SEASONS GREETINGS FROM VEGAS (Sundial Productions SP 101) (Released 1994)
1. Review by Oto Meszaros
Content: 4 Sound: 2 Artwork: 3+ |
Las Vegas Dec. 2 1975
Also Sprach Zarathustra
See See Rider
I Got A Woman/Amen
Monologue
Love Me
Fairytale
Big Boss Man
It's Midnight
Early Morning Rain
And I Love You So
Trying To Get To You
All Shook Up
Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel
Hound Dog
You've Lost That Loving Feeling
Monologue
Blue Christmas
Monologue
Blue Christmas #2
Polk Salad Annie
My Boy
How Great Thou Art
Mystery Train/Tiger Man
Softly As Leave You
America
Can't Help Falling In Love |
1. Review by Oto Meszaros
After the cancellation of the rest of August 1975 Summer Las Vegas engagement - Elvis played only five (all very good) shows between 18th 20th August. He eventually returned, after long rest, in December to compensate these Summer season concerts. Opening night was on 2nd December and this CD is almost complete audience recorded documentation of this event. This season was very specific, because it seems to be risky playing there before the Christmas. Before Christmas Las Vegas is quite depopulated and the attendance of the shows isn't very high.
Elvis seems to be more overweight on photos than in Summer, but his health was likely far stronger and he appeared on very high level again. Some suits used for this season were: "Gypsy" suit, new were "White Bicentennial" suit (often used in 1976), so-called "V-Neck" suit and "Rainfall" suit (both also in Pontiac on New Years Eve celebration and rarely in 1976-1977 period). From these shows, we have the great soundboard CDs "Just Pretend" from Fort Baxter & "Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 4" from Yellow Dog label, both covered excellent 13.12.75 Midnight show in nearly perfect sound. The December repertory was very variable, with songs like 'I'm Leavin'', 'Help Me Make It Through The Night', 'O Sole Mio' by Elvis himself, 'My Boy' and 'Just Pretend'. |
This CD is in average audience recorded sound and naturally this fact make it interesting only for serious collectors, however the sound isn't extremely terrible, I have heard far worse ones. The problem is that there is very much of the bass in places, especially in songs like 'Polk Salad Annie'. Most likely because the people who created this CD tried to disguise the background noise this way. The cover design is not outstanding, but looks fair, with April 1st 1975 Las Vegas pictures.
The concert is overall excellent and if this same material exist in soundboard form it will be really a must. Elvis is full of energy and life and shows it in his performance. There's no need to mentioned every single song, here aren't any weak performances, but the most memorable are: full version of 'Early Morning Rain' - really great, in a bit faster tempo than studio master or later 1976/1977 ones. Perfect renditions of 'It's Midnight' & 'And I Love You So' and especially last live version of 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling' after more than year and half, Elvis again excels there. Why this song was omitted, only God, or Elvis knows.
You can hear false start on 'Blue Christmas' and after some chat, Elvis said "Blue Christmas take two!" and sung it once again. Whole band introduction is edited out and next is last but one live version of 'My Boy', again great performance by Elvis, however orchestra sound is not so good. |
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'How Great Thou Art' was good as almost always and 'Softly As I Leave You' is beautiful. Patriotic 'America The Beautiful' was premiere performance and like in 13.12. Midnight show, with organ intro. (I've heard organ intro only in these Vegas ones and in one of Lake Tahoe 1976 shows).
So in all, this CD with top show can offer pretty much to serious collector, but almost nothing to usual fan, because of average audience recorded sound. I enjoy it, but if you collect soundboards and other good sounding material, stay away.
Sound quality rating : **/*****
Show rating : ****/*****
Reviewed by Oto Meszaros, CZECH REPUBLIC, January 19 1999 |
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