Viva Las Vegas - ElvisNews.com

Rating:

4.5 / 5

Released: 2007/07/30

by Sony/BMG

Soundtrack for the “Elvis: Viva Las Vegas,” ABC television special containing Elvis best live selections and an unreleased concert from August 21, 1969.

ElvisNews review

The latest collection of Sony/ BMG is dedicated to Elvis’ “Vegas Years”. Is it an essential release?

Design

The design is modern and consequently done. All black and white pictures have a golden touch, mostly the microphone (and its standard and wire). The liner notes by Colin Escott are a bit hard to read (especially the second page). The only information I missed was the exact show for CD 2. Only August 21, 1969 is mentioned (I don’t hear any forks or knifes, but I assume it is indeed the dinner show).

Content

In opposite to the US version the first CD has 19 tracks. “Proud Mary”, “I’ve Lost You” and “It’s Over” are added to the 16 US tracks. I still think it’s a bit strange to open a live CD with the title track, recorded in the studio 7 year before most of the other tracks. Maybe that’s just me, or a fan thing. Besides that I love the compilation, even so much I ripped the disc (except track 1) and put it on my MP3-player. The only little problem was that Windows Media Player recognized the CD as the US version, so I had to enter all titles myself...

Another little addition to the European version is a second CD. It contains the dinner show of August 21, 1969. What can I say about that? Maybe that I want them all? Even the fact that the shows do not differ very much can’t stop me from wanting that. Elvis at his very best will never bore me. Besides the casual song change the 1969 shows are very much alike. The most remarkable difference might be Hound Dog, which already got the “uh uh, hop two” treatment that it always got in later years. And... this disc too is recognized by Windows Media Player as the US version?!

By the way, the sound of both CDs is very good.

Conclusion

Most fans might want this, if only for the second CD. I’m still puzzled why there are two versions. For the casual buyer the second CD might be a bit too much maybe… even then it doesn’t make sense that the first CD has additional tracks in different countries. All I can add is that to my taste it is one of the better official products of this century, maybe even essential to those who want to explore Elvis' Las Vegas years.

Tracklisting

Colonel wrote on August 07, 2007

Great stuff here ! The first CD has previously released recordings, all in great sound and "Polk salad" has even the original mix, not the new one they did for the "On stage"-CD a.o. , haven't had a chance to listen to all the other songs, but I hope they also use original mixes as far as possible. The inclusion of "Viva Las Vegas" wasn't very clever imo. The '69 concert is very good (what did you expect?) but not the best one of those concerts. Elvis seems to be in a funny mood, but his laughing kinda takes the intensity from some songs. All in all finally a new great release from BMG/RCA. IMO this only works really well as a double CD, kinda like "From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis" (although "In person" of course can easily stand on it's own). 5 stars, great release, something everyone will treasure no matter if you're a new Elvis-fan or an old one who thinks he has heard everything.

Rating: 5 / 5

pasa-ryu wrote on August 29, 2007

i agree 100% with colonel above!-i had my copy of this great double cd set before it was released in the shops and was blown-away how good the unreleased show from august 21st 1969 and how electric elvis sounded(even though i think he was laughing a little to much at the show)and the first cd was very enjoyable even though we own all the tracks,it was great to have them together!-i wonder if rca/ftd/sony/bmg will ever release elvis' first ever ingagement at the international hotel?(july 31st 1969)..i got it on an import cd but the sound aint too good,it would be amazing to have an official release of elvis' first las vegas show from 1969.(only time will tell)Lastley:wouldn't it be superb if rca/bmg finaly released elvis' last ever las vegas perfomance from 1976?..it would be amazing tohear a decent soundboard "officially" of elvis presley's last las vegas show!-yet again..only time will tell..we know that the show was actualy recorded by rca.

Rating: 5 / 5

JerryNodak wrote on September 17, 2007

I really enjoy disc one. These songs have never sounded better. Disc 2 is the same old, same old '69 concert (even if it is unreleased).

Rating: 4 / 5

circleG wrote on December 24, 2009

talking of being 'ripped off', on the live 21st Aug 1969 concert as featured in the second cd, i've noticed certain tracks were lifted from the 22nd Aug show as featured in the FTD 'In Person' Cd. With both Cd's claiming to be 'complete' i'd say I've been 'ripped-off' (and probably be able to sue under some trading standards law heheh). Anyone else notice this?

Rating: 4 / 5