1970’s On Stage was unusual as live albums go in that all the songs were covers and not ones Presley originally made famous. That’s not to say he didn’t make them his own however. The raucous “See See Rider” became a staple as a set opener while the swamp rocker “Polk Salad Annie” became a showcase for his karate-inspired stage moves. “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” is a highlight of this set. One gets the sense that he saw a lot of himself in the lyrics. Presley also delivers a heartfelt version of “The Wonder of You,” which became a worldwide hit and his first-ever live single.
On Stage: Legacy Edition includes a number of bonus tracks from the respective time periods, including fine versions of “Don’t Cry Daddy” and “Kentucky Rain” on disc one and a bluesy “Reconsider Baby” and wistful “Funny How Times Slips Away” on disc two, the latter of which was recorded live before it later appeared on 1971’s Elvis Country.
While previous versions of this material have lacked in sound quality or had unnecessary reverb added, the Legacy Edition features superb mastering by audio guru Vic Anesini. This material has arguably never sounded better. The packaging is also top-notch, with liner notes by Elvis: Vegas ‘69 author Ken Sharp.
For fans of the King in his second great period from 1968-72, this is essential material. The CD sounds great, the band is tight and Elvis Presley is on top of his game.
Article comments
1 - Brian Quinn
I can only reiterate what the author of this article has written. It is a great double album with great songs and sung by THE KING as if he needed the money.
Go Buy it.
2 - Maurice Colgan
A fine review of excellent work by Elvis Presley. Yes, as Brian Quinn says, buy it!
3 - General Jabbo
Thanks everyone!
4 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"After original band mates Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana turned him down due to the revenue they’d lose as session men..."
Can you imagine turning down an opportunity to work with such a talented musician just because of money?! I swear, session-oriented musicians can be sooo stupid sometimes.
Anyways, my wife has a ton of Elvis CDs,so, I'm not sure if she already has this material in another form but I will buy it for her and if she doesn't need it, I will keep it for myself.
5 - mopro
"After original band mates Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana turned him down due to the revenue they’d lose as session men..."
This is not an accurate statement. By 1968, both Moore and Fontana had careers that went well beyond guitar picks & drumsticks. To uproot for one gig would have been understandably capricious.
Maybe you'd stop your career for the opportunity to stand for six weeks behind what was then a washed-up, second-tier performer, but then, you're not Scotty Moore or DJ Fontana.
They knew Elvis a little better than we do. Unfortunately, maybe they didn't have faith in his comeback-ability.
6 - General Jabbo
You reiterated the point I was making. They had established, steady careers playing on people's records and they were worried that those gigs would dry up if they left with Elvis because they didn't know if it would go beyond 6 weeks or not.
It's not the first time Scotty left either. He quit around 58 too.
I think the colonel was leery of Scotty as he has been Elvis' road manager at one point and was someone who could actually say no to him and not a yes man.