listen, you little cocksucker..." From a '74 rehearsal comes yet another "motherfucker" as 'Promised Land' gets some poetic justice: "...the motherfucker's on the line".
In 'Hurt,' Elvis incorporates words like "goddammit", "shit", "cocksucker" and "motherfucker" to the lyrics during the recitation. The funny thing is that it's a complete take and not bad at all, 'cept for the swearing, of course. Audio is terrible, and if you've read Arjan Deleen's excellent interview with Ernst Jorgensen, the reason for this is that it's a fifth generation reference copy. The original tape was allegedly destroyed by Felton Jarvis' wife, due to the vulgar (and tragic!) nature of the performance. And obviously, it is NOT "take 69"! Awful sound in 'Goin' Home.' Elvis struggles with the song and after another failed take, says "Fuck the fever, man."
Four songs are taken from a 1970 rehearsal: 'Heart of Rome' gets the romantic treatment with lyric changes as "I'll take a piss in ev'ry fountain." Funny? You be the judge. 'Memories' is a classic. While chewing gum, Elvis pants, imitates a cow, a dog, a cat and even Burton's wah-wah guitar. Hilarious! BMG released the 5½ minute long 'Stranger In My Own Home Town' on the box set WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES in a censored version. Very different from the studio recording from American Sound, it's transformed into a slow blues, in the tempo of 'Reconsider Baby' or 'Merry Christmas Baby.' And the poetry is at full bloom here: "I'm gonna start drivin' that motherfuckin' truck again" - - - "all 'em cocksuckers stopped bein' friendly..." At the end he incorporates some of the members of the Memphis Mafia in an extra, spur-of-the-moment verse. And they tell me he didn't write songs!
From opening night in Las Vegas, Aug. 19, 1974, comes a wonderful reading of 'Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues,' where Elvis sings "Play around you'll lose your wife - I already done that... Play too long you'll lose your life - I almost did that."
Well, well, well. Hardly a must-have, this one.
On a scale from 1 to 5, I give CUT ME a 2.
© Crister Berge, Sweden 2002
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