Elvis In Concert - Remastered

They are all so good, choosing just one is a real quandary.

Doc, are you being sarcastic or ironic? I have the impression from other posts this is not your favorite footage..to say the least?
I have some versions of this that is just plain BAD, a torture to the eye (speaking of technical picture quality, not how E looked).

I have the impression from other posts this is not your favorite footage..to say the least?

Really?

I finally got a hold of this and it is nicely done. I don't like the banner at the top, but otherwise I am very impressed. I felt it was a little unprofessinal to go after certain sellers and other bootleggers, we all buy what we want from who we want. Finding out the quality is pretty easy with boards like this one, as is people's reps.

Now to the positive. The bonus feature shows just how much work went into this and I do think this will be the best picture we will see until an offical release. The extended versions is pretty smooth transition wise, obviously they have some skills. Star does a better job with the sound but as this presents the orginal special as it aired that's completely understandable.

As to the special itself, I do like it despite knowing his health was bad. Vocally he is in pretty good shape and he is trying hard to get across to the crowd. In other words this is a lot more intimate then Aloha..The drawbacks have been articulated enough by others for me not to have to regurgitate them. If you like the footage go for it, if you don't like it skip it. It is overall the best presentation of the original special.

... and I do think this will be the best picture we will see until an offical release.

I would have agreed without a doubt until a couple of weeks ago, when I got a version of the Special from UK, via links at a forum. This version - once from the fan club in UK? - is now at the usenet group a.b.multimedia.elvispresley. It has VERY nice picture quality and is arguably maybe even better.

... and I do think this will be the best picture we will see until an offical release.

I would have agreed without a doubt until a couple of weeks ago, when I got a version of the Special from UK, via links at a forum. This version - once from the fan club in UK? - is now at the usenet group a.b.multimedia.elvispresley. It has VERY nice picture quality and is arguably maybe even better.

That is a pretty good one too.

As to the special itself, I do like it despite knowing his health was bad. Vocally he is in pretty good shape ...

He is? Compared to what?

As to the special itself, I do like it despite knowing his health was bad. Vocally he is in pretty good shape ...

He is? Compared to what?

The Special itself ...

As to the special itself, I do like it despite knowing his health was bad. Vocally he is in pretty good shape ...

He is? Compared to what?

I am not sure you really want to know why I feel the way I do, but you have been very straight with me over the last few years so I will give you a sincere answer. Remember I am talking strictly about his tonal quality not his health or looks.

Though Elvis obviously was in better physical shape during in Aloha I always found him to be in better voice on the final edit of EIC. I also think he was in worse voice in first Vegas 73 engagement, the first part of the 9-74 tour, and most of the shows (bar Tahoe and maybe the Memphis one) from April to September 1976.

I find 1977 to be harder to pin down simply because I think his vocal performance on each tour varied. When he was on (not 1970 on but 1977 on) I think he sang better then the above mentioned tours/periods. Just as an aside, taken as a whole I feel the bulk of the 1976 shows (not counting March, Tahoe, or the last three months) aren't as good as the 1977 tours. I simply feel he cared more even if he wasn't able to give what he had in his prime.

About the CBS shows individually. On 6-19 he was obviously not singing great on many songs but "How Great Thou Art" remains stunning. On 6-21 he was in generally good voice and I think the following are all around solid.
See See Rider
That's All Right
You Gave Me A Mountain
Tryin To Get To You
Hawaiian Wedding Song
My Way
Early Morning Rain
I Really Dont Want To Know
Hurt
Unchained Melody
Not Elvis in his prime, but ( to my ears) evidence that he was making an effort.
I am not trying to elevate 1977 to 1969 or even 1974 but I don't think he had nothing to offer in 1976-77.

I don't think Elvis had a flawless career, or that he always gave all of himself, but honestly I'm far more critical of the mid sixties soundtracks then I am of his final years. Thanks again for asking my view.

Last edited by Mike Eder on Wed Jun 24, 2009 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I watched the video again and I must say that I am not as impressed as I was the first time. The sound is echoey in parts and it seems that things like the CBS music intro were toyed with. It is also obvious in some scenes that they were changing sources. The picture freezes at one point backstage. and the outro music is unnaturally and abruptly cut off. The picture is very nice, but the UK one is more natural. What DVD would anyone recomend that has a very nice untampered with version of the US airing? Also what DVD do you all think the outtakes look best on?

They are all so good, choosing just one is a real quandary

Some people really are interested in the CBS special.

Crazy that some members here kind of apologize for the way Elvis looked in '77 because some folks over here don't like it and keep on bashing it in repetive reply's. The CBS special is as much part of the legend as the SUN-sessions or whatever part of the more than 20 years Elvis was active in the music world. And the tragedy of the final years is something that stays an intriging era.

..., but the UK one is more natural.

I think the UK version is the winner! I finally watched it all the other night, and the colors are really natural, the image quality very clear, and the sound is great. And....I honestly thinks he sang pretty/very well....when he cared to. Just listen to Mountain, Early Morning Rain (beautiful...), That's All Right, Trying to get to you, My Way...and of course HGTArt!
On the other hand, he does Hound Dog like...well, let's have some mercy and refrain from describing!

Also what DVD do you all think the outtakes look best on?

I have ended up with a few in my hunt for the best one, and think The Man With The God Given Voice (aka The CBS Outtakes) is the best overall, with emphasis on footage quality as we speak of video. Close race, though, with the versions on "The Final Days".

NB: DO NOT bother to get "The CBS Tapes".

Last edited by kajsa89 on Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I watched the video again and I must say that I am not as impressed as I was the first time. The sound is echoey in parts and it seems that things like the CBS music intro were toyed with. It is also obvious in some scenes that they were changing sources. The picture freezes at one point backstage. and the outro music is unnaturally and abruptly cut off. The picture is very nice, but the UK one is more natural. What DVD would anyone recomend that has a very nice untampered with version of the US airing? Also what DVD do you all think the outtakes look best on?

All "untampered with" versions would have considerable color fading etc. by now. Unless it were sourced from different masters, all previously circulated versions will suffer from some sort of ageing defect. I still believe that this is the best looking footage from the CBS Special you are going to find .....

The sound being echoey could be due to it being mixed in 5.1 - presumeably upmixed from a stereo overdubbed source ..... that's a compromise that has to be made when attempting something like this .....