D I X I E L A N D   R O C K S  Released Juli 1, 2001 - FTD label 74321 86138-2

Track Listing
(2001: A Space Odyssey) - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen- Love Me - If You Love Me - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - All Shook Up - Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - The Wonder Of You - Polk Salad Annie - (Band Intros) - Johnny B. Goode - Hail Hail Rock‘n’Roll - My Boy - T.R.O.U.B.L.E. - I'll Remember You - Why Me, Lord - Let Me Be There - An American Trilogy - Fairytale - Little Darlin' - Funny How Time Slips Away - Can't Help Falling In Love -Closing Vamp – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Love Me Tender

Tracks 1-18 recorded at Middle Tennessee Stat University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee May 6, 1975, tracks 19-24 recorded May 7, 1975 at the same location.

This is the second soundboard-release on the Follow That Dream label, and it is a very fine one indeed. Elvis started this first tour of 1975 a little frightened because of the many press reports about his weight problems, but he must have lost all his worries during this tour. Murfreesboro was only scheduled for one show, but instead he gave 3 sold out performances. Elvis starts very energetic with See See Rider and I Got A Woman. Love Me gets the usual treatment, and it seems Elvis does have a lot of fun. If You Love Me and You Don't have to Say You Love Me are solid performances.  All Shook Up and the Teddy Bear-Don't Be Cruel medley could have been done sleeping, while The Wonder Of You just isn't the wellknown 1970 version, although well performed. Polk Salad Annie really rocks displaying both Jerry Scheff's and James Burton's skills in the instrumental parts. Time for some chat with the audience and the band introductions, followed by a beautifull My Boy. Elvis really gets into this song.!  T.R.O.U.B.L.E. is a rocking version and I'll Remember You is also a beautiful performance. Elvis is trying to make JD Sumner laugh while singing in deep voice. Let Me Be There and An American Trilogy are brought inspired, while fairytale seems a little bit too slow, although Elvis keep on asking 'one more time' for the last verse, taking the song over 5 minutes.! Little Darling is a fun song, and the show ends with Funny How Time Slips Away and Can't help Falling In Love. Bridge Over Troubled Water does have Elvis' attention and is a strong version, while Love Me Tender is used by Elvis to interact with the audience. The disc displays an overall inspired Elvis who's having lots of fun on stage and really delivers. The voice is strong and the band tight. Great show and a very fine release from the FTD-team.
 
Don't expect a perfectly balanced disc just because it comes from the BMG-vaults; this is just another soundboard recording, nothing more or less although it is a very good one. Just don't expect a multi-track recording like Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis or the Madison Square Garden shows, and be glad with this one, for you can not change the way it was recorded in 1975. There ain't too many Polk Salad Annie's from the 1975 tours, and I believe that the Follow That Dream team gives a lot of attention to the material chosen to be released.
 

Review:     Hans / Elvisbay

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