****1/2. Presley at his best

This two-hour reissue is sort of a companion volume to MCA's September, 1998 disc "Tiger Man", which contains the complete set from the second of two concerts given by Elvis Presley on June 27, 1968.



It is pretty much just an expanded version of the original "NBC TV Special" album, featuring almost two dozen previously unreleased takes, including several alternates, which means that "Baby, What You Want Me To Do" is here in five (!) different versions.

That may be a bit too much for some, but the quality of the music is high all the way through. I am particularly fond of the tunes recorded with just a small group which includes 50s band members D.J. Fontana and Scotty Moore, and it is very enjoyable to hear Elvis Presley playing and singing with such conviction...he even plays a pretty mean R&B-styled rhythm guitar!



A must-have for Elvis fanatics, casual Elvis fans should also find this 35-track double CD to their liking. Most of the best-known classics are here, including "Heartbreak Hotel", "That's All Right Mama", "Jailhouse Rock", "Trying To Get To You", "Hound Dog" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", as well as several slightly lesser-known (but often very fine) songs, such as "One Night", "Guitar Man" (in a medley with "Trouble"), and "When It Rains It Really Pours".



I don't own very many Elvis Presley-albums, and I'm not really that big a fan. But if you only ever get one Elvis-CD, make sure you get either this one or the original NBC Comeback Special soundtrack. This is Presley at his best.

10 stars... at least

One of rock's greatest performances. This is a MUST OWN for any Elvis fan. The sound quality is amazing, and everyone knows the performance if phenominal. Outstanding set.

Elvis at His Absolute Best

Forget the Sun recordings or the 1969 Memphis sessions -- this is Elvis Presley's best work. When John Lennon said that "Elvis died after he went into the Army," he obviously didn't see or hear the historic Comeback Special. Lennon and the Beatles never came close to capturing the raw power of Presley's 1968 performance -- nor has any other rock artist. "Memories" is an indispensible two-CD document of this legendary show. The highlight is an informal session on Disc 2 in which Elvis sings with passion and fury. More than 35 years later, Presley's performance is astonishing -- the King not only earned his crown, but reinvented his music in the process.