3 1/2 Stars, Could've Been Better

By 1976, Elvis was near the end. His weight was near 300 pounds, and he was barely having hits. His live performances were not what they used to be, either. Gone was his dynamic stage presence. He now seemed like an overweight king impersonator rather than his legendary self, as prooven by "Tucson '76".

Most of the performances on this cd don't seem like Elvis. He sounds so out of it here, it's sad. His voice has lost its glimmer, too. He now sings with a drawl, most obvious on average versions of "Hound Dog", "Love Me", the "Teedy Bear"/ "Don't Be Cruel", "Jailhouse Rock", and "Can't Help Falling In Love". On the plus, he does great versions of "Hurt", "Burning Love" and "Danny Boy". That shows why I gave it as much stars as I did.

Overall, not essential. However, you should buy it for "Danny Boy". Here, Elvis throws all his problems aside and turns in one of the single greatest performances of his career. Otherwise, not too great.

5 Stars For Elvis, 0 For His Voice

I really like this cd, which showcases two of the live performances from his 1976 tour, which has been called his "Bicentenial Tour", for it was to commemorate the 200th anniversary of America. I want to give the cd five stars, but I just can't because his voice sounds terrible. If you listen to his performances of "I Got A Woman", "Love Me", "You Gave Me A Mountain" and others, you don't hear Elvis. What you hear is drugged-up Southerner whose voice is a wreck. I'm glad this wasn't actually released as a real album back in 1976, because it would've flopped.

Still, there are a few redeemable highlights. "Polk Salad Annie", rarely performed after 1972, is revived here with considerable effort with Jerry Scheff's pumping bass introduction sounding better than ever. Elvis also revives "Loves Letters", an old song from 1966 that is performed with just him and David Brigg's electric clavinet, with some cymbal tappings by Ronnie Tutt. "Burning Love" is done really good here, thanks to some amazing lead guitar by the great James Burton. The best, however, is his performance of "Danny Boy". This one performance is worth the price of the entire cd alone. While Elvis's voice isn't too great, he delivers a stellar performance of this classic song. You should buy this cd just for this one performance. Elvis also does a stellar performance of "Hurt", which he does twice.

Still, there are so many performances by Elvis down the entertainment volume considerably. Elvis sounds absolutely rediculous on "Jailhouse Rock" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night". "All Shook Up" is massacred here. And his performance of the "Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel" medley really stinks. "Fever" is done off key, and the inexplicable performance of "And I Love You So" shows how bad he got. As for "Hound Dog", "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "Funny How Time Slips Away", well listen to them yourselves and tell me what you think.

As a reviewer and an Elvis fan, this is possibly the saddest task I have ever had to undertake. "Tucson '76" shows that The King was losing his touch, never to gain it back. And aside from a few remarkable highlights, this cd falls down to the pits of rock hell. If you want to hear a great Elvis show recorded during the 1976-77 period, get the stellar "Elvis In Concert". I simply can't say that you should buy this album.

Dead I well may be

This is a mono audience recording of an Elvis concert from 1976. The sound quality is very good, considering the source material. It is an above average concert from that time period. Elvis' voice wasn't what it once was, but he was in good spirits here. Most of the songs here were performed in concert over and over again, so why would you want to get this CD? The main reason for buying this CD is "Danny Boy". This impromptu performance is wonderful, and some Elvis fans will find it to be worth the price of the CD by itself.