Raised On Vegas (CD - Memory Records, 2008)

Title:

Raised On Vegas

Label:

Memory Records [CD MR 2057-2]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

25

Running time:

62:00

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2008

Recording date:

August 6, 1973 OS

Release date:

2008

Singles:

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Raised On Vegas is a bootleg CD from Memory Records. It contains the complete show from the August/September 1973 season opener in Las Vegas on August 6th. The CD is currently out of print at the record company.

1973 was a huge rollercoaster for Elvis. In January, the success of Aloha From Hawaii was another victory in his career and the attraction's LP followed the sales path of the previous ones with great numbers achieved.

However, his personal life was in shambles with his separation from Priscilla, the discovery of her relationship with Mike Stone and the inevitable officialization of the divorce that would take place on October 9 of that year.

To make matters worse, Stone was trying to legally limit Elvis's access to Lisa Marie and the singer was experiencing a routine of death threats that culminated in a fight with four men who took to the stage in Las Vegas with the intention of, at the very least, injuring him.

All this stress was reflected in his voice, appearance, physique and mental state. During 1973, Elvis lost interest in studio recordings, tours and, mainly, extensive seasons in Las Vegas.

The way the Colonel found to calm his protégé's spirits a little was to resurrect the 1971 contract with the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and arrange a season there as quickly as possible. Elvis was more enthusiastic during most of the May 1973 performances in Lake Tahoe, joking a lot with the audience, getting along with the band and providing everyone with rare and fantastic moments, but even that didn't stop him from canceling the last three shows - which were not compensated on other occasions, since Elvis would only return to Tahoe the following year.

With all the problems in Elvis' life and career, RCA ended up being unable to find shows of sufficient quality to release that year. After Aloha, the only official recording of a 1973 concert to be released was FTD's "Takin' Tahoe Tonight!", exactly 30 years later.

RCA's decision not to record all shows continued into the second half of 1973. Few performances were captured on soundboard or soundbooth, which led to fans missing out on the opportunity to hear fabulous concerts like those in July and August of that year. There was an understanding on the part of Parker and the record company that, no matter how hard he tried, Elvis would never be able to reproduce the fascinating aura created by Aloha From Hawaii in early 1973 and therefore nothing that was presented later would have a similar value.

The case of the opening show of the ninth season in Las Vegas, on the night of August 6, 1973, is one of the best examples of all the wonderful things that RCA and the fans missed. If the record company had known what would be witnessed in this concert, they would certainly have turned on their equipment and captured it in all the details.

Below is our review of this concert.

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- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The opening of the show is announced with the usual fanfare, but here it has a much more funky tone than we are used to hearing.

- 2. See See Rider: This is a very energetic version. It can be noted that Elvis' voice is strong, without any slurring, and that the band is certainly having fun. We can also clearly hear James Burton's chickin pickin'.

- 3. Trouble: The "I Got a Woman/Amen" medley is surprisingly replaced by the first live version of the 1958 classic featured on "King Creole". The audience is truly entranced by the performance, which features a killer solo from James Burton and powerful vocals from Elvis.

- 4. Raised On Rock: Skipping the striptease routine, Elvis goes straight to the song that would be released as a single on September 1, 1973 and would become the title track and opening of the eponymous LP, which would hit stores on October 1. The promotion of Elvis' new work brings a heartfelt applause from the audience at the end of the rendition. This would be the only live version of the song.

- 5. Love Me: The song goes on as usual, with Elvis handing out scarves and kisses to his fans.

- 6. Steamroller Blues: Things start to heat up and everyone looks like they're really having fun. Elvis gives his all on vocals and the band sounds simply fantastic (especially James and Ronnie).

- 7. What Now My Love: From a performance and interpretation point of view, this may not be the most perfect version, but Kathy Westmoreland's high notes and Elvis' dramatic performance are its strong points. The ending with a magnificent vocal modulation by Elvis makes the experience really worth it.

- 8. Blue Suede Shoes: Elvis is more focused on the 1956 hit than usual and the version is very good.

- 9. Memphis Tennessee: Chuck Berry's success is the next surprise of the night. Elvis had already performed it in the past, in 1970 and 1971, and more recently about a month before. This is a more relaxed version, with an excellent solo by James Burton.

- 10. Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Mama Can't Dance / Flip, Flop and Fly / Jailhouse Rock / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: This medley is different in many ways from what we would hear on "Recorded Live On Stage in Memphis" in 1974. Performed at a faster tempo than Aloha's version, which featured only "Long Tall Sally" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", this version already incorporates "Mama Can't Dance", "Flip, Flop and Fly" and "Jailhouse Rock", as well as the rare repeat of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". "Hound Dog" would only be incorporated in 1974.

- 11. Love Me Tender: "My first movie was 'Love Me Tender'. I'd like to sing a little bit of that." Elvis is dedicated to his fans, but he sings well. The orchestra sounds deliciously divine.

- 12. Hound Dog: Quick and unremarkable version, but it still uses the 1972 arrangements. Elvis starts to sound tired and drags out some parts of the lyrics.

- 13. Fever: The Hilton showroom is initially silent, but soon the women begin to go crazy over Elvis' pelvic thrusts. The singer makes some puns and jokes a lot with the band and the audience.

- 14. My Boy: This is the first live version of what would become an immortal classic in Elvis' voice. The singer appears nervous and makes some mistakes in the lyrics, but nothing that takes away the shine of this fantastic rendition.

- 15. Suspicious Minds: Elvis spares himself in this version, singing it in a much less demanding way than usual. The sequence of karate moves and the famous "I hope this suit don't tear, oh baby!" please the audience.

- 16. Band Introductions: Elvis introduces JD Sumner and  The Stamps, The Sweet Inspirations, Kathy Westmoreland, James Burton, John Wilkinson, Ronnie Tutt, Emory Gordy, Jr., Glen Hardin, Charlie Hodge, Joe Guercio and his orchestra.

- 17. Celebrity Introductions: The King of Rock introduces celebrities in the audience: singer Petula Clark, actor and singer Guy March, singer Phyllis McGuire and actress and singer Liza Minelli. At the end, Elvis laughs and comments on the fact that he took the time to introduce everyone and the lights in the audience weren't even on.

- 18. I Can't Stop Loving You: A standard version and very well executed, but with a different and electrifying ending.

- 19.  An American Trilogy: A fan's scream spark passive aggressive comments from Elvis: "What was that damned noise? There's a dog barking." This is enough for the singer to lose the seriousness that the song demands, which gets worse when they tell him that the man was screaming because the scenographic moon over the stage was falling. "Oh, the moon is falling. Don't tell me these things!"

The version resumes its serious tone right from the beginning and is well executed until the end.

- 20. Bridge Over Troubled Water: " Yeah, let's do, uh... This is opening night, we can do whatever we want to." A fan asks for "If I Can Dream" and Elvis vetoes it immediately: "No. Let's do 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'."

The song, which had not been performed since June 23 of that year, shows that the concert reached a point where Elvis wanted to give spontaneity to the follow-up. In addition to the great harmony between Glen Hardin's piano and Emory Gordy's bass, Kathy Westmoreland's vocals are exceptionally masterful.

- 21. How Great Thou Art: Realizing that his voice is good after the test with "Bridge...", Elvis does one of his favorite Gospels. Once again we have a spectacular version of the 1966 recording, with Elvis showing the full power of his voice at the end.

- 22. A Big Hunk O' Love: The rendition of the song is quite fast and fun, with Glen Hardin and James Burton doing phenomenal solos.

- 23. Help Me Make it Throught the Night: Fans continue to ask for classics like "In the Ghetto", but Elvis opts for Kris Kristofferson's 1970 hit. Overall, it's a nice version to listen to.

- 24. Can't Help Falling in Love: It's time to end the performance, so what better than the 1961 hit. Elvis distributes kisses and scarves during the rendition, laughing at the interaction with the most sassy fans.

- 25. Closing Vamp: Elvis says goodbye and leaves the stage to the now famous fanfare.