Title: I Did It My Way (released in 2005)

Label: Memory Records

Date: April 28, 1977, Green Bay, Wisconsin + bonus - June 2, 1977, Mobile, Alabama

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

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

Tracks: 1.Also Sprach Zarathustra 2.C.C. Rider 3.I Got A Woman / Amen (medley) 4.Love Me 5.If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 6.You Gave Me A Mountain 7.Danny Boy (by Sherrill Nielsen) 8.Walk With Me (by Sherrill Nielsen) 9.Jailhouse Rock 10.O Sole Mio / It's Now Or Never 11.Little Sister 12.(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 13.My Way 14.Band Introductions 15.Early Mornin' Rain 16.Lead Guitar Solo (Delta Lady - James Burton) 17.Drums Solo (Ronnie Tutt) 18.Bass Solo (Blues - Jerry Scheff) 19.Piano Solo (Tony Brown) 20.Electric Piano Solo (Bobby Ogdin) 21.School Day (Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll) 22.Hawaiian Wedding Song 23.Hound Dog 24.Funny How Time Slips Away 25.Can't Help Falling In Love 26.Closing Vamp & Announcements Bonus: 27.An American Trilogy (last live version) 28.Polk Salad Annie (last live version) 29.Unchained Melody (Duration: 77 min. 52sec.)

Package: The package leaves a feeling of an amateurish one, we have expected better work from the Memory Records. The "effects" seem to have been done in a hurry and do not look good. The liner notes are, however, as usually good, and the photos inside are fine.

Elvis: What can you expect from a man who is four months away from his death and probably feels it?

Highlights: In two words: My Way. The lines "And now, the end is near" sound really scaring - the song is so passionately sung that it brings tears to your eyes, the phrasing is very careful - this song is a joy.

Review: It's always an emotionally hard moment to get through the 1977 experience. It's heartbreaking to admit the influence of all the medication that Mr. Presley had been taking in the previous years. But it becomes even more stunning the way in which one single performer could control and drive crazy the very big auditoriums even in this state of health.

It takes a while before Elvis begins C.C. Rider after the intro, the sound is a bit distant, the screams from the audience may sometimes bother you, but Elvis' voice is up in front of the instruments. The song is a decent version, I Got A Woman can be considered of the same level - it is a standard 1977 version, and thanks God - there is no reprise by J.D. Sumner. Having thanked the audience, Elvis announces that the spotlights "blind me" and after taking the time to talk with the audience (it's hard to understand what he's saying on parts because of the audience screams) he launches into the scarf-giving Love Me, nothing special here. If You Love Me is next, and it is very close to the original version from the Moody Blue album, the reaction from the audience is fantastic. You Gave Me A Mountain is a very fine rendition, the refrain is really powerfully sung. Next are two songs sung by Sherrill Neilson, but we could live without them.

Elvis continues the concert explaining that "we have two sound systems", and pointing at the difference of the sound that is onstage and the one that comes into the auditorium, before quickly jumping into a request of Jailhouse Rock, which receives a fantastic reaction too. After the song we seem to miss a part of the tape - it has been either edited out or is missed on the original tape too. What we hear next is It's Now Or Never, which is very close to most late 70-s versions, but some of the high notes are missing here. Little Sister is (despite the warm reception) a rather weak rendition followed with no pause by Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel medley, which seems to be the weakest song of the whole set. "I'd like to do a song that Frank Sinatra did, ladies and gentlemen, My Way". This song is the climax of this rather sad concert - Elvis seems to live every single word of the song, and we have to say that the Memory Records has chosen the right title to this CD.

The following introductions seem to be endless, and with the exception of Early Morning Rain (a fine rendition), they feature no Elvis singing. For whatever Mr. Presley chooses not sing Hurt this evening preferring to do Hawaiian Wedding Song instead after the intros. Hound Dog is no better than the hundreds other versions we have from the later years. Funny How Time Slips Away is next, the Performer seems to be having a good time here, at least, changing words on parts. Saying nothing, Elvis ends the concert with Can't Help Falling In Love, beginning with the lines "Wise man knows when it's time to go".

The additional tracks are of worse sound quality, but that's the price you have to pay for the rare material. An American Trilogy is a disaster in a way - after the trumpet solo, Elvis messes up with the lyrics, and is forced to stop the song, but in other terms this song is greatly performed. Following is the very last version of Polk Salad Annie, a very long version, rather bothering to listen to, but taking in account the audience's reaction, probably it still features some "Presley moves". Unchained Melody which closes the CD is a very good rendition, very passionate and tender, Elvis controls his voice wonderfully and it's a great addition.

This CD is strictly a die-hard fans material, mainly because of the sound quality, but also because of the performance, which is an average one, with no real ups and downs (with the exception of My Way and Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel medley respectively).

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