Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite
starring Elvis Presley
Warner Bros.
Elvis certainly introduced us to the possibilities of high technology with this show. This 1973 concert was reportedly seen by somewhere between a billion to a billion-and-a-half viewers, more that saw man’s first walk on the moon. This version offers newly re-mastered sound and video, and includes one post-show song that was taped and not used in the original show or offered on video until now. Unfortunately, this version also omits his performances of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Johnny Be Goode.” All were omitted due to the fact that the music publishing clearance from the song’s owners were up for renewal, and agreements for continued use of them could not be reached. A complete soundtrack with newly remastered sound is available on CD. I suspect that we’ll also see the full video version of this concert released at some point.
This was the Vegas Elvis that most of the impersonators do. The cape, the scarves, the big production with the J.D Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, the Sweet Inspirations, and an orchestra to back them all up. This isn’t the powerful Elvis that was seen just a few years earlier on the Comeback Special. He looks tired, sort of out of it. He starts out very slow and barely starts to percolate after two to three songs. Early in the show, he straps on a guitar that he never hits the first lick on. There are a few moments of greatness, and you do get to see the legendary guitarist James Burton, but for the most part, this is what Elvis became in the end.
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