Shakin' Up the Great Lakes (CD - Fort Baxter, 2006)

Title:

Shakin' Up the Great Lakes

Label:

Fort Baxter [FB CS-1003]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

28

Running time:

75:00

TYpe of album:

Concert

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2006

Recording date:

April 24 & 26, 1977

Release date:

2006

Singles:

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Shakin' Up the Great Lakes is a CD released in 2006 by the record label Fort Baxter. It includes soundboard recordings of shows performed by Elvis in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, both in Michigan, on April 24 and 26, 1977, respectively.

In 1977, Elvis was at a low point. His setlist became quite stagnant and his shows were often superficial at best. After the excitement and newfound high energy of the December 1976 shows, in early 1977 he dropped rapidly and gained the weight he had recently lost.

In January, the singer showed little interest in finishing songs for his next album at Nashville's Creative Studios. Perhaps it was his concern over the tell-all book being written by his former bodyguards or perhaps the novelty of his new relationship with Ginger Alden had worn off.

Desperate for new music, Felton Jarvis, Elvis' producer, went on tour from March to May 1977 to try to record new material live. These recordings eventually provided three songs for the "Moody Blue" LP, as well as being used for FTD's "Spring Tours '77" compilation.

Elvis' first tour in 1977 had 10 shows, starting in Hollywood, Florida, on February 12th and ending in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the 21st of the same month. Unfortunately, with Elvis having gained weight and being exhausted, things would be much worse from now on, but there were still great performances like in Charlotte on February 20th, released by FTD in 2007 as "Unchained Melody".

In releasing the "Spring Tours '77" CD in 2002, FTD had the opportunity to select the best live recordings of Felton Jarvis from the spring of 1977, which created an interesting, if somewhat positivist, profile of Elvis in concert during these 3 months. When composing this new work, the label was smart to select another thirteen new songs that were not featured on the previous compilation, making it a worthy companion.

In fact, until "Unchained Melody" in 2007, no complete show from 1977 was considered worthy of official release, although many appeared on bootlegs - and some of them from public recordings. But here, a year earlier, Fort Baxter finally did true fans the favor of releasing two "complete" shows (as much as it was recorded by the sound engineer) and, better yet, performances that would mark Elvis' history forever.

The April 24, 1977 performance in Ann Arbor, Michigan was first released by Fort Baxter itself on the 1995 box set "A Profile: The King On Stage", and is the one that produced the most usable material for a compilation album. Two of its tracks, "Unchained Melody" and "Little Darlin'", would be used on "Moody Blue" in July of that year and the rest of the show would unfortunately end up boxed up in RCA's basements.

Kalamazoo, also in Michigan, welcomed Elvis two days later in another excellent show. Of course, we can already notice excessive tiredness and certain problems that would worsen in the following months, but there are still excellent performances here, such as "Heartbreak Hotel", "Blue Suede Shoes" and "My Way". Unfortunately, this soundboard would only become public for the first time through Vavavoom Records as "Memories From Kalamazoo", in 2001.

This is a CD for the fans, not the general public. This is the real Elvis, not the megastar boasted by RCA. An Elvis looking overweight at some shows, happy at others - a fair representation of the spring of 1977.

Below is our review of this spectacular CD.

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APRIL 24, 1977 - ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

- 1. Love Me: For a soundboard sitting on RCA's shelves for so long, the sound quality is good (even if it's mono and has a lot of background hiss).

Unfortunately - and as usual, the sound engineer didn't record the first three numbers, but Elvis used to take some time to "warm up" and, honestly, there's no need for an extra long version of "I Got a Woman / Amen". Elvis sounds totally engaged, although it's a typical 1977 version where he jokes with the audience.

- 2. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): It's always great to hear this song live, as Elvis indulges in the rendition of it, which was one of his favorites.

- 3. You Gave Me a Mountain: "'Mountain', son!" Elvis seems more engaged and caring about his phrasing. The rendition is one of the best of April 1977 and the audience really appreciates it.

- 4. Tryin' to Get to You: "There's a song that I recorded about, uh... Let's see, how long? 18 years ago, and, uh, by special request, it's called 'Tryin' to Get to You'." The version that follows is another of the best of 1977, with a faster tempo than in the following months.

- 5. O Sole Mio / It's Now or Never: As usual, Elvis asks Sherrill Nielsen to sing "O Sole Mio" in Italian and a cappella. There's a really nice touch at the beginning of "It's Now or Never", but Elvis gets lost in the lyrics and has to start over. Highlights include the trumpet and Elvis' excellent performance.

- 6. Little Sister: Elvis announces the beginning of the medley of hits from the 1950s and tries to sing "Blue Hawaii" at the request of fans, but apologizes saying he hadn't rehearsed that. Always a welcome addition, the song performs well.

- 7. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: The long-disposable medley features Elvis interacting with the audience and singing, as usual. There is a rather nice rhythm to the final part of "Don't Be Cruel", however.

- 8. Help Me: Elvis and Gospel have always been inseparable forces and this is seen very clearly here. He sings with his heart and soul, giving it his all and delivering a truly appreciable version.

- 9. My Way: "I'd like to do a song, uh, that Frank Sinatra did, called 'My Way'." Reinforcing that he doesn't know the lyrics, as has been the case since 1975, Elvis makes yet another very personal version. The anguish in his interpretation resonates throughout the place.

- 10. Polk Salad Annie: A classic from the early years of his return to the stage, the rendition really seems to bring Elvis into the show. His voice accompanies the tempo and the backing vocals very well in this phenomenal version in which he announces at the beginning that he is going to "test the suit".

At this point in the concert, Elvis always took the opportunity to rest while introducing the band, but the sound engineer wisely did not record the long and unnecessarily section.

- 11. Hurt: Then from an explosive number we go straight into a powerful one with Elvis putting his all into a rousing rendition that also gets a powerful reprise.

- 12. Hound Dog: Elvis realizes that he strained his voice a lot in "Hurt" and decides to mumble the words during the rendition, using the fans' harassment as a smokescreen.

- 13. Unchained Melody: "If you don't mind, uh, I'd like to, I'd like to, uh, to play the piano and do a song called 'Unchained Melody'." After discussing details with the band, Elvis begins the rendition and does a good job.

This is the one that would have overdubs added and would become the Master heard on the opening of the "Moody Blue" LP, but Elvis rightly observes: "I have done it better."

- 14. Little Darlin': At the end of the show, Elvis gives his fans a fun version of Del Shannon's classic. This is the last live rendition and another that would be part of the "Moody Blue" LP.

- 15. Can't Help Falling in Love: Elvis does a quick version that leads to the inevitable end of the show. Only a few seconds of the "Closing Vamp" were recorded by the sound engineer.

APRIL 26, 1977 - KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

- 16. Love Me: Again without the opening three songs, the Kalamazoo show begins with Elvis sounding more tired than he did two days before. In fact, even the version of the 1956 hit seems to be playing more slowly. However, Elvis has fun with his fans and there is a much longer ending than usual.

- 17. Fairytale: It's always great to hear this song live, but here Elvis only sings part of the first verse before asking the band to stop and abandoning the rendition.

- 18. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): Another good version, although without the enthusiasm of two days before.

- 19. You Gave Me a Mountain: Elvis seems more engaged, but he can't ignore the feedback that was bothering him.

- 20. Jailhouse Rock: The rendition is standard, with Elvis distributing kisses and scarves to the audience while he sings.

- 21. O Sole Mio / It's Now or Never: Sherrill Nielsen sings "O Sole Mio" a cappella, and Elvis calls him "smartalec". The Latin touch goes well with the song (although it is Neapolitan) and Elvis performs it well.

- 22. Big Boss Man: Among songs mentioned by Charlie Hodge and shouted by the audience, the singer chooses one of his favorites. The rhythm of the song and Elvis' interpretation are contagious, even though he says it had been a long time since he sang it. All things considered, this could be considered the last good rendition of this song.

- 23. Heartbreak Hotel: Elvis is in a very good mood and decides to perform his 1956 hit, which had returned to the repertoire the night before in Saginaw. It's a great version for the period, but unfortunately it's hampered by microphone failures that irritate the singer.

- 24. Blue Suede Shoes: Keeping with the theme of hits from 1956, Elvis performs the opening song from his first RCA album and fans are delighted to hear the rarity by that period. The singer tries hard and gives a good interpretation of the classic.

- 25. And I Love You So: Elvis starts the song and the audience listens in silence, but he soon stops and asks the sound engineer to change his microphone because he realizes that his voice is not being captured correctly. The full rendition of the song is simply fantastic, with Elvis giving it his all.

- 26. My Way: After denying doing a song (probably "Polk Salad Annie"), Elvis performs Frank Sinatra's 1969 classic. He reinforces that he doesn't know the lyrics and that he needs to read them, something that to this day we don't know if it was a joke that only a few understood or a coded message that he had been through a lot of problems and that was a very personal lyric. In general terms, this is a better version than the one on the 24th. Elvis receives a fantastic ovation at the end.

- 27. Hound Dog: Of course, the obligatory classic would be present for another moment of interaction with the fans.

- 28. Can't Help Falling in Love / Closing Vamp: After thanking the audience, Elvis performs a quick version of the 1961 hit while laughing and pleasing his eager fans. The "Closing Vamp" was recorded by the sound engineer, but appears here with a fade at the end.