Unforgettable - Swing and Swirl

Just a few brief comments here for any of you who are considering these three CD's. The Baltimore '71 and Little Rock '72 shows are definitely for hardcore collectors only. The Baltimore show is one of the worst sounding shows that I have, if not THE worst. Elvis is entirely too much in the background and you have to crank the volume to hear him. A show highlight is "Help Me Make It Through The Night." The show is a very good one, however the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

The Little Rock show is a little better and I love the shows from the April tour. However, it is still not a good sounding show even though the performance is very good.

Both shows have spaces between every song just like a cheap CD-R would have. These are silver factory-pressed CD's though. That being said, I had not heard either the Baltimore or Little Rock shows before, so I'm glad I have them. As I've stated many times before, I'd rather hear an Elvis show in bad quality than to never hear it at all. However, that's just me and I know not everyone feels this way. You have been warned.



This one is a totally different story. The cover is better than the one pictured here, and the sound is totally acceptable. It makes for some very easy listening. The November '72 tour is my favorite of that year and this CD is worth getting. Not the best audience recording I've ever heard, but very good. The audience is having a blast and Elvis gives them their money's worth. The show has a few highlights, but "How Great Thou Art" with the last part reprised and "Burning Love" are two of them.

Collectors of audience recordings and fans of the concerts of 1972 will enjoy this one.

Thanks Rob.

The cover of Little Rock.........My Favourite outfit worn by Elvis

The Baltimore show is one of the worst sounding shows that I have, if not THE worst. Elvis is entirely too much in the background and you have to crank the volume to hear him. A show highlight is "Help Me Make It Through The Night." The show is a very good one, however the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

If one cranks up the volume (one has to), then Elvis is audible, but the band is still more like a wall of sound. The sound quality varies, as if the micro had to be hidden several times because of security. The good thing is that this problem did not occur during The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and Help Me Make It Through The Night, which are listenable, soundwise. And I agree, the show is a very good one.

Speaking of new CDs, let me add that the sound on the audience CD of Rock In Black is good audience.

I have bought the "swing and swirl your hips again" (stupid title...) and the sound quality is pretty decent for an audience recorded tape. And the show itself is very good, too. If you still listen to audience taped shows this cd is a winner (even though the title is stupid and the artwork has no work and no art in it).

this cd is a winner (even though the title is stupid).

My thought exactly concerning the title. I meant to mention that, but forgot.

Rob, you're without a doubt one of the resident authorities on audience recordings. Nobody keeps up with them better than you.

I really wish you'd give some thought to compiling a best-of article, maybe of the 10, 20 -- or dare I fear it -- more best-sounding good shows.

I know there have been some good recommendations along the way, but a one-stop list of the greatest would be welcome.

As one of the many audience recording agnostics out there, I'd love to have a reliable relative ranking I could follow.

Dare I say it, there might even be a fan magazine article hidden in there ... you might be the next Keith Flynn.

A lot of the publishers clearly have the same biases I do and aren't likely to give some of these discs the time to give them a thoughtful review.

Now that I have all the import soundboards, I need to find something else to spend my money on. ...

Rob, I really wish you'd give some thought to compiling a best-of article, maybe of the 10, 20 -- or dare I fear it -- more best-sounding good shows. I know there have been some good recommendations along the way, but a one-stop list of the greatest would be welcome.

I'll be glad to. Some of the best are:

Shiek Of The Desert – Las Vegas 2/5/70 D.S.
Double Dynamite – Las Vegas 8/19/70 D.S. & M.S.
A Dinner Bell In Vegas - Las Vegas 8/20/70 D.S.
A Bright Midnight With Elvis – Las Vegas 8/20/70 M.S.
You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’– Las Vegas 8/21/70 M.S.
Trying To Get To Memphis - Las Vegas 8/11/71 D.S.
No Fooling Around - Las Vegas 8/4/72 O.S.
Red Hot In Vegas - Las Vegas 8/23/72 M.S.
Walk That Lonesome Road - Las Vegas 9/4/72 C.S.
A New Live Experience – Long Beach, CA 11/15/72
What Now My Love - Las Vegas 2/23/73 C.S.
At The Top Of The Game - Phoenix, AZ 4/22/73
Storm Over Portland – Portland, OR 4/27/73
Born To Give Us Fever – Uniondale, NY 6/23/73
A Profile – Las Vegas 8/20/73 M.S.
Caught In The Act – Las Vegas 8/26/73 M.S.
Top Acts In Vegas Vol. 4 - Las Vegas 9/3/73 D.S.
Something Old, Something New - Las Vegas 1/26/74 O.S.
Let Me Be There - Las Vegas 2/8/74 M.S.
Aztec King - Las Vegas 3/27/75 M.S.
Rockin’ With Elvis April Fool’s Day – Las Vegas 4/1/75 D.S.
Live At The Omni – Atlanta, GA 5/2/75
America’s Own – Long Island, NY 7/19/75 Mat.
America’s Own Vol. 2 – Long Island, NY 7/19/75 Eve.
Gyrating Asheville – Asheville, NC 7/23/75
Pieces Of My Life - Asheville, NC 7/24/75
Phoenix Over Tennessee – Johnson City, TN 3/17/76
Then The Lights Went Down – Lake Tahoe 5/9/76 C.S.
Fairy Tales – Cleveland, Ohio 10/23/76
Rockin' The Northwest - Eugene, OR 11/27/76
Love Letters From Nevada – Las Vegas 12/4/76 D.S.
Black Diamond – Las Vegas 12/12/76 C.S.
Auld Lang Syne - Pittsburgh, PA 12/31/76
And I Love You So - Milwaukee, WI 4/27/77
I Did It My Way - Green Bay, WI 4/28/77
When Elvis Comes Marching In - Chicago, IL 5/1/77
Polk Salad Elvis - Chicago, IL 5/2/77
Jailhouse Rock Man In Concert – Rochester, NY 5/25/77
Unchained Elvis – Binghamton, NY 5/26/77
Second Night - Binghampton, NY 5/27/77
Elvis Rocks Lincoln - Lincoln, NE 6/20/77
Since Cincinnati - Cincinnati, OH 6/25/77
Adios, The Final Performance – Indianapolis, IN 6/26/77

Two down and 41 to go. No problem.

Rob you know the best recordings and i agree 'swing and swirl' is another good one-great show as well!