A new release with an old title; the Rainbow Records import label re-issued Elvis’ last stage performance with the same title as the original vinyl release of this bootleg; “The Final Farewell”. Is it the final release of Elvis’ final concert?
Design
Compared with the original release of this concert on The A.J. label with the fitting title “Adios” the design of this package is from a different class. A full-color 20 pages booklet with over sixty pictures of our man – he doesn’t look too bad on several images for 1977 – before the show, back and on stage, decorated with memorabilia. The booklet contains info on Elvis in 1977, the show, the Market Square Arena and the Pacers who played the home basketball games there. The one thing missing is a few words on the actual show and the pre-show featured on the first disc of this set.
It comes with a poster, nice package wise, but where am I going save that one in my collection because 1 it doesn’t fit the jewel case and 2 I’m not going to hang an image of Elvis from June 26, 1977 on my wall, how well designed it is. A slipcase could have been a nice solution to keep the complete package.
Content
This set contains some recordings from the pre-show on the first disc and the concert itself on a second disc. When I put the first CD on I was pleasantly surprised when I heard my own language; Dutch. So Elvis did not only have a Dutch manager, there were a few Dutchmen taping his show for us follow fans.
Although it is nice to hear the pre-show from an historical point of view because it was part of the total experience, I doubt I will play it again any day soon since it isn’t really my thing. Elvis sure had a mixed pre-show lined up for his show. I wonder why he never had a “battle of the voices” between the “JD – how low do you wanna go - Sumner” and “Squeaking Nielsen”.
The second disc contains what would be Elvis’ last live performance before his untimely death a few weeks later. “Thanks” tot the infamous CBS Television Special we have a “clear” image of what the performance must have been like. But listening to it again after a long time and without the images it is actually not as bad as I had in mind, our man even does an unrehearsed “Please Release Me” and “Bridge Over Trouble Water” which he hadn’t done in a while. But this “positive” experience could also be due to a bit of melancholy clouding the experience since we know this would be Elvis’ final farewell on stage. In addition to the previous releases of this concert a few fragments are back or left in where the originally belonged.
Below you can find the complete review of the show as written by Johnny Savage a few years back.
But the most important upgrade for this package is the audio. For an audience-recording the sound is good. As with audience recording you get the show as heard by the audience. With them closest to the microphone they are clearly present in the sound, Elvis is more in the back. The first few tracks sound a bit hollow – like listening through a big tube -, this gets better during the show. But even running the tape through modern equipment can’t change an audience recording from what it is.
Conclusion
The conclusion as written by Johnny Savage when he reviewed the “Adios” release a few years matches this release with the upgraded package and sound, just replace “Adios” with “The Final Farewell”. “For anyone wishing to possess a complete show from 1977, 'Adios' is more than adequate. If you want to own a piece of history, this disc is essential”.
From the FECC Forum:
For the fans who still don’t know if they should get this re-issue, perhaps the comparison poster “Vince” posted on the For Elvis CD Collectors forum comparing the content of this CD and the “Adios” release.
First nota : I noticed a difference of speed between the two recordings, « The Final Farewell » is slower during the first 55 minutes. I also found a few glitches on « The Final Farewell » that may be due to the digital mastering (?). The right channel is higher than the left one, like if only the gain was increased (channels were not normalized in my opinion).
00.00 > 00.18 : audience [not on « Adios »]
00.18 > 01.39 : (1.39) Also Sprach…
01.39 > 06.43 : (5.04) C.C. Rider
06.43 > 15.28 : (8.45) I Got A Woman / Amen
15.28 > 18.35 : (3.07) Love Me
18.35 > 21.44 : (3.09) Fairytale
21.44 > 25.34 : (3.50) You Gave Me A Mountain
25.34 > 28.12 : (2.38) Jailhouse Rock
28.12 > 33.00 : (4.48) O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never
33.00 > 34.54 : (1.54) Little Sister
34.54 > 37.32 : (2.38) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel
37.32 > 41.04 : (3.32) Release Me
41.04 > 43.46 : (2.42) I Can’t Stop Loving You
43.46 > 48.41 : (4.55) Bridge Over Troubled Water
48.41 > 52.21 : (3.40) Band Introductions [« Adios » edited near 02.50 of it]
52.21 > 54.17 : (1.56) Early Mornin’ Rain
54.17 > 55.15 : (0.58) What’D I Say [« Adios » edited 00.14 of the speech at the end]
55.15 > 56.45 : (1.40) Johnny B. Goode [« Adios » edited 00.12 of the speech & 00.02 of the audience at the end]
56.45 > 59.08 : (2.23) Drum Solo
59.08 > 60.46 : (1.38) Bass Solo
60.46 > 62.02 : (1.16) Piano Solo
62.02 > 63.45 : (1.43) I Really Don’t Want To Know
63.45 > 64.49 : (1.04) Electric Clavinet Solo
64.49 > 66.32 : (1.43) Joe Guercio Orchestra
66.30 > 69.02 : (2.32) Hurt [« Adios » edited 00.14 of the start of the song, and during 00.04 the presentation by Elvis and audience before the first « Hurt » sung by Elvis are mixed together]
69.02 > 70.43 : (1.41) Hound Dog
70.43 > 74.16 : (3.31) Introduction Of Friends & Family
74.16 > 76.03 : (1.47) Can’t Help Falling In Love
76.03 > 76.31 : (0.28) Closing Vamp [« Adios
The souvenir announcement is not included (It is available on the « Last Farewell », more than 105 additional seconds).
To conclude, “Adios” edited some speeches and audience crazy response, probably to have a better listening experience of the last gig of the King.
Original review of the show (“Adios" release):
The last farewell, the grand goodbye, this is Elvis Presley's last 71 minutes on a stage. One of the most influential and incredible performers of the 20th century sings his final nineteen songs for an adoring and supportive audience of 18,000 in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Market Square Arena, June 26, 1977. It's a sobering, melancholy experience.
The main June tour was a short nine day stretch that began in Springfield, Missouri and included the taping of the now-infamous 'Elvis In Concert' special for CBS-TV in Omaha, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota. In Indianapolis, as on virtually any show he gave in 1977, Elvis sounds very tired -- frankly, he shouldn't have been performing at all, as the video evidence of the afore-mentioned TV special bears out. Comparing his efforts here to even the previous December shows how far the standard had fallen. In just seven weeks, Elvis Presley would die at his home in Memphis.
Perversely, 'Adios', given a