Once in a while I’ll get obsessed with a certain song. This week, it’s an early Elton/Bernie composition called “Come Down in Time.” This one was covered many times (who even knew Superman’s girlfriend Lois Lane could sing, and had a pretty fine voice?). Personal favorite: the version by Norwegian jazz singer Radka Toneff, who had a tragically short life:
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
Here's a (Captain) Fantastic recent interview... really enjoyed this one!
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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I hit the local indie shop today and came across perfect used copies of The Captain And The Kid, The Diving Board and Songs From The West Coast for $4.99 each, so I'll be giving those a spin this coming week... looking forward to them! Thanks for those recommendations. BTW, the majority of his other latter-day works were also there, and also cheap, so it's likely that I'll return and finish off my collection (of his studio and live albums, at least). I'm sure some of them will be hit and miss, but that's okay, I love the guy and I feel like I sort of owe it to him to at least listen to what he's done in recent years.
I only just noticed this comment. I'm not sure where you are, but around here (Toronto area) the Greatest Hits Vol. III CD is very easy to find, both new and used. Even Amazon Canada sells it brand new for five bucks! While on that subject, I should point out that this one does have Empty Garden, and would be much more worth owning than the Jump Up! album IMO.Originally Posted by Progbear
Last edited by Progatron; 02-11-2018 at 01:00 PM.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
*** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***
I plan to go music shopping in Philadelphia this weekend and I will be looking for used copies of Elton John's albums on CD. Whenever possible, please warn me if the versions of his albums that we are discussing here have a version with bonus tracks. Thank you.
Library Jon
I don't know if you are also considering live albums in addition to studio, but I and a few others here mentioned the live album Here and There, which is taken from 2 1974 concerts in London and MSG in NY. The original album was fairly short, as well as the original 1 disc CD, but when they put out the "Elton John Classic Years" series they expanded the number of tracks immensely, making it a 2 CD set (not complete shows though). Impeccable sound, stuffed with EJ classics, great Funeral/Love Lies Bleeding, EJ at the apex of his popularity in 1974. So this is all pre Captain Fantastic album, and after GYBR. The London disc has a lot of early classics, more solo tunes on piano, and the NY disc is more rocking with full band. As noted earlier in thread the NY disc has the last concert appearance of Lennon singing live on a few tunes with EJ. So if you get 1 live album to start with, I'd highly recommend the 2 CD Here and There.
Last edited by DocProgger; 02-13-2018 at 05:48 AM.
Jon, assuming you have a smart phone, you can check the different releases on discogs.com . Just use the catalog number on the spine in the search box. The tracks will be listed there.
Thanks for the Discogs advice. I was kind of interested in what people thought of the bonus tracks, too. Just because there is a version of an Elton John CD with bonus tracks, doesn't necessarily mean that they are good tracks.
Library Jon
Of the newer albums:
Peachtree Road has a version with 3 extra songs, all from the musical Billy Elliott. Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher is not your typical Christmas song. It is an attack on her and her political party. Well done. Electricity was a minor hit. It also contains a DVD of 9 songs from PR done live.
The Union delux addition has 2 extra tracks My Kind of Hell and Mandalay Again which fit nicely in the album. I really like MKoH. It also has a DVD of the making of the Union.
Crazy Wonderful Night has a delux version with 2 extra songs of which England and America is better than most of the tracks on the album. Note there is a super delux version with 2 more songs and some other stuff that I don't remember.
The Diving Board has several editions. The delux edition has a second cd disc of 4 songs, 3 are live versions of songs on the album and 1 new song. The Best Buy delux version has 2 extra new songs, Gauguin Gone Hollywood and 5th Avenue which are two of the best tracks on the album. Note that on the Best Buy version, the track listening on the back sleeve does not include these 2 tracks but they are mentioned on the inner sleeve.
Basically, Elton's bonus tracks are usually up to par and sometimes better than many tracks on the original.
HTH
^Fans raved about various tracks which didn't make these 00s albums and only got limited release. There's one called 'Across The River Thames' (a download-only extra for The Captain And The Kid) and another one called 'How's Tomorrow' (which was a B side from one of the Peachtree Road singles) I've heard good things about. Sadly I don't see these getting a wider release- demand for 'late period Elton John offcuts' is not high.
The Diving Board was caught up in some kind of 'development hell' with some major changes to the tracklist delaying its release. I look upon that as a misfire, really.
The last Elton album which I noticed a mainstream buzz about was 2001's Songs From The West Coast. I played it again a few days ago; the production was slicker than I remember and the mastering is very bad, but almost all of the songs hold up.
The Billy Elliott musical did produce one major UK hit 'Electricity', but I didn't notice it at the time and haven't heard it around since. As noted this was added to Peachtree Road (the one I have, with a different cover).
Last edited by JJ88; 02-13-2018 at 05:46 AM.
https://www.discogs.com/label/613624...-Classic-Years
The 90s 'The Classic Years' series have the bonus tracks. Some audiophiles don't like these CDs but I don't mind them at all. The double albums Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Blue Moves didn't have anything added. But as noted Here And There went from a short contractual obligation to a 2-cd set.
The later batch of remasters- 21 At 33, The Fox, Jump Up and Breaking Hearts, none of these had any bonus tracks. (But I got these so cheaply second-hand that I'm not that bothered!) I don't think Leather Jackets was ever reissued. That album has been swept under the carpet somewhat!
There was also the 2cd Rare Masters which had mostly B-sides from 1969-76 (at that point unavailable elsewhere but later mostly on the remaster series above)but also had the full soundtrack Friends which I don't think ever had any other CD release.
The full show of 17-11-70 was also recently released...but only on record and only for Record Store Day. Very annoying. The 90s reissue of this was the most controversial in the series because it was given a heavily reverbed remix and a changed running order, whilst only adding one bonus track.
Last edited by JJ88; 02-13-2018 at 05:55 AM.
The photo on the back cover of Leather Jackets is something else. In 1986, Elton John's band looked like Judas Priest while Judas Priest looked like Elton John's band.
Really? That sucks. I see how some people wanted to legitimize it (as there'd been bootleg LPs for a long time). I just don't see why they'd limit it to vinyl. Still, that one bonus track was the best one to choose.
^Actually I was a little off in that it does seem to have had a wider release now...but still only on an expensive record. Ugh.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/17-11-70-VI...8543475&sr=8-2
I also see the running order doesn't follow the original concert...
Best version of Sixty Years On ever...
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
*** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***
Oh, yes. Terrific version!
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Agreed, an amazing performance. Dare I say, pretty close to progressive rock...with a piano trio, guitar-free line-up.
I listened to The Captain And The Kid yesterday. (I remember finding it for £2 or something in a charity shop not long after its release.) It's still a really good album that flows nicely and arguably has the best overall sound of his later albums. The one drawback and one that held back its sales...there's no obvious 'single' on it in terms of a track which would launch the album in terms of radioplay/promotion. I believe though with an album like this, he continued to cast aside the 90s MOR image he had cultivated with the Disney/Diana stuff.
Last edited by JJ88; 02-14-2018 at 02:32 AM.
It is indeed. That whole live album is amazing, really. It has a ferocious energy... I'm sure I've listened to it just as much as the surrounding studio albums over the years.
As for The Captain And The Kid, it's sitting here waiting for me to listen to it. I will get to it this week!
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
*** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***
I think "Captain And The Kid" is pretty darn good for later day Elton. It is an album that had to grow on me a bit, but overall I like it. Agree with your comment about a hit single. If I remember right they released "The Bridge" as a single, but it did not do much.
^There was no single released but 'The Bridge' was indeed the track chosen to promote it on radio etc. I think it was too musically bare to work in that capacity, although I certainly like the song. Maybe 'I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)' would have done better, but again, not obvious.
Elton could use another Rare Masters release starting where the other left off. One of my fav latter non album tracks is the instrumental Earn While You Learn. It's on the re-released of Too Low for Zero but he has many worthy non album tracks.
Last edited by Tangram; 02-16-2018 at 10:08 PM.
Agreed but as I said, the market has changed. The days of mass-marketed rarities collections, especially from an artist's later period, are over. They now bury that sort of stuff in 'deluxe' box sets.
The fact the subsequent batch of remasters didn't contain bonus tracks was very lazy. All the singles from these albums had non-album B sides.
'The Retreat' is another good extra on Too Low..., I think it actually dates from the late 70s and sounds like a Tumbleweed Connection outtake.
Last edited by JJ88; 02-17-2018 at 06:01 AM.
I'm now tempted to get the 2CD Here and There - price is dirt cheap. For years I have had the boot of the '73 Hammersmith show which is incredible. It's now available on the Goodbye Yellowbrick Road Super Deluxe but damn, that set is $40 and the second disc of the package is just covers by garbage artists.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
I bought the 2CD Here And There and it's essential IMO. I wouldn't touch that deluxe GYBR edition with a ten foot pole.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
*** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***
The crazy thing with Elton John cds is that there are so many versions out there. I just realized I have the original Captain Fantastic cd, a CF SACD with a few bonus tracks (sounds spectacular), a CF "Classic Years" reissue with some bonus tracks, and the Deluxe 2 CD CF which has a whole 2nd disc of a live show from that tour. Hard to keep track of all of it.
Last edited by DocProgger; 02-17-2018 at 01:17 PM.
See what I mean about these 'deluxe' sets? And yes, like that recent Rush one, I can't work out why they felt the world needed the likes of Ed Sheeran (the stadium-filling busker) and Emeli Sande (Adele fill-in) doing Elton's great songs.
The 1973 Hammersmith show was broadcast by the BBC at the time, with the late, great Brian Matthew introducing. There was another similar show the following year, simultaneously broadcast on TV for the Old Grey Whistle Test. I gather Gary Glitter turns up on that one, so it won't be released in full!
I played Sleeping With The Past earlier and that's another strong album, albeit the 80s production has dated considerably. 'Blue Avenue' is a forgotten gem on here- very effective closing track.
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