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Posted by: NightRider May 28 2005, 05:54 AM

On Tour - The Rehearsals

On Tour, March 30,31 1972

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Audio Clip : http://www.elvis-tkc.com/~audioupload/FTD/YoungandBeautiful-OnTourFTD.mp3

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This is a cd that, as most fans probably, i have been looked forward greatly to since it was annouced that it was going to be released.

I, like many others have some On Tour rehearsal material on bootlegs, but most of which were not great sound by any stretch of the imagination.

FTD, whilst they haven't hit the nail fully on the head with some of their soundboard releases, they have done some great alternate material. So i was hoping for some real gems on this cd.

I will start with the artwork. Sorry FTD. But this one is not my cup of tea. You have two great pictures...one on the front and one under the disc. Then you get three shots on the inside cover...good, as in, not often seen..but bad quality.
No picture at all on the back...just the tracklisting. It will pass i guess...but i can't help thinking that it could have been so much better.Onto the important bit....the material itself. This is my first play of the cd....and
here are my first thoughts on this release.....


‘Proud Mary...first thing that hits you is the sound. No complaints from my here. Elvis starts pretty slowly...goofing up the words at the start of the song...but as it goes on it turns into a nice version. Even if he isn't giving it his all. ( not that thats expected on rehearsals anyhow)

Polk Salad Annie...Nice version. Elvis in relaxed mood just going through the song. Nothing exceptional, but nice to hear regardless.

See See Rider....Good version...James Burtons guitar is in great form. Elvis is giving the track a good going over...highlight for me so far....i just love the ending,when they slow it down...terrific.

A big hunk o' love....not quite there with the Aloha rehearsal version..which remains my favourite live version for some reason. But a good version all the same. On fact it gets better as he goes. And why does this remind me of Elvis sat on his chair.....rehearsing for TTWII ? Thats the picture i get for some reason..?


Johhny B Goode....this really rocks for me. Not the same as the 1970 versions...more laid back...but i loved it. Once again...James in great form...picking his way through a great rehearsal version of this classic.

Young And Beautful
What can i say ? This is one i been waiting eagerly for...Elvis goofs around at the start, then begins to take it on properly. Beautiful version...shame it never hit the stage...it would have been a bit hit with the fans for sure....

Love Me....Elvis runs through the song with ease....relaxed bluesy version...nicely done.


Hound Dog....love it...slow start...building...building with James' great gutar wailing in the background. Elvis is enjoying it...and once again i picture the TTWII rehearsals...elvis gyrating off the chair and twisting the mic as he sings....


Lawdy Miss Clawdy....Tidy version...my favourite has to be the Memphis version...but this rehearsal is very well performed. Elvis again...getting into it more as it goes.


For The Good Times....Awesome...I love this song. Under-rated by many...but amongst my favourites....and Elvis does it proud. Just about the best version i have heard....this will be on the cd player again and again.......top drawer !


El Paso...just goofy around....nice to hear, but a little pointless really ??

Funny How Time Slips Away....As with For The Good Times....awesome version...another that will constantly be on the cd player. Slow and bluesy....with a couple of alternate lyrics along the way...man..i am really enjoying this cd !

Help Me Make It Through The Night.....and again...really enjoyable version. Very close to the studio version...the strength of Elvis singing Live is so clear on songs like this. How many other artists can sing as good live as Elvis...? Very few...if any in my opinion.

Release Me....Slow version...very well performed. Not as Rocky as the Live Versions at the start...but again, as it goes it starts to build. Cracking version.....


Burning Love....It was suggested that Elvis didn't enjoy performing this track...thats something thats hard to believe when you consider how many times he actually sung it Live. Nice version here too..and yet another that will constantly apprear on the cd player.

Its like a Laid back Jam version...which is exactly what it is i guess,,,so that makes perfect sense....Elvis...enjoys the HAA and the end and asks..."How are we going to fade it on stage?"

Always On My MInd....beautiful version...shame this never actually reached the live stage.
Really can't see why...as Elvis sings it with ease...yet another that would have gone down so well in front of the Live crowd...shame...Another top drawer version...loved it...

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face....Another song that is under-rated. Elvis' version is great..and this version is excellent. I know this was performed live on several occasions...pity it wasn't done
more often. Terrific version.

Never Been To Spain....Class version. Bluesy....performed really well by Elvis and his band. When it gets to "Well i never been to Heaven"...Elvis raises a gear...and hits it smack on....once again...top drawer version.....

Separate Ways....another favourite of mine. This time i can see him singing it....i don't get the TTWII image......just the clip in On Tour where he is singing this.....would have dearly loved to have heard
this live...but it wasn't meant to be. Outstanding version.....why have we had to wait this long ?
This is awesome....and i loved every second of it !

To Sum up the release. Well...it has to be one of my favourite releases to date...whether its because its the era that i love so much...i am not sure. I loved it from start to finish.
You can not go wrong buying Elvis On Tour The Rehearsals. If you like 70's Elvis.....you will adore this release. And it will occupy alot of your time over the next few weeks at the very least. FTD...thankyou..
on a job so very well done...i would recommend this to anyone....BUY IT !!!!!

This review i did for Kennyelvis.net.

Posted by: Brad Apr 14 2006, 02:31 AM

Nice review. This cd rocks. Great stuff on it. Love the version of Big Hunk Of Love on here, James Burton's guitar solo on here is one of the best. It rocks.

Posted by: elvisgyrl May 8 2006, 04:07 PM

Elvis On Tour is another great FTD CD Great sound Elvisgyrl

Posted by: Freis968 Aug 3 2006, 01:44 PM

Great review Chris. How did you get such clean scans of the CD and CD Jacket?

Posted by: NightRider Aug 3 2006, 07:23 PM

I know a man...who knows a man...... [img]style_emoticons/default/LSHIC.gif[/img] I have no idea Dave....i didn't do them....but i agree...they are cool [img]style_emoticons/default/cheers.gif[/img]

Posted by: NightRider Mar 5 2007, 08:12 PM

Audio clip added ( Young and Beautiful )

Posted by: Memphis-Man Apr 20 2009, 03:16 AM

I am probably in the minority with my opinion on this one. This release is OK, and it is nice to have. But it really doesn'y do a lot for me. Can't figure out why. I love the time period and the sound is awesome. I just can't get excited about this. All that being said, I still purchased it!

M-M

Posted by: Kenny Apr 24 2009, 11:29 AM

I`m with you M-M, i took this cd with me in the car a few weeks ago, and ended up skipping song after song, Young And Beautful was the only track i listend to in full.

Posted by: stefan Apr 25 2009, 08:06 PM

You either like rehearsals or you don't. I love to listen to these recordings and some versions are even better imo than the live versions (like See See Rider or Johnny B. Good).

Young an Beautifull is a great track and I really love that arangement ... pitty he didn't perform it live on stage this way instead of Hound Dog or All Shook Up. Would have been very refreshing !

Posted by: C.C.Rider Apr 27 2009, 12:36 PM

I love this cd to bits

Posted by: colonel snow May 6 2009, 08:27 AM

Alternate takes - rehearsels - soundboards etc were not Elvis' intention for release; Elvis choose the satisfactory take as master. We are glad that this material survived and was not destroyed with a tape clean-up.


colonel snow

Posted by: JohanD Mar 6 2010, 09:33 AM

Re-visiting this cd and what a joy it is...

Elvis in 1972 was awesome,sitting on top of the world,the king on the road in all his glory...
This rehearsals are so relaxed and yet so full of his presence.
This IS the king!!

And "Young and beautiful" is a gem we didn't even knew it existed!!

Posted by: stefan Mar 6 2010, 03:16 PM

If I recall correctly Johan, Ernst mentioned having Young and Beautifull from the '72 rehearsals before releasing it, so to a certain point we did know it excisted.