Video and Audio
The remastered video footage looks as good as it ever will - not perfect, but pretty good.
The sound - available in Dolby Stereo and Dolby 5.1 - is terrific.
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Deluxe Edition DVD Review
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Deluxe Edition DVD Review
By Jonathan Boudreaux
Nowadays, even the smallest of local TV newscasts can transmit live images of their reporters from the most far-flung locales. In 1973, however, satellites were still a rarely-used novelty. It caused quite a sensation, then, when Elvis announced plans to perform live from Hawaii for a worldwide audience. On January 14, 1973, his show was beamed live throughout the world (including Japan, where almost 40% of the television sets tuned in to catch the King). The concert also played via tape delay in 28 European countries later that same day, earning high ratings almost everywhere it played. Americans would have to wait several months to see an edited version of the event, however. Aloha from Hawaii premiered on NBC on April 4, 1973. That original special, along with the original January 14 concert and a January 12 full dress rehearsal, have just been released on DVD in Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Deluxe Edition.
The broadcast version begins with an animated representation of the new-fangled satellite technology, along with the title of the special in several languages. This segues into footage of Elvis arriving in Hawaii by helicopter and greeting his fans to the strains of "Paradise, Hawaiian Style." Afterwards, a multicultural array of performers greets concertgoers as they prepare to enter the arena. As "Also Sprach Zarathustra" begins, the doors to the arena open and the crowd streams in.
As his intro builds to a crescendo, Elvis takes to the stage, resplendent in his white sequined jumpsuit decorated with a red, white, and blue eagle motif. He burns through a set of twenty-eight songs ("See See Rider," "Burning Love," "Something," "You Gave Me a Mountain," "Early Morning Rain," "Steamroller Blues," "My Way," "Love Me," "Johnny B. Goode," "It's Over," "Blue Suede Shoes," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "Hound Dog," "Blue Hawaii," "What Now My Love," "Fever," "Welcome to My World," "Suspicious Minds," "I'll Remember You," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Long Tall Sally," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Ku-u-i-po," "An American Trilogy," "A Big Hunk o' Love," and "Can't Help Falling in Love"). Much is straight concert footage, with the occasional montage of Hawaiian scenery thrown in. In some numbers, the screen splits into oddly shaped Mondrian-esque windows, each presenting a different camera angle.
With his gaudy, oversized rings, inky black hair seemingly shellacked into place, bell-bottomed pants, and slightly less lithe body, this Elvis is a much tackier version of the one presented in Elvis: '68 Comeback Special only five years before. This Elvis is seemingly also less self confident. The Elvis of 1968 did not need gimmicks and frippery to draw our attention - he garnered it with sheer charisma alone.
Aloha from Hawaii is justifiably a part of Elvis, rock-and-roll, and TV history - over 51% of the TV audience tuned in to see the original broadcast - but in terms of quality, it is not one of the King's strongest performances. His singing is often bland and lifeless. "Burning Love," for example, is a terrific late-period Elvis song. The original version has a throbbing, propulsive feel that becomes instantly infectious. His performance of the same song here, however, is flaccid and lifeless. None of Elvis' stage banter and interaction with the audience was included in Aloha. In the '68 Comeback Special and other concert films like That's the Way it Is, Elvis proved to be expert at working his audiences. With all of such moments cut out of Aloha, we are left with bland performances of sometimes second rate material. Even when Elvis works the crowd to a frenzy within songs, as he does with his gyrating pelvis thrusts in "Fever," the editors of Aloha ruin the effect with quick cut editing techniques that leave us wondering why the audience is screaming.
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Deluxe Edition spans two discs. The discs are housed in a foldout package backed by hefty, book-like cardboard. The design of the set is simple, elegant, and effective. A highly detailed booklet, housed in its own folder pocket, comprehensively explains every aspect of the materials found in the boxed set.
The menus effectively exploit Elvis' concert opener "See See Rider" and the glittery "ELVIS" backdrop seen in Aloha. Viewers can play all of the contents on the discs or can choose individual segments.
Extras
Believe it or not, the broadcast version of Aloha from Hawaii is actually considered an extra in this two-disc set. The producers of the set wisely understand the broadcast version's inherent flaws, and have looked to correct them by presenting both the January 12 rehearsal concert (56:39) and the January 14 concert (1:04:18) in their complete, uncut form. The concerts have been reedited from scratch so as to include the best available footage. The concerts are much more engaging in this semi-raw form. Since the two concerts feature virtually identical set lists, fans will be able to fully debate which of the two has the strongest performance by Elvis. Both concerts are found on disc one.
Also included on disc one is "Elvis Arrives and Greets Fans" (17:30), a presentation of the complete, uncut, raw (and, it should be noted, totally staged) footage filmed for the "Elvis Arrives" segment of Aloha. Some of this is fascinating stuff (the unseen director begging the bored crowd to excitedly wave to an absent Elvis, the King enthusiastically greeting fans when he finally arrives, Elvis insisting on making the rounds to the entire crowd even after all of the needed footage has been filmed), but will be mostly enjoyed by Elvis completists.
After the January 14 concert, Elvis and the band returned to the empty arena to tape five additional songs for the American broadcast. These songs ("Blue Hawaii," "Ku-u-i-po," "No More," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," and "Early Morning Rain") were specially staged so that they could be intercut with shots of Hawaiian scenery in the special. ("No More" was ultimately not used.) Disc two contains the entire "Post-Concert 'Insert' Songs Session" (27:00) in its raw form for the first time. Elvis performed these songs in front of a black background. Two cameras were used to film this footage. To more easily facilitate the special effects, Elvis was framed in extreme corners of the screen. For example, for "Blue Hawaii," one camera framed a full body shot of Elvis to the right of the screen and one framed a close-up of Elvis in the bottom left corner. The abundance of black space has allowed the DVD's producers to run images from both cameras on our screens at the same time with no loss of picture. This footage gives fans a unique behind-the-scenes opportunity to see the King at work.
Summary
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Deluxe Edition will be cherished by hardcore fans of the King since it presents his complete rehearsal concert, complete worldwide broadcast concert, and the original NBC special. Still, those same hardcore fans would probably admit that the Aloha concerts do not represent Elvis at his best. For that, casual viewers should stick with the incomparable '68 Comeback Special.
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Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD
Never before have we seen an Elvis Presley concert from the 1950's with sound. Until Now! The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. + Plus Bonus DVD Audio.
This is an excellent release no fan should be without it.
The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. Highly recommended.
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD Video with Sound.
