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Elton John

post #1 of 12
6/15/08 at 3:50pm
Thread Starter 
I don't post in the music forum, basically because I have pretty shitty taste in music. Mostly I love classical, which doesn't engender much discussion, but my rock/pop tastes are heavily '70s influenced, which pretty much dates me as the fossil I am.

But dammit, I love Elton John.

I lost my virginity to Elton (not literally, mind you) -- specifically Madman Across the Water when I ws fourteen, and I've loved his stuff ever since. Watching this MTV HD special on him this afternoon spurred me to post here. I think he's an artist who's often too easily dismissed, as are many of his peers from the '70s.

Yeah, nostagia sux, etc. etc., but still. Elton kicks ass.
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post #2 of 12
6/15/08 at 4:35pm
Probably one of the five greatest pop songwriters of all time. His work in the seventies was just phenomenal. Those of us who actually existed in that decade will remember his near-complete domination of the popular music landscape. I'd say that of the acts who were big at the time, he's come out way ahead in terms of legacy.
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post #3 of 12
6/15/08 at 4:42pm
I love his Live in Australia album. Really want that concert on DVD.
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post #4 of 12
6/16/08 at 1:15am
Count me in, I love me some Elton. I don't know what the general consensus is towards the song but in my eyes "Step Into Christmas" is maybe the best Christmas song ever.
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post #5 of 12
6/16/08 at 8:55am
I've been listening to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" a lot lately, so I totally agree. He's made a lot of stunning tracks.
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post #6 of 12
6/16/08 at 9:41am
The fact that he can't do Goodbye Yellow Brick Road live anymore (because of the nodes he had surgically removed) makes me sad, that song is incredible*. Elton's musical sensibilities, piano playing, and performing are all top notch, but the thread is remiss so far in not also recognizing Bernie Taupin. Without Bernie, Elton would be a whole lot of piano playing and humming (though it would still sound pretty excellent).

*Whenever I think of the song, I think of him doing it on The Muppet Show
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post #7 of 12
6/16/08 at 10:15am
His work with Taupin was brilliance, they created worlds through their songs. Albums like Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water are both epic and the same time, quite intimate. His album Songs on the west coast has the same feel, 'This train don't stop here anymore' is a beautiful song.

On the remastered Tumbleweed CD I bought awhile ago, there's an original version of Madman Across the Water with Mick Ronson on guitar, man, did he tear it up on the song.
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post #8 of 12
6/16/08 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Miller View Post
Without Bernie, Elton would be a whole lot of piano playing and humming (though it would still sound pretty excellent).
Or worse - it would sound like the stuff he did for Disney.

I love the 70s albums, of course, but it always strikes me that a lot of his 80s and early 90s hits hold up so much better than other songs of the same era. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues," "Sacrifice," "The One," all that stuff. I've never listened to the albums of that period, but he and Taupin can craft a hit song that actually has lasting appeal.

I can't attest to this, since I haven't heard a lot of the albums leading up to it, but most consider Songs from the West Coast a return to form. It's an excellent album; I'm not sure why I never checked out the two after it to see if he managed to keep the career renaissance going.
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post #9 of 12
6/16/08 at 11:24am
Elton John is one of my all-time favorite albums. Just a stunning collection of songs, and the orchestrations are brilliant. I totally agree with giving special mention to Taupin, but I think Paul Buckmaster deserves some love as well. His string arrangements were so complex and fluid, aggressive without overwhelming the songs (look at something like "Sixty Years On").

I don't necessarily dislike his later output, but his albums from Empty Sky up until Blue Moves were and remain a cut above.
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post #10 of 12
6/17/08 at 1:34pm
I watched the VH1 documentary, too, and was disappointed (if not at all surprised) at the short shrift that the actual music received. It took them about 12 minutes to go from the beginning of the John/Taupin partnership to the late 70s.
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post #11 of 12
6/17/08 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
I love the 70s albums, of course, but it always strikes me that a lot of his 80s and early 90s hits hold up so much better than other songs of the same era. "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues," "Sacrifice," "The One," all that stuff. I've never listened to the albums of that period, but he and Taupin can craft a hit song that actually has lasting appeal.
Totally agree about the 80s hits. I defy anyone not to tap their feet while listening to "I'm Still Standing". And "Empty Garden" never fails to make me sad.
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post #12 of 12
6/17/08 at 8:47pm
Madman Across The Water is my favorite
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