Elvis At Stax: Deluxe Edition

[Justin]

What I find interesting about elvis the live performer is how much his intensity could vary song to song. By the time of aloha he treats the oldies in a cavalier throwaway fashion but he really invests lord you gave me a mountain with concentration. He seems bored with suspicious minds but boy does he belt out my way

I agree Ian.  Elvis always had that ability to channel the exact energy that each song required and floated gracefully from a rock and roll song to a ballad with ease.  To him, it seemed, each song existed in its own universe and he delivered each song with the just the right amount of everything, tailor made for that particular song he was singing.

During the later years though, you can tell exactly how he feels about his early hits by the way he sings them and by how much of them were in his set.  He seemed to enjoy the challenge of more complicated and vocally demanding songs over the quick, rough and tumble "Hound Dog" for instance.

[Ian]

Right. Times changed.  In 1968 he really was charged up to sing one night with you and boy did he sing a rocking version! But only two years later in that's the way it is he seems to just want to get the song over with so he can sink his teeth into polk salad Annie or i've lost you.

[Rocker]

Elvis' voice had changed a few times before 1973.  His voice matured as he shifted from decade to decade.  I would personally argue that it was no coincidence that Elvis' voice shifted each time as he faced a major change/shift in his personal life.  Artists are very sensitive creatures and Elvis was a very emotional singer.  It sounded to me that his voice was a sonic representation for the emotional state he was in.  That couldn't have been more clear especially during his final years.

Sure. And since we have Elvis' voice for almost all of his life it is easy to follow the evolution.
I just meant that part of '72 live (I don't listen to too much '73 showas, so I don't know about that) sticks out as quite strange, given that in '74 his voice again sounded more like '71/earlier '72.

Right. Times changed.  In 1968 he really was charged up to sing one night with you and boy did he sing a rocking version! But only two years later in that's the way it is he seems to just want to get the song over with so he can sink his teeth into polk salad Annie or i've lost you.

Hm, I think he did great versions of "One night" in '70. I like those versions very much and to me they don't sound rushed or uninspired. But other oldies certainly do, although thankfully not as much as in later years.
There is an audience recording of "One night" in '69 (I believe it was quite a spontaneous decision to play it). I haven't heard it in a long time. That could be the "missing link" between the '68 and TTWII performances.

[Ian]

Obviously-it's all subjective.  Personally-I think Elvis as a live performer was never better than in the 2 sit down shows in June 1968 (though I wish there was a high quality video/audio of the July 31 1969 Vegas debut as that probably came close).  The Live Vegas LP of the August 69 shows is nice-but I don't find myself listening to it much.  The On Stage 1970 is also good-but way too short (again I don't listen to it that much).  I like the Madison Square Garden LP, but it is not the same as 1968 for me.  When Elvis sang "Trying To Get To You" and "Lawdy Mrs Clawdy" in 1968 he literally seemed to leave the Earth for a second in terms of how into the performance he was.  Amazing.  Even lip-synching "If I Can Dream" on that show he was truly inspired.  That intensity is also in evidence on some of the January 69 American sessions-I can really picture Elvis writhing on the floor singing Any Day Now and Long Black Limousine.

[Rocker]

I love the sit down shows, don't get me wrong. But I like me a good drummer and a rocking band. To me there's almost nothing better in terms of Rock'n'Roll as Elvis live '69. The "From Memphis to Vegas"-album is just incredible.
But the sit down shows are totally different and therefor it's hard to compare. They are like jam sessions or backporch performances. Very raw and rough. As I said, I love them. The stand up shows unfortunately are not that good imo. The big exception is the spontaneous "Baby what you want me to do" and I also like "Love me tender" of which I can't stand the other live versions from '69 'til the end very much.
The few 50s performances we have show that those shows must've been awesome, too.
The boy was just a born entertainer. Fantastic!

The Gospel medley from the Comeback Special is among the finest pieces of music Elvis ever did. His "saved" even beats LaVern Baker's original imo.

BTW I have an interview with D.J. Fontana and he said that the first plan was to have the original full band (with a replacement for Bill Black obviously) play the show. "Full" meaning with a complete drumset. But allegedly there were problems with the light. It was then decided to do the sit down shows, which was an idea that Steve Binder and Elvis both had individually as can be heard on the recordings done in the dressing room IIRC


EDIT:

Just saw this flyer. The book will be released early next year.

[Rocker]

And this one (click for bigger size):

[Lonely Summer]

It's hard to beat the sit down shows for pure rockin' intensity, Elvis is completely in the moment, giving everything he has to those simple, 3 chord bluesy songs. I guess that's why it's hard for some of us to understand how he could be so bored with them just a couple years later, but for whatever reasons, those songs no longer interested him. Of all the 50's hits he did on stage in the 70's, the only ones that seemed like more than throwaways were A Big Hunk O' Love, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Tryin' to Get to You, and That's All Right. In fact, one of my favorite versions of Lawdy is from the Spring Tours '77 FTD.

[Rocker]

CBS News Names "Elvis at Stax" Among "Best 2013 Album Reissues"

September 25, 2013

In company with other legendary artists such as The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Bob Dylan, the latest release from SONY/LEGACY Records "Elvis at Stax: Deluxe Edition" has been named among "Best 2013 Album Reissues" on CBSNews.com.

The article states, "This 3-CD set collects the King of Rock 'n' Roll's recordings at the famed Stax Studios in Memphis in 1973. Riding high from his triumphant shows in Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1972 and his 'Aloha from Hawaii' television special in early 1973, Presley entered Stax Studios and recorded some gritty and soulful tracks there that were eventually released over the course of several studio albums and compilations between 1973 and 2002. This new set also features previous outtakes from those sessions."

Fans can check out the complete list in the new article titled "What's Old is New Again: The Best 2013 Album Reissues" on CBSNews.com. Get your own copy of the "Elvis at Stax: Deluxe Edition," as well as the hottest in apparel, home decor and much more by visiting ShopElvis.com.




Source: http://www.elvis.com/news/detail.aspx?id=7247

[Rocker]

In fact, one of my favorite versions of Lawdy is from the Spring Tours '77 FTD.

Yes, it's a nice version, especially when compared to a lot of the crap that this CD features. My favorite version of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" is the one from October 6th, 1974. Love his phrasings here...

[Rocker]

Norbert Putnam on Elvis picking songs to record:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucssp2ItWts


Elvis Presley - Norbert Putnam on Elvis as a record producer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSxPgvU18tA


Norbert Putnam on his start, playing with Elvis and publi...:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbWMvACaqhg


Norbert Putnam on recording with Elvis and Priscilla in s...:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15jTTmuDhl0


Elvis Presley - Norbert Putnam on recording with Elvis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvyzEvJ007g