This show took place in front of a sell-out crowd in Memphis, on August 16, 2002 in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Elvis' passing. It starred Elvis Presley (via video) joined by a large gathering of his former band and vocal groups.
ElvisNews review
Finally released officially on DVD is a performance from the “Elvis The Concert” tour; the 25th Anniversary Concert. Can we drop the fan releases?
Design
The design of this release is very simple, just a shot of the stage from the audience. Although I would have preferred the use of the actual 25th anniversary concert poster, this cover does show exactly what you get. A few liner notes (from Lisa Marie?) would have been nice too, after all this was a celebration concert and for many fans an historic event.
Content
More important than the image on the box is the content inside. Most of us have visited the “Elvis The Concert” tour one or more times. And indeed it is the closest thing to the original for many of us younger or non American fans.
This concert is an extract of the 25th Anniversary Concert and gives us basically the complete “Elvis The Concert” concert. We have reviewed that several times, so I won’t go into the concert itself, you can simply relive that experience by watching this DVD yourself.
Knowing the program of the actual 25th Anniversary Concert we have the first disappointment, why not bring us the complete concert?!? If this was filmed, so was the other half of the show. That additional material would have been great for the fans who could not attend that very special concert with the many additional artists and performances.
As for the presentation of the concert, we can only compliment the editors. The audio is very good, so is the video. Contrary to the live concert you see Elvis very clear in stead of on a bubbled screen. It is just like watching a real concert registration. Only Elvis hair due and the split screens with the old and new footage of the band members gives it away. The camera sometimes misses the solo’s, focusing on the wrong band member or performer. The second minor is that in between the songs they edited commends from Ronnie Tutt, Joe Guercio and others, that spoils the sequence. There is a bonus section in which the guys sit around and talk about the show, just leave it there.
We do wonder why the show is available through the EPE store only before releasing it worldwide January 2007. The complete product is available so why not press a "few" copies more.
Conclusion
A very fun release to experience the concert over and over again, unfortunately again an incomplete release, so hold on to the fan releases for the complete concert.
I'm almost half-way through this release and have to say it's quite *underwhelming.*
They've managed to take the "umph" out of an Elvis show. The band sounds thinner and more frail, lacking the power of the '70s. For instance, James Burton now has a different sound to his guitar. He still can play but it's so much more delicate and less, well, ballsy. It's great to see them all again, but some of the shots of the audience (including quite a few befuddled types, caught just staring at a TV monitor) serves to remind you that Elvis was indeed not on the stage in Memphis in 2002.
I think this is a neat curiosity, perhaps. But it manages to take so much away from the "Aloha" show. I really think the "Elvis the Concert" show is fine for audiences worldwide who never saw him (and I might see a stateside show if I could) but to watch a DVD of it is just a constant reminder that that it's a post-humous experiment, at more than 20 bucks, to boot!
So far, I have to say it's worse than I thought. I'll give it another chance, but I find it all very creepy, weird, and just not as good as the real original show(s). And you're right: I have to watch the other half of it, to be fair. But I'm rather dreading it. I can only watch this privately, as I'd be too embarrassed to watch it with my wife, who would surely say "what on earth have they done...?"
"Elvis Lives"? Well, when you put on the '68 comeback, or the Aloha show or "TTWII" or any DVD, official or import ('50s, any Star DVD), the viewer feels he is much more alive than one gets the feeling here.
You can safely pass on this one. For completists (like me?) only.
i am very surpirsed by the above comments. I think the DVD is wonderful and full of all the "Elvis excitement" of a live show. I saw the concert twice and enjoyed it both times. I have watched the DVD a dozen times and thinks it's even better. I work for a large electronics retailer and have played this DVD on a large plasma TV on a Saturday afternoon and have dozens of peole stop and watch. Sone were crying, some clapping, some dancing..all were smiling when they left. I even had customers come back a week later and say they wanted to see the end of the video. The consensus is in....Elvis the Concert is a hit with the masses.....
have to say that the biggest disappointment of this release was the interview segment clued into JBG. Otherwise – it has great sound and picture quality and is a true joy to watch.
Okay, here's the deal: The DVD is fine and dandy but it takes away from that Elvis Live experience. Especially, with the band members commentary overlapping the songs like "Burning Love and "Suspicious Minds".
Now, with that said, there's one person in this world that I know of other than Elvis Presley Enterprises that has the soundboard audio (Both Parts, No commentary) of all Elvis The Concert shows (including the 25th Anniversary Concert) and his name is John Grip. Yes, he is on Youtube with the same name. So, if you would like the original audio, let him know. Once he uploads it, I plan on making a revamped DVD of the 25th Anniversary Concert.
