After having performed twice in front of 18,500 people in Los Angeles, Elvis had to be satisfied with a crowd of 7,500 in Fresno. With the exception of the LA Forum the venues in California were comparatively small and therefore it wasn't a piece of art for the king to sell out, even though having appeared here the previous year. Because the venue was booked in the evening, Elvis performed at 3 pm in the afternoon.

Unfortunately the concert wasn't recorded in its entirety. The intro "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as well as the first part of "See See Rider" are missing. Besides that, the final four songs of the show are lost due to a damage of the old magnetic tape. Jan Eliasson (the person, who mastered the tapes for Follow That Dream Records) solved the problem by replacing the tracks with recordings from May 10th. The mix is somewhat bass-intensive, but FTD could not change that, because it's a mono recording.

The intro "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is finished, Elvis has entered the stage to the sounds of the "Opening Riff", has received his guitar from Charlie Hodge and now is performing the first song of the show, the old r&b standard "See See Rider". He's wearing his new "Blue Swirl Suit", combined with a matching belt from another one of his many jumpsuits.

When the king sings the word "well" in different pitches, a woman screams in delight. Accentedly unemotional Elvis answers "Thank you". Then he segues into "I Got A Woman", which is presented with drive. Of course the king also includes the gospel "Amen" and offers JD Sumner an opportunity to show off his bass voice. Afterwards Elvis returns his instrument to Charlie and jokingly welcomes the people of St. Antone.

The oldie "Love Me" is sung the usual way. At the end the king once again showcases the deep voice of Mr. Sumner and repeats the ending.

This is the first highlight of the show. The king uses his voice to its full extent and really blows off the roof. Great stuff!

His mega seller of 1957 is presented in a fast, business-like fashion.

The same applies to this medley. Elvis throws a few scarfs into the audience, which makes the ladies fall all over themselves.

The level of pandemonium is raised by kissing several women at the edge of the stage. The king's performance doesn't give the impression, that he likes the song. But he enjoys the contact with the girls and the reaction he's causing.

It's obvious, that Elvis sings stuff like "All Shook Up" and "Teddy Bear" just because the audience expects to hear them. But "Steamroller Blues" is performed, because the king wants to do it. He's completely into the song and delivers an excellent rendition.

With the rock'n'roll classic "Hound Dog" Elvis is switches back to the material he has to do. He just repeats the same lines over and over again and doesn't appear like he has fun doing so. But the ladies have, especially when he shakes his body at the end of the song.

The procedure is similar, but this time it entertains the audience and the singer. Elvis moves his legs to drive the ladies wild and obviously likes what he does.

After all the oldies the king returns to more recent material. "Polk Salad Annie" isn't as wild and funky as it used to be, but still the king moves well and even includes some karate routines. Afterwards he says "Let me walk around and get my breath back".

Elvis extends his break by handing over the lead vocals to JD Sumner and just joining The Stamps during the chorus. Elvis is obviously enjoying to be part of the gospel group. When the performance is finished, he explicitly says so and repeats the finale.

The tempo is raised with "Suspicious Minds". The king alters the lyrics and sings "I'll dry the sweat from your eyes". His moves are tamer than a few years ago, but the toned-down performance is still something to enjoy.

Now the king introduces his crew. He jokes around a bit, but in general he doesn't waste time.

This is one of the songs, Elvis never gets tired of. He delivers it very well, even better than during the previous years' "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" show.

The king announces his forthcoming single "Help Me" and performs a very good version of the religious ballad. I don't know, if Elvis mixed something up or if RCA later convinced him to turn the more commercial "If You Talk In Your Sleep" into the a-side. However, the latter one would be performed during the "Elvis Summer Festival 1974" at the Las Vegas Hilton.

In 1972 the single turned out to be a flop, but in his concerts "An American Trilogy" instantly became a showstopper. Today it's performed a tad too fast, but otherwise it's a fine performance which also emphasizes the qualities of the orchestra and the choir.

The country pop is sung with zest, Elvis obviously feels at home singing this kind of music.

Now Elvis wants to take a look at the fans and has the house lights turned up. During "Funny, How Time Slips Away" he refers to his second concert in San Bernadino and adds "Monday, I think" to the line "Never know, when I'll be back in town".

Elvis calls out for "Big Boss Man" and the band begins to play. Compared to later renditions the intro is longer and the song is taken at a slower pace. It also sounds less coordinated. But it's an enjoyable performance for sure.

As usual the king bows out with "Can't Help Falling In Love". He poses to the sounds of the "Closing Riff", shakes a few hands and gives away his final scarf. Then he disappears into the dark of the backstage area.