Title: Back On The Main Land (released in 2005)

Label: Memories of Elvis

Date: January 26, 1973, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, Nevada

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

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

Tracks: 1.2001 Theme 2.See See Rider 3.Burning Love 4.Something 5.Introduction of Kathy Westmoreland 6.You Gave Me A Mountain 7.Steamroller Blues 8.Sweet Caroline 9.My Way 10.Love Me 11.Blue Suede Shoes 12.Johnny B. Goode 13.Lawdy Miss Clawdy 14.Fever 15.Hound Dog 16.I Can't Stop Loving You 17.I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry 18.What Now My Love 19.Suspicious Minds 20.Introductions 21.I'll Remember You 22.Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On 23.Can't Help Falling In Love + Bonus "medley" track (not mentioned on the tracklist) (Duration: 64 min. 24 sec.)

Package: It seems that the CD designers haven't seen anything in the way of designing since the beginning of the bootleg era - they didn't even bother to put the numbers of the songs on the track listing behind! Of course we have seen even worse job but it's a real shame treating an Elvis CD in such a way.

Elvis: As the cover boasts - this is the first show since the Aloha special and most of it's mood is here - maybe Elvis is just more relaxed. The song selection is very close to the well known special too.

Highlights: Very nice to hear a more complete performance of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - a rarely performed song by the way. The other songs on this calm show are finely delivered but none of the seem to be big highlights. This concert is a kind of work out and this affects the performance.

Review: 1973 was a year that changed Elvis radically - his divorce with Priscilla in October resulted serious drug problems which would lead Elvis to death in the next four years, but earlier in the year Elvis was enjoying his biggest triumph of his career - the Aloha Special. It seems though that the grandiosity of the event took away the attention from the performance itself - Elvis has lost some weight prior the broadcast and this affected his attitude: he was slow-motioned, his appearance was very strange, he seemed totally scared and uninspired. Probably this was the price he had to pay to get all the attention of the world.

The audience recording on this CD offers an insight into the first post-Aloha concert of the year - the opening of a yet another Vegas Season. It's always a big pleasure when we get a chance to hear an opening (or a closing) show since they are most often very special. Not this time it seems, as we get to hear a very identical to the Aloha special set list, with the addition of Sweet Caroline and Lawdy Miss Clawdy.

The cover is not the only problem on this CD - the sound quality is bad too, it seems that the tape recorded was well hidden but that's all we have anyway. The recording begins with the 2001 theme and (probably) some drunk people laughing at it in the very beginning, trying to sing along the melody (which they do not succeed). Elvis himself is hardly audible when See See Rider begins, but it doesn't seem to be an inspired performance. When Elvis begins Burning Love the audience reacts with applause - contrary to the Aloha special - it seems that they already know and appreciate the song. A fine performance of Something follows after a short greeting of the audience. Elvis takes the time to admit Kathy Westmoreland's efforts on the song and introduces her after the song. Elvis continues to demonstrate his (then new) music style by performing You Gave Me A Mountain - an emotional performance as most often.

Steamroller Blues continues the concert and features a very good guitar solo by James Burton and Elvis messing up with the words. For whatever reason Elvis decided to add Sweet Caroline to the list this evening, good to hear this pretty rarely performed song, but unfortunately it is not as good as some three years before. Without introducing the song Elvis begins My Way, which is as emotional as always. Following is a series of oldies, among which are the throw-away versions of Love Me and Blue Suede Shoes and pretty inspired renditions of Johnny B. Goode and Lawdy Miss Clawdy. For whatever reason the Vegas audience is not as emotional as any other and they do not react in a proper way to the movements during the performance of Fever, which probably upset Elvis. A yet another throw-away version of Hound Dog follows but Elvis makes it up by performing a very good I Can't Stop Loving You. I'm So Lonesome (which is a pretty rarely performed song) not only contains an additional verse but also a guitar solo by James Burton. After an emotional and well phrased What Now My Love we hear a long Suspicious Minds, but we prefer the classic performances from 69/70 period.

After the short band introductions (which are missing on the tape) and celebrity intros we get to hear a nice performance of I'll Remember You. The Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On medley is quite rushed and we hear a fade out in the end of the song (with the possibility of A Big Hunk O' Love or some other song(s) having been performed in this pause but not recorded). Can' Help Falling In Love brings the concert to an end. We get to hear a bonus "medley" - some of Elvis' hits spliced together in a unprofessional way - we don't see any use in it anyway.

Had it been a good soundboard recording it could easily become a recommended item, but since the audio quality is not good it is a die-hard fans material only.

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