Personnel: Elvis Presley (vocals); Joe Guercio (conductor); James Burton, John Wilkinson, Charlie Hodge (guitars); Glen Hardin (piano); Duke Bardwell (bass); Ronnie Tutt (drums); Kathy Westmoreland, The Sweet Inspirations, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps (background vocals).
Engineers: Mike Moran, Gus Mossler, Larry Schnapf, Ronnie Olson.
Recorded live at Midsouth Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee on March 20, 1974.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Japanese limited edition.
CD comes in Jpn LP Sleeve.
This oft-ignored album, recorded in March 1974 at Memphis' Midsouth Coliseum (formerly the center of controversy when the proposed title, the Elvis Presley Coliseum, was rejected), is easily the strongest live package of the '70s, the one worth having. Elvis is in exceptional vocal form and, amidst all the usual stuff that showed up on every other live album of the period, there is a great "Trying to Get to You," along with strong versions of "My Baby Left Me" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," material he otherwise rarely revisited. ~ Neal Umphred
Elvis Presley concerts during the 1970s were generally highly produced spectacles, with both the performer and his backing band constantly pushed to the limit. The results were exhilarating but generally lacking in nuance. Among Presley's recorded concerts of this period, ELVIS RECORDED LIVE ON STAGE IN MEMPHIS is a notable exception. Performing in his hometown for the first time in thirteen years, Presley gives a revealing performance, chatting with the audience, indulging his taste for gospel music with three impassioned (but not overwrought) numbers, and even dipping into his Sun catalog to pull out a killer performance of "Trying to Get to You."
Throughout, Presley seems relaxed while still fully focused on the material, singing with the kind of authority he displayed with less frequency as the '70s wore on. A few goofy selections--Olivia Newton John's "Let Me Be There" and Loggins and Messina's "Mama Don't Dance," for example--mar an otherwise perfect set, but the high points, including a funky improvised ending to "Hound Dog" and blistering versions of "My Baby Left Me" and "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" far outnumber the low points, making this the best of Presley's many live albums. minimize