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 Elvis-Aloha from Hawaii-as never seen before Oct 07, 2009
When I was growing up in the seventies, I remember Elvis very well. He was the man-the king of not only rock and roll, but all american music. He did it all-standards, country, gospel and of course Rock and roll. I like to think of Elvis as the "King of american music" He was loved by people of all ages. You can't put him in a box-you can't catorgorize him-he does it all.
Now, I'm going to give short reviews on each "Chapter" on this dvd-and give a rating-1-to-5 stars-on each.
Disc 1:
Chapter 1:
"Elvis Arives and greets fans" ****
This is the unedited version-17 minutes of what amounted to 2-3 min of footage that was included in the american version of the concert. I actually enjoyed watching this. I don't think it was boring at all.
Chapter 2:
"Rehearsal concert" *****
2 days before the origanal broadcast-Elvis and his band and 6,000 fans did this concert. It was a precaution-if anything went wrong with the satelite feed-they would have this concert as a back up-of course-nothing went wrong. This concert is a bit shorter-but the music and performence was very good.
Chapter 3:
"Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii concert" *****
This version is the original concert as it was broadcast over satelite on January 14, 1973. This is basically the no frills version of the concert. Americans had to wait 3 months to see this concert in April of 1973. More on this concert later.
Disc 2:
Chapter 1: "post-concert 'insert' songs session" ***
This was ok. Elvis and the band gathered to do 5 songs that(4 songs)would be inserted into the American version of the concert. I think the DVD could live without this-but it's inclusion I guess serves as historical value if nothing else.
Chapter 2: "Elvis, Aloha From Hawaii-NBC TV special" *****
This is the American Version of the concert-broadcast on April, 4 1973. Including four of the songs that was done after the conert along with outdoor footage of Hawaii. He does a lot of popular songs of the 50's thru 70's. My favorites are "Something" and "Fever" but all of the songs are very good.
This was his last great hour-He would go into a cycle of decline after this and would culimate in his death in 1977-yet Elvis was king of american music and thanks to the deication and hardwork of those at graceland and BMG to Bring this on DVD, Elvis lives on-Long live the king!
I gave this as a gift. Oct 03, 2009
I actually gave this to my mother as a gift. She has been a huge Elvis fan from the beginning. She had been borrowing the regular edition from a friend. I told her about the deluxe version and she wasn't sure she wanted it as she liked the original. I purchased it anyway and she LOOOVES it! She watches is all the time.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Don't Drink the Koolaid Aug 12, 2009
I am absolutly floored by the sheer number of five star reviews for this DVD. I too love Elvis. I own a dozen Elvis CD's, I have a bunch of his movies, I own Elvis - The '68 Comeback Special: Deluxe Edition (3DVD) and "Elvis: Thats the Way It Is"; I've been to Graceland, visited Sun Records, and his birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi. I've read Peter Guralnick's two part biography: Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley; I named my daughter Grace Lynne as a tribute of sorts to "Graceland". I'm an Elvis fanatic, so I know what I'm talking about when I say this isn't "The King's" finest hour.
Let me start with the good. The product itself is great (which is why this gets three stars and not two). The remastered sound and picture quality is excellent. They even threw in an "Elvis arrives" sequence from several days before the show. Furthermore, you get not only the January 14, 1973 show but the rehersal concert from two days earlier. "What's so special about that," you may ask? The January 12th rehersal show is arguably a better performance than the actual concert, so if you want to own the Aloha from Hawaii Special then this is the definative version. Now the bad.
Anyone who has seen the 68 Comeback or Elvis - That's the Way It Is (Two-Disc Special Edition) will notice an alarming difference in Elvis. He seems like a shadow of himself. The fire that once blazed seems nothing more than a glowing ember. Sure he still belts it out on certain songs like "You Gave Me A Mountain" but during most of the performance Elvis looks distant. His eye's are glazed over, and he's clearly suffering from his Demerol addiction and dramatic weight loss.
Elvis lost 25 lbs. in a crash diet for the Hawaii show. That coupled with the the drugs and the ever increasing turmoil in his life (the divorce from Pricilla, rage, damaged friendships etc...) just seems to have taken their toll. The charismatic smiles from the 68 special are gone; the high energy renditions from the Vegas shows captured in "That's the Way It Is" are no more. Elvis walks on stage and looks like an empty shell. His hands shake like a man with palsy, his skin looks strangly bloated despite the sudden weight loss, and his delivery of lyrics are less than exceptional as he sings. This fact is especially apparent in the beginning of the rehersal concert. Despite the wonderful stage setup and superhero jumpsuit, he winds up looking like Superman without his cape.
It's very sad to see a man push the self destruct button on his life. It is especially difficult to see someone with such talent, such zeal, and charisma wither away. Four short years after this performance he would be dead, and this show serves as an omen of doom. Just listen to "American Trilogy"; at one point Elvis sings "hush little girl don't you cry...because you know you're daddy's bound to die." It's creepy. Watching the "Elvis Arrives" sequence is painful. He looks totally lost within the circus atmosphere. Indeed, during the entire concert Elvis seems like he is nearly oblivious to the audience. It's almost as if he is putting on a private show for himself. It's truly heartbreaking.
If you are a diehard fan then this is essential merely for its historic value. However, the casual fan would be best advised to skip this one. Sadly, The King's best days were behind him when this special aired.
The King is dead; long live The King.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 The King has no clothes... Jul 13, 2009
As a child, I was an immense fan of Elvis Presley. The first record I remember owning was the release SEPARATE WAYS, with its haunting title track and the breath taking YOU WERE ALWAYS ON MY MIND. I was mesmerized as I watched ALOHA FROM HAWAII on the television. I longed to own a jump suit just like the one worn in the concert. I reveled in owning the double album set of the same performance. I looked forward to owning the DELUXE EDITION of this classic show from the King.
As I grew older my musical tastes grew up as well. I maintained my adulation of Elvis' capabilities as a vocalist and as a ground breaker in rock and roll, but when compared to genuine musicians who played their own instruments, wrote their own songs and actually had testaments to add to the voice of an insightful world, Elvis was found to be quite lacking. Worse, he barely had a voice in his song selection and presentation as Colonel Parker managed him much akin to a puppet. However, I still looked forward to watching the DELUXE EDITION of ALOHA FROM HAWAII.
Sadly, what I found was a pathetic parody of a genuine rock and roller. Not only are most of Elvis' best hits missing, but Elvis' talent was sorely lacking as well. From his frequent mumbling of forgotten lyrics, through his ridiculous holding of an unplayed guitar or playing air guitar, to his self-parodying stage movements. The King who moved the world with his 1968 COMEBACK SPECIAL performance, showed us that in spite of his voice sounding wonderful and his appearance being sublime (as long as you ignore the ridiculous sideburns), he had grown into the Vegas lounge act that fans long to forget.
Had I remembered the ALOHA FROM HAWAII show having been such an embarrassment, I never would have purchased it. Sadly, I didn't and thus I did. Without question it does hold some quality (again his voice was still in tip top shape) and some of the performances were nothing less than wonderful... however others sounded as though he just went through the motions.
But I cannot help but imagine what could have been. I wistfully wonder what Elvis Presley could have said in this world had he written some of his own songs or if he worked with writers that discussed the trials and travails of the world. Instead his songs were mostly chosen for him with little input beyond the rhythm and arrangements of a few. Much to my chagrine, research revealed that even his SEPARATE WAYS album was a Colonel Parker contrived collection of new songs and rehashed nonsense (except OLD SHEP.) Obviously, Elvis' genuine passion for rock and roll had been forever lost.
Elvis may have been the King at one time, but in hindsight, once Buddy Holly, Otis Redding and the BEATLES came along, the King was nothing more than a naked parody of a once grand musician swarthed in his rhinestones.
Lifelong fans of Elvis Aron Presley will undoubtedly rejoice in this trip down memory lane. True fans of artistic performances should look toward the 1968 COMEBACK SPECIAL and ignore this lounge act (and all of those that followed.)
I wonder what Elvis could have been had he used his own mind instead of depending on that of Colonel Parker's. What a waste of wonderful talent. Elvis said Aloha, long before he visited Hawaii. Long live the King.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 My review of Aloha from Hawaii Jun 29, 2009
good price,good show(some great songs,some meh), lacks a lot of bonus material. Overall its a good dvd to own.American Trilogy is worth the price alone.
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