Elvis as Recorded at Boston Garden '71 (CD - FTD, 2010)

Title:

Elvis as Recorded at Boston Garden '71

Label:

FTD [FTD 095] [506020 975017 2]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

24

Running time:

58:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2010

Recording date:

November 10, 1971

Release date:

October 2010

Singles:

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Elvis as Recorded at Boston Garden '71 was FTD's ninety-fifth CD. It covers the November 10, 1971 show in Boston, Massachusetts. The work is currently out of print.

1971 started with good signs for Elvis, although there were doubts in the air. On January 8, the release of "Elvis Country" dominated stores and charts as he turned 36 and enjoyed his last three weeks of vacation before returning to the stage on the 26th in Las Vegas. The season ended on February 23rd and it was fantastic, bringing many new songs to his repertoire, but in return, his enthusiasm was clearly less than the previous year. In addition, he would only return to the stage in July, in his first season in Lake Tahoe.

The end of the first half of 1971, however, would be of little movement. Elvis would go to RCA Studio B in Nashville on March 15th and then stay out of it for exactly 2 months, returning to the studio almost forced to finish the second leg of his Nashville Marathon, which started in June 1970. Facts of his life personal, like the constant fights with Priscilla, also bothered him. Everything conspired for the enthusiasm revived in 1969 to slowly fade away.

In the midst of this, Felton Javis had the task of making Elvis feel like going anywhere to record a Christmas LP for the end of that year. To help set the mood, RCA even authorized Studio B to be decorated with Christmas motifs, including a giant tree, in the middle of May 1971. Everyone was wearing Santa hats and being in the festive spirit, but that was it. it wasn't enough to cheer Elvis up. Something was missing, a spark that was there in that same studio in June 1970 and now seemed to have gone out. In June, he finished his last studio recordings for that year.

The July season in Lake Tahoe brought some improvement in Elvis' mood and several excellent shows, despite his eye problems - the glaucoma was already starting to bother him - but not enough for him to forget that he was still in the middle of the desert of Nevada and close to the location that was already becoming a nuisance. This feeling of dissatisfaction with Las Vegas continued into the August / September season, which was even less enthusiastic than the January / February season. The year that started with a tone of optimism ended without recording sessions and without many shows performed.

November 1971 would prove that Elvis' problem was the routine of studio recordings and repeated Las Vegas performances. While the best shows of the post-1969 era undoubtedly took place in the summers of that year and 1970, this show from November 1971 stands out among the rest. For this period, it represents the first officially released recording of Elvis on the road - rather than in a Las Vegas showroom. It also serves to bridge the gap between his 1970 and 1972 live recordings.

Though this show only predateshis first 1972 season in Las Vegas by three months, the difference is sometimes staggering. At the end of 1971, Elvis still has some of the fire of 1969 and 1970 in him, as opposed to the subdued performances of early 1972. He interacted with the crowd and apparently still enjoyed himself, whereas at the beginning of the following year the singer seems to do little of it. both.

By comparison, Boston often feels like a mix of the August 1970 shows for "That's the Way it is" and the June 1972 shows at Madison Square Garden.

Below is our review of this CD.

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- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The show starts with the usual fanfare. Because it's an old-fashioned mono tape and not a multi-track, the audio clarity is impressive.

- 2. That's All Right: A powerful start with the sound of the crowd picked up by the microphones, giving you the emotion of being in a crowd of 15,500 that soundboards sometimes fail to capture. Elvis is in great shape.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis goes non-stop for the rendition, causing the band to lose track. He then says, "Don't tell me to wait a minute!" He's on fire and he wants to keep it that way! You can hear how the singer is really absorbing the band and backing vocals as the song plays.

- 4. Proud Mary: Without giving the band time to cool down, Elvis enters the song. The rendition is much better even than those released with remastered sound in other works.

- 5. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: The singer exudes energy during the rendition, despite skipping a line or two to address fans.

- 6. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin': The fast tempo of this show is fantastic. With an audio that privileges the orchestra and gives a lot of presence to the backing vocals, this is a sensational version of a song that had been lackluster for some time. Elvis calls conductor Joe Guercio's attention early on to take care of his musicians. Although it's a rendition that could be the envy of many others, the singer gets distracted and forgets the lyrics while interacting with his fans.

- 7. Polk Salad Annie: Elvis is in a very good mood here. He plays with the lyrics and tries to disrupt the band's tempo with his imitation of a southern preacher. The singer does a great job in this exceptional rendition and uses it deftly to get the crowd into a frenzy. Jerry Scheff plays the bass, Ronnie Tutt directs the drums, the horns are crisp and clear, and the crowd claps along to the backing vocals.

- 8. Instrumental: Elvis leaves the band playing the introductions' theme (Coming Back Home, Baby) alone while he interacts with fans and catches his breath.

- 9. Love Me: This is an excellent version, much more serious than usual. The fans go crazy.

- 10. Heartbreak Hotel: The audience is so euphoric with the beginning of this classic that the band stops and starts again. Elvis laughs as if he couldn't believe the excitement generated by a song that was already so beaten. He plays with the audience from start to finish.

- 11. Blue Suede Shoes: Apparently, from the audio and his laughs, Elvis is dancing like in the 1950s as he performs this hit.

- 12. One Night: Extremely rare in 1971, this being the second and last live performance that year, it has a nice blues rhythm and drives the audience crazy. When Elvis sings "just call my name", the fans shout back: "Elvis!"

- 13. Hound Dog: The version here gets the same treatment that would be common to 1972, starting slow and exploding into ferocious rock. The difference, for the better, is that it runs faster and with much more energy.

- 14. How Great Thou Art (Incomplete): "I'd like to do a Gospel song now featuring JD Sumner and The Stamps, called 'How Great Thou Art'." This delicious version only disappoints by having a fade at the 2 minute mark and ending there. The used tape, a C-60, reached its end and had to be turned over at that point.

- 15. Introductions (Incomplete): The beginning of the introductions was also not recorded for the reason explained above. Here we begin to listen as Elvis introduces Kathy Westmoreland, James Burton, Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff, Glen Hardin, John Wilkinson, Charlie Hodge, Joe Guercio and the town orchestra. It looks like he did the usual introductions of The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner and The Stamps early on.

- 16. I'm Leavin': "I have a record out called 'I'm Leavin' - I'm not going to sing it, I'm just going to do it!" This is such a great song - nearly Top 20 in the UK - that it's always nice to hear in concert, even if it's definitely not the best live version. This rendition is notable for being the last time Elvis sang it until he brought it back into the set in February 1973. The song was obviously a favorite of his, as he would continue to sing it until December 1975.

- 17. Bridge Over Troubled Water: Elvis is more passionate than ever in this rendition, dominating the vast auditorium. The crowd roars in thankfulness and Elvis must have felt it too, as he does a rare and lovely reprise. He sounds even more absorbed in the lyrics as he sings. It's a magical, powerful moment in the show and makes you really wish you'd been there in this Boston magnificence.

- 18. I Can't Stop Loving You: Even more extraordinary is how, without breathing, Elvis keeps the energy level high, going straight into the next song. The rendition is crowd-pleasing but lacks the 1970s sparkle, which is fine.

- 19. Love Me Tender: Elvis does a standard rendition, but with a little more concentration than usual. He still kisses and gives fans scarves, in addition to making his sexual puns with the lyrics.

- 20. Suspicious Minds: Here Elvis jokes more with the crowd and loses concentration, singing, "Where did my mind went?" After a bit of karate chops, Elvis is on his knees and pleading with the crowd, "I hope these pants don't rip. Lord have mercy!" The audience's response is evidence that this was still a showstopper.

- 21. Elvis Talks: "Thank you. I'd like to turn the house lights up, ladies and gentlemen, and take a look at you, okay?" After a few seconds he says, "You're beautiful, thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed our show tonight, folks."

- 22. Funny How Time Slips Away: A great calm and bluesy version follows. When Elvis sings "gotta go now", the female fans scream hysterically: "No!"

- 23. Can't Help Falling in Love: Elvis is leaving and it's amazing to think how he managed to create such an impactful and wonderful show in just one hour.

- 24. Closing Vamp: The fanfare announces the end of the show, but the different instrumentation even makes it a spectacle. At the end, almost in a fade, we hear the famous phrase: "Elvis has left the building."

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