Rockin' Across Texas - An Audiovisual Journey 1954-1977 (CD - FTD, 2005/2009)

Title:

Rockin' Across Texas

Label:

FTD [FTD 043] [82876 63926 2]

Format:

Book + double CD

Number of tracks:

41

Running time:

135:00

Type of album:

Concert

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2005

Recording date:

June 19, 1974 & July 3, 1976

Release date:

January 2005

Singles:

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Rockin' Across Texas - An Audiovisual Journey 1954-1977 is FTD's forty-third CD and third book. It contains two concerts recorded in Texas, in 1974 and 1976, and a 1960 interview in the state.

From the beginning of his career, Texas played a key role in Elvis' success. When he wasn't performing at The Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, the singer was often in Texas for concerts and radio broadcasts.

In fact, the state hosted the King of Rock on 142 occasions between 1954 and 1956, three times more than Shreveport in the same period (46) or Memphis until 1961 (41). In the 1970s, only 37 concerts were held in Texas cities, but it was there that the singer had the largest audiences for his concerts, the biggest examples being his performances in Houston in 1970 (207,000 spectators) and 1974 (88,000).

It is precisely this relationship with Texas that this release deals with in detail. "Rockin' Across Texas " is twice the size of FTD's previous books, "Flashback" and "The Way it Was", and combined with the two Elvis in concert CDs, it is the label's largest project to date. Divided into three distinct sections, this is more of a document investigating Elvis' travels around Texas than a photo book.

The first 200 pages take you on a fascinating and detailed journey through Elvis' live performances from October 1954 to October 1956. This is the heart of the book and combines the well-researched investigations with a surprising selection of rare and previously unpublished photos. Unlike so many photo books, the text is very informative and the anecdotes told by those present at the time help to embellish the story of Elvis' early years.

Texas radio interviews are also featured and 30 pages focus on Elvis' military service at Fort Hood. While not as exciting as the tour section, it was certainly a major lifestyle change for Elvis, and again features a great selection of photographs and stories.

Finally, there is the 40-page, mostly color section featuring photographs from nearly every one of Elvis' Texas performances during the 1970s. Unfortunately, the lack of explanatory text only leaves you wanting more insight into those fascinating years.

In 2009, the record company reissued the work as "Rockin' Across Texas, Volume 2," billed as his eighty-fourth CD, to correct errors in the matrix. The book and CD are currently out of print with the label.

Cover of the 2009 re-release

Below is a review of the CDs.

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CD 1 - AMARILLO, TEXAS - JUNE 19, 1974

- 1. See See Rider: The performance begins when Elvis is already on stage and singing. As was the custom at the time, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" was rarely recorded. What is immediately noticeable is that the sound is quite muffled and many instruments are not heard as clearly as they should be, probably due to the age of the tape.

- 2. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis does a short "well, well, well" routine and goes straight into the song. It's a quick, no-frills version with JD's dive bombs. What you notice is that the singer sounds tired and uninspired for that performance.

- 3. Love Me: "Good evening, my name is Ailvis Paisley!" After joking a bit with the audience and saying that he would come to them "after 200 or 300 songs", Elvis sings with more enthusiasm and the fans love it. Even so, it is just a song to move the show along and deliver some scarves and kisses.

- 4. Tryin' to Get to You: "This next song is a song that I recorded 15 or 20 years ago, and, uh... My voice was much higher, so I have to be careful or I'll strip my gears, you know." The rendition is the best of the night and brings Elvis back to life a bit, although he doesn't attempt to hit the high notes of the original 1955 version.

- 5. All Shook Up: The medley of 1950s hits begins. The version is fast and serves only to keep Elvis handing out scarves and kisses, but apparently it wakes him up for the performance.

- 6. Love Me Tender: Standard for the time, it is performed in a short, disposable version so that the singer can continue to delight his fans.

- 7. Hound Dog: Fifteen minutes into the show, this short but very powerful version seems to really wake Elvis up. The instrumental part at the end, used by him to show off his karate moves and other types of dance, is much longer than usual, driving the fans wild.

- 8. Fever: Without saying anything, Elvis and the band start the song. It's quite different and refreshing to hear the fans clapping along to the rhythm. The singer has fun and, as usual, shouts his own name during one of the lines of the lyrics, which makes the fans go wild. At the end, he thanks the audience and congratulates the band for playing at the right tempo: "You were right in tempo, folks. You were right with it."

- 9. Polk Salad Annie: Although it is a good version, it suffers a bit from the absence of Jerry Scheff's characteristic bass (he had left the band in 1973 and would only return in 1975). The audio mix doesn't help either, but overall it does its job.

- 10. Why Me Lord: One of the highlights of the show features Elvis singing his heart out and loving every second of it. At the end, he says: "I like that. Let's do the last part again, okay?" The reprise is as well executed as the previous one and the singer makes this very clear when thanking JD and The Stamps.

- 11. Suspicious Minds: Just like "Polk...", the song suffers from a poor mix that doesn't allow us to hear many of the instruments. Despite this, the version is truly one of the best of that period and both Elvis and the audience loved it. This would be one of the last times it would be performed, as the singer would remove it from the setlist on July 2 of that year and would only perform it five more times from then until August 1975, when he would abandon it for good.

- 12. Introductions: Elvis introduces The Sweet Inspirations, JD Sumner and The Stamps, Kathy Westmoreland, James Burton, John Wilkinson, Ronnie Tutt, Duke Bardwell, Glen Hardin, Charlie Hodge, the group Voice, Joe Guercio and his orchestra. The singer jokes a little about the fact that almost all of the band members are from Texas, which is extremely well received by the audience.

- 13. I Can't Stop Loving You: A quick, throwaway version that is used only to lead into the next section of the performance. Elvis' voice is too loud in the mix and the instruments are muffled.

- 14. Help Me: Elvis' new single and current hit is another highlight of the night. Well performed, it leaves fans quieter as the singer pours out his soul in his rendition.

- 15. An American Trilogy: One of the last versions of the song, which would also receive less and less space in the performances from July 1974 onwards, it's a version worthy of Elvis' stature. The mix is ​​not the best, but it allows us to hear Ronnie Tutt's work better. Hearing the audience clapping and shouting during the rendition is a plus.

- 16. Let Me Be There: Added to the setlist in January 1974, the song was still new to fans' ears, but was always very well received. Elvis' enthusiasm for it was such that he almost always asked for the final part to be repeated, which also happens here.

- 17. Heartbreak Hotel: Rare since May 1973, it makes the audience go wild at the first chords. In fact, this would also be one of the last versions performed in succession and would also become increasingly rare from then on.

- 18. Funny How Time Slips Away: "Now that you've had the chance to look at us, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to turn the house lights up and take a look at you. It's nice to see you." A fan asks for a kiss and Elvis asks: "Is that your boyfriend? If he don't mind that you earn it..." The audience asks the singer to go to the second floor, to which he responds: "What is that up there? A catwalk? No, I really can't make it up there. They just won't let me."

The song serves as the last opportunity for the fans to receive a kiss and acarves. Excited, Elvis asks the band to repeat the last part of the song so that JD can show the full power of his dive bomb.

- 19. Big Boss Man: The song had become popular with the singer in May of that year and would appear in practically every performance until the end of 1975. The mix is ​​not too bad here and the most essential instruments for the correct feel of the song are heard. After the song ends, JD speaks into the microphone in his deepest voice at Elvis' request: "That's all."

- 20. Can't Help Falling in Love: The song is only 34 seconds long.

INTERVIEW

- 21. Odessa, Texas - April 19, 1960: As a bonus, FTD provides a previously unreleased interview with KPOL Radio in Odessa. Elvis talks about the production of "G.I. Blues" and recalls a 1955 program in which he spoke for an hour with the same reporter. The Colonel briefly talks about Elvis' schedule, the new album in production (Elvis is Back!) and the plans to shoot three films in 1960.

CD 2 - FORT WORTH, TEXAS - JULY 3, 1976

- 1. See See Rider: The show begins as Elvis is walking on stage and what is immediately noticeable is that the sound is much better than on the 1974 tape. His performance is not as energetic as it would be on the December tour of that year and Elvis sounds quite out of breath at times, but overall there is a significant improvement over the Tucson, Arizona show released by FTD in 2000, a month later.

- 2. I Got a Woman / Amen: Elvis does his now-familiar "well, well, well" routine and enters the song right after addressing a screaming fan. It's again a fast version, but here JD's dive bombs and the "striptease" routine are much longer to allow Elvis to catch his breath. Before continuing, he answers the requests for kisses and scarves from some fans.

- 3. Love Me: The song remains what it always was - just a song to move the show along and deliver some scarves and kisses - and Elvis sounds bored. When a fan pulls a scarf from the singer's neck too quickly, he says: "Almost ripped my ear off." To try to destabilize the backing vocals, the King of Rock makes them hold the same note for 18 seconds before ending the song.

- 4. If You Love Me (Let Me Know): Elvis teases the backing vocalists about making them hold the note: "You were supposed to pay attention to Guercio. That's stage manners, which I have none whatsoever." After some suggestions, the singer decides: "No, let's do the other, the Olivia Newton-John..."  The rendition is one of the best of that afternoon, although Elvis still seems not to have fully woken up.

- 5. You Gave Me a Mountain: Elvis gives an excellent rendition of one of the most requested songs by fans since 1972. His voice is strong and focused.

- 6. All Shook Up: The 1950s medley begins. The boredom seems to creep back into Elvis' voice and he delivers a version in which he sounds quite breathless as he hands out scarves and kisses.

- 7/8. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel: Short and disposable version so that the singer can continue to make his fans happy.

- 9. And I Love You So: The song starts immediately after the end of the medley and is one of the surprises of the show. The mix puts the piano of the band's new member, Tony Brown, in front of the audio and provides a version that sounds more intimate while Elvis gives everything his voice can give at that moment.

- 10. Jailhouse Rock: It is here, 30 minutes into the show, that Elvis begins to wake up. "Jailhouse" brings the fifties rocker to the stage in a fast but electrifying version.

- 11. Fever: More willing, Elvis makes his characteristic pelvic movements during the rendition and the fans go crazy. The version is very pleasant to listen to, with Ronnie Tutt's cymbals and Jerry Scheff's bass quite audible in the mix.

- 12. America: "Since it is our bicentennial year, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to do our version of 'America the Beautiful'." The song is received with total enthusiasm by the audience and Elvis' rendition is sensational. Impressed by the reception, he says: "That really makes it worthwhile, it really does. Wow!"

- 13. Polk Salad Annie: The reaction to the previous song gives Elvis the enthusiasm he needs for a really exciting version of this song. He's loose and does a longer than usual karate chop routine at the end. "Thank you. I did that [referring to the karate chops] in Pontiac, Michigan on New Year's Eve night, and the suit just.... [makes ripping sound]"

- 14/15/16. Introductions: "When was the last time we were in Fort Worth? A year? Three years?!?" When a fan correctly answers that it was last month (exactly 30 days earlier, on June 3), Elvis responds in surprise: "Last month?! Really?! I've got the memory of a deer, man!"

He then introduces The Sweet Inspirations and JD Sumner. The Stamps are introduced individually because the group has new members. Kathy Westmoreland and Sherrill Nielsen are introduced, followed by solos by John Wilkinson, James Burton, Jerry Scheff and Tony Brown. Due to technical problems, Ronnie Tutt's introduction was cut from the tape. David Briggs does his solo and also does an excellent rendition of "Love Letters" with Elvis. Charlie Hodge, Joe Guercio and his orchestra are the last to be introduced.

- 17. Hurt: "I have a new record out, I'd like to sing for you." The audience's reception is phenomenal, although Elvis doesn't give his all to the song. Even so, the crowd asks for it and the singer does a second rendition that is even more celebrated.

- 18. Hound Dog: The song once again gets the crowd going wild, even though Elvis sounds quite out of breath. The fans' screams multiply throughout the arena as he hands out scarves during the short version.

- 19. Funny How Time Slips Away: "Ladies and gentlemen, now that you've seen us, I'd like to turn the house lights up so we can taka a look at you." After reading a sign which says "Come back to Asheville", the singer says, "Okay, in 77" (this show unfortunately never happened, as it was scheduled for August 26, 1977).

After a great performance while handing out scarves and kissing fans, the King of Rock repeats the last part of the song and draws the audience's attention to JD Sumner and his famous dive bomb.

- 20. Can't Help Falling in Love: "Every time we've ever come here, you really did great to us as an audience. We really appreciate that. Whenever the occasion rises that you want us back here in Fort Worth oe whatever, just let us know and we'll put it on our schedule." Unfortunately, Elvis would never return to the town.

It's the end of the show and the last chance to get a scarf or a kiss. The performance is standard and lackluster. The "Closing Vamp" is played to the end and then we hear Ed Enoch's famous line: "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night!"