Title: Burbank 68 (released in 1999)

Label: FTD

Date: June 25, 1968 and June 29, 1968, 6&8 P.M. shows

Compilation rating: * * * * * / * * * * * +

Sound Quality of the rehearsals: * * * / * * * * * +

Sound quality of the concerts: * * * * * - / * * * * * +

Tracks: 1.Danny Boy (Instrumental) 2.Baby What You Want Me To Do 3.Love Me 4.Dialogue with Steve Binder 5.Lawdy Miss Clawdy 6.One Night 7.Blue Christmas 8.Baby What You Want Me To Do 9.When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again 10.Blue Moon Of Kentucky 11.Elvis dialogue no 2 (Recorded at a rehearsal, June 25, 1968) 12.Heartbreak Hotel 13.Hound Dog 14.All Shook Up 15.Can't Help Falling In Love 16.Jailhouse Rock 17.Don't Be Cruel 18.Love Me Tender 19.Blue Suede Shoes 20.Trouble/Guitar Man (Recorded live, June 29, 1968, 6&8 P.M. shows) 21.If I Can Dream (alt. take) 22.Let Yourself Go (Instrumental)

Review: This is a fantastic release, featuring outstanding material - Elvis at his best! There's no real need to tell the story about the 68 Comeback Special - every Elvis fan knows it by heart. Interesting is the fact that the first part of the CD (the rehearsal) was recorded on Joe Esposito's own recorder, and probably wasn't meant to be released someday. As a result, Elvis is much more relaxed here than on the well known "sit-down" shows, and his voice is on the edge all the time, he is still experimenting with the material he could introduce during the show. Here you can find out how the great Baby What You Want Me To Do was born and much more. The funniest moment, probably Elvis trying to sing Blue Moon Of Kentucky in the original key, and as he confesses, it's damn to high.

But even more interesting is the second part - the live "stand up" show. The sound of the concert is much better than on the TV Special CD (though the songs that already have been released are of worse sound quality than the unreleased tracks) and you can feel the energy, which even can't be found in such quantity at the famous 69' Vegas concerts. Of course, Elvis was in the best voice form in 1970, but here is the most energetic Elvis, trying to create a new image for himself. Fantastic rendition of the first medley (Elvis without the electric guitar this time), a funny Blue Suede Shoes... Well, all the show is a big highlight.

Even more: here we get a new version of If I Can Dream, featuring a different vocal overdub. The last but no the least here is the Let Yourself Go (very similar to the title theme from James Bond movies), which appeared on the special during the closing credits.

What can I say? This is a fantastic release, which should be heard by every Elvis fan.

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