Elton John

Sloop,

Right with you on "Life On Mars" the only thing I watch on the box, apart from the news and football.

Spoilt rotten by getting two episodes in one night on Tuesday. Do you watch episode 2 again on BBC1 next Tuesday and then watch episode 3 on BBC4, or just hang on until 10 pm for the third episode?

Sorry, cannot help on the Elton John front, never bought any of his albums, but could hum a few of his tunes.

Regards

Nic

No.

Early Elton (Esp. Tumbleweed Connection) was totally in thrall to The Band. It's a lot less bland than his later stuff but 'Music From Big Pink' it ain't. Personally, I'd give him a miss and buy some Band albums (if you haven't got them already).

My favourite EJ albums are Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player, and Captain Fantastic. They went when I sold my vinyl, and I have never bothered to get them on CD, which perhaps says something.

Nigel

My love of 'qualitee' music started with Elton John. I loved Cpt Fantastic/GBYBR/and other early albums including Madman. Mind an early Elton Greatest Hits collection would suffice for me knowadays. His stuff post 'Blue Moves' is pretty frightful imo.

Diccus

I like the early Elton John records that he did with Paul Buckmaster. The following albums are quite strong and well recorded.

Elton John - 1st LP
Honky Chateau
Madman Across the Water
Tumbleweed Connection

After this I like him less so, I don't have or want any of his music after Captain Fantastic.

Scott

I think Empty Sky is Reginald Kenneth Dwight's best album - especially the CD re-issue which contained Lady Samantha, which I think is his best song. This was around the time he auditioned to be the vocalist for King Crimson and Gentle Giant.

Elton Dean (later of Soft Machine) and Long John Baldry had a group call Bluesology and Reg was the piano player. He took the name Elton John from these two musicians.

I'm afraid after he changed his name to Elton Hercules John, I lost interest.

He did write Can't Go On (Living Without You) which would have been the UK entry for Eurovision had it finished higher than 6th in the Song for Europe contest.

I believe Reg played on some of the Hollies tracks and on the Scaffold's Lily The Pink.

His second album contained the track Your Song and is worth a listen - in fact it is quite a decent album if I'm honest.

Blue Moves has some good stuff. I cant stand his rock n roll stuff and some of his ballads are puke inducing but there are a few gems to be found in an otherwise barren desert for the patient researcher. In my view EJ has been constantly upstaged by his percussionist Ray Cooper.

Hi!
The only one album i had of the entire John's production is Tumbleweed Connection with the beautiful "Talking old soldiers".
I would buy it again but i would not buy the rest.
Cheers!
Gianluigi

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Don't Shoot Me ..., Captain Fantastic are all worth owning. He has put out a lot of albums and, unfortunately, there are both highs and lows. Yellow Brick Road is his best regular album IMHO. However, if you would like a "safe" intro to Elton John music, he has a number of greatest hits albums (e.g., Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3). Volume 1 is the best, although I think the others are owning as well. If you like what you hear on the greatest hits albums, it might be worthwhile to pick up some of his regular albums. Generally speaking, I agree with those before me who believe his early 70s material was the high point.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Scott in DC:
I like the early Elton John records that he did with Paul Buckmaster.

I'm totally with Scott ... the John/Taupin/Buckmaster collaboration had magic. Songs like Your Song (upon which Keith Jarrett seemingly based his tune Country), Tiny Dancer (love that combo of Buckmaster's Coplandesque strings and pedal steel!), Madman Across The Water, and Levon are some of the best songs.

In general, his stuff is hit or miss with me, but the stuff that does hit hits deep. I don't care for the flashier uptempo stuff, Crocodile Rock, etc., nor the later maudlin ballads ... his early ballads are note perfect and strike the exact right degree of sentiment, never too much. Later, way too much. Except I kind of enjoyed that very Beatlesque tune that Robert Downey Jr. "sang" in the video a few years ago, which seemed to be somewhat of a return to his 1970s form.

I should also acknowledge that Elton's piano conception, along with those of Joni Mitchell and Keith Jarrett, heavily informed my own music.

All best,
Fred

quote:

Originally posted by fred simon:
I should also acknowledge that Elton's piano conception, along with those of Joni Mitchell and Keith Jarrett, heavily informed my own music.

I can definately hear their influences in your music. Just finished listening to "Remember the River" an hour ago, great album!

Interesting replies, thanks.


can't help thinking had he died of alopecia in 1975 he'd be very much venerated nowadays.



SJB

quote:

Originally posted by John G.:

quote:

Originally posted by fred simon:
I should also acknowledge that Elton's piano conception, along with those of Joni Mitchell and Keith Jarrett, heavily informed my own music.

I can definately hear their influences in your music. Just finished listening to "Remember the River" an hour ago, great album!

Thanks very much, John.

All best,
Fred

GYBR & Captain Fantastic are never far from my cd5...great albums. I also like some of his newer stuff on Peachtree Road...this is very midle of the road stuff but some of the lyrics are very close to my heart-"a couple of freaks in love" about gay love and "I'm happy to see a sunset instead of a line" about drug addiction.

go on, give em a try, hmv are selling his classic albums for £5 atm.

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:
What am I missing? Are any of his early albums worth having?

Two albums:
The Tumbleweed Connection
Madman Across the Water.

His early *country* period stuff were very very good.

Later, he's got really cheezy for some reasons.

That said, just the other day, i've picked up his *best of* album just to hear that duet with Kiki Dee.

~~ don't go breaking my heart~~

Ok, sticking my head above the parapet here! I like his 'Live in Australia' album where he's backed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (if I recollect correctly). I know he's not got the best live voice, but there's some good stuff on here and the string arrangements add a lot. Time to duck the abuse :-)

Stuart

It is curious when somebody recommends something by Elton John, The Bee Gees or Status Quo that they all always I expect abuse. I would unreservedly recommend the debut albums by all three and even some of their other material.

After all we are not talking Phil Collins here - in which case all abuse would be justified; as Noel Gallagher once said (not a person I often find concord with): Everybody hates Phil Collins and those that don't should.

How dare you slag off Phil Collins. "In the Air Tonight" is an awesome tune

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

After all we are not talking Phil Collins here - in which case all abuse would be justified; as Noel Gallagher once said (not a person I often find concord with): Everybody hates Phil Collins and those that don't should.

quote:

Originally posted by Graham Russell:
How dare you slag off Phil Collins. "In the Air Tonight" is an awesome tune

Not only do I agree wholeheartedly, but I think that whole album, Face Value, is fantastic, a real classic.

However, I don't care much for Noel Gallagher.

All best,
Fred

Strangely there is a good deal of agreement on this thread - is this a forum first? (Incidentally I don't care much for Noel Gallagher either.)

quote:

Originally posted by Graham Russell:
How dare you slag off Phil Collins. "In the Air Tonight" is an awesome tune

Hmmm - I take it you agree with my sentiments in an earlier thread - here

All the best, Rotf

I am partial to Vogon poetry now and again, especially when in an air lock of an alien spaceship. However, the drum break in "In the air tonight" is great. You may argue it's OK because it's when Phil isn't singing

quote:

Noel Gallagher.

Such a talent I would really take note of his comments as something worth ignoring. Talentless loud mouth.