RCA/BMG's remastered "On Stage" is a vast improvement over the 1970 Presley release. Elvis takes familiar songs such as "Sweet Caroline" and "Release Me" and makes them his own - erasing any lingering memory of the originals. His performances of "Polk Salad Annie" and "Suspicious Minds" still pack a powerful punch. The bonus tracks (particularly a standout version of "Long Tall Sally") are excellent and should have been included on the original album.

Elvis, on stage, 1970- good stuff! What a great line up of songs. See See Rider, Sweet Caroline, The Wonder of You, Pol Salad Anie, Yesterday/Hey Jude, Walk a mile in my shoes, Don't cry daddy, Kentucky Rain, Long Tall Sally, etc...all top line songs done superbly by the King of Rock and Roll. The sound is fine (yes it is not pristine/ crystalized digital sound as some reviewers seem to harp on?),the band is solid, and Elvis is Elvis. If you like later day Elvis, I would start here. I will next look into Aloha from Hawaii and Elvis from Memphis. Rediscover the King and listen once again to the soulful, pure, simply beautiful voice of the master.

Bolstered by a half-dozen bonus tracks which focus heavily on Elvis' famed 1969 American Studios sessions, this expanded edition of ON STAGE is an essential link between the King's late sixties comeback and his sumptuously orchestrated pop outings of the early seventies. It's also a hell of a show, even if it is assembled from numerous performances recorded over a period of half a year.

The focus here (and henceforth) is on "new" material, rather than the rock & roll songs that made Elvis a star, with big but remarkably supple arrangements backing the finest set of vocal cords ever recorded. Elvis tackles a range of eras and styles, finding new things to do with CCR's "Proud Mary," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," Del Shannon's "Runaway" and a saccharine staple like "Let It Be Me" literally without missing a beat. But it's the additional cuts that really make this set. "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" is in itself worth the price of the disc, but hearing the band slow its groove down in the closing moments and effortlessly turn it into "In the Ghetto" is a bit of concert magic on a par with anything anyone else was doing in 1970, and that's saying a lot. Even the schmaltzy "Don't Cry Daddy" gains a certain magic in this context, paving the way for a show-stopping workout on "Kentucky Rain" that manages, against all odds, to equal if not better the stellar original version. "Suspicious Minds" is given a similarly mammoth treatment, though perhaps less so than would be the case a few months later in the THAT'S THE WAY IT IS period. Only on "Yesterday" (a song I've never much cared for) does the King stumble a bit, fudging the lyrics before putting things right with a bit of the coda from "Hey Jude."

In short, ON STAGE is a fine way to hear rock's most important figure at the height of his powers, covering a broad spectrum of excellent material with outstanding support from his band. Not to be missed!

with is 1970 release we get extra bonus tracks...which gives the listener his money's worth. i bought the album when 1st released, however, this album was released on quadraphonic 8 track, this version should be the version that was reeleased on to c.d...elvis is in fine form, lot's of energy and bmg-rca has mad good efforts to clean up the soundtrack.

This version is way to heavy in the mix. What happened to James Burton's incredible licks and Ronnie Tutt's slaps. Elvis sounds better on this remix but all the backup is faded into the orchestra becoming one wall of sound. If your into rock and roll get the original to hear what it really sounded like. Otherwise, get this one. I hope they don't screw around with the "In person at the International Hotel" release.