Title: Since Cincinatti (released in 1990)

Label: AJR 080379-1

Date: June 25, 1977, Riverhood Stadium, Cincinatti, Ohio

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

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

Tracks: 1.Gospel (by J.D. Sumner & the Stamps) 2.Gospel (by J.D. Sumner & the Stamps) 3.Hot Hot Sunday (by The Sweet Inspirations) 4.If You Leave Me Now (by The Sweet Inspirations) 5.Also Sprach Zarathustra 6.C. C. Rider / Dialogue 7.I Got A Woman / Amen 8.Love Me 9.If You Love Me 10.You Gave Me A Mountain 11.Jailhouse Rock 12.O Solo Mio / It's Now Or Never 13.Little Sister 14.Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 15.And I Love You So 16.My Way 17.Introductions 18.Early Morning Rain 19.What'd I Say 20.Johnny B. Goode 21.I Really Don't Want To Know 22.Introductions Vernon On Stage 23.Unchained Melody 24.Hound Dog 25.Can't Help Falling In Love (Duration: 73 min. 26 sec.)

Package: Unfortunately the package is not good, the front cover picture is simply of terrible quality, but hey, look at the release date! Nobody was seeking high quality packages back then!

Elvis: The feel of this concert is very close to the following day's Elvis' last performance, available on, for example, Adios - The Final Performance. This concert is better than the Omaha concert from the same tour, but maybe a little worse than the Rapid City concert, and the above mentioned Adios. Had the final concert included renditions of My Way and Unchained Melody it could have easily become unmatched. Dreams, sweet dreams...

Review: It was the end of a 42 years long story with the name Elvis Presley on it as the tour was coming to an end. Less than two months later Elvis will be found dead in his bathroom, but he was trying to fight his death as the tour progressed. He was half-dead during the Omaha concert which was filmed for CBS on June 19, but he got himself in much better shape two days later. The rest of the tour was not too bad. But the Star was not too bright anymore.

From the same label as the last concert we have a very old release of Mr. Presley's pre-last concert. All the serious collectors surely would love to see every single concert that Elvis ever gave on soundboard, but this is an Impossible Dream. However, even though this CD is an audience recording it is a very important historic document for every person that admires Elvis' legacy. The sound quality and mix is very similar to Adios - The Final Performance - no surprise since it comes from the same label. A few warm up songs by J.D. Sumner & the Stamps and The Sweet Inspirations precede the show and it is a great move from the producers - both groups do a great job on the songs. However it's the Zarathustra segment that we have been waiting for. Now we know for sure - it's just a few seconds of time left now till we get to hear what we have been aiming for - the Elvis Presley show! Unfortunately, Larry Londin substituting Ronnie Tutt on the drums confuses us bit, as he does with Jerry Scheff as well. Elvis hits the stage to perform a rather weak rendition of C.C. Rider. He apologies for being late as the song ends. The I Got A Woman / Amen segment has proved to be routine a long time ago, nothing special here. Elvis greets the audience after the song's ending and launches into a yet routine rendition of Love Me. He manages to drive the crowd crazy throwing scarves, however, our hearts do not tremble that much even when we imagine what's happening in the auditorium. The last note does sound decent, but unfortunately the following If You Love Me doesn't have the sparkle it once showed - Elvis' voice is uncontrolled in the beginning and the higher notes do not impress as well.

The first fine rendition of the evening comes with the performance of You Gave Me A Mountain - probably the key of this song is the most suitable for Elvis at this state of health and he gives a good version. Jailhouse Rock seems to take a bite of Elvis' spirit, but his voice objectively sounds weak. We could have lived without the O Sole Mio introduction by Shaun Neilson, but Elvis' performance is surely fine - at least much better than we have expected. "I'd like to do a medley of some of my records," Elvis says and goes into Little Sister. The audience (at least the girl sitting next to the recorder) sings the song along, the audience claps in the rhythm, even the rendition is better than we are used to in the final years, but the song never sounded as good as in the early 70-s. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel medley is less than inspiring, even though Larry Londin tries to give the medley a second birth. And I Love You So is next, a not too very often sung rendition, nice to hear it especially when sung this fine. "Let's do My Way, this next song was recorded by Frank Sinatra and it's called My Way," Elvis announces. Unfortunately, Larry doesn't know the song too well, but Elvis tries to give a good rendition, his voice fails at a few points, but it is still a great rendition.

With his speech very slurred, Elvis introduces his band, though the band intros are cut short. Before going into a rather complete Early Morning Rain Elvis introduces John Wilkenson as Wayne Newton. The performance is very nice to hear, the James Burton's solo numbers are not so delightful. I Really Don't Want To Know is a very fine performance even if we have heard better versions. The next track features Elvis introducing his father, Ginger Alden and announcing Unchained Melody to the delight of the audience, announcing that "This will be on an album that will be out in 1987." This versions seems to be of the same level as the Rapid City performance every fan knows by heart, even if Elvis forgets the words at one point and has Shaun Neilson faking the falsetto note at the end. Closing your eyes and imagining this performance makes us tremble. Hound Dog and Can't Help Falling In Love bring the concert to an end.

This release has last ever versions of My Way, If You Love me, And I Love You So and Unchained Melody. As for the performance - well, we have heard better and worse. The following day's concert seems to be more unpredictable, even though most part of the show is very common. This is, however, a very important document for every true Elvis' fan, so if you get a chance to obtain this concert in any form - do it, but don't expect anything too special.

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