MARIO GAUCI The unassailable reputation of this legendary TV special prompted me to acquire it regardless of the fact that I have little more than a passing interest in its subject; actually, a conversation I had on "Facebook" with the top local Elvis fan I know on the day that would have been "The King"'s 76th birthday is what made me watch it immediately! Although the IMDb gives the show a slim 50-minute duration, the copy I acquired ran for around 73 and, indeed, looking up some information on it after the fact, I realized that there are several versions available out there, culminating in the exhaustive 7½-hour "Deluxe Edition" released in 2004 spread over 3 DVDs! Presley's fans must have drawn a great sigh of relief watching their idol get back to his true métier of performing live in front of swooning audiences; what really impresses the 'infidels', however, is the sheer energy and magnetism that a totally black-clad Elvis is able to transmit in this up-close-and-personal/back-to-basics rendition of his decade old classic hits that, surely, must have been the precursor to the "MTV Unplugged" fad that proliferated a quarter-of-a-century later. And so it is that we have Presley belting out full-length or medley versions of "All Shook Up", "Don't Be Cruel", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Jailhouse Rock", "That's All Right" and even a tongue-in-cheek "Love Me Tender"(!) – performed either while barely containing himself in a chair (and accompanied by a handful of seasoned musicians) or standing up with guitar in hand as he interacts with the fans sitting literally at arm's length away from him! In spite of the stripped-down nature of the songs themselves, the show was captured on camera for posterity in as slick and flashy a manner as was possible at the time; in fact, we have here any number of suggestive camera angles and cleverly worked-out shots which, in their evident attempt to highlight the older but perfectly matured figure of its 33-year old star (a far cry from the bloated, all-white image of his later Las Vegas days), are par for the course. However, it was hard for me to accept the incongruity of a couple of truly elaborate musical numbers which, for all their intrinsically enjoyable kitsch elements (not the least of which is seeing Elvis felling his foes with karate chops!), reeked of the blandly exotic Hollywood musical vehicles that one hoped Presley wanted to fully leave behind with this startling image revamp and, basically, only served to stretch the show to feature-length standards. At any rate, his acclaimed album "From Elvis In Memphis" (which I have yet to listen to) was just around the corner...

bob the moo After a sort of video performance, this television special opens with a short montage of Elvis performing several of his songs. This immediately has the effect of reminding us why Elvis continues to be famous to this day. This continues with song after song that are well loved and/or very enjoyable. Although I'm sure people don't like his music (and they won't be watching anyway) this show is likely to be enjoyed by those who only listen to Elvis when he occasionally comes onto radio 2.The set-up was a bit strange at first as we start with Elvis on a small stage at a low level with a small audience sitting all around him and for me he didn't seem to connect with them at all. This wasn't helped by the fact that, at the start of each song we get a roar of recognition from the crowd but yet looking at the audience all they seem to be doing is politely clapping. This gets less of a problem as the show goes on for several reasons. Firstly the lights get dipped and the stage gets a bit more cluttered with people Secondly Elvis himself starts to have fun and do more than just sing. He jokes with his band and takes the mick out of himself a bit to good effect. This makes it easy to like him and makes him more of a person – which doesn't sound lie much until you think of the mythical status that he seems to hold now, it is fun to see him messing around like a performer.Overall then, those that hate Elvis for the sake of it will not enjoy this however it is a strong enough show to appeal to fans and the casual listener. Aside from some minor issues associated with this being a television production, the music is strong and the performance very good. Watch it to understand what all the fuss was/is about.

val321 Recently purchased the deluxe box set of Elvis' 68 Comeback Special and must say there are not enough superlatives to describe it's magnificence as a quality piece of Elvis history, and contemporary music history. Elvis, simply put is Elvis at his best, loose, playful, sizzling, simmering and engaging. That's not to mention the stellar performance. His voice is strong, his moves magic and he has never played the guitar so passionately and vigorously. The performance engages from the opening lines of "If you're looking for trouble, you've come to the right place," through the playful musical nuances and partying of Good Lawdy Miss Clawdy, to the memorable closing performance of "If I Can Dream." This is musical entertainment at it's best. Some of the production numbers are less entertaining than the concert performances, but demonstrate an important part of Elvis' legacy. He is having a great time. Watching it, nearly 40 years later, you will too. Just when the world thought Elvis has left the stage, once again he demonstrates why he is still rock n roll's King. No one can hold a candle to this.

Jerry Ables I have absolutely no complaints about this special because I think it did a great deal of justice to Elvis Presley's stellar career. Everything about it makes it great from the pit session to the musical production numbers. Elvis even closes it out with the awesomely compelling 'If I Can Dream'. This is very easily Elvis at his absolute best. I highly recommend it to any fan.