Title: Run On

Label: Front Row Productions

Date: December 7, 1976 show, Las Vegas Hilton Hotel Showroom, Las Vegas, Nevada.

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

Concerts Rating: * * / * * * * * +

Tracks: 1.C.C. Rider 2.I Got A Woman / Amen 3.Love Me 4.If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 4.You Gave Me A Mountain 5.O Sole Mio / It's Now Or Never 6.Blue Christmas 7.That's All Right 8.Are You Lonesome Tonight 9.Softly As I Leave You 10.Fever 11.All Shook Up 12.Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 13.Introductions 10.Early Morning Rain 11.What'd I Say 12.Love Letters 13.Hail Hail Rock And Roll 14.Hurt 15.Hound Dog 16.Hawaiian Wedding Song 17.You'd Better Run / Rock My Soul 18.Can't Help Falling In Love 19.Closing Theme 20.Christmas souvenir announcement.

Package: For a long time it was rumored that no soundboards from this season exist, but I think that this release almost confirms that there are other shows from this season in soundboard. It is the first release of the brand new 1998 label Fron Row Productions. The cover work is nice, with 7 color shots from this show, Elvis wearing the typical Indian Feather jumpsuit and not looking very well, his face is quite puffy, on photos from 3rd and 4th December he had looked (and sang) markedly better.

Review: Between December 2 and 12, 1976, Elvis performed in Las Vegas for the very last time. He gave 15 shows in all and the quality of his appearances is possible to be described as unbalanced. He was in very passable mood and in strong and rich voice when the season began, with two hours long magnificent opening show, where he gave a rare version of I Just Cant Help Believin' and the good shows continued until December 5-th, this day he hurt his ankle and he often sat on chair throughout the show. From the early days of this season we have the famous CD Love Letters From Nevada in a very good audience recorded sound and an excellent show on CD. This Run On CD shows us a greatly different Elvis in comparison, which means far worse.

The sound quality is far from the best soundboards available, probably it wasn't taped very carefully, the sound isn't well balanced and is too much sharp in places, mix is far from ideal as Elvis voice is sometimes distant. Still, it is comparable to worse soundboards from 1970 and overall decent. On the other hand, the above mentioned Love Letters From Nevada is in almost identical sound quality.

What one can say about the show ? Elvis voice sounds a little tired and weak not only during the songs but also during the in between the songs chatter. And further, it is clearly notable that he is under influence of strong medicaments, likely not only due his twisted ankle. After See See Rider he apologizes for being late because of a pinched nerve in his right foot. He seems to be in a little crazy mood. I Got A Woman is one of poorness versions, and there is nothing special in Love Me. If You Love Me starts too slow and after 2 lines Elvis asks the band to do it as he wants, it is a fair rendition. You Gave Me A Mountain is okay until the great boom in sound equipment which ruined the song . Then instead of Jailhouse, Elvis says: "Lets do, no, lets do O Sole Mio, Its Now Or Never, let me held the Italian version" and Sherrill Nielsen sings O Sole Mio in Italian for one of the very first times, followed by Elvis' Its Now Or Never - a good version. Elvis played (but in no means as good as later in Pittsburgh) three songs on guitar: Blue Christmas which isn't bad but is very short here, That's All Right which is longer than usual and falls apart just before the end and Are You Lonesome Tonight which is packed with jokes and isn't very good version, however his voice is decent here.

The best song of the first half of the show is one of the last performances of Softly As I Leave You, it is very soft and tender, a really perfect rendition. After this Elvis spends a few minutes in chat with the audience, he asks one woman "You're French?" and she replied "German, du sprichst Deutsch, nicht?" this is a rare, funny moment in this excruciating show. Elvis talks for some 30 seconds during the bass intro of Fever, which is a fair version. Next is the usual medley of oldies and it is pretty weak. Introductions follow and Early Morning Rain has a different intro by John Wilkinson, but Elvis soon stops it: "...wait a minute, wait a minute, hold it, Im not up for Mario Lanza's range" and the restarted version is good, but again short. In Hurt Elvis sounds a bit tired, however not bad, you can hear that horns and strings are more apparent here in Vegas. Hound Dog is a horrific version but the following Hawaiian Wedding Song is very nice. After this he seems to be more up, as he tells the audience "I'd like to do a couple or three spiritual songs for you, you know " and before we get two, You'd Better Run and Rock My Soul, someone gives a cry: "You're the King !" and Elvis in reply says: "Thank you sir, I'm fixing to sing about Him".

Charlie is on lead and Elvis sings the bass with The Stamps Quartet on piano, these two songs, short as they are, show Elvis in better light before the end of this strange show. Before the last song Elvis apologizes for himself !!! "I hope that it get better" (his pinched nerve or his show? I think that he realizes very well that his appearance that night wasn't among his best ones). After the closing vamp you can hear the Christmas heart charity announcement.

This show is one of the worse, in any case typical shows for this season and year 1976 too. The best ever tour was still in front of Elvis, and some of the worst times in his career behind him. Though the worst was still to come...

This CD is recommended if you are collector who buys not only excellent shows, but the peculiar ones like Maryland 28.9.1974, Vegas 2.9.1974 C/s or Hampton Roads 1.8.1976 CDs too. If you're looking for 1976 Elvis in his best, rather buy Burning In Birmingham or Goodbye Memphis CDs and skip this one.

Reviewed by Oto Meszaros, Czech Republic

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