Rocky Barra's reviews of two 1974 shows: "Awful!"

[Mojo Filter]

Thanks for posting the review, Bob. It's nice to read these kind of reviews it's all very interesting.

I've never owned a copy of "Strictly Elvis" so I can't say too much about the mag itself. But judging by the review and your comments it sounded like a reasonable mag.

The mag was awesome! America's answer to Elvis Monthly, but so much better in so many ways.

I traded off most of the issues I had, but I scanned quite a few, and 5 or 6 of the earliest issues are on Echoes in complete form.
A lot was happening in the Elvis world when Rocky started the mag, and nearly every issue was loaded with exciting news. Reading these mags today, is like taking a trip with the time machine.

Here's a few mags:
http://www.elvisechoesofthepast.com/?s=Strictly

Thanks. That's interesting because it's an American mag something I thought they would never do or did. That's something i've learnt today. When i get time i shall read and look into these mags on the fantastic "Echoes" site. Thanks for the link.

Though i've heard of "Strictly Elvis" mag before i always assumed it was an old English mag that was going around the same time as Elvis Monthly and never delved in to see what it was all about.

[Bob]

I never compared you to anyone

As a matter of fact, you did. You brought Saulovich into the discussion. Instead of denying your action, it would be better to take responsibity for it and apologize. You can even PM me if you don't have the guts to do it publicly.

If you think that concert reviewers hold more importance than the average fan, then you would be mistaken.

Rocky was not a "concert reviewer", and he also most certainly was not an "average fan".
You, on the other hand, are average.

You are making a big deal about the 30 minutes. I have a concert from Little Rock, Ark. may 1956, and it clocked out
at less than 30 minutes. What difference does it make?

What????????
Comparing the length of a mid 70's concert to a gig in the 50's!!!! Are you even from this world??
If you have no idea what the "difference" between these concerts is, well, than you sure have a long way to go on the road to the real world.

It's often said, people came to "see" Elvis, not listen to him.

That is correct. But Rocky actually saw him that day! A small fact you seem to keep forgetting at your convenience.

Have you heard the show yourself?

Yes.

Have you heard the audience reaction to him?

Yes.

Even if Elvis would have dropped his jumpy suit right after 2001, and take a dump on the stage, the audience would still have given him a standing ovation.
And 45 years later on an Elvis Forum, let's call it Phoenix, there would have been a guy, let's call him "Mr. My Glass Is Always Half Full", who would have commented on this as follows: "I don't care what renowned and much respected experts think of it! It was the most beautiful turd the world of showbusiness has ever seen!".

Are you saying I can't begin to understand how good he was in Las Vegas in Feb. 1970, just
because I wasn't there?? That is absurd.

Sigh ...

Just because Rocky was there is irrelevant.

What??????

Again: What??????????????

You also didn't read carefully ...

you twisted what I wrote...

Double sigh ...

But when he went to the show, he already had a pre-concieved idea what an Elvis show was about, and what to expect, and
it didn't meet up to his expectations. Rocky couldn't help but compare it to the previous times he saw Elvis.

Correct!!!! Rocky knew perfectly well what he was talking about! Talking from heaps of experience!!

There is no good without bad.

Agreed. No good debaters without terrible debaters.

If you say something is good or crap, then
you have to be able to tell us why in detail.

Rocky did. You did not.

I can pick apart a performance and find something to enjoy about nearly everything.
It's a skill I have in that I dont' have to be a glass half empty type of guy.
You don't seem to possess this skill.

Congrats on your "skill"!

But you know what they say about people who's glass is always half full, right? They say that the other half of that same glass is always empty ...

I feel bad for you.

How sweet of you. But I think I can handle reality way better than the "average" person, thank you very much!

[cadillac-elvis]

I am so sorry, not to agree with your blood brother hero. I apologize for making up my own mind.
Not going to engage in a debate that includes multiple, purposeful, twisting of my words then responding to the "twist".
It's baiting, and I don't have the time for that.
You've contradicted yourself without even knowing it.
Your so-called "sighs" speak volumes.
Dude, chill.....these shows were decades ago.
I can think for myself and without taking everything I know from a concert reviewer.
If Rocky said the shows were "awful", and I was able to glean something positive from the show, don't mock me just because
I have a skill set you don't possess. You and Rocky and other reviewers and negative fans can say,
oh that was awful, because he didn't do the songs you wanted to hear, or your favorites. Talk about living in some sort
"Elvis in my mind fantasy dream world" expectations.....SIGH.
Hey, he didn't do "Bridge over troubled water"....get over it.
He did do "It's midnight"...oh sorry you don't like that song and you're going to sulk about it. Grow up.
Not every show was going to have all your favorites in it. Get over it.

Why not start a thread on the show from Houston in 1976, as part of your "Elvis is awful " series. It'll be fun.
You can tell me "I wasn't there" so I don't know anything. Or Elvis only sang for a total of 32:45 seconds, but
he was "on stage" for over an hour, type of comparison.

Better yet, post it on that other forum, because your twins over there will eat it up. Good luck.

[Ciscoking]

I remember reading this review before the show surfaced as audience recording. In addition there was rumours about Elvis falling out of the limo when he was brought to the venue. I thought..man he must have been that stoned. Then I heard the audience recording and I knew all was just fairytale or half true. The concert was not as awful as College Park.. it was average from these days..granted without an highlights.
Lawrence DeVine from the Detroit Free Press the next day wrote: The venue looked and sounded like an atomic testing ground.
Quite positive,..dont you think ?

I guess this guy simply was no Presley fan.

[Bob]

Hey cadillac-elvis,

Did you ever hear this story about the fellow who thought he was capable enough to handle himself in an online discussion? It's a sad story, really, and it didn't end to well for him. Because after he had repeatedly made a fool of himself, while eventually exposing the fact that his IQ was lower than the amount of minutes Elvis was on stage in Detroit 1974, he made one last post (in which he showed his true colors btw), before he left the discussion with his tail between his legs. Oh boy! The last I heard about him is that he is now in this special place, you know, the kind of place where they have matrasses on the walls so that people like him don't hurt themselves even more ...

I am so sorry

I know you are buddy. How I wish you would not have made such a fool of yourself ...

I apologize

Apologies accepted!
See, now that wasn't all that hard, was it?

[Bob]

I remember reading this review before the show surfaced as audience recording. In addition there was rumours about Elvis falling out of the limo when he was brought to the venue. I thought..man he must have been that stoned. Then I heard the audience recording and I knew all was just fairytale or half true. The concert was not as awful as College Park.. it was average from these days..granted without an highlights.
Lawrence DeVine from the Detroit Free Press the next day wrote: The venue looked and sounded like an atomic testing ground.
Quite positive,..dont you think ?

I guess this guy simply was no Presley fan.

Thanks Cisco.
Good to see a level headed comment that actually adds substance to this topic's subject.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the show. Go ahead and also rate Collega Park please, so that we get a better idea.

[Ciscoking]

Houston and such..1
College Park. ..2
Detroit....4

My intention just was to demonstrate that the show was not as bad as described by Barra. It was not good but not all was bad.
It was a typical soso show from these days with lots of ups and downs..in College Park he was more stoned..in Houston even more.
Its also said that Elvis had to suffer from a flu in Detroit which didnt make the show better.

[Bob]

On a different page in the same issue, Rocky mentions that Elvis had also been on stage while having a 103 temperature if I remember correctly. Though I think this was in relation to a different show from that same tour.

Next to what you said, Rocky might also have been a bit to emotional while writing that piece, disappointed that he was, or hurt even, to see his hero in such circumstances. For all we know he would have been milder if he had waited with his review until the next issue.

[Pacer]

I like the article of Rocky.
Its honest and it was brave to write that.
I am sure he got a lot of Flag for that.
It seems that the truth is for a lot of fans hard to swallow.
Their hilarious excuses they made and make for elvis are just that: : hilarious and a little bit desperate.
They would even put the Watergate affair of Nixon in to something positive and would justify it if elvis would be Nixon and were responsible for Watergate.

[Ciscoking]

I think that we can all agree that his health issues became very obvious in this tour with lots of ups and downs. Some reporters might have had little extras to make it even more obvious. But basically this was true.

[cadillac-elvis]

Houston and such..1
College Park. ..2
Detroit....4

My intention just was to demonstrate that the show was not as bad as described by Barra. It was not good but not all was bad.
It was a typical soso show from these days with lots of ups and downs..in College Park he was more stoned..in Houston even more.
Its also said that Elvis had to suffer from a flu in Detroit which didnt make the show better.

I actually thought he was better in College Park. But that could be splitting hairs.
If Houston 76 is a 1, then what do you give New Haven 76?

I thought New haven was worse than Houston. But again, that could splitting hairs.

[Pacer]

It's often said, people came to "see" Elvis, not listen to him.

Talking about being separate.
In the outside World this "argument"would even let look like an artist tha he has viewed now by ignoring non fans.
And that for a performer who at is peak was unbeatable in performing live.
With a voice that was great.
Nowadays performer often use full playback because they can't reproduce good singing live.
Elvis, while at his best, proved that he can.

To say that people came to see him minimise him actually.

[Pacer]

I remember reading this review before the show surfaced as audience recording. In addition there was rumours about Elvis falling out of the limo when he was brought to the venue. I thought..man he must have been that stoned. Then I heard the audience recording and I knew all was just fairytale or half true. The concert was not as awful as College Park.. it was average from these days..granted without an highlights.
Lawrence DeVine from the Detroit Free Press the next day wrote: The venue looked and sounded like an atomic testing ground.
Quite positive,..dont you think ?

I guess this guy simply was no Presley fan.

Who was no presley Fan?
Rocky barra?

[Ciscoking]

Houston and such..1
College Park. ..2
Detroit....4

My intention just was to demonstrate that the show was not as bad as described by Barra. It was not good but not all was bad.
It was a typical soso show from these days with lots of ups and downs..in College Park he was more stoned..in Houston even more.
Its also said that Elvis had to suffer from a flu in Detroit which didnt make the show better.

I actually thought he was better in College Park. But that could be splitting hairs.
If Houston 76 is a 1, then what do you give New Haven 76?

I thought New haven was worse than Houston. But again, that could splitting hairs.

Thats why I wrote "Houston and such..1"...I see no differences....it was just awful..Mobile the next day..was terrible, too along with many more..especially in 1977... too

[Ciscoking]

I remember reading this review before the show surfaced as audience recording. In addition there was rumours about Elvis falling out of the limo when he was brought to the venue. I thought..man he must have been that stoned. Then I heard the audience recording and I knew all was just fairytale or half true. The concert was not as awful as College Park.. it was average from these days..granted without an highlights.
Lawrence DeVine from the Detroit Free Press the next day wrote: The venue looked and sounded like an atomic testing ground.
Quite positive,..dont you think ?

I guess this guy simply was no Presley fan.

Who was no presley Fan?
Rocky barra?

Yes.. at least no big one.