A Greensboro Revolution!

By ElvisNews.com/ Lex,

August 23, 2008

Madison just released this CD with the subtitle Standing Room Only Tapes – Volume One. Well I listened to it on my behind, since there were seats available, but I guess that doesn’t really matter.

Design

Madison = design period. Just like other good things there are impersonations and different from Elvis imposters some are so close that you actually think “Hey that could be Madison”. Nonetheless with Madison you are sure to have quality.
This time they used a part of the movie poster of On Tour in their logo, a subtle reference to the origin of the material.

As always – in the case of Madison - the liner notes are well written. The booklet is decorated with mainly pictures of the actual show, but also some backstage and other candid shots. A couple of pictures are from other shows of this April tour. Next to the photos of The King there are nice memorabilia presented, like the poster of the Greensboro concert. I have to bow deep again for the designer of Madison!

Content

We had two outings of this show before. The original Vicky release – with which I was very glad at the time – will stay in my cabinet for historical reason from now on. The other I don’t have officially ;-) – since it’s a CDR (and I never bought the bootlegged CD of that one). Still I can say that I think the difference is very small, but I just like the balance in this one slightly better. It is more like a whole than the Triangle release, where you heard some of the instruments a bit too separately from the others. All together you can be sure you’ll get a show like a show is supposed to sound.

This April 14, 1972 Elvis was in top form, the Greensboro Coliseum must have been the greatest place on earth to be in that very day. Of course the show is well known by now, both from CD as (partly) from film. Everyone will have his or hers own favorites.

Mine are without any doubt Never Been To Spain, Hound Dog (slow blues start), A Big Hunk, Bridge Over Troubled Water and For The Good Times. Also Proud Mary, Polk Salad Annie (although I like the slower version better, but it doesn’t get as erratic as some of the versions of later years), Suspicious Minds, Trilogy, Burning Love, Release Me and Funny How Time Slips Away are very enjoyable. Even the other oldies are fun to listen too, of course they get the rush treatment already, but they do not sound as neglected as they sound in later years.

The backstage talk is a fun bonus, but I don’t get the value added of the unrepaired version of Bridge.

Conclusion

Certainly if you don’t have the Triangle CDR this outing is must. A great show brought in an even greater package by the top notch label Madison. Thankyouverymuch!

Tracklisting

01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra 1:04 ; 02. C.C. Rider 3:09 ; 03. Proud Mary 2:43 ; 04. Never Been To Spain 3:36 ; 05. You Gave Me A Mountain 3:13 ; 06. Until It's Time For You To Go 2:36 ; 07. Polk Salad Annie 3:14 ; 08. Love Me 1:35 ; 09. All Shook Up 1:00 ; 10. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 2:26 ; 11. Hound Dog 1:30 ; 12. Heartbreak Hotel 1:49 ; 13. A Big Hunk O' Love 2:00 ; 14. Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:13 ; 15. Suspicious Minds 4:48 ; 16. Love Me Tender 1:34 ; 17. Introduction of Vocalists, Musicians, Orchestra 1:21 ; 18. For The Good Times 3:08 ; 19. An American Trilogy 4:42 ; 20. Burning Love 2:44 ; 21. Release Me 3:03 ; 22. Funny How Time Slips Away 2:49 ; 23. Can't Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp 2:15

Bonus Tracks: 24. Backstage, Saturday, April 15, 1972, Macon, GA 0:59 ; 25. Bridge Over Troubled Water (unrepaired) 3:43

Total Time = 65:39

Ciscoking wrote on August 23, 2008

Excellent review..all is said..!!

Jesse Garon Presley wrote on August 23, 2008

indeed a nice review,well spoken : ) thnx

memphisflash53 wrote on August 24, 2008

Damn Lex, I'm blushing all over - and not a bad word about the cover either ;-)

bamche wrote on August 24, 2008

There are two cd's that has been released from this concert before and not on cdr. Sweet Carolina on Vicky records cd 0215. it came out around 1990 and the Greensboro concert on Triangle records tp 03002 some years later. How many times do we need to have the concert on cd?

Lefty wrote on August 24, 2008

The original Vicky release had overall good sound for a mono recording, although the volume output was low. The artwork, if you could call it that, was bare bones minium. Not one photo from the actual show. No liner notes. However, it was miles ahead of any audience recording. The Triangle release was indeed a CDR. The sound was fantastic, and the artwork outstanding. A canibal bootlegger released the Triangle version on a factory pressed CD in a digi-pack format. Talk about confusion on what to buy! Finally, Madison gives us the real McCoy. This is the release that should have been issued by BMG or FTD. I can't imagine FTD being able to do better at this point anyway. I am very pleased to have purchased this CD, and I can't wait for Volume 2.

Lex wrote on August 24, 2008

Memphisflash, believe me... I've searched for something negative (the inclusion of the 2nd Bridge was the only thing I could come up with). I love (or live) to stir up things... :-)

japio wrote on August 25, 2008

It's really a great release by madison.But i hope FTD and MGM/Turner wakes up and do a project on On tour.

I Saw the Light wrote on August 25, 2008

Don't get me wrong, great cd, cover and booklet, but some inferior things are popping up. For example, comparing to the Triangle edition, James Burton's guitar is really low in the mix, especially on 'Big Hunk O' Love'. It's painful to listen to.. I'm happy to have both cd's

Smile:-) wrote on August 25, 2008

Hmmm, interesting comment. Sad if this is true. I always would love to hear the core band more up front. Guitar, drums and bass. It gives more "punch" and rock feel to the whole thing. James Burton shoud be almost alongside Elvis' voice in the mix. Even the rythm guitar should be more "visible". Imagine Eric Clapton's guitar (or Jack White's for that matter) mixed down and "drowned" with the other instruments...

mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on September 03, 2008

We should have already had a set from On Tour,instead we have to sit and decide whats the best sounding import so we can have the next to best sound!

Greg Nolan wrote on September 17, 2008

Well, it's a Madison release - 'nuff said! I look forward to my copy.

KCP9000 wrote on September 21, 2008

I got this cd and love it! It's a great concert, Elvis was on fire! Despite the occasional sound feedback problems, this is a great listen. The one thing that keeps going through my mind is: "So the sound is so good because it was filmed for "Elvis On Tour?" If so, then when is this concert going to be remastered, both picture and sound, and then released on DVD? If you are like me, you are probably quite tired of the 8mm concert footage. So if there is a complete 1972 concert filmed in MGM quality, then for God's sake, clean it up and release it on DVD! Blue Ray even! Hell, release it to theaters!! IMAX!! What are they waiting for?

Raleighroadace wrote on September 22, 2008

KCP9000,I agree with everything you said.We need quality unreleased On Tour material to be released.I recently aquired the Through My Eyes dvd and thought it's unbelievable that this material is still not available as official release.

mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on September 23, 2008

Great overall package,sorry Ftd,you fell alseep on this one!

You Dont Know Me wrote on October 14, 2008

I enjoyed the sound on this CD but enjoyed the Richmond concert AFTER the introductions MUCH MORE because that part is sung with more care/meaning. So really i'll be playing my Richmond Madison release much more!