Title: As I Leave You

Label: Captain Marvel Jr.

Date: June 19, 1977

Sound Quality: * * * / * * * * * +

Concert Rating: * + / * * * * * +

Tracks: 1.See See Rider 2.I Got A Woman 3.That's All Right Mama 4.Are You Lonesome Tonight 5.Love Me 6.Fairytale 7.Little Sister 8.Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 9.And I love You So 10.Jailhouse Rock 11.How Great Thou Art 12.Introductions 13.Early Morning Rain 14.What'd I Say 15.Johnny B. Good 16.Drum solo (by Ronnie Tutt) 17.Bass guitar solo (by Jerry Scheff) 18.Piano solo (by Tony Brown) 19.I really don't want to know 20.Electric clavinet solo (by Bobby Odgin) 21.Joe Guercio's Orchestra Solo 22.Hurt 23.Hound Dog 24.O Solo Mio - Sherrill Nielsen solo 25.It's now or never 26.Can't help falling in love 27.Closing vamp 28.Bonus: Rapid City Interview (21.06.77)

Package: Since this CD is very sad to listen, this is the same with the package: the only interesting thing to mention is a full length Elvis photo and a portrait.

Elvis: Well, It's hard to say, but Elvis was exhausted, not to say already dead: he tries to joke, he tries to sing, he tries to introduce, but he never succeeds. In the end of the show he says "thanks" to everyone he remembered at the moment. It looks like a kind of apologize for the bad show. However this is a historical event.

Highlights: Though it's among the saddest show I've ever heard we can hear not only the undubbed versions of previously released material on RCA "Elvis In Concert", but real highlights like Hurt and I Really Don't Want To Know. They sound really powerful.

Review: Omaha, Nebraska, 19th June 1977 - here we have the first 1977 concert released in its entirety (well, almost). CBS filmed two performances for their anniversary special and this one was the first. It was planned to continue filming in Lincoln, Nebraska the next day, but the agreement with CBS was cancelled at the last moment because of an insurance problem. So they did it in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 21.

Years ago, when I saw the CBS TV special (longer version) for the first time, I was surprised how little songs from Omaha were used in this project, majority was from Rapid City, after listening to this CD I understood why.

Naturally, nobody could expect that it was good show so I was prepared for the worst, but it was almost a relief for me, when I have listened it. CBS used only Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel, How Great Thou Art, Early Mornin' Rain, I Can't Help Falling In Love clips and in my longer version of special also Love Me - for the first time it was seen in the new version of THIS IS ELVIS movie. "Fairytale", "And I Love You So" and "Little Sister" were edited together with Rapid City tracks for soundtrack ELVIS IN CONCERT 2LP (with Early Mornin' Rain from 21.6.77).

As you know, it was released by two labels, there are different opinions about the quality, some prefer one, some another, my choice was As I Leave You, so I can't rate Candid Elvis On camera release. But in any case, the cover artwork looks better on As I Leave You to me, with nice pictures taken in Indianapolis on June 26 by Bob Heis.

Quality of sound is far from ideal, this CD is the next addition in group of bad quality soundboards, along with Run On and True Love Travels On A Gravel Road CDs. The mix isn't good, Elvis' voice is sometimes distant, but it is because sound engineers did bad job. One important note: some said that it was almost Charlie Hodge concert, because his voice is so much up in front, but it is wrong ! It is a fact that Charlie's voice is very noticeable and it is annoying as his singing isn't so good, but the only reason of it is the bad mixing work. I am sure that sound in showroom was very different.

The concert itself brings very sad feel, and as Guralnick says in his book Careless Love what he hears is panic, the voice "almost unrecognizable, a small, childlike instrument in which he talks more than sings most of the songs, casts about uncertainly for the melody of others, and is virtually unable to articulate or project". Elvis was very tired, likely drugged and also nervous - they filmed his show in time when he didn't look well at all, but his voice wasn't bad, he didn't loose his ability to sing and he still rises in a few songs. The Rapid City concert was much better and the last two performances in Cincinnati and Indianapolis were far better too. But the audience didn't notice the faults in the performance it seems, as you can hear strong applause after songs, jokes and during the band introductions.

The first two songs aren't bad versions, in Amen part Elvis added few strange lines "I'm gonna tell you something, really, all kidding aside, you know, I never wore make-up on stage, but, you know, this is being televised, and we all have to... I, I, I, I, I, I, I wear make-up. And, if you think I'm nervous, you're right" (very strong and long applause). Part of this monologue they used for CBS special. That's All Right is similar to Rapid City, but a bit worse. In Are You Lonesome Tonight? Elvis forgets the right words and starts it again, this version is quite good until the recited bridge where he fools around too much. Love Me is in bad sound quality (just as on video). "Ah, this next song is the story of my life, it's called Fairytale" - quite good version, before it you can hear small voice (Charlie ?) who asks twice whether they will do this one or If You Love Me. Little Sister is a good one. Bad Rock'n'Roll medley follows and after this Elvis says: "Ah, this next song is the song that we did in a ablom, ablom (he means album !?), it's called And I Love You So". He is good in this performance. Another self-parody in Jailhouse Rock is next, but this version is better than Rapid City one, where he did a mistake, and after it we have the only real highlight of the show, great version of How Great Thou Art. Fact is that June or December 1975 versions are better, but this one is good too; it sounds like a prayer for help. Too long introductions are next, with very nice Early Mornin' Rain and only one new addition, I Really Don't Want To Know (this song was introduced in Jacksonville on 30th May 77 as the solo for Tony Brown piano). Elvis then introduces Charlie Hodge and the orchestra with same solo as in Indianapolis. Hurt is powerful, second best song, and he gives his all into the great ending. Hound Dog is next and a surprise - before the end we have pretty good O Sole Mio ("smart, Alec") / It's Now Or Never, which is unusual. He then introduces his producer and sound engineers and mentions that this show will be in TV. Well known "meet you again, God bless you, adios" and "Can't Help Falling In Love" left, where part is edited out, for some reason. Bonus so - called Rapid City interview isn't very interesting as Elvis only thanks, it is too short and the sound quality is bad.

So in all, not a good show, but still a little bit better that I have expected. I only hope that the much better Rapid City concert will be released too in it's entirety, in better sound quality. Now this is the only complete 1977 soundboard show on CD, but I still prefer Adios CD over it.

Reviewed by Oto Meszaros from Czech Republic

A bootleg index