Elvis In Concert

In June of 1977 Elvis Presley arranged to have one of his concerts recorded and broadcast on CBS network television. The show was also recorded to be released as a live album, the first in many years. It wasn't a special night, it just happened to be the last stop on the first leg of the 1977 tour. Elvis didn't look well; he was obviously tired. His once-svelte, dangerous form was hugely bloated, a terrible parody of himself. The spangled jumpsuit he wore bore a sun symbol stretched across his chest, a horrible choice for his size. But his voice, despite sounding as tired as he looked, was still pure. He was still Elvis, and his audience still loved him, no matter what he looked like. He was their sun god, their idol, and he was showing his human side. Showing his failings made them love him even more. He never wanted to be more than just human. Just a man. The show was not broadcast, and the album was not released, until after August 16, 1977, that fateful day some of us still remember with surprising detail. Added to the show was an emotional thank you from Vernon Presley, Elvis' father, for all the cards and letters received by the family since Elvis' death. The album was stretched to a double LP with the addition of tracks gleaned from the entire final tour, including songs such as 'O Solo Mio/It's Now or Never', 'I Got A Woman', 'Trying To Get To You', 'Little Sister', and 'And I Love You So'. This album is not a standout Elvis concert. What it is, however, is a vitally important piece of Elvis lore; a necessary slice of his overall history. People who loved only the young Elvis and despised what he became in this final year do themselves a disservice. Elvis singing 'You Gave Me A Mountain' is a majestic experience, as you can see and feel him climbing each and every mountain, mountains you know well he put in front of himself through his own failings. This album also lacks many of Elvis' live standards, such as 'An American Trilogy' and 'Suspicious Minds'.But what it does have is one of his final singles, 'My Way', a powerful sendoff from the King, and his final farewell before the end, 'We'll meet you again. May God bless you. Adios'. As though he knew what was coming, Elvis had never before ended a concert with 'goodbye'