Search - Elvis Presley :: One Night in Vegas

Fantastic concert

Marc Haegeman | Gent, Belgium | 02/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the most agreeable releases by the Follow That Dream label to date, featuring Elvis Presley's opening night concert in Las Vegas on August 10, 1970. With the previously available recordings of other concerts from this stint ("That's The Way It Is", "Live in Vegas" box sets) this CD might have long lost its originality, but definitely not its impact.

Several songs were performed here live for the first time ("Something", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "I Just Can't Help Believing", "I've Lost You", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling") and with the Joe Guercio Orchestra making its debut on this occasion even the familiar songs received new arrangements. The band is superb and Elvis' full-blooded performance belies the often repeated remark that Vegas was an artistic non-event in his career. Among the highlights of "One Night in Vegas" are the opening "That's Allright", "Mystery Train/Tiger Man", "Polk Salad Annie", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". A true live rarity is "The Next Step is Love".



The sound is great (it's not a soundboard, but one of the recordings by RCA for the "Elvis, That's The Way It Is" movie), the mix excellent. With five rehearsal cuts in slightly lesser sound quality this CD runs over 72 minutes.

Highly recommended."

That's the way it was

Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 08/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a complete live concert recorded August 10, 1970. It is recorded from a soundboard and is of excellent sound quality. Elvis and his band give the crowd a great performance. Of course, it is a very similar concert to many other concerts he performed around the same time. Several other concerts from this era are already on CD, so it is up to you if you need another one. As a bonus five rehearsal songs are included at the end of the CD. Here is the complete track listing:1. Opening Riff
2. That's All Right
3. Mystery Train/Tiger Man
4. Talk
5. I Can't Stop Loving You
6. Love Me Tender
7. The Next Step Is Love
8. Words
9. I Just Can't Help Believin'
10. Something
11. Sweet Caroline
12. You've Lost That Loving Feeling
13. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
14. Polk Salad Annie
15. I've Lost You
16. Bridge Over Troubled Water
17. Patch It Up
18. Can't Help Falling In Love
19. Words
20. Cattle Call/Yodel
21. Twenty Days and Twenty Nights
22. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
23. Bridge Over Troubled Water"

"Elvis For Everyone" for the '70s

Phil S. | USA | 09/21/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you own "Elvis Presley - 'That's The Way It Is'" CD Special Edition, and you're not a serious completist, then maybe you could put this one on your Christmas list.

I'm a serious EP *Collector*, not Completist, but I surely don't regret buying this speciality item fresh from the soundboard (in 1970). All the instruments have presence, the fidelity is fine - though the overproduction sometimes lends to a more "commercial" mix.

Elvis' voice is splendid on this release. Looking back, it seems that a decision was made to use his fill voice-box on stage (and in the studio) -the movie years and other considerations brought out that relaxed, crooning style so effective on the intimate ballads, and sometimes wrong for uptempo.

On the joyous B-side beat ballad, "The Next Step Is Love", with "period" lyrics typical of writers like Jimmy Webb or Mac Davis, with enough interpretive romantic resonance in 1970 to underscore a 2007 advert. for underarm deodorant). This tune could have found a nice permanent spot on any middle-of-the-road warbler's contracted album at the time, but Presley does something so magical with it that a casual fan could be turned into a deep fan by the time he sings the line "so what are we waiting for?.... Yeah, maybe Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, or Jackie Wilson could have brought it up a few decibels, but Elvis Presley dwarfs all real or imagined competition. It's especially effective in the movie documentary, of which this release is a companion.

Of course, "I Just Can't Help Believing", is perhaps one of the greatest-ever "cover" versions of a big hit. It was the "centerpiece" of the movie; mysteriously ommitted from the later special edition on VHS/DVD.

It's nice to have the "Sun Records" tribute "Mystery Train/Tiger Man" as track two. Like many old-time fans, I wish he did alot more of these R & B transformed rockabillies.

Holding that thought, there's probably a good number of fans not exactly thrilled over noting the other non-funky covers here, of Neil Diamond, The Righteous Brothers, Dusty Springfield. Man, where did I read that Carl Perkin's "Matchbox" was targeted for the set list, way back when?"