Review by Geoffrey McDonnell
Elvis' 1974 spring tour of the southern states culminated in the famous Live On Stage in Memphis March 20 1974 concert and album. With only a few weeks rest in Memphis - during which time Elvis played his new passion racquetball and watched movies - he was once again back on the road.
In early May Elvis completed a five concert California mini-tour represented by the FTD LIVE in LA book/cd package.
A few days later, on May 16, Elvis kicked off his twenty-two concert season at the Sahara Tahoe hotel, his third season at Lake Tahoe.
High Sierra features Elvis’ midnight concert of May 21 1974 - plus seven extra bonus tracks.
This FTD at long last comprises a good representation of what Elvis sounded like during his May 1974 Lake Tahoe Season.
Different from the previous Tahoe FTD (Takin’ Tahoe Tonight) is an eight page booklet and photos taken mostly from the excellent Live at Sahara Tahoe (World's Best Kept Secret) book by Sue McCasland. This is a vast improvement and should be with EVERY FTD release.
Photos are shown a slightly “purple” tinge, which isn’t present in the McCasland book, but they are all of Elvis from May 1974 in his Peacock Suit and Blue Rainbow, except the front cover Chinese Dragon picture which is from October 1974!
Elvis does in fact show a “puffy” constitution around the eyes, but he sounds clear when he sings/speaks and gave NO bad shows only really good shows as Sue McCasland writes in her book.
Fifteen years ago we got the first Tahoe ‘74 soundboard, the well received Spanish Eyes (May 24 1974 midnight show) by Fort Baxter. Then the next year, in 1996, as a part of the second Baxter Profile set we got most of the May 27 3.00am closing show, Finally, in 1998, the Fort Baxter release ...and the King for Desert featuring the May 23 1974 dinner show, which was the weakest release of the three.
Officially this FTD is a great release because apart from the songs - ‘I’ll Remember You’, ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’/’Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’, ‘You Gave Me A Mountain’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘An American Trilogy’ and ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’, ALL his repertoire at the time is represented in the main show of May 21 1974 midnight, and a nice selection of mostly unheard before “Bonus Tracks”.
The sound quality, like the rest of the Tahoe soundboards released, is a bit heavy on the bass side (almost a Duke Bardwell styled “Bass” release!), but also quite audible across all the instruments and backup singers as well.
The 2001 Theme is missing as we go straight from the opening riff to ‘C.C. Rider’ - this is good with a bright enough version. Elvis sounds good! - and in good voice and humour - having fun.
‘I Got A Woman’/’Amen’ is next, featuring J.D. Sumner’s ending-twice and intimate audience showroom echoed sound.
After Elvis introduces himself as "Flip Wilson" and jokes about streaking later on, it’s a fair version of ‘Love Me’.
‘Tryin' To Get To You’ (which Elvis only added to his set-list back in late January 1974) has Elvis enjoying himself changing some lines to "I kept streaking all the way..."
‘All Shook Up’ and ‘Love Me Tender’ are both throwaway versions and easily forgettable.
‘You Don't Have To Say You Love Me’ is “fair” having been MUCH stronger performed in 1973. There is a nice moment beforehand where Elvis teases Glen D. Hardin as he tinkles away at the ivories on the song's intro - "It's easy," jokes Elvis.
‘Hound Dog’ is immediately launched into and is also throwaway, ‘Fever’ however, despite not being too serious, is sung with more care than usual, producing a very nice “steamy” version.
‘Polk Salad Annie’ is fair and routine (this was always a Jerry Scheff song) and ‘Why Me Lord’ is not bad, and somewhat surprisingly, a completely “straight” version with no teasing of J.D. Sumner. Elvis' vocal during the chorus is very clear in the audio mix.
‘Suspicious Minds’ is an ok version while the ‘Band Introductions’ are “good” in that they last less than two minutes and here Duke Bardwell gets called “Dook”.
‘I Can't Stop Loving You’ has a sloppy start but has a good and extended falsetto ending - and Elvis, for the first time this evening, putting out more effort.
‘Help Me’, which had only been performed in concert since January 1974, is introduced by Elvis as "a new record we have coming out this week" and is well sung, with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ following also a very sincere, clearly sung, version - quite good.
‘Let Me Be There’ is “fun” with Elvis showing real enthusiasm for this song (also new since January).
‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ is a concert highlight featuring the “I held you close” line and beautifully sung (instead of the "I laid with you" performed at the final May 27 3.00am show) and orchestrated with nice strings and the audio-mix is very clear for a soundboard. Elvis dedicates it "to Chris" and at the end notes, "I like that song".
‘Big Boss Man’ was new to Elvis' set-list in May 1974, and this was probably only Elvis' seventh on-stage performance - and is also good with a BIG J.D. ending. This would be a key song in his Vegas summer 1974 set-list revamp (see Nevada Nights FTD)
After giving an affectionate farewell, Elvis closes with a “routine” ‘Can't Help Falling In Love’. Then there is a very clear announcement about the Barton Memorial Hospital souvenir donations.
Bonus songs
‘Johnny B. Goode’ (May 25 midnight show) is easily the weakest of the “bonus tracks”. ‘Steamroller Blues’ (May 19 dinner show) - only performed three times during the season - is loud on the bass and ok.
‘Spanish Eyes’ (May 19 dinner show) is
a request, "We made a promise to somebody that we'd do this. Just bear with us for a second" - and not rushed and a concert highlight! (Dig that meandering trumpet!) It’s possibly the BEST ever performance I have heard of this song. Only sung twice in this whole Tahoe season, Elvis would only perform this beautiful song one more time on stage in his whole career (as on It's Midnight FTD).
‘How Great Thou Art’ (May 19 dinner show) is performed today being a Sunday instead of ‘An American Trilogy’ and is VERY similar to the Memphis March 20 1974 version.
‘It’s Now Or Never’ (May 23 dinner show) is nicely sung a good highlight. Sounding almost “off the cuff” but a beautifully measured version.
‘I'm Leavin' (May 25 midnight show) is a really superb version, conveying the desperation and the sadness of the lyrics very well. The audio quality sparkles compared to the August 21 version used on the Live In Vegas box-set. This is probably the very first time Elvis sang this song on-stage in 1974 before bringing it back as a regular song for his Vegas summer season.
Introducing Billy Eckstine (May 27 3:00am closing show) is only a minute long but contains great comments about Billy originating the high collars and also a line of ‘I Apologise’ from Elvis-making a brief but final “highlight” from this CD.
Overall Verdict
This is a great FTD representation from this Lake Tahoe May 16-27 1974 season. Listenable! And although my main criticism would be that it's very routine (there was room @ 72 minutes running time for a few more “bonus songs” - such as ‘An American Trilogy’ and ‘You Gave Me A Mountain’ from this season), however the highlights and bonus tracks assure the listener that Elvis was in pretty good form - often singing ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ especially for "Chris" this time, but usually for Linda Thompson who kept Elvis in good health this May ‘74 Tahoe season.
The sound quality, whilst NOT as excellent as the Memphis (March 16 1974) or Richmond (March 18 1974) shows (sound quality five out of five) is comparable to the nice sound heard on the Las Vegas August 27 1974 midnight show and, like the improved release of the closing May 27 3.00am show, is certainly the best sounding show so far released from this season (mastered by Lene Reidel). A strong four+ sound quality out of five which shows us that FTD can improve “old” tapes just as fruitfully as the bootleggers. A thoroughly recommended release and rates nine out of ten on my review scale! And FTD please give us another great sounding “unheard” show from October, Lake Tahoe 1974 and March tour 1974!
