America (CD - FTD, 2008)

Title:

America

Label:

FTD [FTD 074] [88697 34475 2]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

23

Running time:

76:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2008

Recording date:

April 22, 1976

Release date:

August 2008

Singles:

---

America was FTD's seventy-fourth CD. It covers the April 22, 1976 show in Omaha, Nebraska, with tracks recorded in Spokane, Washington, on April 27. The work is currently out of print.

1976 is not an easy year to sum up when it comes to Elvis live. There were no major changes to the setlist, as there had been in previous years, no dramatic "emotional rollercoaster" like that of 1974 and no excitement like that of Huntsville in 1975. Apart from the exceptional explosion of the last tour in December 1976 (inspired by the challenge of new and young love Ginger), 1976, in retrospect, seems like a slow process continuing the inevitable downward spiral.

By early 1976, Elvis's setlist had become routine. "I Got a Woman" would always feature JD Sumner's double dive bomb routine, the band's intros would be extended with the inclusion of solos, plus "Early Morning Rain" and "Love Letters". "Hurt" and "America the Beautiful" became the regular dramatic highlights with only the occasional surprise addition (Danny Boy) making a real difference. A true sign of the times was that from April 17 until August 21, 1976, Elvis basically wore only his "Bicentennial Suit" at every show, certainly a glimpse of a bored performer.

Unfortunately for collectors, the number of Elvis soundboards available in good quality increases at a similar rate to the decline in performances. His tours also became shorter and shorter. This means that if FTD were to release a soundboard from each tour, we would still have more shows from 1976 than from any other year. This is a shame, as there are proportionately far fewer good quality soundboards from Elvis' sensational early touring years.

Below is our review of this CD.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The well-known fanfare that announces the beginning of the show is actually the opening of the performance on April 27, 1976 in Spokane, Washington. As usual, the sound engineer did not always record the openings.

- 2. See See Rider: Still with the audio from Spokane, the song begins with an explosion of applause and cheers from the audience. This is the last show of the tour, which began on April 21, and Elvis was always in good spirits and vocally apt at these closings. There is almost no drag in his voice and the playing is very good.

- 3. I Got a Woman / Amen: When the recording of April 22, 1976 actually begins, we already notice problems. The soundboard's mono audio has a strange mix that detracts from the presentation. Unfortunately, FTD could do nothing to improve this, since mono soundboards do not allow you to modify the mix.

Elvis sounds more drawn out and slow in his "well, well, well" routine. There's no way of knowing the vocal circumstances of each of them that day, but certainly the proximity of the backing vocals, sometimes louder than Elvis, didn't help. The Sweet Inspirations don't seem to find their place, and even Kathy Westmoreland sounds out of tune. JD's famous voice, which contributed so much to the performance of this song, is almost inaudible. After "Amen", Elvis ends the rendition without JD's dive bombs.

- 4. Love Me: "Thank you very much. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's a pleasure to be here, we hope you enjoy the show tonight." The audience seems oblivious to the uncomfortable mix, much to everyone's delight. The performance is standard, with Elvis handing out kisses and scarves to the audience as he sings. It's worth noting that the mix gets much worse when the backing vocals come in at the end.

- 5. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): Overall, the version is very good, but once again the mix gets in the way. This was definitely not the Sweets and Kathy's night. Elvis' voice is buried by the backing vocals for almost the entire performance and, apart from their out-of-tune vocals, what you hear most is the audience enjoying every moment.

- 6. You Gave Me a Mountain: Being one of the most requested showstoppers, it's obvious that hysteria takes over the place. This seems to help with the sound, as all the errors in the audio become less evident while we listen to a version that was more than good for the time. Of course, to do this you have to ignore the girls doing the backing. Even Elvis realizes that there is something wrong with the ending, asking for the last verse to be repeated.

- 7. Tryin' to Ger to You: Elvis jokes with a fan who tries to get his attention at all costs: "Do you want to go to the bathroom, is that it?" The singer shows all his positivity in this version, singing with all his vocal power. After everything we've been through, it's great to hear something where only Elvis sings and the backing vocals are too subtle for us to appreciate his interpretation.

- 8. All Shook Up: It's time for the 1950s hits medley and everything goes as expected. The version is disposable, with Elvis dedicating himself to the fans. There seems to be some improvement in the backing vocals.

- 9. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Another throwaway, with Elvis surrendering to the audience and not singing in several parts. The backing vocals return to dominate the audio.

- 10. Heartbreak Hotel: Elvis displays great enthusiasm for the time in this version. Being tied to an invariable setlist, he seems to let loose quite a bit with the rendition of a song that is somewhat rare in his performances after 1973.

- 11. America the Beautiful: "Ladies and gentlemen, since it's our bicentennial year, I'd like for you to listen to our version of 'America the Beautiful'." The United States was celebrating its 200th anniversary, and this version of Elvis really does sound that old. It drags on, with the singer forgetting several parts of the lyrics or stopping singing because his attention is drawn to other things. Even so, you can feel Elvis' sincerity, which amazes us in the final notes.

- 12. Polk Salad Annie: This could well be one of the best versions of 1976, but the mix again takes a toll on our ears. The Sweets sound too loud and some instruments fade away. Elvis gives it his all, though.

- 13. Introductions: "Let me walk around for a second, get my breath back." For 11 minutes, Elvis introduces the members of his band. The Sweet Inspirations, Sherrill Nielsen, Kathy Westmoreland, JD Sumner and The Stamps, and John Wilkinson come first. James Burton, Ronnie Tutt, Jerry Scheff, Tony Brown and David Briggs do their solos. Finally, Charlie Hodge, conductor Marty Harrell (temporarily replacing Joe Guercio) and the orchestra conclude the introductions.

- 14. Hurt: After a brief interaction with the fans, Elvis begins his rendition of his now classic number. It had been a little over a month since the song had been included in the setlist and the singer was still performing it with the same rhythm as in the studio recording. There is a quick fade at the end, indicating that the tape was cut for some reason - probably irreparable damage - but it can be assumed that Elvis did the reprise of the last verse as usual.

- 15. Hound Dog: The rendition starts halfway through the version, but it's audible that Elvis is having fun and this is a great performance.

- 16. Help Me: It's strange that the tempo of this rendition is slower than usual at the time, but Elvis and his band still do a great version even if the backing vocals are too loud in the mix at times.

- 17. How Great Thou Art: Elvis continues with a Gospel rhythm. Unlike almost every other time when the rendition of this song has caused pleasure to our ears, here Kathy Westmoreland's "screams" are almost unbearable. The girls must really be having a bad night, because JD and The Stamps sound reasonably good.

- 18. Little Darlin': Elvis used this song as his outlet to relax during his performance, although it is rare. Here it serves exactly that purpose and thankfully it is only something to laugh at, because the backing vocals sound completely disjointed.

- 19. It's Now or Never: "Before I do this, I'd like to tell you that, uh... Well, I don't know if yoy've heard that. The paper yesterday... I woke up and I was married to some chick down in Alabama. I was dead asleep, man, I don't know anything about it, see? And I'm still available, that chick's still waiting down in Alabama!"

Elvis cuts through Sherrill Nielsen's solo to go straight into his 1960 hit. The rendition is very similar to the studio recording in progress, but again we have serious problems with the volume of the mix.

- 20. Funny How Time Slips Away: "I'd like to thank you for coming out to see the show. It's been a pleasure working for you. And I'd like to thank everybody up on stage, because it's been a long time since we've all worked together, and we had no rehearsal or nothing. We've just walked up here and, these people just pick it up." A little white lie, as they had performed the night before.

"I'd like to turn the house lights up, ladies and gentlemen, so we can take a look at you, now that you've already looked at us." After a well-pronounced "yeah", Elvis interrupts and asks: "What's that key we do that song, and it makes it real high? See, I missed the note last night, I didn't sleep all night. One note just wrecked my entire career!" The music starts and Elvis has fun interacting with the audience.

- 21. Can't Help Falling in Love: "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You're a fantastic audience. Let's take it on home, baby." As always, Elvis greets the fans and sings in parts. The song has a long fade and ends before it is even completed.

BONUS

- 22. Burning Love (27/04/76): Two Spokane bonuses follow. Despite one or two errors in the lyrics, the version is very good and satisfactory.

- 23. My Way (27/04/76): The version heard here is one of the best of the last three years, perhaps, being a mix between the rendition from "Aloha From Hawaii" and "In Concert".