Title: Slippin' 'n' Slidin' with Elvis (released in 2003)

Label: Memory Records

Date: April 30, 1976, Lake Tahoe Midnight Show + Bonuses (different dates)

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

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

Tracks: 1.Also Sprach Zarathustra 2.Intro 3.See See Rider 4.I Got A Woman / Amen 5.Love Me 6.If You Love Me 7.You Gave Me A Mountain 8.All Shook Up 9.Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel 10.Trying To Get To You 11.Steamroller Blues 12.My Way 13.Band Intros 14.Early Morning Rain (instr.) 15.What'd I Say 16.Dialogue 17.Johnny B. Goode 18.Drum Solo 19.Bass Solo 20.Lady Madonna 21.Love Letters 22.School Days 23.Hurt 24.Hurt (reprise) 25.Hound Dog 26.Jailhouse Rock 27.American Trilogy 28.Can't Help Falling In Love 29.Such A Night 30.Loving You 31.(Until The Day) God Calls Me Home 32.Young And Beautiful 33.What Now My Love (spoken) 34.You Can Have Her 35.Such A Night

Package: The picture on the cover (as you can see above) is a very interesting one, it features Elvis in a ski-mask, but it a strange decision to put such a photograph (taken in January or February) on an April 30-th concert release!!! Inside you will find the standard Memory Records' notes.

Elvis: He is completely unfocused and uninterested.

Highlights: The bluesy numbers - Trying To Get To You and Steamroller Blues - seem to be hundreds of times better than anything else performed on this concert. Hurt is the best among others.

Review: 1976 was one of the most troubled Elvis' years, and this concert shows it all. Here is Elvis in a kind of a concert you would probably not choose to visit if you had other opportunities. The sound quality on this audience recording is pretty bad, Elvis' voice is way back, the instruments can't be heard properly.

After the 2001 theme Elvis begins C.C. Rider to the delight of the audience. He stops the song closer to the end because of not being able to hear himself onstage. After fixing the problem Elvis is heard better, but his voice seems to be weak. I Got A Woman is next and it is a weak version too. Elvis stops the song because of forgetting the lyrics this time (can you imagine Elvis forgetting the words to I Got A Woman?!). After greeting the audience Elvis goes into Love Me. It is not a a great version, but at least it's better than the previous two songs. If You Love Me is next, it seems to be interesting for Elvis to sing it, however even with this sound quality you can hear Elvis' weakness in the voice, which becomes less evident when he hits the higher notes with much power in the voice. You Gave Me A Mountain is next and Elvis confesses: "I almost climbed them all one by one". Probably this is the best song so far, however Elvis looses concentration closer to the end and it ruins the song. (But at least it's interesting for us). Elvis manages to forget lyrics to the next song (All Shook Up) too and then blames James Burton and everybody else on stage for it (jokingly, though). He begins the song once again, however. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel medley is next, nothing special here too. Trying To Get To You is next and it's the first really good version of a song for this evening, Elvis really makes you heart tremble when he hits the higher notes. Trying to follow the success of this rhythm and blues number he throws himself into an impromptu version of Steamroller Blues (a fan's request). The song is great too - Elvis seems to be in a bluesy mood this evening. The song sounds a bit funky because of the electric clavinet, but it just makes it better. Next is My Way, another request song, and this time the audience probably becomes sorry for making it, since Elvis ruins the song, giggling all the way through it.

Hurt follows the intros and this time we get to hear two complete versions of this song, the first seems to be closer to the master, Elvis looses the control of his voice only on the first high note, which he seems not to hit properly, the rest of the song is great. The second version seems to be less controlled right until the last note which is great. However, both this versions are great and very close to master, slower than the song would become in the next year. Let's skip Hound Dog, after the song Elvis receives a request of One Night, but he doesn't want to do it for whatever reason. But he enthusiastically does Jailhouse Rock instead, another request song (an impromptu version too). American Trilogy which is another request follows. This time the trumpet solo in the middle is changed back to the flute solo (thanks God!). Can't Help Falling In Love is next - it is slower than what we are used to.

But it's not an end for us. The Memory Records label have something special once again. The bonus songs begin with a December 1976' version of Such A Night, Elvis' voice is great here makes you heart beat faster. But he doesn't remember the words (it doesn't spoil the moment, though). Loving You is next, and it is probably one of the best versions of the song I have ever heard (it's still a big question why it hadn't become a part of Elvis' repertoire in the 70-s), though being very short. Until The Day God Calls Me Home is very short too, as is Young And Beautiful. What Now My Love has been previously released on Love Letters From Nevada, but it's a good addition for those who have missed the original release. You Can Have Her is a complete version and a nice addition to everybody's collection, and it's another big question - why hadn't it become a part of an Elvis Presley concert? It's a very good rock'n'roll tune, hope to have have it on soundboard sometime. The CD closes with a recording of Such A Night from December 30, 1976, which is featured in terrible sound quality, but here we have a fantastic rendition, much better than the one from Vegas of the same year (track 29).

What can we say as a conclusion? Here we have a unenthusiastic Elvis, who looses concentration all the way through the concert. The bonus songs seem to save the situation - it's really a joy to hear this numbers after a very depressive concert. It can only be recommended for serious collectors, since they may consider it as an important historic document (at least, we do so).

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