Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii (1973)

You won't be disappointed!

This is How Movies Should Be Made

Charming and brutal

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

I have to say this was a disappointment. I'm an Elvis fan as well and consider the 68 ' Comeback Special among the best rock'n roll concerts ever done . Easily as good as the Who at the Isle of Wight and Zeppelin at the Albert Hall. But this clearly shows the King descending from the throne. Most of the performances are not among Elvis's best readings of his classics. He basically mumbles through "Love Me" and seems bored with "Suspicious Minds" . Especially that one (Suspicious Minds) does not compare at all to the original recording. Also there are about 250 back-up singers too many and the double exposure camera work with two shots of Elvis at the same time is dated and distracting. Check out 68' Comeback Special instead for far superior Elvis.

This was a fantastic concert of Elvis. when i first saw this i was electrified it was amazing i was witnessing the king at his very best. he was giving fantastic performances of country,rock,blues,love etc.. to a world wide audience of over a billion people via satellite the first of its kind. He looked fantastic,he sounded fantastic,he treated us with something that no other singer could. If any one was in doubt about Elvis or needed answers to questions about his talent or the man him self they got their answer here. i loved this concert and never ever saw another one like it. i watch it from start to finish every time. all in all this is a terrific DVD of the king i give it a deserved 10/10!

Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii (1973) ** (out of 4) Hmm...I'm really not sure where I stand on this one but I guess overall I was pretty disappointed because there are simply way too many covers here. I love seeing my favorite artists doing covers but if the covers don't come close to the original then you hate to see them take the place of classic tunes and I'd feel that's the problem here. You've got The King doing a version of The Beatles' "Something", which is okay but falls flat when compared to any other version I've heard. "Early Morning Rain", "Steamroller Blues" and Sinatra's "My Way" come off rather flat and uninspired and even "Johnny B. Goode" doesn't sound all that rocking. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" doesn't cut it nor does "I Can't Stop Loving You". "Whole Lotta Shaking' Going' On" doesn't fair any better but "Satisfied Mind" and the closing "Can't Help Falling in Love" bring a little more heat to the action. I know this was a very popular show but I saw it as a pretty boring fair even though Elvis' voice sounds terrific and he's certainly working on the stage. I think what bothered me most is how the show was produced with a rather poor band IMO.

It irritates me no end when people refer to Elvis Presley's rhinestone-studded jumpsuits. They are demonstrating their ignorance because Elvis never wore rhinestones. The spectacular American Eagle jumpsuit he wore on January 14, 1973 was studded with jewels (not rhinestones)and weighed in excess of 70 pounds. The jeweled cape he wore for the closing number (which he then flung into the crowd) weighed 40 pounds and cost $8,000.00 alone. I have never heard what the jumpsuit cost, but one has to figure that it was even more expensive. The belt that he tossed into the audience after singing An American Trilogy was a replacement for the original. Elvis' costume designer, Bill Belew, had to hurriedly make a new belt in time for the show. Elvis had impulsively given the first belt to Jack Lord's wife a day or two before the Aloha telecast. Elvis' personal jeweler had to fly back to the States for more rubies before Belew could complete the new belt. Also, regardless of what you have read or heard to the contrary, Elvis was in superb shape for this show. He looked great and was in good voice, particularly on What Now My Love and An American Trilogy. If he seemed a bit distant or preoccupied at times, it could be due to the fact that he had filed for divorce from Priscilla less than a week earlier. Due to the time constraints of a live telecast, Elvis could not be too spontaneous. The only real complaint I have of this show is the perfunctory rendition of Hound Dog. Elvis had always hated the song and recorded it in 1956 only at the urging of then RCA president Steve Sholes. He performed it grudgingly and his ambivalence is evident when he performs it live. He also hated Burning Love, which was a recent hit for him at the time of the Aloha concert. Almost every other recording artist saves their most recent hit for the end of the show. Elvis did Burning Love at the very beginning of Aloha, right after C. C. Rider (which opened the concert). Perhaps he wanted to get it out of the way. I suppose he hadn't had time to loathe Burning Love as much as Hound Dog, because he actually gave it a decent effort here. All in all, this performance shows Presley at his finest. His decline started soon afterward. The 1977 CBS TV special is a testament to how far Elvis had fallen, and is truly heartbreaking to witness.