Elton John - Is There Anyone More Inconsistant?

[Jerjo]

Up through Browndirt it's a pretty good run. After that, the drug rot set in and he was all over the place. "Empty Garden" still gives me chills but there's a lot of ups and downs in the 80s, 90s, 00s.

I've never seen him live but I downloaded an incredible show of his show at Hammersmith Odeon in 1973. It was recorded by the BBC so the sound is stellar. Opens with "Funeral/Love Lies.." and ends with a 8 minute "Saturday Night's Alright..". The band and Elton are on fire. Find it, download it, and play the hell out of it.

The production of his 70s albums ought to be the envy of Yes and Genesis, clear and crisp with a full range of dynamics.

[SteveSly]

I got the 80s albums dirt cheap over the years. Lots of good stuff on them, but some are hobbled by the production values of the time- all those horrible keyboard sounds, most fans prefer him on the piano, IMHO.
He did redress the balance with much of 'Songs From The West Coast'.

The first time I saw him in 1988 (I think), he played electronic keyboards the whole show which was disapointing. Today he plays everything on Grand Piano.

"Songs From The West Coast" was a really strong comeback and probably his best album of the previous 20 years.

Steve Sly

[Progatron]

'Empty Garden' I can barely listen to as it's such a moving song.

Beautiful song.

[spacefreak]

No love for "Honky Château"???

[JJ88]

The first time I saw him in 1988 (I think), he played electronic keyboards the whole show which was disapointing. Today he plays everything on Grand Piano.

"Songs From The West Coast" was a really strong comeback and probably his best album of the previous 20 years.

Steve Sly

That was the 80s for you. I really find that decade an aesthetic nightmare when it comes to music, some horrible sound choices.

'Songs From The West Coast' is something of a revelation. I could live without the more overproduced Adult Contemporary tracks on there- 'Dark Diamond' and 'Love Her Like Me', from memory- but IMHO, 'I Want Love', 'American Triangle' and 'This Train...' are truly as strong as anything he's done ever. Including his 70s work.

[Rufus]

Is there anyone more inconsistent? Sure. Uriah Heep.

Genesis more so!

[SteveSly]

No love for "Honky Château"???

Here is a review I wrote back in 2008:

"By the time Elton released "Honky Chateau" in 1972 he and co songwriter Bernie Taupin had several albums under their belts and had become a cohesive team. This album would go straight to the top of the charts with its huge hit singles "Honkey Cat", "Rocket Man", and the AOR favorite "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters". Elton tried a little bit of everything on this album and for the most part it all worked. This would also be the first album to feature the backing band of Olsen, Murray, and Johnstone who would stay with Elton off and on through the rest of his career. Violist Jon Luc Ponty also is on hand prior to the launching of his own instrumental solo career. This album is somewhat inconsistent and leaned towards a generally more commercial sound. Songs like "Mellow", "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself", and "Slave" only half work, but overall this is a good Elton John record and his first of many to go to number one on the charts."

I still feel pretty much the same about it the album today. A very good, but not great Elton album.

Steve Sly

[GuitarGeek]

The first time I ever saw or heard of Elton John was when he appeared on The Muppet Show. I might not be a "kid" anymore, but I'm still young enough for that to be true. I remember the opening number was him doing Crocodile Rock, performing in a swamp, with muppet crocodiles singing backup vocals. Then at the end of the song he stands up from the piano and falls into the swamp. Cut to backstage, and Kermit is chastising the crocodiles..."NEVER eat the guest star at the BEGINNING of the show".

But that's not why you asked me here.

I'm not that familiar with Elton's music. I do know that Madman Across The River is a great album (thank you Tasia for hipping me to it), and I've heard a few songs here and there from the other records that I liked. Bad Side Of The Moon is a good song, which I first heard on one of the Toe Fat albums. I was reallly impressed with Funeral For A Friend the first time I heard it, but somehow it doesn't grab me much anymore.

Elton's Song is another one I really liked a lot, good song, with a very striking video for the time it was made.

Then you've got utter crap like Wrap Her Up. Yeah, that's what need: Elton John and George Michael singing about women. As if either of them would know the first thing about "sexy" women. Well, I think at the time they were both still trying to pass themselves off as straight (or at least in Elton's case, he was still trying to pass himself off as bisexual), but even still...

And the inconsistency extends to Taupin's work outside of Elton. We're talking about the guy who co-wrote These Dreams, which was a beautiful song, big hit single for Heart, as well as around the same time participating in the We Built This City debacle. Oy!

[cavgator]

I have all of Elton's stuff from Empty Sky through Blue Moves (Your Starters For and Tonight are extraordinary). After his hiatus, however, he seemed to have lost his magic. Cannot put my finger on why.

One thing that has baffled me about Bernie Taupin, however, were his lyrics. When he wrote about American themes, it seems as though he got his ideas from the BBC. I never recognized my country from his lyrics. And frankly, I thought the lyrics to Rocket Man ("...and all this science, I don't understand; it's just a job five days a week...") were inane, unless there was some symbolism behind it to which I was not privvy to. According to Wiki, it was based on a Ray Bradbury short story about the astronaut no longer being deemed a hero by the public, but just another working stiff. This was 2-3 years after we landed a man on the moon and the Apollo 13 disaster? Back then, astronauts were still considered heroes by at least the American public. Perhaps the author of Farenheit 451 was projecting the future, as many other science fiction writers did...

But hey, it still has more substance than "Mountains come out of the sky, and stand there..."

[SteveSly]

One thing that has baffled me about Bernie Taupin, however, were his lyrics. When he wrote about American themes, it seems as though he got his ideas from the BBC. I never recognized my country from his lyrics. And frankly, I thought the lyrics to Rocket Man ("...and all this science, I don't understand; it's just a job five days a week...") were inane, unless there was some symbolism behind it to which I was not privvy to. According to Wiki, it was based on a Ray Bradbury short story about the astronaut no longer being deemed a hero by the public, but just another working stiff. This was 2-3 years after we landed a man on the moon and the Apollo 13 disaster? Back then, astronauts were still considered heroes by at least the American public. Perhaps the author of Farenheit 451 was projecting the future, as many other science fiction writers did...

But hey, it still has more substance than "Mountains come out of the sky, and stand there..."

Interesting…….to me Taupin’s “It’s just my job 5 days a week” is one of his best lines ever. The song depicts a future where being a Rocket pilot is the equivalent to being a bus or truck driver. Technology has allowed the pilot to become just another working stiff punching a clock for a living. It is kind of the point of the whole song. The lyrics do not take place in the time it was written, but far into the future.

Steve Sly

[cavgator]

Interesting…….to me Taupin’s “It’s just my job 5 days a week” is one of his best lines ever. The song depicts a future where being a Rocket pilot is the equivalent to being a bus or truck driver. Technology has allowed the pilot to become just another working stiff punching a clock for a living. It is kind of the point of the whole song. The lyrics do not take place in the time it was written, but far into the future.

Steve Sly

As I said, he was influenced by Bradbury's short story, which wasn't disclosed at the time. For now, astronauts are pretty much awash in science, engineering, mathematics and technology. For someone to say, "All the science, I don't understand" seemed ridiculous at the time it came out. Indeed, it is ridiculous today.

[SteveSly]

As I said, he was influenced by Bradbury's short story, which wasn't disclosed at the time. For now, astronauts are pretty much awash in science, engineering, mathematics and technology. For someone to say, "All the science, I don't understand" seemed ridiculous at the time it came out. Indeed, it is ridiculous today.

My interpretation right from the beginning, when the album came out, was that it took place far into the future when being a rocket pilot job had become just an “operator” who did not necessarily understand the science behind what he was operating. Like I said before, to me that has always been the central theme of the whole song. Not so different from people today who work in high tech manufacturing plants (I work in one). They may operate technically advanced equipment, but not necessarily have education / background on “how” it all works. Anyway, it is always interesting how people can interpret lyrics differently. I don’t remember this particular Ray Bradbury short story, but I probably read it at some point as I was really into Bradbury back in the day, so maybe that is where I got my interpretation from.

Steve Sly

[ronmac]

My interpretation right from the beginning, when the album came out, was that it took place far into the future when being a rocket pilot job had become just an “operator” who did not necessarily understand the science behind what he was operating. Like I said before, to me that has always been the central theme of the whole song. Not so different from people today who work in high tech manufacturing plants (I work in one). They may operate technically advanced equipment, but not necessarily have education / background on “how” it all works. Anyway, it is always interesting how people can interpret lyrics differently. I don’t remember this particular Ray Bradbury short story, but I probably read it at some point as I was really into Bradbury back in the day, so maybe that is where I got my interpretation from.

Steve Sly

Yep, I see it the same way. Almost like one of those monkeys they used to shoot off into space.

Sounds like a Saturday morning kids' show:

"Major Tom, Space Monkey"

Kinda like a future version of Lancelot Link.

[Trane]

To be honest, EJ is too inconsistant for my tastes... Too few songs I like per album (not that I dislike the others, but I just don't care for them)...
I've only ever owned two vinyls (Yellow Brick and Madman).... I had a buddy that had most of Elton's 70's album, and I could (and did) borrow them at will... I once made a compilation cassette from the albums I didn't have, but it was a rare exception, when I didn't use an XL-IIS tape.... and guess what: the tape got irrecupareably deaten up by a car deck on the third or fourth play.

Never was interested in making a CD-r compilation since I bought a Hi-Fi burner.

[cavgator]

But my best of Elton John and Bernie Taupin are songs that will live forever in my consciousness. If I had to make a desert island CD of his, I would put on it:

1. Skyline Pigeon
2. Your Song
3. Sixty Years On
4. The Greatest Discovery
5. Love Song
6. Burn Down The Mission
7. Friends
8. Madman Across The Water
9. Daniel
10. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
11. This Song Has No Title
12. Grey Seal
13. Harmony
14. Tickinig
15. Your Starters For/Tonight

[SteveSly]

But my best of Elton John and Bernie Taupin are songs that will live forever in my consciousness. If I had to make a desert island CD of his, I would put on it:

1. Skyline Pigeon
2. Your Song
3. Sixty Years On
4. The Greatest Discovery
5. Love Song
6. Burn Down The Mission
7. Friends
8. Madman Across The Water
9. Daniel
10. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
11. This Song Has No Title
12. Grey Seal
13. Harmony
14. Tickinig
15. Your Starters For/Tonight

Great list. "Ticking" is one of his all-time greatest compositions IMO, but is often overlooked and I think he only rarley played it live.

Steve Sly

[Progatron]

"Ticking" is one of his all-time greatest compositions IMO, but is often overlooked and I think he only rarley played it live.

Great tune, not in my top 20 but always liked it. As for "Skyline Pigeon", another beauty... I'll always love the Empty Sky album, especially the title track.

[WHORG]

One of my favorite artists for decades now.

My friend from high school (3.5 years older than myself) turned me onto EJ in 1970 after seeing him at Boston Tea Party (Lansdowne).

http://www.theamericanrevolution.fm/...67---1970.html

Fuck me - check out the gig history of that place - - - damn - - - absolutely incredible.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Great list. "Ticking" is one of his all-time greatest compositions IMO, but is often overlooked and I think he only rarley played it live.

Steve Sly

He played it on the "Back in the USSA" tour, the one with just him and Ray Cooper.

[highaltitude]

Well,
Elton John Golden Years were the 70'ies,
I love their music and I have all their records, starting by Empty Sky to Blue Moves, ok....Fantastic Music...
Then after evolution of music, going along new inimaginable directions, have made the EJ music a one more part of the past in Musical History terms,
A wonderful innovating and unique music perhaps, nevertheless and sadly part of ihstory today. That's life too.

And this is not only him.
Many, too many probably, have suffer this same perception among auditors,
This is also when musicians cant arrive to surf on the musical ocean we live today,
always suprisingly and turbulent, they sink and sadly desappear.....

Of course there are a lot of artists like this, but I’ve been on a bit of an Elton John kick lately, and find him to be one of the most inconsistent artists in my music collection. In my opinion the guy has done brilliant albums such as “Madman Across The Water”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy”, and even more recent stuff like “Songs From The West Coast” and his 2010 album with Leon Russell “The Union” are very good. He also has a lot of what I consider good, but not great, albums that feature classic stuff along with a significant amount of filler. For me albums that fit this category would be “Tumbleweed Connection”, “Caribou”, “Rock Of the Westies”, “Blue Moves”, “Don’t Shoot Me”, “The Captain And The Kid”, “Peachtree Road”, “Two Low For Zero”, “Reg Strikes Back” and others. Then he has put out albums of almost pure crap including the majority of what he released in the 80’s and 90’s. I don’t have everything he has done, so there may be a few gems I have missed, and I do think he has been on a nice creative comeback in the last decade or so, but his career just seems to have been all over the place. Anyway, since I have been listening to a lot of his albums lately thought I would throw it out there for discussion if anyone cares to comment.

BTW has anyone heard his most recent album “The Diving Board” and is it worth checking into?

Steve Sly

[highaltitude]

Is there anyone more inconsistent? Sure. Uriah Heep.

You look like Uriah Heep...lol

[Rufus]

No doubt he has a cannon of great songs but can't stand the prima donna person he is!

[highaltitude]

It was when the Elton John/Bernie Taupin partnership was finish in 76,
When Elton John In November 1977 announced he was retiring from performing
and Bernie Taupin began collaborating with others ...

By that point, the magical spell were not anymore, until now even
One more time, that's life, ok..

Of course there are a lot of artists like this, but I’ve been on a bit of an Elton John kick lately, and find him to be one of the most inconsistent artists in my music collection. In my opinion the guy has done brilliant albums such as “Madman Across The Water”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy”, and even more recent stuff like “Songs From The West Coast” and his 2010 album with Leon Russell “The Union” are very good. He also has a lot of what I consider good, but not great, albums that feature classic stuff along with a significant amount of filler. For me albums that fit this category would be “Tumbleweed Connection”, “Caribou”, “Rock Of the Westies”, “Blue Moves”, “Don’t Shoot Me”, “The Captain And The Kid”, “Peachtree Road”, “Two Low For Zero”, “Reg Strikes Back” and others. Then he has put out albums of almost pure crap including the majority of what he released in the 80’s and 90’s. I don’t have everything he has done, so there may be a few gems I have missed, and I do think he has been on a nice creative comeback in the last decade or so, but his career just seems to have been all over the place. Anyway, since I have been listening to a lot of his albums lately thought I would throw it out there for discussion if anyone cares to comment.

BTW has anyone heard his most recent album “The Diving Board” and is it worth checking into?

Steve Sly

[SteveSly]

He played it on the "Back in the USSA" tour, the one with just him and Ray Cooper.

I have seen a youtube video from that tour of the song with just him and Ray and it is really good. Did he ever do it with a full band? If so I have never seen / heard it.

Steve Sly

[SteveSly]

[COLOR="#008080"]Well,
Elton John Golden Years were the 70'ies,
I love their music and I have all their records, starting by Empty Sky to Blue Moves, ok....Fantastic Music...
Then after evolution of music, going along new inimaginable directions, have made the EJ music a one more part of the past in Musical History terms,
A wonderful innovating and unique music perhaps, nevertheless and sadly part of ihstory today. That's life too.

Although I would agree that his best years were the 70's, I would argue that some of his more recent albums, especially "Songs From The West Coast", rank right up there with his best. As I mentioned earlier I thought "The Union" with Leon Russell was a very strong album as was "The Captain And The Kid" from a few years ago. All of them were written with Taupin.

Steve Sly