SPRINGTIME IN NEVADA - NEW MEMORY RELEASE

[BigredG]

Just received the 2 new Memory CDs.

Reviewing Springtime first as this is more unfamiliar territory than Moonlight, which was out recently on Unicorn Cdr.

Firstly the artwork:

As usual with Memory you get a 4 sided front cover with some great pictures from the show (Previously unreleased - March 23rd 1975 Dinner Show) and interesting sleeve notes about this postponed "Winter" season in Las Vegas. Not being a "jumpsuit junkie" I can't tell you the name of the jumpsuit, but it is the dark blue suit with light blue shoulder decoration that Elvis wore a lot in March 1975!! 10 pictures in all adorn the cover with a further two on the rear artwork (one on each side!!)

Also as usual there is a nicely done picture disc CD.

And now "On With The Show"!!

The show is the day after the CD Profile Vol 2 CD 4, and as with all the shows that I have heard from this season Elvis gives a very spirited and committed performance throughout the show, probably benefiting from a long rest (and brief hospitalisation!!).

The sound on this release is well above average for audience recorded shows. Memory have made the most of the material they have here by doing a good remastering job on "an early generation copy of the original mono master".

As usual the show kicks off with See See Rider (no 2001 theme here). It's a punchy, enthusiastic version, and receives an unusual treatment in places with Elvis going way down low during the early verses.

Then after a bit of chat it's Well Well well time!! with a fair bit of fooling around with the crowd.

A very brief (3 word!!) version of I Can Help then follows, leading into the standard Love Me, with Elvis still chuckling all the way through.

A solid If You Love Me, and a very sincere And I Love You So (recorded a couple of weeks earlier) and then into another barnstormer - Big Boss Man. A real full blooded version!!

A few suggestions from the audience (Help Me & Promised Land) but Elvis goes into It's Midnight (promising Promised Land for later!!). Again an excellent version, with a bit of fooling just taking the edge off in places.

3:40 of "dialogue & Jokes" follows at track 8. As a testament to the sound quality, the dialogue is easily distinguished, with Elvis receiving room keys on stage, a cake, Teddy Bears, Cigars etc!! and handing out scarves in return (and the odd kiss). This is a very interesting interlude indeed.

Then it's making good on the promise. A good (but as usual a "hair" too fast) version it is too. The disc then a bit too abruptly goes into Fairytale (perhaps a tape turn?). Another good performance, failing to end on "and realise a good man is hard to find" yet again.

Then it's Intro time incorporating What'd I say and HH Rock N Roll, plus a bit of the old El. humour.

Then for me a real highlight - My Boy. Simply dripping with emotion, this is a real outstanding performance. You can tell that Elvis just loved this song. (No long held notes in this one however).

Earlier on Elvis had promised to "get to" I'll Remember You, and again he now makes good on that promise. Fair version, but a bit of fooling around keeps it from being excellent.

Then it's on To Let Me Be There. Not quite as spirited as on Desert Storm (how could it be!!), but sung with great passion never the less.

Then it's hitsville time with a fast take through Heartbreak Hotel and Hound Dog. Elvis wishes the crowd a happy Easter, and then the inevitable CHFIL ending.

All in all a damn fine show (to nick an old bootleg title), and I doubt any fan left this show disappointed!!

.....but wait that's not all!!

Memory have very kindly included 5 songs from a show Elvis gave on April 26 1975 in Tampa Florida. (coincidentally the day after A Damn Fine Show!! (no, honest!!).

The sound quality is fantastic on these tracks. Judging by crowd noise it is audience, not soundboard, but unbelievably good!!

We get a very sincere Help Me, a rip roaring Burning Love with a real long ending (Hunk hunk!!), another great My Boy (no long held notes again), an early attempt at TROUBLE which sounds very "laid back" compared to other versions I have heard (but he makes it through without screwing up the words (no mean feat)), and finally the Hawaiian Wedding Song is given a fairly straight and sincere treatment.

So overall I am well impressed with this CD as you can probably tell!!

9.5 out of 10!!!

[Marco Aurelio]

I really enjoyed the reading... You also mention that the songs from Tampa 1975 are with a good sound quality.. My CDR ELVIS ROCKS TAMPA has the wrong speed of the songs.. Hope we have the complete concert in the correct speed someday... Thanks one more time for the great review!

[BigredG]

Glad you enjoyed the review Marco - and thanks for letting me know

When I first heard the Help Me (the first Bonus track) I honestly thought it was a second generation soundboard!! The others are not quite as good but still excellent!! Wish they had released that show too instead of the December Show, which I already have in that sound quality from Unicorn!!

[Rob]

A few suggestions from the audience (Help Me & Promised Land) but Elvis goes into It's Midnight (promising Promised Land for later!!)

This shows that the fans did like the newer songs. At least they were asking for some quality material instead of Love Me Tender, Hound Dog, etc.

I agree with your review. It is a good show and should be made an exception for those who aren't necessarily interested in audience recordings.

[Marco Aurelio]

A few suggestions from the audience (Help Me & Promised Land) but Elvis goes into It's Midnight (promising Promised Land for later!!)

This shows that the fans did like the newer songs. At least they were asking for some quality material instead of Love Me Tender, Hound Dog, etc.

I agree with your review. It is a good show and should be made an exception for those who aren't necessarily interested in audience recordings.

Good point Rob!!!

[Rob]

Here's another show that's available. Check out the review and tracklisting for this December 10, 1975 dinner show.

"Las Vegas Moonlight" (CD MR 2048-2), contains the December 10, 1975 dinner show. This show was previously available on an old import CD in very incomplete form and in poor sound. This new release is taken from different original audience recorded mono master tape. Originally, the concert was long about 82 minutes. Producers decided to edit out 2:30 minutes of Elvis’ dialogue to fit the show on to one compact disc. However, no songs or instrumental band solos were edited. Elvis was in a particularly good mood and his high spirits were evident as he sung "Can't Help Falling In Love" as the second song of the show. This version was performed practically acapela and followed immediately by the closing vamp. Elvis acted like he was going to end the show and left the stage. However he came back immediately and continued with a short but complete "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again", a true live rarity. Elvis then showed his full vocal power in "Trying To Get To You", "You Gave Me A Mountain", and "Just Pretend" to name just a few of the highlights. He dedicates "How Great Thou Art" to his friend evangelist Rex Humbard and near the end of the show performs "My Way" by request for the first time since May 1974. He is unsure in the lyrics and he gets some help from his accompanying singer Sherrill Nielsen during the song which makes this particular performance very special too.

Track listing :

01. Also Sprach Zarathustra (A 2001 Space Odyssey Theme) - 02. See See Rider - 03. Can't Help Falling In Love (No.1) - 04. Closing Vamp (No.1) - 05. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again - 06. I Got A Woman / Amen (medley) - 07. Love Me - 08. Fairytale - 09. And I Love You So - 10. Trying To Get To You - 11. All Shook Up - 12. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel (medley) - 13. You Gave Me A Mountain - 14. Polk Salad Annie - 15. Band Introductions - 16. Johnny B. Goode - 17. Drums Solo (by Ronnie Tutt) - 18. Bass Solo (Blues by Jerry Scheff) - 19. Piano Solo (by Glen D. Hardin) - 20. School Day (No.1) - 21. School Day (No.2) - 22. Just Pretend (with 2 false starts) - 23. How Great Thou Art (with reprise) - 24. Softly As I Leave You (duet with Sherrill Nielsen) - 25. America (The Beautiful) - 26. Mystery Train / Tiger Man (medley) - 27. My Way (with false start, duet with Sherrill Nielsen) - 28. Blue Christmas - 29. Can't Help Falling In Love (No.2) - 30. Closing Vamp (No.2).

Approx. running time: 79:41