Title: Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind

Label: Live Archives

Date: July 23, 1975, Asheville, NC

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

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

Tracks:

CD 1

1.Also Sprach Zarathustra 2.See See Rider 3.I Got A Woman / Amen 4.Big Boss Man 5.Love Me 6.If You Love Me 7.It's Midnight 8.All Shook Up 9.Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 10.Hound Dog 11.The Wonder Of You 12.Turn Around, Look At Me 13.Polk Salad Annie 14.Band Introductions 15.Johnny B. Goode 16.Instrumental Solos

CD 2

1.Introductions 2.School Days 3.T.R.O.U.B.L.E. 4.Why Me Lord 5.How Great Thou Art 6.Let Me Be There 7.Shake A Hand 8.Fairytale 9.Introduction of Vernon 10.Little Darlin' 11.Mystery Train / Tiger Man 12.Funny How Time Slips Away 13.It's Now Or Never 14.Promised Land 15.Can't Help Falling In Love

Package: The cover design is attractive, with eight great photos from this show, with Elvis in the Gypsy Suit, and a nice one with Elvis and his father is inside the case.

Review: When this double CD was announced in 1997, I was excited as many others, because the track listing was very promising with a few rarities and it is known that Elvis' July 1975' tour was one of the greatest ever, as he was in excellent voice. (If you are a happy owner of CDs like Americas Own Vol. 1 and 2 with two outstanding performances from the same tour, you know what I am talking about). Elvis was in good mood, despite a few well knows incidents in Norfolk during the evening show of July 20-th and his troublesome toothache in the last days of this tour. Live Archives promised us very good quality audience recording comparable to August 20th 1973 recording featured on Fort Baxter release A Profile Vol. 1, and because they gave us a few of the best audience recorded shows around, like Pittsburgh's New Years Eve - Auld Lang Syne or A Dinner Date With Elvis (August 20, 1970), I was expecting similar quality. When it was out, many people were disappointed because the sound couldn't compete with their other CDs. It was the major reason why I wasn't in a hurry to get it. When I've sent a request for three real audio files from it to Willem and I've heard them, I've changed my mind because these songs (leaving aside the mediocre sound quality) were brilliant, when we talk about the voice and the performance.

Elvis repertory was basically the same as on his previous tour (we have 5 soundboard shows on CDs now from his May - June tour, more or less complete, probably it is only a matter of time before we get something from July on soundboard too) but varied much more as the tour went on, with rarities like I'm Leaving, You'll Never Walk Alone (fantastic!!!) both in Uniondale 19th during the evening show. Bosom Of Abraham / You Better Run was done in the same venue at the afternoon show, with Susie Q and Promised Land (twice) next day in Norfolk. On July 22 Elvis gave his first show in Asheville with rare renditions of Why Me Lord (sung by Elvis himself), Shake A Hand, Memphis Tennessee and You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. The tour closing show [in this same city] was really surprising, Elvis gave renditions of That's All Right as show opening, American Trilogy, Something, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Wooden Heart, Return To Sender, and not only this, he gave the first and the only live version of Pieces Of My Life there!!! In all he sang 6 songs from his recent TODAY album in the first half of 1975.

A member of the audience recorded the concert for this double CD during the second Asheville evening, and Elvis is simply fantastic from beginning to the very end. His voice, his repertory, and his mood it all shines there. No long monologues - just song after song and a few jokes and comments. And Elvis looked slimmer (however not as in August 1974) than on previous tours in this year.

Now the concert - this is one of the very best shows I've ever heard, better than all June 1975 released concerts. Almost every song is very strong, including ALL THE OLDIES, like Hound Dog or Love Me (not much 50s songs is in this show!). Big Boss Man, I think, is better than all the 1974 versions and It's Midnight (Elvis mentions Billy Ed Wheeler, who wrote the lyrics to it) is one of the greatest ever. The Wonder Of You is another EXCELLENT song, and then Elvis takes requests: the ultra rare rendition of Turn Around, Look At Me, it's short, under a minute, but his voice sounds almighty there! Polk Salad Annie is great too, a very wild performance.

Disc two offers us another great rock number, the version of T.R.O.U.B.L.E. on this release is simply breathtaking, far better than the same song on Houston 75 from RCA's release. The best thing, however, that you can get from this release, is probably the rendition of Shake A Hand, a very rarely sung (I can think of only three times, the last time being in Atlanta in May 1976) and it is very nice, highlight number ONE. Next is the excellent Fairytale from the same album and then Elvis introduces Vernon to the audience (photo in the booklet). Just before Little Darlin' he receives a gift from a fan in form of Bible. A photo from this moment exists and he has fun as he talks about the Genesis book with a few jokes. Mystery Train / Tiger Man is incredibly driving and It's Now Or Never is great too. Elvis then asks the audience what they want to hear, he doesn't take the usual Love Me Tender request but he gives a rendition of Promised Land, probably for the last time ever on stage, this version is very dynamic, fast (much, much more faster than on March 22, 1975 M/S or in 1974) and it's fantastic! Only one song left... This CD is one of my favorites, in spite of nediocre sound quality, but if you are only soundboard fan, better skip this one and buy Sold Out In Dixie or Let Me Take You Home.

Reviewed by Oto Meszaros from Czech Republic

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