Well, I've just finished reading Dillon's sobering letter about Elvis'
"we may not see you again" comment, so maybe I should address that first.

I took the comment to be a reinforcement of the message E.C. has been
giving in countless interviews: i.e., this isn't an Attractions reunion.
The comment is a warning not to pigeonhole him, not to expect any one
thing, and I think this message is also expressed by "All The Rage" (in
recorded as well as live form).  It may be a teasing reference to "last
time you ever see us" cliches, but remember that Elvis has done this
before: the MLAR tour was called "Come Back in a Million Years", which
doesn't exactly sound hopeful for the immediate future, and even as far
back as 1977 he was saying things like "I don't want to be around to
witness my artistic decline".  The impression E.C. has been giving in
interviews is that he's ecstatically excited about *music*, be it class-
ical, jazz, rock or whatever ... he certainly doesn't sound like he's
about to pull a Captain Beefheart.

Okay, about the show: I posted the set list yesterday, but I had some
comments.  I was struck mainly by the way the _Brutal Youth_ songs
were translated into the live repertoire.  Strangely enough, the best
songs on record ("Sulky Girl", "London's Brilliant Parade") seemed
sort of listless, unfocused: as if their significance were so obscure
that Elvis couldn't figure out how to tap into them on stage. (He has
admitted in interviews that he sometimes has this problem).  But some
of the others which were *not* my favorites came off beautifully:
"My Science Fiction Twin", for example.  I didn't hate this song on
_BY_, but it did seem like a case of E.C. trying to impress everyone
with his wordiness and musical know-how.  But on stage, he invested
it with the kind of paranoia that fueled "Clowntime is Over" - a sense
of something awful about to happen that was strengthened by its
mysteriousness.  Especially at the end, as E.C. hollered "My science
fiction twin!" ... he sounded not just like someone delivering an
inscrutable statement, as he does on _Brutal Youth_, but as someone
desperately trying to make people understand something inscrutable,
knowing that his life depends on it.  As Dave Letterman would say,
he blew the roof off the dump.

This was followed by a first rate version of "New Lace Sleeves",
which seemed much darker than it was on _Trust_ ... so it continued
the mood of desperation (too bad he didn't go into "Tokyo Storm Warning")
that was broken by "Clown Strike", which was considerably lighter.
As has been mentioned, while the rhythm section grooved away, Elvis
and Steve reshaped the melody into that of "My Favorite Things". Clever,
but it would have made more sense for "This is Hell" (which they didn't
play).

Let's see, what else?  "Rockinghorse Road" was great, but it's a great
song ... hard to screw that one up.  The difference between the live "13
Steps Lead Down" and the recorded one is the difference between an
anthem and a pop song: there was a whole new dimension to it, and the
segue into "Radio Radio" was pretty much seamless.  (Incidentally, it
wasn't a segue, but Elvis went from "Mystery Dance" to "Just About Glad"
... apparently the sexual frustration section of the show).  "Shot with
His Own Gun" was amazing ... has Elvis been doing this one at other
venues?

An amazing performance.  He ended, predictably, with "Pump It Up", and
that is one that never seems to change: how do you improve on it?

I've been wearing my cap and T-shirt all day ...