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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Trouble/Guitar Man | |||
| 2. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy/Baby, What You Want Me To Do | |||
| 3. Where Could I Go But To The Lord/Up Above My Head/Saved | |||
| 4. Blue Christmas/One Night | |||
| 5. Memories | |||
See all 11 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Introductions | |||
| 2. That's All Right | |||
| 3. Heartbreak Hotel | |||
| 4. Love Me | |||
| 5. Baby What You Want Me To Do | |||
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See all 29 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 3 | |||
| 1. Heartbreak Hotel | |||
| 2. Baby What You Want Me To Do | |||
| 3. Introductions | |||
| 4. That's All Right | |||
| 5. Are You Lonesome Tonight? | |||
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See all 29 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 4 | |||
| 1. I Got A Woman | |||
| 2. Blue Moon/Young Love/Oh, Happy Day | |||
| 3. When It Rains It Really Pours | |||
| 4. Blue Christmas | |||
| 5. Are You Lonesome Tonight?/That's My Desire | |||
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See all 21 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
Review
The boy from Tupelo's 1968 special broadcast for NBC is a key text for many reasons. Elvis had quit the stage in 1961, pressed into a life of B-movie mediocrity by the odious grip of 'Colonel' Tom Parker, the world had all but forgotten why they loved Presley in the first place. It was Parker who directed Presley towards years of increasingly bland screen outings, filled with increasingly dull material and indeed, the '68 Special was originally planned by him as a schlocky Christmas special, full of carols and polystyrene snow. Luckily Presley and producer Steve Binder thought outside the box.
Elvis, sick of celluloid, wanted to prove he could still rock. And thus were born the Burbank sessions that not only placed Elvis in a dynamic extended costume piece based around the song Guitar Man and saw him make an impassioned plea for civil rights with the histrionic closer If I Can Dream, but also saw him dressed in black leather and rejoined by Scotty Moore (as well as D J Fontana) running through rowdy acoustic versions of hits, standards, blues and gospel. Joking with the crowd and his friends this was Elvis redux - sweating, growling, laughing and, most importantly, still displaying the electricity that got him noticed a decade before.
In one fell swoop the ratings-smashing broadcast single-handedly revived the King's chart and live career. Within months of its broadcast he was playing Vegas and scoring number ones again. Not for nothing was it subsequently known as the 'Comeback Special'.
Long available in disparate parts and truncated versions, this exemplary box set finally collects all the performances, outtakes and alternative versions that fans covet so much. It's THIS set of recordings alone that can be pointed to when Elvis detractors drag out the old 'nothing good after the army' argument. After a few years (and with the usual reliably bad advice from Parker) Elvis had descended into an even more horrific circle of show business hell. But in 1968 fans the world over got the present they'd waited so long for. It's a gift that keeps on giving. --Chris Jones
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The resurrection of a King!,
By
This review is from: The Complete '68 Comeback Special (Limited Edition Deluxe) (Audio CD)
Once the revolutionary icon of American music from the fifties, Elvis Presley had, by 1968, almost become obsolete. The changing trends in popular music (think: British invasion, "psychedelic" music...) was a contributing factor. But Elvis mostly suffered from the greedy mismanagement of the infamous "Colonel" Parker who made him appear in movies that went from bad to worse. This, in turn, cut him from live performance. The decision to record a TV Christmas show proved to be a cornerstone in Elvis' career. Witness to informal jamming sessions where the musicians would be sitting in Elvis' room, the TV producer persuaded Elvis (despite Parker's objections) to film similar sessions in order to intersperse them with the more polished shootage. The original album LP included both types of material but leaned heavily on the latter cuts. Some of the informal material was sporadically released through the ensuing years. Elvis delivered an incredible performance throughout the television special. His vocals were loose and gutsy showing, for the first time in about ten years that Elvis could still deliver. The musicians, including studio pros as well as his earliest bandmates, Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, are top-notch. Bones Howe's sound recording is excellent, as usual. By the way, this TV special let everybody see that, while no virtuoso, Elvis definitely knew his way around a guitar. This "40th anniversary" 4-CD box set collects the original LP and bonus tracks on the first disc. The second and third CD present Elvis' complete performances of both the 'informal" and "polished" shows. The fourth disc includes earlier, very loose rehearsals for the TV special. A lavish, well-documented booklet is included. Of course, a 4-CD set comprising material from a single show - with much song duplication - could prove too much of a good thing for anyone but the true fans. Considering the price, it represents nonetheless pretty good value for money. Those intense, spirited and moving performances, mixing rock, country, blues, soul, pop and everything in-between prove to be an unexpected resurrection as well as a formidable testament to the King's talents. "The Complete '68 Comeback Special" also constitutes the definitive, if belated, blueprint for what was to be the rest of Elvis' career.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
elvis is king,
By
This review is from: The Complete '68 Comeback Special (Limited Edition Deluxe) (Audio CD)
this product is excellent. elvis at his best, especially the sit down gig. one night with you one of the best songs and versions done by elvis. box set highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
This review is from: The Complete '68 Comeback Special (Limited Edition Deluxe) (Audio CD)
Wow, have not stopped playing these CDs since they arrived. I am really impressed with them, listening to them makes you feel you are part of the audience! Would highly recommend these to any Elvis fan.
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