Review by Ken Jensen
Courtesy of Memory Records, we can finally enjoy Elvis's fabulous December 10, 1975 concert from the Las Vegas Hilton, originally released as Neon City Nights on Mac Records, a terrible CD in rotten sound.
But now, thanks to Memory Records, the sound and overall production is great. The concert starts the regular way with 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' followed by 'See See Rider', but then, surprise, surprise, a gentle, beautiful version of the closing song, 'Can't Help Falling in Love', followed by the closing theme. And then Elvis disappears! He walks off stage as if that were the entire show. Then he comes on stage again, and the audience goes wild and laughs like crazy. In fact, they laugh a lot during this concert. Elvis is in a great mood from start to finish, and he sings great, so this must have been one helluva show to attend. He even does a short but complete 'When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again'. What a rarity.
After this crazy opening, the show continues in the regular way with 'I Got A Woman/Amen' and 'Love Me'.
'Fairytale' is outstanding and so is 'And I Love You So'. Boy would that change a few months later! The latter song is a drag in 1976 and 1977, but here it is delivered with care and passion.
The entire concert is a blast. Elvis in 1975 is a terrific performer, and this is one of the best shows from a great year. Even the oldies are given a fair treatment.
The concert runs for something like eighty-two minutes and eleven seconds, so Memory Records had to edit the show in order to fit it onto one CD. Unfortunately, they decided to edit out two and a half minutes of Elvis's dialog/monolog, instead of cutting away some of the instrumental band solos. Who gives a hoot about the band solos? I sure don't, and I can't imagine anyone else does either. After all, we buy these CDs to hear Elvis, not his band, no matter how great they are.
'Just Pretend' is a lovely song, and Elvis does it well. This comes close to the versions from 1970.
Elvis sings a few more songs, all of them amazing performances. 'America the Beautiful' is just that, beautiful.
Then it's time for 'Can't Help Falling In Love' followed by the closing theme. And then Elvis disappears, this time for real.
Sound: 3-
Show: 5+
Artwork: 4-
© Ken Jensen, Norway, July 2006
 Other reviews by Ken Jensen |
