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.
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