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Summary: Elvis' Historic Comeback
Review: "The 1968 Comeback Special" was the culmination of Elvis Presley's artistic resurrection. He never looked or sounded better, as he sang some of the rawest rock and blues ever recorded. Listening to these classic performances is a transcendent experience. However, to fully appreciate Presley's talents, one must see this revelatory DVD set, which is guaranteed to rock your socks off. The deluxe edition finally includes the unedited, red-hot mini-concerts that comprised much of the original NBC special. If some of the production numbers seem a bit dated by today's standards, Presley certainly does not. This was the performance of Elvis' life -- and it surpassed everyone's expectations. More than 35 years later, "The 1968 Comeback Special" remains a landmark in the history of rock music.
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Summary: A Whole New Elvis
Review: Between 1956 and 1969, Elvis made 33 films in Hollywood, but only performed twice to a live audience. On December 3, 1968, all that would change with one TV special. The Comeback showed Elvis in black leather singing old hits, as well as two new songs: "Memories" and "If I Can Dream." This is Elvis at his best, and thank God this special has been rereleased for all to enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: poor!
Review: Elvis Presley's 68 Comeback Special is a poor concert. Many songs are turned into medley's(who only wants to hear a partial song?). Also Elvis's performance just isn't anygood, and the setlist leaves a lot to be desired. Not enough big hits, and I hate the gospel medley, awful!
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Summary: A Must Have Even For Die Hards Who Have Everything
Review: First off let me say that mine is the first review of this particular product. The other reviews found on this page pertain to previous DVD releases of the 68 special which to be honest were rushed and lacking. This however is the complete opposite. This contains EVERYTHING from the 1968 special. You get the original 1968 special as it aired on NBC on December 3rd 1968 including the number that was axed because the sponsor of the show thought it was two risque. Then you get the complete stand up and sit down shows. The ones where Elvis totally proves he is the king and will forever be the king. These are the king of rock and roll at his best folks and they have never been released in their entirty like this. To see Elvis do "If I can Dream" in the black leather suit is historical. You also will see all of the takes from all the songs production numbers (i.e. opening sequence gospel number etc.) As well as a really funny promo used on NBC before the show aired. It has taken BMG forever but it has been oh so worth the wait. This is the one and only way to enjoy the greatest music special in rock and roll history.
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Summary: GREAT SET, BUT STILL IT'S NOT ALL THERE!
Review: I am pleased that this set has been released. Being an Elvis fan since 1977 (I was in kindergarten that year), I have seen this show numerous times on VHS. However, I am somewhat disappointed that a few parts were cut out from disc one.
1. He starts to sing "Are You Lonesome Tonight" for a few seconds then they edit that out and go right to Elvis introducing the Gospel Medley.
2. Where's "That's All Right"?
3. During the Guitar Man production number near the end, "It Hurts Me" was cut out. Why???????
Is there anything that can be done about this. I felt that the original show on disc one was badly edited and this should have never happened. I do like the fact that the entire sit-down and stand-up shows were included as well as the outakes. I would like to say "this is the most definitive look at the king's comeback", but I can't, hence the 4 stars only.
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Summary: Excellent show - pity about all the filler
Review: I bought this DVD with expectations of seeing some stuff I hadn't seen before. I suppose I wasn't really disappointed, but after hearing Trouble, Heartbreak Hotel and Love Me Tender for the 5th time each I was beginning to get sick of it. The first DVD is about all you need of these three. The other two are worthwhile only because they show the human side of Elvis that you rarely get to see. If you're an Elvis fan this is essential stuff, but aside from disc 1, the other two don't bear repeated viewings.
Don't expect much from this set and you won't be disappointed.
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Summary: A must have for Elvis collectors...
Review: I love these DVDs. My favorite part is the sit down jam sessions he did with his group. Those were when I could tell that he seemed more relaxed. The first I like better than the second. The audience in the first one were much better behaved than the second. These group of 3 or four girls that were sitting to the left of him in the second show did nothing but squeal which took alot away from the music and you could tell that he was getting a bit irritated with them too. The commentary in the box said that the rubber mats were put down to absorb some of the noise from the stomping, but I think the stomping makes it sound better. It makes it sound like they were really having a good time. I have a three year old son and he loves to watch the stand up leather show where Elvis moves his hips, my son dances along. I liked this whole 68 special a little more than the Hawaii one. Seeing Elvis already bloated and a bit distant (strung out) is a little depressing. I definately would recommend the 68 special to anyone collecting Elvis or even concert DVDs.
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Summary: ELVIS AT HIS IMMACULATE BLACK LEATHER PEAK
Review: Like a cat on the prowl, Elvis in black leather comes out to play...
The Comeback Special captures Elvis in top form and comfortable cruise control. Forget everything he made after this. This one shows why he was a Star. Just before he became a cliche of himself.
This is a poignant performance that's often regarded as his most dynamic because it feels like we're experiencing an intimate night with Elvis (pre-dating MTV's Unplugged series concept) - somehow, it provided a rare look in a career that had been riddled with bad movies and over commercial moves.
When Elvis jams with his band, all the years of music that brought him to this moment resonate with a particular impact. And we enter a very private yet public session. This is a man comfortable with himself, yet still trying to prove that he's worthy of his fans.
You become aware of Elvis's veering on cheesy showbiz persona as he does his production numbers on cue. They're slick and well executed BUT the key to this show's success is really the informal and affable jam session. This is where Elvis connects with his audience and celebrates his human side.
For the diehard fans, there's a lot of extra stuff - making this a worthwhile buy for those who miss the King.
And for the uninitiated, Elvis never looked better.
A special moment indeed.
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Summary: The Penultimated Elvis! But the DVD is lacking.
Review: Okay, this is a 5 star special. Any Elvis Presley fans will want to own Elvis' 1968 TV special, and most probably already have it on VHS. The question is....is the DVD worth purchasing?To start, the DVD is not complete. Evidently, there was some issue about the rights to "Are you lonesome tonight?" so this song is NOT to be found on the DVD. Other from that, I didn't find anything missing from the DVD. The picture quality is a little soft, a little grainy, and looks like the show was recorded on videotape. Of course, all of this is how the special looked in the first place, so it's not a big deal. In fact, given the limitations of TV broadcasts back in the 60s, the picture quality is acceptable. The soundtrack has the original mono soundtrack. There is also a 5.1 dolby digital remix which sounds good but is maybe a little bass-heavy. Young fans weaned on ultra-glossy DVDs of recent films may be disappointed with the picture/sound quality, but those of us who grew up on Elvis will absolutely love the DVD, which is pretty much the best the special has looked and sounded. The main issue is whether or not to purchase this particular edition....or wait and hope that a future second edition will contain the deleted song. It's a toss-up. Personally, I am happy I bought the DVD and I will probably listen to it quite often! Other than the special itself, there is little else on the DVD. There is a website link-up and a small slide show. That's it. I would have liked a subtitles option (who wouldn't want to sing along with Elvis?). Or how about some outtakes? So, given the incompleteness of the DVD, I can only rate the DVD 4 stars, although the special itself is 5 stars. One last thing - this is obviously a 1960s product. The production numbers have a surreal, almost psychedelic quality to them. Elvis himself is in superb voice, and he delivers a performance that cements his image as the king of rock and roll. But Elvis fans already know this. To the uninitiated, there is probably no better way to see the King at the height of his powers as in this special! Recommended!
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Summary: Sensational!
Review: Sensational is the word that comes to mind while browsing through the new "Elvis - The '68 Comeback Special (Deluxe Edition DVD)". This 3-disc set assembles all the footage related to the famous '68 Comeback Special. A great deal of the material shown is released here for the first time in its entirety, or released for the first time pure and simple. While some parts, delightful as they are, will definitely be for Elvis fans only (the takes and raw components of the production numbers on disc 3), the bulk of this set is essential watching for any rock enthusiast - the two sit-down shows, the two stand-up shows, and the adapted NBC TV special as it was originally aired on December 3, 1968, represent not only some of Elvis's finest moments of his whole career, but are nothing less than some of the most exciting rock gigs ever filmed. Watching these shows now, in great remastered sound (there's choice between Dolby stereo and Dolby 5.1) and unseen picture quality, and realizing that they have been in the vaults for more than 35 years, one can but wonder why it took them so long to release them. In his emphatic effort to reinvent himself, Elvis continually transcends the limitations of space and time, revealing along the way as only he could what rock 'n' roll is all about - and we have a true classic performance on our hands. You can now watch some 7 hours of it. Not to be missed. (In the European issue of this set "It Hurts Me" has been erroneously left out on the Original Broadcast Version of the Comeback Special.)
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