Title: Keep The Fire Burning (released in 2005)

Label: Audionics

Date: May 7, 1975, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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

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

Tracks: 1.Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001 Theme) 2.C. C. Rider 3.I Got A Woman / Amen (medley) 4.Love Me 5.If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 6.Love Me Tender 7.All Shook Up 8.(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel (medley) 9.The Wonder Of You 10.Burning Love 11.Band Introductions 12.Johnny B. Goode 13.Drums Solo (Ronnie Tutt) 14.Bass Solo (Blues - Jerry Scheff) 15.Piano Solo (Glen D. Hardin) 16.School Day (Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll) 17.Bridge Over Troubled Water 18.T.R.O.U.B.L.E. 19.I'll Remember You 20.Let Me Be There 21.An American Trilogy 22.Funny How Time Sips Away 23.Hound Dog 24.Elvis' tour-ending speech (not listed) 25. Little Darlin' 26.Can't Help Falling In Love 27.Closing Vamp (Duration: 60 min. 01 sec.)

Package: The main (and the only) minus of the package is the mistake in the track list, which for whatever reason doesn't mention Elvis' tour-ending speech, which is a separate track on the CD, it means that we have 27 tracks and not 26 as the cover states. In other terms, the package is very well done, though Elvis doesn't look natural on the front cover picture and it seems as if it is a wax copy of Elvis (this is not very noticeable on the above cover's scan). The inside liner notes are a fine and a welcomed addition to the many photographs taken during this tour and featured in the booklet.

Elvis:The atmosphere of this concert is close to the atmosphere of the June tour - which means that not it only leaves a taste of a professional work-out but as well a feeling of a Performer enjoying his work. The introduction part is shorter than it would become in a few months, Elvis laughs through the concert - this is not the "zombie" that would hit the stage often during the following year's concerts. The enthusiasm of this tour led Elvis to loose some weight in the following three weeks for the beginning of the next tour so he could wear jumpsuits again. This fact alone means a lot.

Highlights: They are well delivered, though it seems that Elvis' voice is uncontrolled at times - this really shows up on some of the numbers, The Wonder Of You for example.

Review: The already partly released May 7 1975 concert is here in it's entirety 30 years after actually taking place. It is a real pity that we get treated with a second generation copy of the original tape, but that's all what we have and we have to be thankful for it. Having that said you already guess that this is not a high quality soundboard recording, but still it's better than most audience recordings. The bass and piano are way up in front in the mix.

After the usual Zarathustra opening Elvis hits the stage, to deliver a very rocking version of C.C. Rider, the performance is really very good. Right before I Got A Woman Elvis makes a comment which can't leave the audience indifferent: "Hey, honey, you know what? you know what? That little baby is too close to the sound system it can damage ears, all kidding aside, it's too close, it can damage ears. If you got some cotton you can put it in ears." The performance of the following song is quite dynamic though probably not too much inspired (thanks God the Amen segment is shorter than usually). As the song comes to an end Elvis goes into the greeting speech, which is a bit different this evening: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Keith Smith. Well may be, you don't know, may be. The reports I've been reading about this tour I'm Keith Smith... What, sweetheart, what do you want, young lady? COME THERE, are you kidding me? I may be crazy, honey, but I ain't fool, I ain't coming over there! I hope you have a good time this evening 'cause we are. And uh... We're gonna do a lotta songs and I hope that there's something that you like." During the performance of Love Me - which is a fine show pleaser - Elvis probably notices a group of people who he had seen the previous night (the existing part of which has been released on FTD's Dixieland Rocks) as he announces: "You were here last night, you guys!" If You Love Me continues the concert and we get to hear a very good rendition, featuring some real nice job by Jerry Scheff after the refrain. Elvis looses concentration during the following Love Me Tender as he seems really glad when all the woman pull around his shoulder and begins laughing really infectiously. All Shook Up is pretty boring, while Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel is slower than usually, and you can hear some kind of dedication in Elvis' voice. The Wonder Of You just doesn't sound too serious in this 75' arrangements, but Elvis seems to be having a good time (his voice is a little uncontrolled on parts though). He seems really interested in emphasizing Kathy Westmoreland's singing during the solo as he says: "Play it James... Kathy, Kathy!" and he doesn't sing along the back vocalists this time. Burning Love gets a lovely treatment this evening, Elvis is really into the song, his voice is better controlled than usually and we'd like to note Jerry Scheff's outstanding bass guitar playing closer to the end.

Not only the Stamps Quartet get highlighted as "One of the finest gospel quartets in the Nation," but also as "some of my best friends" during the following band intros which as written above are pretty short - clocking at about 6 minutes. The performance of Bridge Over Troubled Water has been released as a bonus track on the Dixieland Rocks FTD release, but it is still worth saying that this attempt, though being far from ideal is very nice, Elvis has difficulties with the phrasing but gets better closer to the end. T-R-O-U-B-L-E gets a kind of an inspired treatment, Elvis seems to be enjoying the song. I'll Remember You is a yet another example of fantastic vocal improvisation from Mr. Presley, as he goes into falsetto voice between the first and the second verses, and changes the phrasing in different places of the song. Let Me Be There demonstrates Elvis' control on the top of his range. The following An American Trilogy shows a dedicated singer, it is a fine performance. Funny How Time Slips Away and Hound Dog are show pleasers, Elvis takes the time to thank everyone he could think of after the later song (this monologue has also been used on FTD's Dixieland Rock) and brings the concert to an end after a funny Little Darling.

This CD is a very good addition to the soundboard collectors - it's hard to say how often you will play it, but it will certainly be an enjoyable time, you won't regret it (if you can live up with a less than average soundboard recording).

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