Title: Live At The HIC

Label: White Star

Date: November 18, 1972 (evening show), Honolulu, Hawaii + BONUSES

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

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

Tracks: 1.Elvis On Tour Spot 2.Excerpts From The "Aloha From Hawaii" Press Conference, Las Vegas (September 6, 1972) 3.Oh, Happy Day (Las Vegas August 14, 1970 M.S.) 4.It's Crying Time (Las Vegas August 12 1973 M.S.) 5.Excerpts From "The Aloha From Hawaii" Press Conference (Honolulu , Hawaii, November 20, 1972) 6.2001 Theme 7.See See Rider 8.I Got A Woman / Amen 9.Until It's Time For You To Go 10.You Don't Have To Say You Love Me 11.Polk Salad Annie 12.Love Me 13.All Shook Up 14.Heartbreak Hotel 15.Blue Suede Shoes 16.Just Pretend 17.Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 18.Love Me Tender 19.Little Sister / Get Back 20.Hound Dog 21.I'll Remember You 22.How Great Thou Art 23.Suspicious Minds 24.Introductions 25.What Now My Love 26.Fever 27.Burning Love 28.You Gave A Mountain 29.A Big Hunk Of Love 30.Can't Help Falling In Love 31.Closing Vamp 32.Amazing Grace (Las Vegas August 14, 1973 D.S.) 33.Early Morning Rain (live in spring 1977)

Package: Well we can't say that the package is the most attractive thing on this release. The fonts are very small and the colors used in the design are not suitable to each other. However the most interesting is not the package, but the contents. Many photos were taken during this show, but only two of them were used. The inside cover is empty.

Elvis: This CD gives us a unique chance to hear the ultra rare press conferences Elvis gave before his historical satellite TV show in January 1973. Excerpts from both conferences are here (September 6 and November 20, 1972) as a great bonus to the show. Elvis talks about his attitude to the Japanese fans coming to Las Vegas and how he keeps himself in "good shape". When he talks about keeping good shape he even can't follow his own words. Real sportsmen! :))

The other bonuses from August 1970 are quite good, but they were released before. However they are a good addition, since Happy Day (Aug.14) is one of the best songs Elvis ever did. The package contains an incorrect dating of It's Crying Time (August 12, 1970 M.S.) As we know this show was released on That's The Way It Is 3 CD box set and it never contained such song. Moreover Elvis first tried this song on August 21, 1970 M.S. (released on You've Lost That Loving Feeling CD). So, this could not be August 12, 1970 M.S. This song is probably from August 12 midnight show, but 1973 (not 1970).

Amazing Grace is from 1973 August season and it is a great live version sang only once during this Las Vegas engagement. This is no doubt a unique recording.

I guess the producer of the CD (Tom Diskin) considers this show as a real, I would say "relaxed" rehearsal of the forthcoming TV show. This is probably true thing: Elvis was getting ready for his TV broadcast. However the program was much different from Aloha show (this night Elvis performed Just Pretend, Little Sister/ Get Back, How Great Thou Art, Until It's Time For You To Go, Love Me Tender which were dropped from Aloha show). In overall this tracklisting is closer to the On Tour period. The sound is very good, but distant and the show itself is probably one of the best from 1972.

Highlights: Not to mention the bonus songs, true highlights of the show are: Just Pretend (really awesome)/ How Great Thou Art and I'll Remember You. This show previously circulated on audio tape and on CDR and was known as "Getting Leid In Hawaii". To my mind the sound was a bit improved.

In overall I can say that this CD is not only for "die hard" collectors, but also for the most of the people who want to hear Elvis on his way to the peak of his career - Aloha Special TV broadcast.

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