Title: Phoenix Over Tennessee (Released 1993)

Label: J. R. 10/93/000189 C

Date: 17th March 1976 8:30 P.M. show, Freedom Hall, Johnson City, Tennessee

Sound Quality (Concert): * * + / * * * * * +

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

Tracks: 1.2001 A Space Odyssey 2.Opening Riff 3.See See Rider 4.I Got A Woman-Amen-I Got A Woman 5.Love Me 6.You Gave Me A Mountain 7.Tryin' To Get To You 8.All Shook Up 9.Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel 10.Until It's Time For You To Go 11.Hurt ( first live version ) 12.Polk Salad Annie 13.Band Introductions 14.What'd I Say #1 15.What'd I Say #2 16.Larry Londin drum solo 17.Jerry Scheff bass guitar solo 18.Tony Brown piano solo Elvis sung What'd I Say 19.David Briggs clavinet solo 20.Hail Hail Rock And Roll 21.And I Love You So 22.How Great Thou Art 23.Love Me Tender 24.Let Me Be There 25.America (The Beautiful) 26.Heartbreak Hotel 27.Hound Dog 28.O Sole Mio (excerpt) 29.Hawaiian Wedding Song 30.Mystery Train-Tiger Man 31.I Can't Help Falling In Love (with false start) 32.Closing Vamp 33.Announcements

Package: The cover artwork is really perfect, with great photo of Elvis with Gibson acoustic guitar in front and three more sharp shots inside and on back, one of them is black and white, rest in colors. All are of high quality and from the actual show. The disc alone in dark blue and looks nice too.

Review: After his sky vacation in Vail, Colorado in January 76, the penultimate recording session was held in Graceland between 2nd and 8th February and after this there were nine tours and his last seasons in Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. The first tour began in on 17th March in Johnson City, Tennessee - 21 000 tickets were sold in 11 hours and two more shows were arranged. Elvis was now more overweight than during the last December Las Vegas season, but he was in great mood and still gave his best to the people. He wore "Dark Blue Jumpsuit With Silver Eagle". The first show was almost 80 minutes long and very likely the best from whole short tour.

"PHOENIX OVER TENNESSEE" CD was released by J. R. Records in 1993 and the only problem is the sound quality. It is one of the best audience recordings, almost comparable to Auld Lang Syne, only with too much screaming throughout, but overall sound isn't terrible. But nevertheless, only very little of hundreds audience tapes could be compared with few worse soundboards.

As I've mentioned before, the show is probably the best one from this tour, a little better than the very good Cincinnati 21.3. evening show released in excellent sound by D.A.E. and much more better than about average Charlotte 20.3. Elvis' voice is very powerful and he seems to be in good mood. The opening numbers are strong, but Elvis voice is a bit distant and screaming is very noticeable. Love Me is as usual, but You Gave Me A Mountain is excellent and the same hold true for Tryin To Get To You it is known that live versions of this song were better and better as the years went by, even 1977.

In the medley of the three rock and rolls is apparent a little lack of old power, but in any case, they're better than the same medley from Charlotte 20.3.76 E/S where you can hear terrible versions of them. Until Its Time For You To Go was no longer in Elvis repertory, it was omitted after 20.3.76 A/S, but this version is very nice and touching. But the first real highlight is the live premiere of his latest single "Hurt", these early versions are a little slower and with more tenderness in the recited part, close to the studio recording. Polk Salad Annie is as rockin as ever.

The band introductions follow, with new names in the TCB band: Larry Londin on drums, Shane Kiester on piano and David Briggs on electric piano. James Burton played his What'd I Say solo (without Elvis voice) and by Elvis' request he repeated it one more time. A few minutes later Elvis sung What'd I Say to the tune of Shane Kiester piano solo.

And I Love You So was sung very well, unfortunately only until Elvis stopped it at the beginning of the second verse as he thought that the bass was too loud and making comment to band "I cant tell if I'm singing Jambalaya and a crawfish pie or fillet gumbo", you can hear both applause and whistling from crowd and after this Elvis continues with the second verse and last chorus as usual. It is a pity.

How Great Thou Art is shining as in almost every show, true highlight. Love Me Tender is nice, with some different words. Next is Let Me Be There, another soon omitted song (for what reason ???), it is a competent version, far better than some from 1974. America The Beautiful was a patriotic song sung to celebrate American Bicentennial Year and a new inclusion in Elvis repertory since 2.12.75 Opening night in Las Vegas, and one of three greatest numbers in show, along with Hurt and How Great Thou Art. Heartbreak Hotel is a good version and Hound Dog is a throwaway as many before and after. Elvis sings one line of O Sole Mio (he sang it often in Vegas the previous December) and follows with very nice Hawaiian Wedding Song (now also seldom performed). Rhythmic and pleasant version of Mystery Train & Tiger Man medley is next and before the closing song Elvis makes the most funny comment. He tells the crowd "I saw a car, Cadillac, with bumper sticker: I paid for this, Elvis didn't buy it for me", in allusion to his own generosity; he gave five cars to police group in Denver that January. Cant Help Falling In Love has a false start, what is unusual. The CD is closed with all Al Dvorins comments about souvenirs etc

Now we have two excellent tracks from this concert, Tryin To Get To You and Hurt, as a welcomed bonus on recent Southbound CD in soundboard quality, and hopefully, this show will be released soon in its entirety from soundboard too, there are rumors that it will be out this year. In soundboard quality it will be certainly a indispensable CD, but until it, this is the best what we have, however the audience recorded sound makes it worth only for collectors.

This CD is definitely among my favorites and only one thing left to say - I hope that the cover artwork of soundboard CD with this same show, if it will be released, will be as PERFECT as is this one.

Reviewed by Oto Meszaros from Czech Republic

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