Best track on "On stage" LP 1970

[dreambear]

A new year and new polls! Could it be better?

This album with 8 1970 recordings and 2 from 1969 is probably the most rocking album that Elvis did in the 70´s and the singing performances are splendid. A raw edge to the harder songs and the ballads is very well done. But still there is a problem that I couldn´t really figure out for a long time. After a while I decided that it must be the drumming from Bob Lanning, most notably on C.C Rider and Proud Mary. There something lacking in the swing that Tutt made better (and the original CCR recording of Proud Mary). But he makes a great job on "Release me" and "Walk a mile in my shoes". "CC Rider" is a great choice and the singing is great, but the song as whole would be sounding better in the future. My favourite version is from Hampton Roads in april 1972. "Release me" as a song, isn´t my cup of tea, but Elvis does the impossible mission here and makes my feet tapping. Next up is "Sweet Caroline". Neil Diamond has in my opinion done quite many songs that´s better than this one (including "And the grass won´t pay no mind). Back to 1969 and Elvis treats us with "Runaway". A special thank´s to the one who decided to NOT play the organ solo from the original...Otherwise a good version. Then we have the monster hit from the record: "The wonder of you" (a no 1 UK hit for many weeks). It would set the standard for the typical 70´s ballad by Elvis. Of course a great version. But the favourite on the record is "Polk Salad Annie". Elvis made an anthem of this swamp rocker. Must have been a treat for the audience, especially in 1970. "Yesterday" is well done, but is hardly the most interresting song choice from the Beatles songbook. There are probably 2000 other versions too. A version of "Eleanor Rigby" with the "In the ghetto"-voice would have been a bit more interresting. As I wrote, "Proud Mary is a bit stiff musically. Vocally it´s great, but I stick to the original recording. "Walk a mile in my shoes" swings like Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Sonny Liston together (thank you Tom Petty for the names above, used in the song "Swingin´" from the 1999 album "Echo"). A favourite. The album finishings with "Let it be me", a track almost as good as "The wonder of you".

A lot of artists, like Bryan Ferry, does cover albums some time in their career and this must be the cover album of Elvis and is almost a perfect one, but something is missing. I still believe that it is part Bob Lanning, part one or two songs that isn´t on my top list, but probably is on some others list.

Vote on!

//Björn

[familyjules]

Reading through that tracklisting I realise that this wasn't one of Elvis's best. I really don't need to hear him sing Yesterday, Runaway, Release Me or The Wonder Of You. They sounded a bit middle of the road by the end of the 60s. The expanded CD edition really improved this album think.

I voted for Walk A Mile In My Shoes, but it could easily have been Proud Mary, Sweet Caroline or Polk Salad Annie. The rest of the record I can take or leave.

Jules

[JerryNodak]

My favorite track on this album has always been "The Wonder Of You." M-O-R
though it may be. I like a lot of the tracks including "Polk Salad." In fact, this is my favorite version because he sings it straight without lapsing into that hut, 2, 3 I learned that in the Amry routine. I was glad when he dropped the spoken opening for the MSG album.

[Rob]

Rough decision. However, "Let It Be Me" is one that I've always loved, and Elvis took it out of his show way too soon.

I love that 2nd Vegas engagement. Any show that features "Let It Be Me," "Don't Cry Daddy" and "Kentucky Rain" has to be a good show.

[Joe Car]

On Stage holds a special place for me, my first EP album I ever heard and bought as a 12 year old boy in 1970. Classic EP and the best ever, Polk Salad!

[Mike Eder]

I like every track the 2-70 season is my very favorite and mixed with a couple of 69 tracks it can't miss. The mix is way better on the original but I am a vinyl guy anyways. Not that I don't like hearing the other songs. I picked Polk Salad but I love Walk A Mile and See See Rider a lot too. The one track I will defend is Proud Mary. I think this version kicks. As much as I like Tutt, Bob Lanning to my ears was just as fantastic.

[drjohncarpenter]

Reading through that tracklisting I realise that this wasn't one of Elvis's best.

Have you tried listening to it?

On Stage - February 1970 is the single best live album released by Elvis in the 1970s. The band is hot and tight, and Elvis' engagement on every single number is off the charts. Certainly, some of the material might have been better left to others, but the energy and the rock edge from the dynamic 1968 TV Special was still there. What a wonderful time to be an Elvis Presley fan.

Running down the selections, with annotations in red ->

C. C. Rider - best Presley version, by a mile
Release Me - ballsy take on 1967 Engelbert hit
Sweet Caroline
Runaway - superb cover of 1961 Shannon classic
The Wonder Of You - outstanding reworking of Peterson single from 1959
Polk Salad Annie - best Presley version, by a mile, nearly the equal of Tony Joe's 1969 hit
Yesterday
Proud Mary - decent performance of 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival perennial
Walk A Mile In My Shoes - definitive look at Joe South tune, so much so it served as title of 70s box
Let It Be Me - gorgeous arrangement of beloved ballad, Elvis is sublime

[Mike Eder]

Good review

[drjohncarpenter]

I agree with the Doc, Elvis' best live album of the 70's.

Thanks -- I do what I can!

[Liverbobs]

Fantastic album which helped convert me to being an Elvis fan, again, inclined to agree with the Doc's post.

[Pete Dube]

Tough decision, but I went with Walk a Mile In My Shoes. I wish he'd kept the number in the shows for a longer time. The album also features the definitive (by Elvis) versions of Polk Salad Annie and See See Rider.

[Rich_TCB]

Best track on "On stage" LP 1970

My choice is: Polk Salad Annie

Rich

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

I agree with Doc's mini-review - including his charitable silence about a few numbers. I voted for "C.C. Rider" as its my favorite "get up and get going" song to hear when I'm going to work or just in the mood for a boost. But I love nearly all of this under-rated album. "Polk Salad.." is right up there for me as well.

It was one of the last Elvis albums I bought - sometime in the late '80s I finally picked it up after having just about all the others, so I was taken aback at the time by the quality of so many of the songs, especially those that became a bit routine later, however good they were .



From a rock-only perspective albums like this and ""That's the Way It Is" are seen or were seen as some kind of betrayal, but I hear them as a more mature Elvis - a man in his 30s in adult relationsships- able to tackle all sorts of pop material.

Elvis never was merely "the King of Rock and Roll" but really one of the most diverse, much beloved voices ever and an album like this spotlight all his talents.

[Pete Dube]

From a rock-only perspective albums like this and ""That's the Way It Is" are seen or were seen as some kind of betrayal, but I hear them as a more mature Elvis - a man in his 30s in adult relationsships- able to tackle all sorts of pop material.

I hear ya Greg, but there is a bit of a difference between On Stage and TTWII. OS rocks overall, TTWII is ballad heavy. Had Elvis rocked as hard and as often on his 70's studio albums as he did on OS (and the material been as consistently strong) his sales wouldn't have dropped so dramatically. Ironically, Elvis' best and most successful 70's studio lp, Elvis Country, featured some great rocking performances.

[familyjules]

Reading through that tracklisting I realise that this wasn't one of Elvis's best.

Have you tried listening to it?

Yeah and I still stand by what I wrote. Half the album I love and half of it is made up of songs that I don't really enjoy Elvis singing. The expanded CD adds a bunch of tracks that I do like Elvis singing though, so ultimately the CD works well for me where the original LP didn't so much.

Jules

[ColinB]

But what did The Doc think of Sweet Caroline & Yesterday ?

I think we should be told !

[sylvain]

polk salad Annie

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

From a rock-only perspective albums like this and ""That's the Way It Is" are seen or were seen as some kind of betrayal, but I hear them as a more mature Elvis - a man in his 30s in adult relationships- able to tackle all sorts of pop material.

I hear ya Greg, but there is a bit of a difference between On Stage and TTWII. OS rocks overall, TTWII is ballad heavy. Had Elvis rocked as hard and as often on his 70's studio albums as he did on OS (and the material been as consistently strong) his sales wouldn't have dropped so dramatically. Ironically, Elvis' best and most successful 70's studio lp, Elvis Country, featured some great rocking performances.

Oh, I agree, Pete, but I think it was Likethebike in one of his reviews who pointed out that TTWII is actually a very adult album about relationships, etc, abeit a departure from rock. I recall thinking when I finally got it (also one of the last main albums I ever bought that it was a bit dreary for my tastes - at that time, more geared to rock - and of course, I was probably 19 when I finally got it!

Just out of curiousity, FamilyJules (welcome back, by the way: I know you were gone for awhile), from your comments, I suppose you think of the '70s as a relative failure for Elvis in regards to your rock-oriented tastes..?

[familyjules]

Just out of curiousity, FamilyJules (welcome back, by the way: I know you were gone for awhile), from your comments, I suppose you think of the '70s as a relative failure for Elvis in regards to your rock-oriented tastes..?

No, not at all. I'm not even sure I have rock-oriented tastes really. I just prefer Elvis when he stays the right side of 'cheese'.

My favourite period of Elvis is 1969 - mid 70s. I like the big ballads most of all and TTWII is my favourite Elvis album. I do enjoy On Stage, it's just the choice of some of his covers that doesn't hit the mark for me. Most of the Nashville songs from 1970, on the other hand, I enjoy tremendously. There are the obvious stinkers, but mostly I love Elvis doing that big ballad soft rock thing.

Jules

[Rob]

Polk Salad Annie - best Presley version, by a mile, nearly the equal of Tony Joe's 1969 hit

This Elvis version easily outstrips the TJW version by a mile. The delivery is top notch by both the band and the singer.

I missed Doc's little comment there.

I didn't even like the song until I heard Elvis do it. That February 1970 version is unbeatable -- even by the originator.

[drjohncarpenter]

... inclined to agree with the Doc's post.

I agree with Doc's mini-review

What can I say? Thank you, gentlemen! I am always happy to share my wealth of knowledge and good judgment.

But what did The Doc think of Sweet Caroline & Yesterday ?

I think we should be told !

You were told, ColinB.

[Pete Dube]

But what did The Doc think of Sweet Caroline & Yesterday ?

I think we should be told !

Colin, in his review Doc wrote "Certainly some of the material might have been better left to others." Then, unlike the other songs, he offered no comments for Sweet Caroline and Yesterday. Conclusion: These are the songs that Doc feels were better left to others.
Sometimes ya gotta extrapolate.

[drjohncarpenter]

Sometimes ya gotta extrapolate.

Apparently, ColinB only extrapolates with the "Alizee" topic.

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

But what did The Doc think of Sweet Caroline & Yesterday ?

I think we should be told !

You were told, ColinB.

Silence speaks volumes!

For the record, I still like the song "Sweet Caroline" in its own right -although it's been (re)over-exposed of late during the Red Sox' reign in baseball. It's a bit cloying but it gets to me sometimes. The problem is that Neil Diamond owns it so it's a bit like Elvis covering BJ Thomas' sticky original of "Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head" from the same era or just about anything by Frank Sinatra in that it will always be a Frank song he'd be covering - with the possible exception of "My Way."

As for Colin, on the "Alizee" thread, he's in his best element - our genial master of ceremonies..!

[ColinB]

...As for Colin, on the "Alizee" thread, he's in his best element - our genial master of ceremonies..!

Actually, I'm quite good at 'extrapolation' too !

On the 'Alizee' thread or anywhere else................................