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Cuttin Loose In Tuscaloosa

December 24, 2003 | Music
For the review of this CD we can re-use the review we did for “One Night In Alabama” since it is the same concert (from probably the same source). That release was for some time available in regular shops in Europe, but also was a re-release of the Diamond Anniversary Editons release "Old Times They Are Not Forgotten”.

Design

The design by itself isn’t that bad, if Elvis had looked that way in 1976. The producers made it easy for themselves by using two wallpapers from the official EPE website for this illegal release. Inside we see some images of the concert, simply thrown together. The liner notes are a not too positive review of the show (one of the worst shows of the tour).

Content

This CD is a soundboard, so sound quality of this release is very good. You also hear the audience a bit, which is the missing element on some soundboards. There's a small technical problem between "See See Rider" and "I Got A Woman", but Elvis makes no problem of it, he just blames it on "J.D." The concert is a standard set for this tour, but you can hear Elvis is enjoying himself although he plays this standard set. You hear him react to the public. Also standard is the fooling around with JD on "I Got A Woman / Amen". Elvis saying "It wasn't too good" while you can hear somebody say "He's breaking the speakers" so JD had to do his trick again. Most standard songs get the "quickie treatment", but 'Jailhouse Rock is a fast and energetic version. On the ballads "If You Love Me", "You Gave Me A mountain" he does O.K. and on "Hurt" he lays down the best vocal performance of this concert while on "Mystery Train / Tiger man" you feel the energy coming out of your speakers. Elvis must be real busy on the stage you can't hear him all the time.

Conclusion

Although considered a bad concert (running about 60 minutes) it is really an average concert from 1976 in a very good quality. But to release it over and over again …
xavier wrote on December 30, 2003
Fantastic sound quality but Elvis is tired during this show !!!