Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of.
Week of 03/28/2014
WHO: Elvis Presley
WHAT: Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis
SPOT: 185
And you thought Johnny Cash would be the only Sun Records legacy to release an album in recent weeks? Unlike Cash's Out Among The Stars, Presley's Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis doesn't pack any brand new songs. In fact, it's not even a new album. Still, this was the last live album released during The King's lifetime and won him a Grammy for his rendition of "How Great Thou Art," so we'll give the new "legacy edition" a listen.
Disc one consists of the full 1974 concert at the Midsouth Coliseum from March, 1974 that was included on the album's "Follow That Dream" reissue from 2004. Presley had released five live albums during a five year stretch at this point in history, all of which sold better than this album. Yet none reflected the profound change in philosophy that Presley underwent during and following the recording of his 1967 gospel classic, How Great Thou Art as this album did. On Stage in Memphis allows Presley to put his faith on display with "How Great Thou Art," "Help Me" and Why Me Lord." His "American Trilogy" of classic standards was a frequent inclusion to his live shows, but the surrounding gospel tracks seem to bolster the soulful delivery on this record, resulting in a moving live medley. Presley was notorious for flubbed live shows during his final years, but On Stage in Memphis does just the opposite.
Disc 2 of this set is not so fortunate however. The new material mainly consists of a live show given in Richmond, VA (ironically not recorded in Memphis, of course) two days before the Memphis show. Presley doesn't slur his words or anything truly terrible, but he doesn't pack the same energy that he brought forth for his hometown show. Not only that, but the setlist is almost identical to that from Disc 1. Even most of the stage banter is exactly the same between shows. In short, there's not much reason for listeners, Elvis fanatics or otherwise, to buy in, unless you truly want the five "rehearsal takes" included on Disc 2.
This of course is the only version of Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis in production now, but the "Follow That Dream" version contains the essential experience, if you can find it.
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