Rating: 
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!
Rating: 
Summary: The ultimate package of the Singer Special
Review: Seven hours. That's how much material you'll find on this DVD set of the Elvis Singer Special of 1968. I was absolutely fascinated by the various takes for some of the songs and sequences. You even see the clapboard and listen to onstage chatter.
I've read numerous Elvis biographies (the best: Peter Guralnick's two-volume set, LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS and CARELESS LOVE) and this TV special was one of Elvis' defining moments as the king of rock. After 9 years of cheap movies that squandered his talents, he found the raw, emotional energy he'd tapped into at Sun Records the decade before. There are moments when he's putting so much into a song that he's really shouting, "No, this is me!"
Now I've got to check out the special edition of the ALOHA FROM HAWAII concert. For the Elvis fan, it's a must-have.
Rating:
Summary: THE KING AT HIS BEST!
Review: The 1968 comeback special is Elvis at his best. After years of
Elvis doing movies,this special shows Elvis in front of a live
audience singing some of his number 1 hits. Also you see different segments with his original band members. A cool karate
number but the coolest thing is the opening number.(If your looking for trouble you come to the right place.) Trust me, this
dvd is a must for any Elvis fan.
Rating:
Summary: The Best, At His Best!
Review: The special is a watershed moment in the life of Elvis Presley. Being an artist, Elvis communicated to us through his art. In this special, Elvis uses lyrics, dance, performance art, wardrobe and music to tell us his life story. Many feel that this performance of "Baby,What You Want Me To Do" "That's All Right Mama" "Blue Christmas" "One Night With You" "Tiger Man" and "Trying To Get To You" are the best rock and roll ever recorded. If you are not an Elvis fan, watching the sit-down jam with Scotty Moore playing his famous rockabilly licks and Elvis just being Elvis will make you a fan. I have wathced this special hudreds of times and love it more each time. My six year old son, Alec, runs in everytime I turn it on and watches enraptured. Alec says it best. "Pap, I bet all the guys wanna be like Elvis, and, all the Girls wanna be with Elvis."
For me watching and listening to the Prophet that God chose to introduce the world to rock and roll is a sacred, spiritual experience.
******Commonly referred to as The '68 Special or The '68 Comeback. The actual name of this landmark television special is ELVIS. The sixties had brought about great change in music and pop culture. Change for which Elvis helped pave the way over a decade earlier when he exploded onto the scene with his unique blending of pop, rock, country, R&B and gospel influences. Focusing on his Hollywood movie career in the sixties, Elvis has become less a part of the current pop cultural scene. He has been making one movie after another, and many of the records he has put out in these years have been movie soundtrack albums. In the fifties and early sixties, the films and film-related records were wonderfully successful, but as the sixties have worn on, the movies and records, though still profitable, have not been nearly so successful as they were before. Elvis has reached the supreme level of frustration with the state of his career and all its limitations on his creativity and artistic expression. He had hoped to become a serious actor, but Hollywood had other ideas and Elvis went along with them. His opportunities to show his true talents as an actor have been few. He is beyond ready for a change. By now, it has been more than seven years since Elvis has appeared in front of a live audience. Elvis has missed the closeness of his audience, the energy and excitement of live performing. The '68 Special opens with Elvis singing a hot new version of the gutsy "Trouble", from his 1958 film King Creole. This segues into Guitar Man, which, with its semi-autobiographical lyrics, becomes the underlying theme of the show. Then, Elvis is reunited with two of his original fifties band members, guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana. (Bass player Bill Black has been deceased for several years by this time.) They sit together on stage in the round, along with several other friends and associates of Elvis for an informal session of singing, jamming, and swapping stories. Parts of this jam session are woven throughout the show. There are also sequences of Elvis taking the stage alone and performing many of his greatest hit rockers and ballads, and he introduces a new song, Memories. One can surmise that he pours out years of career frustration and pent-up creative energy into the performance of these songs. His natural talent, charisma, sensuality and stage presence have not been diminished by the years in Hollywood. In fact, he looks, sounds, moves and grooves better than he ever has. At 33, he is better than he has ever been. Better than anybody in the business. For the group jam session segments and solo stage performances Elvis wears a two-piece black leather outfit specially designed for the show by Bill Belew, who also designed all the other wardrobe Elvis and the cast wear in the show. The look evokes the era of James Dean and the Marlon Brando type motorcycle films of the fifties, the era when Elvis was first proclaimed the King of Rock 'n' Roll. In one of the jam session segments, Elvis speaks of the gospel origins of rock and roll. This segues into the gospel music portion of the show, which has Elvis wearing a two-piece burgundy suit, singing "Where Could I Go But to the Lord," "Up Above My Head" and "I'm Saved," backed by the female vocal group, The Blossoms, and accompanied by a troupe of dancers - all of this for a rousing gospel production number. Toward the end of the special Elvis appears in a lengthy production number that, through song, dance, karate, and various situations, traces a young man's journey from a struggling guitar player, through the challenges, dangers and compromises on the path to his dreams of success and superstardom. Something is lost along the way. Once the dream is achieved, the man realizes that he remains unfulfilled, that he has abandoned his true self. He decides to return to his roots, doing what made him happiest, what he does best. He sings "I'll never be more than what I am... a swingin' little guitar man." The parallels to Elvis' own life are clear and deliberate, and his doing the '68 special represents his own return to his true self, to his roots. Free from the confines of his Hollywood grind, this is Elvis the singer, the performer, the musician, the man - the real Elvis. At the end of the special, Elvis appears alone wearing a simple white two-piece suit, standing in front of the towering backdrop of red lights that spell ELVIS. He sings a brand new song, "If I Can Dream," especially written for the show. The writers created the song based upon conversations with Elvis about his own thoughts on what was happening in the turbulent sixties. It seemed appropriate that he close the show with a personal statement. His powerful and passionate performance of this song of hope for mankind is one of the most brilliant moments of his singing career.
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the rerelease
Review: This DVD is in its original quality and hasnt been restored for DVD. If you already have it on VHS I would suggest you wait for the restored version to arrive. I deducted a point for DVD quality only. As for the show itself, well if you dont have it at all, then its a must !!!! The performances on here are exceptional. This is Elvis at that turning point between reliving the 50s and embracing the 70s.
Rating:
Summary: A True Professional
Review: This DVD set is tremendous. Elvis is aboslutely a 100% Pro.
I was 23 when this show was on TV. I was so anxious to buy it;
and there was so much more than what I ever expected. You will
love this set if you are an avid Elvis fan. Those who are not
will get perhaps a new insight to Elvis. Though I generally
don't get emotional about Elvis - having been an entertainer
for 20 years I felt very deep joy and yet sadness to see how
very hard Elvis worked to make this concert what it became when
completed for television. You'll see many facets of Elvis's
personality and humor. Buy - Buy - Buy ! You won't be sorry!
Rating: 
Summary: not worth the money they're asking for
Review: This dvd should have been 1 disc instead of 3 and therefore priced that way. Instead greedy NBC wanted to make a big profit and added all this extra footage of outtakes. Please the comeback special broadcast would have been sufficient. If you like to see Elvis start a song and then stop because of some problem then you'll like this dvd because most of it is just that but I found it was very annoying and unnecessary. Hey NBC are you not making enough money that you have to suck every dollar from poor hard working consumers. Shame on you.
Rating:
Summary: If You Only Get One Elvis DVD, This One Should Be IT!!
Review: This DVD shows Elvis at his Best! You can just see the music flowing through him by watching his face and his whole body. Then, you have an insight into why his voice has so much strength and feeling. You can listen to and enjoy cds and albums, but you don't get the total picture until you see him sing. It's like going to a live Elvis concert in the comfort of your living room, with the ability to play it over and over. This is the one to have!! I'm writing this having watched ONLY ONE of the three included dvds. If this first dvd was the only one in this package, it would have still been well worth the price. Personally, I like the unedited 'sit-down' and 'stand-up' performances BETTER than the edited, packaged TV Special. But, it's all here, allowing you to pick and choose your own favorite cuts. Buy It!
Rating:
Summary: elvis at his best
Review: this is an excellent display of elvis presleys extreme talent and explains why he will always be the king
Rating:
Summary: HOT! HOT! HOT!
Review: This is Elvis at his absolute BEST! After all the years of mostly bad movies, he was out to show he still had his stuff. And he showed EVERYONE! Even non-Elvis fans who see this are blown away by his performance. He was at peak form in voice and physically. I was only 12 at the time, but it left a strong impression. If you were female and had a pulse in 1968 you couldn't have seen this and not been "impressed"!
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