1973 is a popular year with bootleggers it seems, the first 6 months of the year we almost got 20 titles on (multi) CD and vinyl sets, with 1973 material. These releases vary from 1 to 8 CD sets, and from single to double vinyl sets, some come in Mono, some in Stereo, some were remixed from Mono to Stereo or Matrix, some are undubbed, some overdubbed, some were recorded while rehearsing, some recorded on stage and some recorded in private at home. Some are official releases, most are bootlegs. And most of these titles contain previously released material, but occasionally one of the labels manages to present fans with previously unreleased material.
Now the Reel Trax record label treats us with a new Matrix mix of the September 3, 1973 Closing Night performance and an Ambience recording of the August 7, 1973 Midnight Show performance and several bonus recordings from the engagement of which the latter show originates). Does this release add anything new to the abundance of 1973 titles?
Design
As to be expected from this label, the design is top notch! A great action shot of our man, fitting 1973 typography on the outside and inside a modern design with a touch of the seventies, following the same color-setting.
- January 14, 1973 Aloha Concert (Hawaii 1973 - Stylus Groove)
- January 25, 1973 Rehearsals (Elvis Las Vegas On Stage - MRS)
- January 27, 1973 MS (Keeping The Show Alive - SR Records, The 1973 Live Anthology - Redemption, Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- February 2, 1973 MS (Elvis Las Vegas On Stage - MRS, Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption)
- February 2, 1973 DS (Elvis Las Vegas On Stage - MRS)
- February 3, 1973 DS (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption, Las Vegas 1970 & 1973 - Homespun Records)
- February 3, 1973 MS (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption)
- February 05, 1973, MS (Keeping The Show Alive - SR Records)
- February 10, 1973 DS (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption)
- February 13, 1973 DS (The 1973 Live Anthology - Redemption, Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- February 21, 1973 MS (The 1973 Live Anthology - Redemption, Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- February 23, 1973 CS (The 1973 Live Anthology - Redemption, Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- May 12, 1973 MS (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption, Elvis At 3am Sahara Tahoe, Lake Tahoe 1973 - MRS)
- May 13, 1973 3 AM (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Elvis At 3am Sahara Tahoe, Lake Tahoe 1973 - MRS, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption)
- June 20 1973 Tour Opening (The King In The City of Six Flags - Straight Arrow)
- August 7, 1973 MS (Elvis Seventy Three - Reel Trax)
- August 11, 1973 MS (The 1973 Live Anthology - Redemption, Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- August 11, 1973 DS (Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- August 19, 1973 MS (The 1973 Live Anthology - Redemption, Elvis 1973 - The Soundbooth Collection & More! Vol. 1 - Redemption)
- September 3, 1973 DS (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption)
- September 3, 1973 Closing Show (Elvis 1973 - The Soundboard Collection & More! - Redemption, Live Anthology 1973 - The Soundboard Edition - Redemption, Elvis Seventy Three - Reel Trax)
Now the Reel Trax record label treats us with a new Matrix mix of the September 3, 1973 Closing Night performance and an Ambience recording of the August 7, 1973 Midnight Show performance and several bonus recordings from the engagement of which the latter show originates). Does this release add anything new to the abundance of 1973 titles?
Design
As to be expected from this label, the design is top notch! A great action shot of our man, fitting 1973 typography on the outside and inside a modern design with a touch of the seventies, following the same color-setting.
The liner-notes are short, presenting the memories of Reiko Yukawa - a Japanese fan and RCA employee (see the recent ‘Aloha From Hawaii - Through The Eyes of Japan’ book), asking Elvis to be the witness for her Vegas wedding - as well as an original review from the 1973 Summer festival.
Content
The September 3rd 1973 Closing Show performance was previously released as ‘The Funny Side Of Elvis’ (complete audience recording) by the Claudia Records label in 1995 and the Follow That Dream collectors label in 2004 as ‘Closing Night’ in 2004. The latter was an incomplete soundboard.
On this new outing of the show we get “the best of both worlds” in a newly created Matrix mix, combining the quality of the soundboard recording with the atmosphere from the audience recording. The mix was done very well, the audio of both shows runs nicely in sync, and the combination creates a new sound and concert experience. As the first 6 songs were not recorded on the soundboard tape, these were sourced from the audience recording to create a complete concert, so the CD has a bit of a rough start and the Matrix mix starts from track 7, the 'Rock Medley'. On the positive side, for the first time in 30 years, we get this show complete.
The September 3rd 1973 Closing Show performance was previously released as ‘The Funny Side Of Elvis’ (complete audience recording) by the Claudia Records label in 1995 and the Follow That Dream collectors label in 2004 as ‘Closing Night’ in 2004. The latter was an incomplete soundboard.
On this new outing of the show we get “the best of both worlds” in a newly created Matrix mix, combining the quality of the soundboard recording with the atmosphere from the audience recording. The mix was done very well, the audio of both shows runs nicely in sync, and the combination creates a new sound and concert experience. As the first 6 songs were not recorded on the soundboard tape, these were sourced from the audience recording to create a complete concert, so the CD has a bit of a rough start and the Matrix mix starts from track 7, the 'Rock Medley'. On the positive side, for the first time in 30 years, we get this show complete.
The show itself is something you either like or hate. You can like it just for being an Elvis live performance, or for the “historical value” as it definitely is not your typical Elvis performance! We know Elvis’ Closing Night performances can be different from the standard show he did while residing in Vegas or Tahoe, but here Elvis may have taken one pill too much, resulting in some (almost) funny jokes and performances, but also anger, sloppiness and some erratic behavior on stage and toward the Hilton management.
This goofing around - which stared with Elvis entering the stage with a monkey on his back - referring to the problems with the hotel management, and Elvis interfering with the hotel’s HRM department regarding his favorite maitre'd, even “threatening” the hotel with the lyrics ‘Mystery Train / Tiger Man’. This may have been funny when you are there, but now, 50 years later not so much to these ears. The show simply is too messed up, just like the singer on stage. For example, the changed lyrics of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water” to the tune of ‘Suspicious Minds’ could have been funny if it was followed by descent version of these two classics. What a difference from the solid show Elvis did a few months earlier for the ‘Aloha’ broadcast!
That said, there are some nice live performances of ‘My Boy’, performed before it was recorded at Stax, ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ and my favorite ‘Softly As I leave You’, that make this an interesting concert for collectors.
The second disc contain the August 7 1973 Midnight Show performance. This was previously released as volume 6 in the ‘Top Acts in Vegas’ series by the Top Acts record label in 1995.
The show is a big contrast with the first disc, and a pleasure to listen to if you prefer to listen to a more professional show with some solid performances. The Ambience recording sounds good, but I can’t compare it to the Top Acts version of this show as I don’t own that disc. But compared to online samples of that CD, this new outing sounds heavier with more emphasis on the bass.
Added to this concert are 9 bonus performances - all audience recordings - of songs like ‘Make The World Go Away’, ‘Crying Time’, ‘Amazing Grace’, a rockin’ ‘Johnny Be Goode’ and ‘My Boy’ with a false start that includes ‘’Release Me’. All songs which weren’t standard on the set-list this engagement. So Next to the usual performances, this is a nice “best of”, wrapping-up the gems from this engagement. Overall I enjoyed listening to this second disc more than I did listening to the first CD.
Conclusion
This new set by the Reel Trax record label is an interesting release for Elvis collectors as we finally get to hear “both sides of the story”, or should I say “both sides of this erratic experience” of Elvis September 3rd 1973 Closing Show performance, thanks to the newly created Matrix mix. So yes, with this new release the label does add something new to the abundance of 1973 titles. Holding this new set in my hand also makes me realize that I may never have touched the FTD edition of the Closing Show after reviewing it mid-October 2004, 20 years ago!
For me the reason to take this set off the shelve will be the second disc, which brought me a new and entertaining show with some great additional bonus songs.
The CD is available from >>> Bennies Fifties.