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Welcome To ENN - Review Of The Brightest Star On Sunset..

THE BRIGHTEST STAR ON SUNSET BOULEVARD, VOLUME 1 & 2   

FORT BAXTER 2205 / 2206, IN 2-TRACK STEREO
 
Track listing
 
VOLUME 1   55 MINUTES
01 That's All Right
02 I Got A Woman
03 The Wonder Of You
04 I've Lost You
05 The Next Step Is Love
06 Stranger In The Crowd
07 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
08 Something
09 Don't Cry Daddy
10 Don't Cry Daddy (reprise)
11 You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
12 Polk Salad Annie
13 Bridge Over Troubled Water
14 I Can't Stop Loving You
15 Just Pretend

 
VOLUME 2  70 MINUTES
01 Sweet Caroline
02 Words
03 Suspicious Minds
04 I Just Can't Help Believin'
05 I Just can't Help Believin' (reprise)
06 To morrow Never Comes
07 Running Scared (one line)
08 Mary In The Morning
09 Twenty Days And Twenty Nights
10 You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
11 I Just Can't Help Believin'
12 Heart of Rome
13 Memories
14 Johnny B. Goode
15 Make The World Go Away
16 Stranger In My Own Hometown
17 I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
 
Originally it was planned to be released by Captain Marvel Jr. as a double CD, but now Fort Baxter released the session, divided into two 2 albums.
Actually a pity, because this kind of material deserves to be issued as a double pack feature in my opinion.
 
Anyway, this is Elvis on July 24, 1970 in the studio's of Culver City, California.
The earlier sessions, July 16 and 29 were released on Electrifying (part) and Get Down And Get With It (complete) and There's Always Me vol.4 (part one).
Rehearsing for the biggest Vegas concerts ever, we can hear him try out some of the most outstanding songs we've ever heard by him. In front of the MGM film crew Elvis lets you enjoy and listen to the man in his own way, the way he was and the way we will remember him. And without a doubt I can say that these two beauties should be stacked in every Elvis fan's CD rack. (Right next to Electrifying, Finding The Way Home and American Crown Jewels, reviews are coming up.)
 
Now what is it that makes the 24th of July so different than the other session? That's not easy to get written. First of all, I think, it's the magnificent sound quality of these tapes. Second, Elvis seemed to be more interested in the material, more than ever. His vocal achievements are risin' through the roof of the MGM building.
It seems he tried to live up the promise he made a year earlier, in the American Sound Studio of Chips Moman. Or was it to create the most spectacular stage show ever done by and artist in Vegas? Certainly Elvis made dreams come true in this sessions, the King at his best, I would say.
 
It starts off with the Intro drums by Ronnie Tutt, right before Elvis begins That's Allright. After that he jumps right into I Got A Woman, just like he used to during the Concerts. He's pretty serious all the way, until'  the ending of the session. Somewhat 90 minutes later he starts of bullshitting. Listen to a corny reprise of Don't Cry Daddy, we've heard it already on Captain Marvel's Good Times Never Seemed So Good.
After a wonderful Just Pretend, Tutt has to go to the bathroom again and that seems to be a good time for a break. Not only for the musicians and Elvis, but also for us it's time to put Volume 2 in our CD Drives.
 
Just such a shame that Elvis never really tried seriously to do the complete version of Running Scared. It would be a great song for him. Roy Orbison would have proud. Unfortunately, we'll have to do with one line only.
Further on we can hear him struggle with Heart Of Rome. It seems the band lost here every sense of direction and they'll be led to the right tempo with a gesture from Elvis' hand. His dissatisfaction of the studio version comes up with a remark about putting a mandolin in the song. Then he jokes the song off with the line 'I'll Take A Piss In Every Fountain...' Childish, but really funny in this context. Memories is really laughed away in this session, funny but a pity indeed. A complete zoo comes by and I think I heard a cow, a cat, a dog and something that sounds like a breathin' rat. Elvis up front here. A little change of lyrics couldn't be left out, and he comes up with 'pressed between your legs'. Okay, have to admit, it was a clever hit.
Than we go on with a smashing version of Johnny B. Goode ('That's A Good Number Boy'.). Make The World Go Away sounds a bit his nervous, almost  like a Gospel. We hear Elvis in the end complain to the band "There's No Break There, That's What Happened In Nashville And Blew My Lungs Out. Everything's Gotta Be With Me There.' A quick repeat shows how he wants it to be done.
And if you thought you knew 'Stranger In My Own Hometown' already from the Walk A Mile In My Shoes Box, you couldn't be more wrong. Okay, admitted, this is the same version, but this one is a little bit longer and we hear Elvis sing other stuff than to be heard on the RCA Box. It's nice to hear him sing lines like
'I'm going back down to Memphis, I'm gonna start driving that motherfuckin' truck again.....' Really nice!  And the line 'All them cocksuckers stopped being friendly, but you can't keep a hard prick down'  really makes me glow!
 
Brightest Star is without a doubt, one of the best issues of the Nineties Bootleg Releases. I have to say that you can't argue about opinions, but if there's an Elvis fan out there who doesn't like this one, well, you're not worth it then. Please stop buying CD's like Run On or Elvis Meets Presley, but instead spend your well earned money on these two beauties.
 
Review By Taildragger.


 
 
 
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