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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
1973
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!to get really into the right frame of mind for this i selotaped some fruit to my glasses and some books to my shoes. did some massive air piano. that amzing vibe i'd built up took a nosedive once it hit the prince phillip reggae song and then i pretty much lost interest then as the pony kept repeating its trick for what seemed like a lifetime. i bet drama kids love this album, loads of excuses for jazz hands and cheeky side glances.
I know the first two songs (fucking amazing) and a few other tracks as well. If the rest of the album is as good as those this is heading for a 5. Ok, and it is! This is going in my regular listening, what an album. I knew Elton could write a song, but this is way better than expected. 5/5.
I was already familiar with some tracks from this album but it was my first time actually hearing it and I can see why It's considered Elton John's magnum opus.
Excellent. Classics that I have heard before just get better whilst the ones 'new' to me where all killers. The opening track "funeral for a friend/love lies bleeding" started this masterpiece off and it never took its foot off the pedal. Brilliant
Awwwww yeeeeah. I like 1970s Elton John in general, but this one is his masterpiece. It's a sprawling, baroque romp through rock n roll nostalgia and piano pop that still sounds fresh. The songwriting is great, and Elton is on top form. The sequencing of the tracks starts off well, pulling the album into a coherent whole. "Jamaica Jerk-off" is pretty stupid, and "Roy Rogers" is a weak point. But I don't even care. B-b-b-benny and the motherfucking jets.
One of the greatest singer-songwriters ever with what is probably his best album. It's a powerhouse album that touches on so many different genres that it's dizzying. It feels like every song is Elton banging out a wonderfully alive hit with whichever genre he decided felt compelling. His voice is incredible of course, the band is filled with precise, talented musicians and again, the variety of production here immaculately tied together makes the album continually replay-able. A masterpiece no doubt.
Elton starts out strong with this album, and I mean really strong: he's in his own league and it shows. It drops off a little after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but it's still good songs overall. There are a few particular weak points on this album (Jamaica Jerk-Off) but otherwise I enjoy Elton John's works. Even here, though, the album is overly long and could have benefited from cutting down on a few of the songs.
First time listening through this one. Usually not a huge Elton John album fan, though I love listening to his hits. This one has some great deep tracks between the hits that make for a very good listening experience. Would love it on vinyl.
Bloody love this album. Should lose a star for Jamaica Jerkoff, but Bennie & The Jets more than makes up for it
What's not to love? Great span of tunes, tempos and moods. Phenomenal instrumental performances. This and Madman... are all the 70s Elton you need.
Masterpiece album, Elton in peak form. This is the album I would recommend to anyone who wants to get into Elton John beyond the hits. Yes the hits are there, but with deep tracks that will make you a fan forever. Fave songs: Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I've Seen That Movie Too, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Wasn't a fan of Elton, until I heard this album. Oh my god. He mixes rock and folk and country so well. Defiently need to give this another listen, as all these tracks are well polished while transitioning seemingly perfect to one another.
Any record that starts out with a track like Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding is going to have to have every other track be pretty terrible for me to give it anything less than 4 starts. The rest of the record is pretty amazing as well. 5 Stars it is. Grey Seal has always been a deep cut that I love to hear. I really paid attention to it first way back when I got the Elton John box set. (remember those?) All the Girls Love Alice and Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting? No wonder Goodbye is such a well loved record. Yes, I skipped Candle in the Wind. I have always loved this song. But, I have to admit that once it moved from a Marylin Monroe song to Princess Di, it lost a bit of luster for me. I understand how well it fit the time, but, it's Marylin's song. Lady Di deserved her own.
With all the toing and froing about double albums and whether or not they're a let down, this one is solid throughout and I have no complaints about filler. It has four hits (five if you count Harmony) which is more than the normal number of hits for a double album and the hits are all top shelf. This album is a 5. With that out of the way, I'll now turn to my usual rambling. There are many more songs that were not singles but very good nonetheless. The 11+ min Funeral for a Friend is an excellent kick off and sets the stage for the quality of the other songs on this album that weren't singles. There is also some creative dabbling like Jamaican Jerk-Off which sounds like music from the island. It has some Reggae / Island music accents but isn't Reggae. Likewise Roy Rogers has a country twang to it but I wouldn't call it a country song. It just has a creatively done country accent. This album also has a number of really good rockers such as All The Girls Love Alice which ends Side 3 and Your Sister Can't Twist which starts Side 4. The best rocker on the album is Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting. It would have been the best song to describe Saturday nights at bars in my hometown of Sudbury were it not for Stompin Tom's Sudbury Saturday Night. There are a couple of songs about gay and lesbian relationships on this album and this was released long before Elton "came out". The song about a gay relationship is Goodby Yellow Brick Road. Surprised? I was. This song has been played on the radio forever and I've always liked it but never really understood the lyrics. A few months ago I decided I wanted to play the song on acoustic guitar so I focused on learning the lyrics and found out the song is about a relationship between a wealthy man and a younger man who no longer wants to be his "boy toy". The other song, which is obvious from its title (and confirmed by its lyrics), is All The Girls Love Alice. In 1973 I wouldn't have figured this out. I was a big Alice Cooper fan back then and the apeth 12 year old version of me would have thought it was about his groupies. I wonder if that song had anything to do with the name of the Toronto bar called Slack Alice which was quite popular with lesbians back in the day. This album is the gold standard for double LPs.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John (1973) At the :57 mark of the symphonic opening track (“Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”), the serious listener in 1973 would have known right away this was something special. And I’m not sure if it was David Hentschel’s waxing and waning ARP synthesizer, the haunting lament of Davey Johnstone’s guitar, the all-too-familiar right-hand-heavy piano chording of Elton John, or the (uncredited) castanets at 3:44, but by moment of the triumphant tonic at 5:08, that same listener would have discerned that this album was a game changer. I speak from experience, and I am not alone. This extraordinary musical smorgasbord contains ballads revealing the dark side of fame (“Candle In the Wind”, “The Ballad of Danny Bailey”), cautionary tales for lusty metrosexuals and their suppliers (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Sweet Painted Lady”, “All the Girls Love Alice”), contemplative reflections on personal responses to entertainment media (“I’ve Seen That Movie Too”, “Roy Rogers”), and ironic paeans to the underclass (“Dirty Little Girl”, “Social Disease”). These are songs that undoubtedly changed lives, however imperceptibly, for the better. Bernie Taupin is probably the greatest pop lyricist of all time. He treats extraordinarily interesting themes and characters with a cinematic imagination—bringing enough light to force the listener to celebrate, lament, enthuse, wallow, and boast right along with the creatures of his contrivance. Master of the metaphor, he provides a ready and unifying connection to the inner meanings of a bewildering array of cultural phenomena. But these wonderful lyrics would go nowhere as songs without the supremely gifted musicality of Elton John. His musical sense employs melody and chord progressions that actually take the listener toward a goal. He provides meter to some decidedly un-metrical phrases, as if that were the plan all along. His arrangements and production choices are Elysian. And the contributions of bassist Dee Murray (“Grey Seal”) and drummer Nigel Olson (everywhere) are both essential and hugely creative. Together, they make a grooving success of the two pure rock (and wonderfully back-to-back) tracks “Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock and Roll)” and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”. Davey Johnstone’s guitar compositions and performances superbly executed and remarkably versatile. I’m sure he didn’t grow up playing banjo, but just listen to “Social Disease”. Now Elton John displays little virtuosity on piano. He plays mostly chords and standard flourishes with the right hand, and the left hand generally just keeps a steady beat and harmonic grounding. But with his voice providing deft stylings (in both pitch and diction) on colorful melodies, the combined effect is mesmerizing, even if it does require the added arrangements, effects, and backing vocals that we consistently hear on this recording. Double albums are tricky. Sometimes they are released as a double because there’s slightly too much material for one LP, but have added tracks (of lesser quality) to fill them out. Not so here. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has no filler. Plus, this is the kind of album that provides true favorites that are not among the more ‘popular’ songs—my personal ones are “Grey Seal” and the wonderful closing track “Harmony”, a song the ending of which is fully deserving of its title. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road provided a sorely needed contribution to Anglo-American culture in 1973. Still does. Always will. 5/5
10/10. I'm calling this a 10 for now, but it is very close to being a 9 on account of it being real long with a weaker back half. Even still, this album had a lot of great songs filled in by a lot of good songs, and I enjoyed listening to the whole thing.
How much coke do you have to be doing to decide to open your double album with an 11 minute long prog rock song? This much. A huge mix of styles are across this album from Prog, to ballads, to rock n roll and he nails every one. Even the over played songs still sound good. Just great. Best Tracks: Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; Bennie and the Jets; Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
Elton and Bernie at their best! Side one is especially good with such a variety of moods that it could stand on its own even if the over three sides were crap. They aren't though. The rest of the album flows amazingly well for a double album with the non-single tracks all having some good hooks in them to keep a listener's attention throughout. Songs like All the Girls Love Alice and Harmony could have been hits themselves if they were put out as singles.
Some of the most solid songwriting ever displayed, an even more excellently executed (just ignore Jamaican Jerk-off lol)
Oh Reggie Dwight you old dog. What a treat this is! From the haunting Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to the frenzy of Saturday Night's Alright, just hit after hit. Look at those platform shoes! You'll snap your bleeding ankle, you daft apeth. By all means say your goodbyes, but be careful on those bricks, you silly sausage.
Irrepressibly tuneful and seriously silly, but why didn’t anyone tell me it’s so outrageously slow? Elton’s sure got some sand to make quote-unquote rock ‘n’ roll that takes so long to get dressed. But like a model stalking down the catwalk, he knows he looks great doing it. So why rush? Don’t--that’s the answer. And neither you nor I have a better one. Now I think about it, slow seems to be part of camp. Queen, Meatloaf, Prince, Springsteen—they’re all at it (the one of them that isn’t dead, anyway). And Elton doesn’t even fill space with overwrought production. Most of this is just him, the ivories, and guitar-bass-drums. I say "just him" even though most of this sounds like it's played to an imaginary audience, which I suppose is a paradox because that should create intimacy. But it doesn't Sure, you’re at the show. But you’re in the wings, peeking out from behind the curtains, looking at Elton’s back while he performs to his own audience—and you ain’t part of it. For reasons I can't explain, I liked that. From-me-to-you earnestness was pretty rife in the 70’s, so maybe this as a refreshing alternative has something to do with it.
Even though I have one song that interesting to me on this one, but it sound really boring. Then I never listened it to the very end.
Ergh. I expected this is actually be alright, but it was absolutely fucking shit and really irritated me.
I really wanted to be one of those smug gits who says "actually its quite good" but it's fucking awful. Unrelentingly shite. I could go on, like this unremitting dross
overproduced too perfect, washes over don't like the instruments wtf jamaica jerk off too competent un-engaging background music, tepid, MOR, boring i do not like this at all
1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John. 17 tracks. I know there are some real belters on here, but there is also the dreaded "Candle in the wind" which I can't stand. Sat Nights Alright and Bennie & Jets are Elton at his best. Despite that, had to skip quite a few. 1/5.
From 1st to last Elton made a point of sharing his feelings and surprised us with his talent. He is the most amazing pianist with a voice to back up those keys. Favorite tracks: Funeral for a friend, Candle 🕯 in the Wind, Benny & the Jets and Harmony. But 🎧 to this album twice and your list will double. Well done Sir John, Good Knight! First 5 rating
Bennie! Bennie! Bennie! Quite a long album but it doesn’t really matter when it’s got this many classics on it. I know the album quite well and was prepared to give it a 4 but after listening last night it would feel wrong to give it anything less than a 5. A classic and probably Elton’s best.
Never really listened to Elton before although I’ve heard most of these songs and loved them
One of my all time favorites.... listening to this in my teenage years seemed like every song on this album was enjoyable including the bonus number one hits Yellowbrick Road, Benny and the Jets $ Saturday nights alright for fighting; then the tribute to Marilyn Monroe-Candle in the Wind.....Back then I bought double album and also double 8-tracks for listening in my 1970 Chevelle..... Awesome album !!!
Wow warum habe ich dieses tolle Album bisher noch nie durchgehört? Ein perfektes Popalbum, das fast 50 Jahre nach dem Erscheinen immer noch mitreißt und berührt. Fast jedes Lied ein Hit! Das Albumcover ist auch toll. Kommt definitiv in meine Playlist, Wiederentdeckung des Jahres!
In my top 20 all time. The sheer quality of tunes in a short period of time that John & Taupin produced is unparalleled. Rivalled only perhaps by the Beatles.
First time listening: 17/17 songs liked Yep. This album was lit. I didn't know that most of my elton discography came from this album alone! That intro song is insanely long but felt so cohesive and short. I think his melody writing with the poppy piano rhythm hits my heartstrings. 5 songs added.
This would have been one of the most insane single albums ever if it was edited down more. It's a really good double album and even the less memorable songs were good, but I can't give it a perfect score. 9/10
I know lots of Elton John singles but not by albums. This album reminded me how much I adore Elton's piano playing. Funeral for a Friend almost reminded me a bit of the earlier Genesis album (quasi-prog rock feel), including when put together with Love Lies Bleeding (now you have a sweeping rock song with twists, piano and synth, and guitars). The former is touching, the latter about as good as his other high-tempo hits. The first few notes of Yellow Brick Road give me chills - again, just something about his piano playing. I find it amazing how Bernie Taupin can write the lyrics to these songs and then Elton dreams up the music to go with it. Elton is an incredible composer and as a pair they are pretty amazing. I still have something against Bennie and the Jets (never liked it as much as others) but if that's his worst, that's pretty darn good. To be honest, the back half of the first album took a bit of a dip for me but it closed well with I've Seen that Movie Too. The second album really picked up steam about halfway through the Ballad of Danny Bailey - lots of higher tempo rock that sucks you in. From Dirty Little Girl through to Saturday Night's Alright is a great sequence. I also liked the different pacing in Roy Rogers and Harmony. Either album on its own is good but as a package it's gold.
We have an Elton John box set from 1990. I was surprised how many tracks are from this album, how many tracks I know so well. But then again, I shouldn't be; this is probably his best album, by far. So many of his other albums have great stuff on it too, though. Driving into work, there was at least two or three songs that had that 70s reverb and drum sound. You don't hear that on many albums and think that it doesn't sound dated. It fits in well with the music, and does NOT sound permanently lodged in the 70s. Not, almost FIFTY years later, we can listen to it and marvel in it. Perhaps if it was recorded now some of the songs would have a slightly different tinge or quality to it, but I doubt by much.
What a brilliant album and brilliant song writer. Just blows me away every time I hear the title track.
Elton sure dialed it up right now. Flawless execution, a perfect blend of prog with that incredible 11 minute opener and great tunes to hum along to.
This album was so fun front to back. Aside from the obvious singles, I went into this one blind. I don't know what I expected, but it had way more classic rock guitar licks to accompany Elton's fun piano playing than I anticipated. I can't say there's a skip on here. 5 stars all day. Don't be intimidated by the 1:16 runtime... I've listened to 30-minute albums on here that felt like they dragged on for hours. This really is the perfect Elton John album.
It doesn't need me saying it, does it, but Elton has a genius for writing songs that goes beyond mere pop-artistry. His truest expression of himself is in the arrangement of chords in a satisfying sequence - which is why it's never mattered that he doesn't tend to write his own lyrics. They're part of the whole, but the whole is the song. Each one is a journey in its own right - John taking you down the Yellow Brick Road, showing you the sights - a laser display here, a drag queen there, all musically, mind - before dropping you back home, safe and sound. You've had such a journey you don't really want to say goodbye.
I don't remember the huge extended musical intro to this album, though its got that early 70s grit. This album is so grand in vision scope and sound. It goes everywhere. Its incredible.
An extraordinarily enthralling pop rock record; possibly Elton John's best critically speaking. 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (album) utilizes the pure charisma and cheerful energy of John, which in tandem with an exquisitely produced and arranged album, sparks a masterpiece. From start to finish, the album is tremendously upbeat and is paced in such a way that it never loses touch of balancing pure musicality with showmanship all through sound.
A fantastic album from one of the best musical artists of all time. Elton John has made a ton of music over the years (31 studio albums according to Wikipedia), and while I haven't heard many of his albums all the way through, it is hard to imagine anything beating this one. His vocals, songwriting, and piano playing are all top notch here, and there's a certain energy to his earlier work that made him the legend we know today. This record features some of the his biggest and best hits (Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, GYBR, SNAFF), but I was most impressed with how diverse and memorable the tracks outside of these were. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding is a very interesting way to start off an album with its dark overtones in the first half shifting over to a more upbeat and light second half. This track is representative of the album as a whole as it constantly switches between slower/darker songs and fun/light ones. While this can be detrimental to some records, nothing stands out as being out of place here which is crazy impressive. Out of the songs I have never heard before, This Song Has No Title, Grey Seal, All the Girls Love Alice, and Social Disease stood out to me the most (the fact that I can remember so many of these songs after hearing them once is not something that happens very often on this list). The only negative thing I have to say is that it might be a *tad* too long at 1 hour and 15 minutes. While I thought this went by relatively fast, there are a couple of songs that could have been cut to make this an absolutely perfect album; however, this is still nearly perfect and an album I will definitely listen to again in the future. Truly iconic. 4.5/5.
I'd heard plenty of Elton John's hits, but I'd never actually listened through an entire record before. I feel like this album awoke something inside of me, I don't know how to describe it. But I'm certainly going to dive deeper into Elton's discography. Front to back I was genuinely jamming out and loving nearly every track, I never found that momentum was lost at any point. Great listen, will absolutely be revisiting this record.
this was a really cool album I was expecting it to drag considering how long it was but it really felt fresh and engaging the whole time no complaints, just a great album 10/10
The only bad thing about this album is its runtime, and even then I never felt like skipping or rushing through any of the songs. This is the quintessential and definitive Elton John. Legendary voice and piano playing, big songs, great production, dynamics, all really well done. I appreciate the American sounds incorporating with the country and bluegrass, as well progressive rock pieces. I had a bad perception of Elton’s legacy, this all changed it.
I listened to this a lot as a kid, but after leaving home and losing access to my older sister’s and parents’ record collections I let this slip away. When building my own music collection it seemed more efficient to focus on greatest hits collections and boxed sets for artists with a huge musical history given the limited funds of young adulthood. Today I realized how much I have deprived myself of for the last 35 years. In the last decade the embarrassment of riches provided by digital music has provided the perfect opportunity to correct that musical deprivation. But instead I adapted my musical shorthand: cherry-picking singles, shuffle playing songs and focusing on custom playlists. That too can be great but this project has reminded me that there is something special when you listen to a great album from beginning to end. The journey is often even more lovely than any particular song. No where is this more obvious to me than on GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. The singles I love on this album are all the more spectacular now that I’ve re-experienced them in their original context. I even feel a renewed sense of possibility and inspiration having been reunited with this masterpiece from one of the greatest artists of our time.
This has everything I could want from an Elton John album. Great pop singles that I've known forever and, even better, deeper cuts that are new to me and that range from sweet pop ballads to country-tinged character studies to rollicking rock and roll anthems. In addition to long-time favorites Saturday Night's Alright... and Yellow Brick Road, I absolutely love Love Lies Bleeding, This Song Has No Title, Sweet Painted Lady, The Ballad of Danny Bailey, Dirty Little Girl, All the Girls Love Alice, Social Disease, and this amped up version of Grey Seal. Albums like this are the reason Sir Elton is the holiest of holy prophets in my own personal church.
Oh yeah, you betcha, I love the music of Elton John. This is a great album with some beloved singles and a number of other great tracks...although there are a couple that I don't love.
I am so happy to hear so much more than I knew about Elton John at this time! I loved it!
Fantastic lyrics and a huge opener. Jam packed with familiar songs, and maybe the only issue being slight bloat.
- first track is an absolute banger, very long but it continuously changes up. style reminds me of david bowie in a good way - very upbeat and catchy, has a great vibe to it. i didn't know elton john is as popular as he is lol - this is one of those albums where every single song could be the lead single, deserves being in the list of the top 30-or-so selling albums of all time - wtf i am close to the end of the album and it just doesn't become bad. how is this even possible? i normally get bored getting into albums as long as this, but this one just stays consistently refreshing even at first listen. i would argue this is even better than ziggy stardust, gotta give it a 9 to 10 tbh - yup its probably a 9. not necessarily innovative but just genuinely perfect
Elton John’s masterpiece. You could argue there is a couple of duds on this album, Jamaica jerk of and Roy Rodgers specifically plus the album is a little on the long side. But these issues can easily be forgotten given how good the rest of the album is, the hits are brilliant and the other less well know. songs are also great. 5 stars.
A forgotten album that is defined by on mediocre song rather than the 16 other better ones. Not my preferred style but I'm happy to recognise it pretty good regardless. Original better than the remix
This is the BEST! Benny and the Jets may be my all time favorite Elton John song. What an entertainer this guy is.
STONE COLD CLASSIC Harmony is just a beautiful, perfect song. So much pop culture imagery and perhaps Elton's most diverse and interesting piece of work.
This is an obvious 5 stars!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Elton John. What an incredible song writer and performer. So interested about his life as well and everything he went through, I find him such an inspiration when I see a lot of what he's been through and yet he's found happiness and contentment. So an album full of his best tunes and telling the story of his life effectively is right up my street. What a winner.
Just a huge album stacked with huge songs. Were they all crushers? No. But the songs that do slap, slap hard enough to make up for the rest.
Antes de ponerle play al disco dudaba si iba a ser de cinco estrellas, pero la neta es que tan solo con contar las famosas basta para darle las 5. Obviamente está la que le da título, que es un rolón en muchos sentidos: letra, música, arreglos. Pero también está Benni & The Jets, Candle in the Wind, Saturday Night y Funeral for a Friend. Y las que no fueron tan famosas también son muy buenas y la mitad del mérito de este disco va a Bernie Taupin y sus letras. Si bien, lo único que me hizo dudar si bajarle a 4 es que al final es un disco largo (doble) y podrían quitarse dos o tres rolas, que no son malas, pero creo que podría ajustarse a 1 hora.
OK, I've never really seen why Elton John got as big as he did before, but this album really opened my eyes. It properly slaps. I'm not even going to deduct a star for "Candle in the Wind", despite having a certain amount of loathing for that tune due to working in a factory during the summer of '97 and being forced to listen to it at least once per hour every day for weeks on end... Fave track - "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" maybe - that's one hell of an album opener. The title track is amazing too, of course...
Absolutely mega album, an all time classic and quite solidly the best of Elton's career (Lion King soundtrack not included)
Whoever this Elton guy is he knows how to write a tune. This is a powerhouse of an album, filled with bangers, charisma, and the best song the muppets have ever bopped to. He has such a fun swagger that even the slow songs are great. My only criticism is that it starts to repeat itself towards the end a bit, but overall I loved this album.
Very beautiful, heartbreaking songs, side by side with energetic, fun songs. Closer to a 4.5 (jamaica jerk-off kinda sucks though)
An album from Elton’s golden period. Good listen with big hit singles. Definitely warrants a listen and deservedly included in the 1001.
Mere festligt end man skulle tro. Lidt ballader udover Candle in the wind, men ellers primært godt popmusik. Lidt langt og lidt for meget fyld
Banger. Solid 4. Never listened to an Elton John album. Knew some songs on it, there were some other good ones. Ran long, 17 tracks. Like an hour and then some. Towards the end I was a lil tired of it, but I get why he's super famous, writes good music
Thought I knew this album pretty well already, but looking over the track list there are a number of songs I’ve never heard before. Checking it out now. Really great. Parts are a bit samey.
Great Album, hopeful and anti-anxiety. Great as an album to listen while working alone at home in 2021.
Sir Elton! Never listened to a full album, but of course I know the hits, several of which are indeed on this album. Dad's a big fan, I'm sure he's enjoying getting this on the list. This is a very strong album, some great variety of sounds and songwriting. I was caught off guard by the reggae/ska track, and then laughed out loud when I saw it was called "Jamaican Jerk-Off." What a cheeky bastard. It loses steam on the back half, and maybe a little too long overall, but still a great album. Somehow I leave this album with the opening lyrics of "Tiny Dancer" stuck in my head, and that's not even on here. Favorite tracks: Saturday Night's Alright, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bennie and the Jets, Funeral for a Friend. Album art: I like this one, cool art style. Elton John definitely not hiding who he is, you love to see it. 4/5
At first I was a bit reluctant but, man, is this album a classic or what? Brilliant songwriting!
I didn't listen too much to Elton John's songs because I identify his songs as something for Sir and classy people, but this album absolutely changes my mind. I didn't love every song, but almost all songs sound very good to me. I'm able to identify much classic rock in these songs and I like it!
Our dad is a huge fan of Elton and we have grown up with him around in some capacity but I don't think I've ever sat down to listen to an album all the way through (unless it was when I was little). This is a really fun album, the kind of thing that you play pool side or during a cook out. Elton always knew how to have a good time and translate that into his music. Favs were Saturday's Alright for Fighting and Bennie and the Jets. Classic album cover as well.
s éxitos del álbum ("Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" y "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting")
Great album that loses a star for the running time as I was waiting for it to finish by the end.
After his first three albums with arranger Paul Buckmaster (self-titled, Honky Tonk Chateau, and Madman Across the Water), Elton John had nothing left to prove, artistically speaking. But Elton wasn't satisfied, setting his sights for superstardom, starting with Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was Elton's swing for the fences attempt, and damned if he didn't succeed. Elton streamlined his style, jettisoning the cinematic orchestrations of Paul Buckmaster, de-emphasing roots music, and simplifying the structure of his tunes somewhat, all to great effect, commercially. Ironically, far and away the best song on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the eponymous cut, with it's complex, winding structure and soaring multipart choruses. For a change, Bennie Maupin's lyrics measure up to the music. Such is the magic of this collaboration is that these two men somehow managed to get most of America to emphasize with a gay protagonist who engages in survival sex in the big city, passed around among friends by a rich benefactor, in 1973 no less! And there are more treasures. Candle in the Wind, which has become identified with Princess Diana, but which was actually written about Marilynn Monroe, is as tuneful and emotional a ballad as you could want. Bennie and the Jets, aside from being laden with hooks, has some ingenious instrumental interplay in the fade out. Sweet Painted Lady is uncommonly rueful and adult for a pop song. And, while I don't personally much enjoy Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, it's a wonder of pop construction. Most of it is fairly straightforward rock 'n roll, but the long sustained note before the chorus and the wordless vocalizing that ends the chorus are pure genius. The first delays and sets up the chorus so when it hits, it's ten times as powerful as it might have been. The latter skillfully demarcates the choruses the verses. Unfortunately, on the rest of the album, there is more perspiration than inspiration, more workmanship than passion. The bridge and verses on Gray Seal are clumsy and forced, as is the chorus on This Song Has No Title, and I could enumerate many other examples. The thing is, such is the consummate craftsmanship of Elton John that these moments pass by painlessly, even pleasantly. It is tempting to give Goodbye Yellow Brick Road a full five stars on the basis of a handful of superb songs and overall stellar craftsmanship, but I can't. There are just too many songs that just aren't all that good. But I'll err on the side of generosity, as usual.
And to think this guy would get the chance to back up Years and Years at the Brits in 2021. A brilliant album with some absolute classics and rarely a missed step
Erst wollte ich 5 Sterne geben, aber dann wurden mir die Lieder doch zu ähnlich. Es kommen bestimmt noch bessere Alben von Elton dran.
So macht man gute Popmusik! Ich liebe es, wie abweichungsreich die Stücke sind - schon allein das erste. Popt, rockt, grooved, funked daher das Album - gerne immer wieder.
Ein tolles uns vielseitiges Album! Viel mehr als nur Klavier! Candle ins the Wind hammer Lied!
Such a great album. Had not heard some of those since the 80's. Elton and Bernie were just starting to peak and the songs were powerful. Will listen again
A lot of hits. B-sides is great too. Very blues heavy. Love "All Girls Love Alice" and "Funeral for a Friend".
This guy fucks. // Favs: Funeral For A Friend / Candle In The Wind (?) / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road / I've Seen That Movie Too / Your Sister Can't Twist Score: Strong 4
Piano-centric pop consistently does it for me. Several memorable songs I would enjoy hearing again
Classic. It does drag a bit and feels a bit bloated, but when it’s good, it’s truly great.
Pretty excellent all together. As a double album some tracks tend to drag, but theirs a lot of heat on here from big hits like Benny &the jets and Saturday Night-to lesser stuff like Jamaican Jerk Off which still slaps. Easily can be considered Elton Johns magnum opus
Lots of great tracks. Some bad ones too. Album is coherent and follows a piano-centered rock album which isn't something I typically like much due to its repetitive nature. And with a full double album length, it does feel a bit tiring fitting the best songs near the front. But there's some variety here and there. There's a reggae song (which I hate but at least it was different), a rockabilly song ("Your Sister Can't Twist"), something that sounds like it came out of a Rolling Stones album ("Saturday Night's Alright"), and much more. I applaud Elton John's hard piano sound that creates a very distinctive rock identity and is used to make some of the best songs of the decade. It sounds like a great transition for me to learn how to play pop rock songs.
A massive album with some massive songs. Maybe it shouldn't have been a double, though? Best track: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Funeral For A Friend and Goodbye Yellow Brick Toad are masterpieces. Candle In The Wind, Bennie And The Jets, and Saturdays Night's Alright are very solid songs too. The rest of the album is still pretty good.
this starts of with Elton's magnum opus - Funeral for a friend/love lies bleeding which in my opinion is one of his very best. The album also has some killer songs: Bennie, Candle in the wind and Saturday night. If he had released this as a single LP and left out some of the filler crap such as Jamaica jerk off and Roy Rogers this album would deserve serious consideration to be a 5 star album.
I remember there was a time when you couldn’t listen to the radio for more than a few minutes without hearing Elton John. It's easy to see why it's his biggest selling album with it's 4 big hits. I think that Yellow Brick Road is autobiographical for Bernie Taupin, because of the line “I’m going back to my plough” and Bernie was a farmer, and still might be, in his retirement. The supporting tracks seem stronger than on Madman Across the Water. Funeral for a Friend is a good starter/song, some of the others less so, like Jamaican Jerk-off. Nice shoes.
So Bennie and the Jets is far and away the best song on this album. Side note: thanks to Diana’s “cute boots” story, I only hear electric boobs rather than electric boots and it makes me laugh every time. I hated the candle in the wind song that got popular following the death of Princess Diana (so many Diana references today!) and I had no idea at the time that it was a rewrite. The lyrics about Marilyn Monroe were way less sappy and more interesting. Not interesting enough for 5 stars but listening to this did make me want to go watch Rocketman so I will bump this up to 4 stars based the fact that my interest has been piqued.
I'm refusing to mark this down because of Candle in the Wind despite every desire to do so (a particular bugbear since Di Died on my 21st birthday). Can we accept that this is a great album? 4/5
This is rightly considered a classic.. early Elton was pretty prolific on banging out the tunes!
Buen disco, el inicio es muy dramático y me gusta. Quizá un poco largo, pero igual tiene buen ritmo y no diría que aburre, sobre todo hay una variación de estilos y géneros. Me gusta también porque no conocía ningún álbum de Elton John hasta esta dinámica. Canciones preferidas: “Bennie and the Jets”, “I’ve Seen That Movie Too”, “Dirty Little Girl” “Saturday Night’s Alright”. 8.5/10
Epic opener and I never knew so many of these hits were on one record! I’ve definitely under appreciated Elton John
It has to be nearly forty years since I listened to the whole album. I remember the anticipation of its release in that it would be a double and whether it could hold the attention all the way through. Listening after such an interval it is striking how varied the music is given the way the two songwriters collaborate. There are some standout tracks, the opener is one of the finest of any album. The closer is pretty good too.
Pop, rock... Todo con un gusto impresionante. Tenía ganas de meterme con Elton y no ha defraudado. El que no haya de las que conozco me hizo relajarme y simplemente disfrutarlo. Trascendencia: 5. Entiendo que es muy buen disco, pero desde la ignorancia... Tan influyente ha sido? Género: 10. Pop/Rock de orfebre Personal: 8. Me encantó, si bien no he sentido la necesidad de volverlo a escuchar.
You don't expect an Elton John album to open with a bunch of Wendy Carlos style electronica. Or the bleakness of Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. The next three tracks are all all time. Candle is my least favourite, probably because it was ruined by Greek Phil killing Ol' Jug Ears' ex missus. The original is still infinitely sadder and, ironically given his friendship with Di, more heartfelt. But Bennie and the Jets, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road are all time classics and Taupin and John at there finest. Hard to even approach them with a critical mind. This Song Has No Title is still good, but suffers from its proximity to the aforementioned pile of genius. Grey Seal is fin too, and at the point it came in, the album required a change of pace. There is a bit of a lull from the cod reggae of Jamaica Jerk Off up to Danny Bailey, which picks up again (John shines when he's writing more biographically. Odd). About a minute longer than it needed to be though, with some extended piano camping at the end. It then hits a strong stretch of more rock n roll music from Alice to Saturday Night, which injects a lot more energy and life back into the album. This is sustained until the mediocre closer, Harmony. In conclusion, a lot of this album is brilliant. There are a couple of mediocre stretches it could do without, but definitely a great one.
There are a lot of hits on the album. However there are other songs that aren't that good. Still overall a good album.
What a wavy ass album, Elton John really is who tf he says he is lmao. Such great songs and ya, goodbye yellow brick road we're back to reality.
Es ist wie eine ganz große Show. Ich muss nicht alles mögen, um aber allem zu attestieren: großes Tennis! 3.5
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Had heard the hits, but never really sat down to listen and couldn't get the Princess Diana association out of my brain. But a good listen - Benny and the Jets a standout.
A good double album with nice piano-heavy music that however leaves me wanting a bit more. A bit more rock, a bit more prog rock and also a bit more diversity
This is the 7th album from Elton John, and is regarded as his magnum opus as well as his best-selling album, after all of the popular songs on it helped this album sell over 30 million copies worldwide. The album is certified 8 times platinum in the US and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003. It's hard to find something to not like about this album. Every song sounds like a jam even the less popular ones, and the popular ones were such big hits that everyone knows them. Pop rock was a hot topic back in the 70's and 80's, but it still holds up today. I am glad to have finally had the pleasure of listening to this album in its entirety.
Funeral for a friend, ha una lunga intro ed è una lunga intro all'album. Candle in the wind capolavoro, anche nella prima versione. Goodbye yellow brick road altro classico. Anche 'Saturday night's alright', ma le altre non mi rimangono molto, per questo non dò 5 stelle.
An enjoyable collection of songs, including several monster hits, some surprises both pleasant (Grey Seal, Harmony) and quite unpleasant (Jamaica Jerk-Off). A tour-de-force of a great musical storyteller at the height of his powers.
Top Tracks: > Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding > Bennie and the Jets > Goodbye Yellow Brick Road > I've Seen that Movie Too > Dirty Little Girl > All the Girls Love Alice > Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting > Harmony
Side A of this album is so strong. Had never listened to it in full before. Most of the hits are front loaded with the exception of Saturday Night's Alright. The middle of the album is blah and Jamaica Jerk-Off is almost unlistenable. But giving it a 4 for how strong it starts off with those hits. And a great album cover.
4/5 for me. I agree with the rest of you that it was way too long, and would add that it was too sprawling in terms of what it tried to cover. you've got: - big instrumental hovering between rock opera and prog rock (Funeral For a Friend) - ballad types (Candle in the Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, This Song Has No Title, Grey Seal, I've Seen That Movie Too, Danny Bailey, Roy Rogers, Harmony) - Elton with attitude (Bennie and the Jets, Saturday Night, Social Disease) - reggae Elton (Jamaica Jerk-Off) - smutty Elton (Sweet Painted Lady, Dirty Little Girl, All The Girls Love Alice) - Elton the Beach Boy (Your Sister Can't Twist) Would have worked better as a double album, with the ballads on one disc. As it is, it doesn't really feel like an album, there's not much connecting the songs and the styles. That being said, there are some phenomenal songs on there, those first four is probably the best start to an album that we've had so far. Then you've also got Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, which I knew coming into this and a couple of others (Roy Rogers and Sweet Painted Lady) which I didn't know before but really like.
I quite liked it overall although the body of work didn't match the highs and it was too long. Not sure whether 3 or 4 stars, if I could I'd give it 3.5 on the site. Still, that first song is a gem and I will listen to it regularly.
Really liked this album. Intro and first track are fantastic. Benny and the jets is a horrible song.
Overall this is a fantastic album, but in my opinion it's one side too long. There are many so-so double albums which could have been outstanding single albums if the filler had been left out. With this that doesn't quite hold true, because in order to make it a single you'd have to throw away some good stuff along with the filler. If you could have a three-sided LP then this would be a great contender. If I never hear Jamaica Jerk-Off again I wouldn't be sad about it, and it's be a much better start to the album if it kicked off straight into Love Lies Bleeding. It's still a masterpiece, but it loses a star for the unnecessary filler.
C'était bien jusqu'à ce qu'il décrive des gamines de 16 ans comme des "dirty little girls" Prefs: Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Grey Seal, Jamaica Jerk-Off, The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34), Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Social Disease Moins pref: Dirty Little Girl
A couple of great songs on here but too drawn out for top marks. I would have liked to have got this over a weekend to give it a really good listen but it feels like something I have to “give a chance” or put in effort to “get” it doesn’t just grab me as being amazing in its own right, as with a lot of Elton John stuff. Just not a big fan I guess.
I hate Elton John, but this is by far his most palatable album. I had the 45 of “Saturday Night” and remember listening to it with my sister as a kid.
Never have listened to this album before but was obviously pretty familiar with a lot of songs. The first song sounds a little like Elton John trying to play Rush (not in a bad way). I recognize Elton John is talented and get why people love him. I'm just not a huge Elton John fan... never have been.
This is a damn fine album and for me just behind Madman Across the Water for EJs very best. The first 4 songs are basically classics and point to the stylistic chameleon EJ can be. A prog rock opus, a tender ballad, a straight up rocker and mid tempo beauty all done with drama and grace. There are a few silly one's the rest of the way (I'm looking at you Jamaica Jerk Off). But Grey Seal and especially Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, raise the bar once again. An excellent album 4.5 🌟
Elton John is van vele markten thuis, en dit is dus een album bol goeie muziek. Al vind ik het misschien niet zo herluisterbaar
Ohhhhh bloody hell this was great. I unashamedly a big Elton fan. Mostly since I saw him (for free!) a few years ago (my friends flat overlooks the cricket ground where he did a show). It was fantastic. I love how grand this album is. What a legend
Some of Elton John's best tracks are on this but I don't think his style of songwriting holds up over the course of a double album. Needs more of a narrative thread or something to do that. Still, it's a four for me just on the sheer strength of the singles that came from this.
I have heard so much Elton John, but for some reason limited to the his Greatest hits, likely due to the huge catalog that he has. Refreshing to listen the an album and a few new discoveries. Not sure if I would seek out again but if I want some Elton, then I'll put on an album in future. Also great to hear Candle in the Wind for who it was originally intended.
When I was a kid, one of my go-to karaoke songs was "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". I never sat down to listen to the album proper, and honestly forgot about that until I did today. The record does a fantastic job of playing everything from shirt-rending wails of grief ballads, to drunken-knock-down-fight party songs. There's surprisingly little fat to trim here. It's also an impressive move to open a pop album with an 11 minute prog-ish song, and having it pay off is just another point in Elton John's favor. Favorite tracks: "Bennie And The Jets", "I've Seen That Movie Too", "Saturday Night's Alright", "Social Disease", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Absolutely bibbity bobbity bops Hadn't listened to this in a while but I know that I loved it! Was a bit obsessed while I was in Australia WHAT A BLOODY INTRO!! Candle in the Wind is just devastating Wowza I forgot how absolutely stacked this album is, obviously Bennie and the Jets absolutely slaps Goodbye Yellow Brick Road will always have a shiny emotional place in my brain I think, it's so short and yet it feels like a full story (I remember listening to it on loop on the metro in Sydney when I was feeling a bit homesick and weird) Oh the intro to Grey Seal is fabby!! Heck I remember this song now, its all fabby My attention started to drift a bit towards the end, it is quite a long album, but it is solid
Lots of 10/10 tunes and a few duds makes this a perfect 4 star. Also one of the greatest intro tracks I've ever heard
This is a damn fine album and for me just behind Madman Across the Water for EJs very best. The first 4 songs are basically classics and point to the stylistic chameleon EJ can be. A prog rock opus, a tender ballad, a straight up rocker and mid tempo beauty all done with drama and grace. There are a few silly one's the rest of the way (I'm looking at you Jamaica Jerk Off). But Grey Seal and especially Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, raise the bar once again. An excellent album 4.5 🌟
I haven't listened to much of Elton John in my lifetime, but it was a strange coincidence I listened to the title track a few days before receiving this. It is definitely a good album, but it definitely had a mixtures of ups and downs. Elton's musicianship was brillian throughout though so I am glad I listened to one of his works in full. The first half would be a 5. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding was a very interesting album opener that intrigued me immediately, and then you got Candle In The Wind afterwards which is a staple in pop music. Bennie And The Jets and the title track were excellent following tracks, and there are a few fun and sad songs to accompany the first half. On the second half I began to tire from investment. Found Your Sister Can't Twist and Roy Rodgers incredibly annoying, and was overall a bit bored with the rest except for Saturday Night's Alright and Harmony which brought me back to life. After this I found out that I probably won't become a massive fan of Elton, but can still come away liking several of his songs and appreciate his musicianship more so.
Album started off strong with some classic hits, and I really enjoyed a new song for me, Love Lies Bleeding. Besides Saturday Night's Alright, the rest of the album was... fine.
Another Elton John album. Enjoyed "I've seen that movie too" and "Candle in the wind", but overall not as good as the previous one.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The songs I'm less familiar with were the ones I liked most, which I think shows that my dislike of Elton John is more down to him being overplayed for decades than for the actual content. When forced to listen properly to the more popular tunes on this album even those fare well under my totally biased spotlight. Though, if I never hear Candle In The Wind again, it'll be too soon. It should be banned.
Felt like a long musical soundtrack -- which I'm not really a huge fan of in abundance -- with weird (bad) genre side roads that seem to come out of nowhere. Lots of obvious classics but I have a hard time trying to figure out if I think these are great songs or if I have just heard them so many times that I've been conditioned to recognize the melodies and its tricking my brain into thinking I like them. Standout tracks: Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie and the Jets (but maybe just because Q-Tip made me like it when he sampled it so well), Goodby Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)
It was a double album, so there is a lot of mediocre filler. There are definitely some all time classics in here. Bennie and the Jets is overrated though. The epic first combo track is the best
Amazing first half of the album. The second one a bit less. I didn't know that pop sounded so prog back in the days.
A very nice album to listen to. It is not in the top of all the albums I like but very nice.
3a hans bästa skulle jag gissa på och en klassiker för dem som diggar piano rock. en 3a får den som bäst
Listened to this (at least the first side) a lot when I was a kid. Never noticed how cooly trippy the cover was. Of course, It's a lot harder to see detail on a heat wrinkled 8-Track. I didn't remember anything between Grey Seal ("Tell-ell me gray sock" I used to say) and Harmony (except the hit). Maybe they put the last song on earlier because of the 8 track format. Or I just really liked the song and played it more.
That wasn't as bad as I feared, apart from "Bennie", which had an incredibly annoying vocal. Highly competent songwriting and musicianship, albeit a bit unadventurous for my tastes. Some big hits and enjoyable music, but also a lot of filler. 6.5/10
Niks mis mee, maar toch ook weer net te bombastisch en theatraal aangezet om echt een snaar te raken. En wat een verschil tussen 'toen' en 'nu' qua aandachtsspanne van de luisteraar: op Spotify haalt het gemiddelde nieuwe nummer misschien 30 seconden speeltijd voordat er op NEXT geramd wordt. Toen Elton jong was zat je braaf 3 uur van zijn muziek uit. Zonder mokken.
Few well known classics on this record with some great easy listening album fillers. Convinced myself this was a strong 4/5 album until I heard the song ‘Roy Rogers’ towards the end of the record. The country music vibe didn’t sit well with me and I then failed to listen to the remaining tracks. 3/5 stars. At a push.
It was designed to be a blockbuster and it was. Prior to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John had hits -- his second album, Elton John, went Top 10 in the U.S. and U.K., and he had smash singles in "Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel" -- but this 1973 album was a statement of purpose spilling over two LPs, which was all the better to showcase every element of John's spangled personality.
Tonnes of classic songs but I've never been a huge fan of Elton John. An undeniably great album, but not something I'd listen to often personally
Haven’t really liked Elton, and enjoyed this album more than expected. A few throwaway songs but some great ones too.
Very pretty album with some great piano work, however it’s just a bit too long - boring at times
Genomgående bra. Även väldigt höga toppar där jag tycker man hör kvaliteten i hans röst och i andra låtar dras man med i det upptryckta tempot i hans pianospel. Tyckte även att öppningsspåret var väldigt intressant. "Funeral for a friend / Love lies bleeding". En 11a minuter lång resa som tar olika skepnader. Den typen av koncept är jag svag för. Bäst: "Goodbye yellow brick road"
never been my thing, but that's not really the album's fault, is fine. though i could never hear "candle in the wind" again and it would be too soon :-P
From the get-go it's clear this is John's 70s album. Borrows influence from prog all the way through tropicana and injects them with his typical bombast to make each track uniquely its own. Whether the LP holds together as a cohesive whole is dubious, but each track is a great ride in and of itself even outside the well-known hits.
Wreszcie udalo sie przesluchac plyte sir Eltona Johna, a z moim szczesciem trafilo na jego najbardziej zhajpowany album, co ja pisze podwojny album, ktory w godzine szesnacie serwuje siedemnascie kawalkow wszystich stworzonych w duecie John - Taupin, tak jak w przypadku wiekszosci popowo rokowych wydan w prace nad plyta zostala zangazowana potezna ilosc studyjnych muzykow i ludzi od produkcji, co niestety slychac, jak dla mnie niestety, bo najbardziej przypadly mi do gustu kawalki o prostej kompozycji skupiajacych sie na klawiszach eltonowych i na liryce bardziej niz na wodotryskach na kanalach, bo z kanalami i poziomami glosnosci mam osobny beef, na kawalkach jak seal sa momenty gdy gitarki sie wsciekaja, perkusja daje po talerzach, a do tego dojda jeszcze bongosy i czlowiek jest wrecz zmuszony zmniejszych poziom glosnosci, co jak dla mnie na materiale z szescioma kucharkami jest nie do pomyslenia, ale moze kawalki byly tworzone z myslia o radio plejach, a nie jakis sluchawkowych odsluchach, bo to jednak muzyka popularna, ktora ma leciec dla jak najszerszego grona sluchaczy, wiec przewazaja up beatowe kawalki czerpiace z brzmienia synthowego, ktore elton klika, cale szczescie ze jest to podwojna plyta i obok mocno popowych bangerow znajda sie odpowiedno wywazone blizej balladowe traki, nie wiem czy nazwac laczeniem stylow mozna nazwac traki jak jamaica jerk off, ale z pewnoscia celuje on w klimat wyznaczony tytulem z jakims skutkiem, jak dla mnie troche komicznym, ale moze taki byl zamysl, wiec przed tym poteznym odsluchem bylem pod wrazeniem eltonowego glosu, jak u goryli sie pojawil rok temu na ktoryms tam z kolei singu i nadal mial to cos, co tutaj rowniez czuc, wczesny eltonowy glos kojarzy mi sie z billym joelem, zwlaszcza na wolniejszych i powzniejszych kawalkach jak ihave seen that movie too czuje sie jakbym sluchal czegos z piano mana, a po odsluchu tej plyty nabralem rowniez szacunku do sira jako artysty potrafiacego stworzyc tak sluchalny podwojny album napisany wokol swoich klawiszy, z ktorego jest co wylowic na plejke, ogranicze sie do czterech kawalkow zeby dodac zarowno cos dynamicznie hitowego jak i cos co najbardziej mnie urzeklo podczas odsluchu, wiec social disease, sweet painted lady, candle in the wind, a z drugiej strony spektrum saturday night is alright (for fighting), cos czuje ze jeszcze nie jeden raz sie przewinie przez liste tworczosc Eltonowa, bo przeciez wyspiarstwo sie zgadza, rokowosc popularna sie zgadza, wiec czego chciec wiecej od pozycji listowej
Bloated? There's some great tracks here, like Saturday Night's Alright, Sweet Painted Lady, and Benny and The Jets, but at 1 hr 16 mins, it does drag on. What's more, bits of it feel a bit twee and contrived. The banjo on Social Disease sounds insincere to me, and Jamaican Jerk-Off feels borderline problematic. It's still Elton John, so it's still pretty damn good - the singing and performance is mostly on the money. But if you're looking for an Elton John album, in my opinion, you can do better.
Primer disco de elton jhon que escucho, aunque es muy famoso nunca he escuchado nada suyo a propósito. Divertido pero creo que la clave de este tío está en las letras 🙃
Seeing Rocketman last year made me realize that there's more to Elton John than Nikita and the other schmaltz from the eighties I mainly know him from and made me eager to explore his earlier work. As a first step in that direction, this is a bit of a disappointment. Yes some of those punch-y songs from the movie are there - Bennie and the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting - but also so much other stuff. A dramatic instrumental ouverture, seagull noises, a simplistic Beach Boys pastiche, a sort of ska-y(?) song and most of all too much florid piano playing for me to process on one day. 5/10
I used to be somewhat of a Fuel (1990s - 2000s rock band) super fan. I went to their album release party for Something Like Human which started at midnight in Harrisburg just to give you an idea. Fuel’s most popular single, Hemorrhage (In My Hands), uses the line “love lies bleeding” several times, which happens to be half the title to the opening track here. I believe this is not a coincidence because Fuel used to cover Daniel quite a bit. So I know they have a thing for Elton John. Unfortunately, I love Fuel way more than the opening song, which feels like Elton’s attempt at an epic rock song a la Dylan’s Desolation Row, The Doors’ The End, or Pink Floyd’s Sine On You Crazy Diamond. Those examples are masterpieces while Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding feels aimlessly over indulgent. There are some obvious classics here: Candle In The Wind, Bennie And The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting. I had heard all those before, knowing the greatest hits. Jamaica Jerk-Off is just weirdly out of place. All the rest of the songs are nice enough, but nothing I feel like I’ve been missing. It’s tough for a 76 minute album to carry excellence from beginning to end, especially having put out another album several months prior and another the next year. If Sir Elton had cut this down to a 40 minute album, I think he would have had something truly special. I’ll stick to the greatest hits.
"Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" was an unexpectedly rockin' opener. I think of Elton John's music as very piano-centric. However, even "Candle in the Wind" had more guitar than the version in my head does. Following "Love Lies Bleeding" there are a short run of big hits that hold up very well, but it is still a slow but steady downward progression until the album hits the low point of "Jamaica Jerk-Off." Then rebounds a bit. "I’ve Seen That Movie Too" has a slow start, but picks up too little too late at the end, and then there is a decent little run that ends with "All the Girls Love Alice." Overall, the right songs were the hit singles with the exception of the opener. A 4/5 star album needs more consistency. This doesn’t have it.
This album spins just fine, most of the songs I've heard on the radio, the others I have not. Very adequate.
Man, I loved this album when I was a kid and it first came out. Granted, I didn't have much to compare it to, but I spent hours listening, staring at the cover, reading every word in the gatefold. I lost my interest in Elton John as I grew up, but there are a lot of great songs on this album, and the best of them still hold up.
Some filler, but the good stuff is great. I don't feel the need to ever hear it again, but I'll be happy if I do.
Good solid album with well known hits from Sir Elton. Should've been a single disc, lots of tracks on this album follow John's signature sound and get repetative. 3.5
I liked quite a lot of it but some songs felt either quite filler or cringe (Jamaica jerk off)
I'm slightly torn with this one. It has some absolute classics on it, no question. But also a few that made me go meh. I feel slightly bad saying that.
Few bangers, otherwise pretty eh. Elton was capable of great highs but always struck me as a bit of a careerist rather than having any real artistic vision, so the majority of his output was pretty bland.
Bennie and the jets Saturday night alright All the girls love Alice sympa comme album mais bcp de chansons pas ouf aussi dedans!
So more great songs, some competent rock n roll. If it were 20 minutes shorter I would have enjoyed it far more.
Plenty of familiar songs, always enjoy Elton, though opening track doesn't work for me, too long.Lots of unfamiliar tracks on this album too though, ends with a classic.
Too long (as all double albums are) and a little bland in places, but some amazing tunes on here. I could also live my life without hearing another string orchestra backing - musical space makes things interesting.
It's got a few extremely good songs on it but my God, this really did not need to be a double album. Also, whoever told Elton John he could do reggae needs to seriously consider their position.
Listen, I know this is an iconic album and 4-5 songs are classics. But, as an album it has too much. In terms of style it's not really my thing either. I could give it a 4 star if it was like half the length.
Not sure what makes thos must hear. Could have cut half the tunes and still not sure. There are a few good tunes but...
Classic Elton John Album, but I just wasn't a huge fan. Can't put my finger on why. Might just be my mood today.
Te weinig kunnen luisteren om een goed oordeel te kunnen geven, maar genoeg gehoord om te weten dat het nooit helemaal mijn ding gaat worden.
Sounds more like a best of album of showtunes than a seminal album to me. Don't hate me, it's just an opinion.
It was okay. There were some highlights but I found myself more waiting for the album to end then be excited for the next song
Nearly 80 minutes of Elton…. Not for me. I was happy to reach the end of this particular road. I can respect the musicianship but it’s just not for me.
Yeah honestly. Apart from candle in the wind and benny and the jets most of the album is meh. I dont know if its suffering from the problem of because im someone who has experienced the consequences of this album in terms of its influence on music, that i feel everything on the album is cliche. Or maybe its just a mostly boring album. Jamacian jerk is the worst piece of shit song ive heard in a while
Aquí estaba la famosa años más tarde "Candle in the wind". Se deja más o menos escuchar pero no es algo que me haya gustado especialmente en ningún momento. Veo su influencia en grupos como Scissor Sisters pero prefiero a estos nuevos antes que este disco.
Vinylplaten. Mooie techniek was dat. Scheur de arm na 4 max 5 nummers zo lomp mogelijk terug in z'n bedje, bij wijze van waardering. Goodbye 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'. Toedeledoki! Zo. Nu lekker weer die testostoboys van van Halen streamen, en de buren gaan meegenieten! Douze points pour David-Lee, Eddy, Michael et Alex.
prefer the standard album
I enjoyed this album! I don’t really like slow songs but this has fast paced songs I could enjoy and I also enjoyed “The Balled Of Danny Bailey”
good