Wrapping up the audio formats, the label added a Deluxe vinyl version to their line-up of 'Elvis In Concert' releases, something many fans will appreciate as their copies of the original 1977 RCA album have probably been worn out.
With this release the label adds to the handful of 1977 releases that we already received in the first months of 2026. And painful as these last performances of Elvis Presley may be, they do hold a special place in many fans' hearts. Reason enough to give this re-issue of one of the last professionally recorded and released concert performances of our man a spin.
Design
Gravel Road is known for their Deluxe packages, and this release doesn't disappoint. The upgraded audio on the two vinyl discs album comes as a double gatefold album with some razor-sharp images of our man and plenty of bonus items to qualify this set as a top notch release.
The badges add an authentic touch, as we all know them so well, and the bonus poster nicely connects the original promotion to this study project, making it come full circle. As a side-product, the label also issued a complete set of replica badges - seventeen different colors in total - for the fans who want to be complete.
As the label invested in the best possible vinyl, it added additional Japanese anti-static inner covers to protect the discs. The 180 gram vinyl is clear, with just two handfuls of copies printed on blue colored vinyl.
The set doesn't contain any liner-notes, but here I refer to the aforementioned book-combo which tells you all there is to know about this concert.
The set doesn't contain any liner-notes, but here I refer to the aforementioned book-combo which tells you all there is to know about this concert.
Content - The Background
'Elvis in Concert' was a posthumous television special broadcast on CBS on October 3, 1977, just two months after Elvis Presley's death on August 16 of that year. The special had its origins on June 1, 1977, when it was announced that Presley had signed a deal with CBS to tape concerts during the summer of that year.
The footage was drawn from the aforementioned performances in Omaha and Rapid City. Much of the Omaha material was ultimately deemed unusable due to sound and performance difficulties, meaning the bulk of what appeared in the broadcast and on the album derived from the Rapid City show.
Jarvis did a credible job putting this album together. He overdubbed some of the vocals and filled out the sound. He managed to create a listenable album that was superior to the actual concert.
The album was issued as a double vinyl set and included a second disc with performances that were not included in the TV Special. The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard chart in late 1977. It was certified Gold and Platinum on October 14 and 3× Platinum on August 1, 2002, by the RIAA. On May 22, 1992, the album was reissued on a single compact disc.
Original Reviews
The contemporary newspaper reviews from both filmed performances paint a picture that is more layered than the later controversy surrounding the special might suggest.
Omaha, June 19 - Elvis Has Mellowed But He's Still King
Writing in the Omaha World-Herald, Steve Millburg opened his review with honesty, writing what he saw, acknowledging that Presley had gained weight, that Rock and Roll had largely disappeared from his setlists. And that the pelvic gyrations that once scandalized Ed Sullivan were "more suggested than actually performed". Yet he was emphatic that this told only part of the story.
It was on the gospel numbers where Millburg found the most to admire. During 'How Great Thou Art' Elvis "froze the audience with a powerful note" and "momentarily stilled the rowdy vocal admiration of many of the women," a remarkable feat given the charged atmosphere in the arena. For the author, moments like this proved that "the fact that he does have one of the great voices of popular music has been obscured by the mystique that has surrounded him."
He also noted how Presley navigated his back catalogue with a degree of affectionate distance. He sprinkled old hits like 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'Teddy Bear' throughout the concert, though "he seemed to consider them to be artifacts," even as "the old spirit still showed in flashes." Opening with an acoustic guitar, Presley performed 'That's All Right' which he introduced as "the very first song I recorded," grounding the evening in his own mythology.
The audience response was emotional throughout. When Presley took the stage amid screams and explosions of flashbulbs, he swaggered on with "the half-smile, half-sneer that said he could have any woman in the place and knew it." The scarf-giving ritual produced near-pandemonium: frantic female fans grabbed for the scarves draped around his neck, tugs of war often developed, and one winner "rolled the prize into a ball and stuffed it down her bosom."
The CBS cameras caused some disruption, audience members had their sightlines blocked and bright television lights blinked on and off, but even this did little to dampen the mood of a crowd of over 10,000.
Rapid City, June 21 - There's No Doubt About It: Elvis Is Still 'King'
Two nights later in Rapid City, the atmosphere was equally electric. Jeri Gulbransen, writing for the Rapid City Journal, left no ambiguity about her verdict: "For the last 20 years he's been called the King of Rock and Roll and there's no doubt he still wears that crown."
The show, staged at the grand opening of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, carried additional civic ceremony. Rapid City Mayor Art LaCroix presented Presley with a plaque engraved with Mount Rushmore and the inscription "In appreciation to Mr. Elvis Presley for the grand opening concert," and a young girl named Monique Brave gifted him a hand-beaded medallion.
Gulbransen highlighted the breadth of the setlist, noting that Presley moved from 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' to 'If You Love Me Let Me Know,' giving "old favorites and newer songs a real crooning treatment." She remarked that while the physical gyrations were fewer than in his earlier years, "the voice that continued to sell gold record after gold record sounded even better in person." Classics such as ‘It's Now Or Never’ and ‘Don't Be Cruel’ were singled out, with the reviewer writing that they "never sounded any better."
The audience response in Rapid City was overwhelming. Fans had begun gathering outside the civic center as early as 4 p.m. for an 8:30 p.m. show, with parking lots quickly filling and latecomers parking as far away as St. Joseph Street. Inside, the more than 10,000-strong crowd clapped and stamped for Presley before the lights dimmed and the opening bars of Richard Strauss's 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' filled the arena. "As the purple lights got brighter and brighter, the audience was on the edge of their seats." Gulbransen addressed Presley's detractors head-on: "His detractors may call Elvis aging and fat, but his fans who pack into every show he does know better. He's the King."
1977 - The Original Album
The TV Special and soundtrack album told a somewhat different story to the one those enthusiastic reviewers had witnessed in person. The album captures Presley performing 'My Way' with the aid of a lyric sheet, despite having sung it throughout the 1970s from memory. Both of his then current singles, 'Moody Blue' and 'Way Down' were absent from the setlist entirely. During 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' the television broadcast had cut away from the recitation, replacing it with a fan interview, though the album preserved the moment in full.
CBS had reportedly considered delaying the broadcast in hopes of securing stronger performance footage, a plan overtaken by Presley's death in August. When it did air, the critical response was far removed from the warmth of those June newspaper reviews. Critics Roy Carr and Mick Farren condemned the special as a "travesty," arguing it would have caused "irreparable damage to Presley's career had it been broadcast while he was still alive."
A closing spoken message from Elvis's father, Vernon Presley, recorded at Graceland in September 1977 shortly after his son's death, lent the release a deeply elegiac tone, thanking fans for their outpouring of condolences. That fragment is included on this 2026 re-issue, but the fan comments have been removed.
On this set Gravel Road presents the June 21 performance as recorded in Rapid City with six additional performances from Omaha, recorded two days earlier. Removed are the fans from the audience stating: "He's the King, no matter what," why add something we already know…
But this also confirms the observations of the journalists who attended the original performances; fans pretty much took in everything as if it was perfect. Elvis must have been pretty good spreading his "fairy dust" through the venue during his shows.
The example of Elvis needing a lyric sheet mentioned in the original review illustrates that not everything was perfect. Still, listening to Elvis throughout the show, you hear that he could still deliver when he wanted to, you hear his humor and the ease with which he plays with the 10,000 people watching. And even ‘Jailhouse Rock’ show the rocker. The ‘pelvis may have gone into retirement’, but just like on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show performances in the fifties, all he needed was his little finger to make an audience scream in excitement. He had them all eating out of his hand.
The audio has been remastered for vinyl playback and I must say, it is made to "play it loud" as advised, the audio holds up very well. It is a definite improvement over the official releases from RCA / BMG as it sounds so much more open and powerful. Compared to the official releases, it offers a “live experience” instead of a “concert registration”.
A little echo appears to be added to Elvis' voice; you hear that when he talks, as he comes over very strong. You can hear that it was compiled from various recordings, creating the concert experience as heard here, but that is only for those who listen very closely. Overall, the Rapid City performances sound a little better than the ones inserted from the Omaha show.
The only audio-minor I found was the sound of the audience, which sometimes didn’t sound natural, this can be the result of the restoration and remastering. I though the fans sounded more natural on the 2023 CD version.
Conclusion
There is plenty of enjoyable "study" material for Elvis fans and scholars. Listening to this presentation offers both joy and food for thought. The original record is part of Elvis' legacy as it was, and for many the go-to LP to enjoy Elvis in concert in 1977. Playing this concert, presented with a re-arranged setlist, in good quality audio, I come to a different conclusion now than Roy Carr and Mick Farren did in 1977. And yes, listening in 2026, we know the context, and what happened just seven weeks later.
Fortunately, for us fans, there are of course plenty of enjoyable and good performances. Especially 'How Great Thou Art' stands out for me. He strains, but ultimately produces a wonderful vocal as he manages to hit all the difficult notes despite his physical condition. 'Hurt' likewise is a fine performance. The song, in many ways, chronicles a part of Elvis' life. He not only gives a strong vocal performance but manages to bring both pain and passion to the song. 'You Gave Me A Mountain' continued Elvis' tradition of usually presenting excellent Gospel interpretations.
On the other hand we have his performance of 'Unchained Melody'. Obviously it holds something special for many fans, but it is awfully painful to hear Elvis not making the high notes, despite his best efforts. Listening to that now, with the video of this performance in mind, you see Elvis knows how he did, and he's actually happy that he almost made it … Good audio doesn't conceal a hurtful performance.
Listening to the album is a better experience than watching Elvis struggle through the TV Special. And here Gravel Road delivers. This new presentation offers a complete concert experience and sounds very good, even played loudly.
And just for old times' sake, I would have loved to hear one of the original fan comments as a closer for the set, as Vernon's personal message makes it a bit sad. But that's just me, being a fan I guess.
Interview
You can read an interview with the man behind the Gravel Road record label >>> here.
Buy the album
The album is available for pre-order from the >>> Bennies Fifties webshop.