Elvis on Tour

This blue-raye edition of Elvis On Tour, which has never been available even on a dvd format and has been pretty much kept under wraps by MGM for several decades, is quite a revelation both with regards to its superior sound and picture quality as well as showcasing a very robust and physical performance from Elvis himselfish. Superior camaera direction by noted cimematographer Lucien Ballaed, who also handled the same duties on Elvis Thats The Way It Is which came out two years before this Golden Globe winning documentary and featured his return to live performance in Las Vegas and was probably captured at the peek of his physicality as a performer and showed an amazingly goodlooking and charismatic vocalist who could pretty much out-sing anybody in the business this side of Roy Orbison or Charlie Rich, is one of the many talanted people who was involved in the making of this superior film.Some fans will note that Elvis is not quite as tan or fit as in the previous documentary, and he would look and sound even better a year later in the Aloha From Hawaii concert special also highly recommended in its deluxe format though not yet available in Blue-ray format, still features amazingly great sound and majestic vocals by Presley. What this film does capture is the frantic excitment and thrill of the Elvis mystic as he powers through 15 concerts in 15 days while Elvis's own words serve as an occassional naration to the hysteria and raw excitment of his fandom.Elvis uses and demonstrate his love for karate which he lets flow naturally, but forcefully through his various bodily gyrations timed perfectly to the rhythem of Ronnie Tutt's stellar drum work, especially during Polk Salad Annie and Proud Mary. Elvis' voice reaches new highs and crescendos on American Triology and his absolutely majestic version of Bridge Over Troubled Water.The split screen photography, which I thought I might find annoying or distracting, really makes you feel like you are there live in the arena with the King. No less a figure than famed director Martin Scorsese over saw much of the montage technique that was used in several parts of the film. This is a superior concert film which captures Elvis in some surprising and intimate moments backstage with his backing singers doing what he really loved best, singing spirituals into the wee hours of the morning, not for money or acclaim, but because he needed to and wanted to!

Elvis in Jacksonville Florida, 1972... for 2 shows April 16 on a Sunday afternoon and evening! I actually saw him on the balcony of his suite Room 1010 on the Tenth floor in his bath robe throw his leg over the balcony railing saying he was gonna jump to his fans below.(too bad that didn't make the film) The women began fainting as Elvis just laughed waving as he went back into his suite. It was a great time to see Elvis on Tour! He looked his best and was on top of his game. The documentary shows Elvis backstage, traveling back and forth to each engagement. A real behind the scenes look at what it was like to be On Tour with the King! CRAZY!!! Shows Elvis reflecting as he was riding over the Main Street bridge in Jacksonville Fla. looking at the Gator Bowl where he was first rushed having his cloths torn off having to be rushed to the Baptist hospital to recover from exhaustion. Or looking at The Florida theater (which is still there having concert events with major performers) remembering when he was told by a local Judge not to move or he was going to jail! Reflecting on all these things while looking out the window, the film goes to one of his appearances on The Ed Sullivan show among others from back in the beginning of his career. Just a Great Film about a Great Performer and Martin Scorsese's first work in film. A real masterpiece on music history in America.... Something everyone should see at least once. This package represents what was going in music at the time just as Woodstock shows us what the late 60's was like with the music culture in America! .We see Elvis riding in his limousine on Adams street after his Sunday afternoon show in Jacksonville clowning around with his security team telling jokes and even singing with them unwinding after his performance as well as other cities on the tour where he had to meet city officials with keys to the city etc. with tremendous footage of Elvis performing on stage with Great narration by Elvis himself about his career. Just a great tell all film about Elvis On Tour! spring of 1972. Even if your not a fan, Buy it, you won't regret it....

By FAR my favorite movie. It was so cool to be able to see Elvis both on and off the stage and hear personal stories about his time in the light. The footage quality is pretty good for the time frame that it was filmed. I truly felt like I was at one of his concerts, it was completely worth the buy.

Good value

Great

It does hide well the creeping drug problems his buddies (friends, as much as one can be friends with their boss, and a living legend) describe. But the tell, the delight, arrives at Burning Love (a song E did not love). He starts w/lyric sheet in hand, but by the time the band gets cooking, he lets himself into the music, lyrics sheets lying on the stage. Perfect. When he turned it on, released himself to the expression in the sound, he trascended the rote and routine that killed him. It's taken me, at 60--not his 'generation'--a long time to "get" what was great in the artist, and moments like that are it. Making the tragedy of the Long Decline that more poingnant. An avatar of proto-Americana lost to excess, isolation, being the first of his kind and unique as, oh, let's say the Mona Lisa. Enjoy.

Excellent visual quality and sound. The book makes it even better. An absolute must for Elvis fans or the perfect way a new fan can see that Elvis is still the greatest entertainer of all time. No one will ever be better.

Love it!