Sold Out In Dixie
Live
Content
Opening Theme
See See Rider
I Got A Woman/ Amen
Love Me
If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
Love Me Tender
All Shook Up
Teddy Bear/ Don't Be Cruel
Hound Dog
The Wonder Of You
Burning Love
Introductions
School Days
Bridge Over Troubled Water
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
I'll Remember You
Let Me Be There
An American Trilogy
Funny How Time Slips Away
Little Darlin'
Mystery Train/ Tiger Man
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp
Reviews
What strikes you first about this one, is the beautiful artwork. Nice pictures of Elvis in true color in front and on the back. Inside there are two pictures of Elvis just seconds before this concert.
The cover says that this CD contains the entire concert from Mobile. I wonder, do these people think that we are somewhat stupid or what. It is definitely not the complete concert, and that is very easy to point out (e.g. ..she is louder than I am, but I got the microphone..). 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' - 'See See Rider' and 'I Got A Woman' are from Steamroller Blues (Fort Baxter), though the sound is mixed quit a lot (to the better I think).
Rock Legends lets the Mobile show start half through in 'Amen'. This edit is not one of the best I have heard, the rhythm pattern of 'Amen' is broken, but it is ok. What bothers me, though, is that they have edited the Memphis concert too. And this is utterly pathetic. Elvis has just finished 'See See Rider' before he (on this CD) start with 'Well, Well...' - 'I Got A Woman'.
Rock Legends have given us some great bootlegs during the last two years. Night Fever in Vegas, Hello Memphis and especially From Louisiana To Tennessee, is great. On the bootleg I'll Remember You they tried to tell us that the concert is from August 15 1972, when in fact it is a concert from September 4th (The year 1972 is correct, though). Also the bonus track from this one, I bet is not from Alexandria 1977 as stated, but that is another story. The point is that Rock Legends seems to try to fool us, and that is not necessary. They will not succeed either.
On to the concert again. This is in general a typic Elvis in June 1975 - concert. Like the 'Deep Down South' (King Records), 'Live In Dallas' (From EAP Silver box), 'Cut 'em Down To Size' (Pegasus) and finally 'Let Me Take You Home' (DAE Anniversary) Elvis is in a very good mood. He sings well, although not as concentrate as in early Las Vegas 1975. It is a joy listening to Elvis, because you can feel that this man is enjoying himself on stage.
'Love Me' is of standard '75 quality. Better than it would be later, but not treated with same respect as in the early 70's. 'If You Love Me' is also nice. 'Love Me Tender' is in fact better than on the aforementioned June concerts. He is of course busy with some girls during the song, but not as much as usual. Nice version!
'All Shook Up' to 'Hound Dog' is standard, although Elvis gives a little extra in the beginning of Hound Dog.
'The Wonder Of You' and 'Burning Love' is better than usual. In fact Elvis manage to remember the lyrics to the latter one. Not everyday...I only wish that this song would go along in a little less up tempo beat.
'Brigde Over Troubled Water' is great! Man, can Elvis sing "Bridge".... This version is better than the one from June 3rd (On Deep Down South). It is a pitty that the sound on this song is not as good as on the rest of the show (a lot of noise in the beginning). T-R-O-U-B-L-E' is also very good. Again, Elvis remember every word of this tongue twisting song. 'I'll Remember You' and 'Let Me Be There' is good versions. No surprises, but quality all the way.
'American Trilogy' is not performed like Elvis used to do. This version reminds of the version from June 10th (Let Me Take You Home). It is quiet clear that Elvis is tired of the "normal" version of this song, and it is not surprising that Elvis soon would take out this song of his repertoire. You really get the impression that Elvis is somewhat bored with it. Anyway, this version is not bad at all, just different. It was in fact here i Mobile, Alabama, that Elvis two years later would sing 'Trilogy' for the last time (June 2nd 1977).
The concert ends with 'Funny...Little Darlin', Mystery Train' and of course 'Cant' Help Falling In Love'. All in all a very pleasant concert.
The sound on this bootleg is from the deskboard, so it is good all in all. There is however a problem in the mixing. The sound "come and goes" a little bit, and also there is a lot of noise. This is annoying, due to the fact that it otherwise would have been perfect (So close, yet so far away...). It is familiar, but better than the Deep Down South concert. Much better than Live in Dallas and the 'flat' Cut 'em Down To Size, but not as well balanced as Let Me Take You Home.
Another thing is that you sometimes get the impression that Rock Legends had like 2 or 3 different sources to work with, because there are splits here and there. Maybe it is only feedback (e.g. before I'll Remember You').
All in all you should buy this one. If you have one or two of the other mentioned CD's, this one offers no real surprises, but this is Elvis at his almost best! Also the cover knocks you out (The best of them all?)
Somebody should shake up Rock Legends a little bit though. As said by others, they ought to be ashamed for trying to fool us. Try to fool us one more time, and it could be the very end.
Reviewed by Oven Egeland, Norway.
2nd Review
The package is really great, featuring very nice pictures of Elvis in the Indian jumpsuit. This concert was recorded from the soundboard, so the sound quality is absolutely fantastic, when you turn up the volume you get the idea you are in the auditorium yourself and that is what we all want., don't we ???.
There is one negative thing about this cd, See see rider, I got a woman are not from the Mobile concert, they were taken from the Live in Memphis album from March 20 1974, afternoon show, the producers edited the sound a bit. Maybe the first two songs of the Mobile concert were not recorded, but why do the producers try to fool us fans, they won't succeed. (shame on them)
The Mobile concert really starts just before Amen (they did a good editing job, I must say). I have compared several recordings and I come to the conclusion that the first two songs were recorded in Memphis march 20 1974, afternoon show. I would like to know if anyone else comes to the same conclusion.
Back to the concert, after Amen Elvis introduces himself as Wayne Newton and talks about the afternoon show they gave and launches into Love me. This song has energy, the summer of 1975 is one Elvis' best live periods, Elvis got a lot of energy, jokes a lot, in general a man who loves what he is doing. A good rendition of If you love me ... follows and even Love me tender is treated with respect and sounds good. All shook up/Teddy bear/Don't be cruel sounds as always and after this Hound dog comes up, and don't think it's a throwaway version, because it's NOT, it really rocks.
Elvis jokes about singing and drinking water at the same time and then starts a good rendition of The wonder of you. A good rocking Burning love is next which is followed by the band introductions. Nothing really special here, however it's fun to hear Elvis talking with the audience. Johnny B. Goode is a suprise, because Elvis just sings the chorus, for the rest it's instrumental. The usual drum-,bass- and piano solo's follows and Schooldays brings an end to the band introductions.
After uttering " Bridge " Bridge over troubled is performed, and what a performance it is: beautiful!!!!!!. T.R.O.U.B.L.E. is rocking as ever and then Elvis announces I'll remember you from the Aloha from Hawaii special. It's a very well sung version and for me this is a better version then the well known Aloha-version. An up tempo version of Let me be there is next and " Trilogy " is performed really beautiful. Elvis performs the song with a lot of convidence. ( again I must say it's better then the Aloha-version ) The lights are turned up and that means: Funny how time slips away. Little Darlin' wraps it up if it wasn't for someone in the audience who requests Mistery train/Tiger man which sounds o.k. Elvis signs off with Can't help falling in love.
If you want to hear Elvis in a period of his life in which he is enjoying what he is doing, you should really by thi