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Sunday, March 14, 2010

A Minnesota Moment - A Pretty Good Show

If the box set A Golden Celebration from 1984 had included a 1976 soundboard concert like the one recorded on October 17 in Minneapolis I would've been excited, to say the least. When released as A Minnesota Moment 26 years later it's just another one in a row of soundboards from 1976 made available by FTD.

Or maybe not. Comparing it to the concert featured on New Haven '76 from July 30, is like night and day. On the latter Elvis sounds painfully exhausted and out of breath, while on A Minnesota Moment we get to listen to an Elvis that is there to sing and entertain, not just to go through the motions.

In fact, it's a pretty good show. Elvis seems to be in a good mood, sings well and gives some solid performances. During this particular tour he used "Steamroller Blues" once again, and in Minneapolis he delivers a great version. Elvis is clearly having fun with "One Night" and "It's Now Or Never" is another enjoyable performance.

I must also mention two of the bonus songs (An Elvis album without bonus songs? Come on!), featuring Elvis on guitar. "Blue Christmas" is a bluesy rendition, recorded in Dayton, Ohio, on October 26. The last track on the album, "That's All Right," is from the same show, delivered at a supercharged pace after a request for "Lonesome Cowboy!"

All in all, Joan Deary (Elvis' record producer at the time) could've done worse that included a show like the one recorded live on October 17, 1976 at The Metropolitan Sports Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota on the A Golden Celebration box set. Why she didn't is anybodies guess.

PS: I just have to mention the terrible photoshop job done on the cover around Elvis' left arm. Is that sloppy, or what?

3 comments:

MĂ„rtenbrother said...

It was Gregg Geller who didn't want the show on the box set (which originally was to include Today Tomorrow And Forever (duet with Ann-Margret) and Where Noone Stands Alone (from Feb. 1977) too)!

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Thomas said...

MĂ„rtenbrother: Yeah, you're right! I've even written about Gregg Geller's involvement with A Golden Celebration, but for some reason forgot about it completely: http://elvistoday.blogspot.com/2009/06/reshaping-elvis-catalog.html

As for the "Today, Tomorrow And Forever" duet and "Where No One Stands Alone" I've never understood in what way they were to be included on the set. Maybe together with some other unreleased gems?