Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
1973
Album Summary
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John, first released on 5 October 1973 as a double LP. The album has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and is widely regarded as John's magnum opus. Among the 17 tracks, the album contains the hits "Candle in the Wind", US number-one single "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" plus live favourites "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" and "Harmony". It was recorded at the Studio d'enregistrement Michel Magne at the Château d'Hérouville in France after problems recording at the intended location in Jamaica. The move provided John and his band with a great deal of creative inspiration and an abundance of quality material was produced, leading to the decision to release the work as a double album (LP).In 2020, the album was ranked number 112 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was also ranked number 59 in Channel 4's 2009 list of 100 Greatest Albums.The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 when it was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
WikipediaElton 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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
I can see why Elton John is considered a good song writer, but I didn't enjoy this.
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.
I can’t lie. I love ole Reginald. Incredible pianist and song writer. Full marks
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.
Loved it. Elton John is magical and this album shows his range and variety.
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.
Nothing unlistenable but the number of must listen songs makes this a classic.
Not heard before. Only knew the big singles, but this is great from start to finish.
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.
Elton grote meneer. veel nummers die weinig listens hebben die ik ook echt goed vond
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 roses in the window box Have tilted to one side - funeral for a friend
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.
Incredible run of songs throughout, *almost* as good as Tumbleweed Connection
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.
A masterpiece of rock pop that is timeless. Elton John’s best album by far. A great collection of fun hits, ballads, and poppy tunes. The fantastic piano bits on several songs is where the talent makes some songs so easy to listen to over and over again. Candle in the wind is a classic. Bennie and the jets. Classic. So much of this album is Elton just being at his best in every category that is Elton John. 9.0/10
Classic 70's Elton John, one of his best with "Benny and The Jets" "Candle In the Wind" "Funeral For A Friend" "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" are all classics from this classic. Deffo in my top 20 Albums of all times. Gotta love Reg haven't you!
Love! First track is a standout. All the Girls Love Alice is a hidden fave.
Great album with an amazing intro. Candle in the wind does not fit too well on this album - rest is amazing though
Un dels grans magnum opus dels '70. El seu començament, amb 'Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding' és demolidor i una bona mostra del camí que ens queda per davant. No tot està a la mateixa alçada, impossible estar-ho a la de 'Candle in the Wind', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' o 'Grey Seal', però res és menor, i en conjunt, una de les obres mestra de la década
5 stars. Everything up to Jamaica Jerk-Off is great, great, great. JJO feels cheap to me. Not a terrible tune, just sounds thin and unnecessary. After that, it kind of lurches around. 'Seen That Movie Too', 'All The Girls Love Alice', 'Saturday's Alright For Fighting', and 'Social Disease' are all pretty solid. 'Harmony' is a pretty good closer. Even with the filler, though, I still do love putting this album on every time.
That was a whole different sound than I expected, and I liked it a lot! A lot more rocky and atmospheric l, definitely listen again
This is chocked full of hits- Elton really is a musical chameleon and this is pretty Rock-y in places. Great song writing and very well produced although it can sound a bit dated in places- very 70s. Still, it's easy to listen to but has edginess too. I like it.
This is a flat out amazing album. Bernie Taupin and Elton John make up one of the most prolific songwriting teams of a generation. If you are interested in the songwriting, apparently Taupin wrote all the lyrics for this double album in 2 1/2 weeks and John wrote most of the melodies in 3 days! My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Elton John on his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour, and, as you can imagine, a number songs from this album were performed. John and Taupin run the gamut of musical and lyrical styles in this production. This is one of the best on this list thus far.
Elton at his best, great album that is definitely in my top 20! "Benny and The Jets" "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" & "Candle In The Wind" to name just three of the classics on this album. Love it and rightfully on this list in my opinion.
A great album and an old favorite of mine. There were a few duds (Jamaica Jerk-Off, Your Sister Can't Twist, Dirty Little Girl), but the rest of the tracks more than make up for the bad ones.
A classic, banger after banger album. Peak Elton John that has almost every single hit he ever made. It has party songs, slow songs, funeral songs, and anything else you could ever want from Elton John. Everyone knows which songs are the standouts but even the lesser known ones are still good. It was cool that he used the “I’m only sleeping” reverse guitar on one song
Excellent! Good songs, variety. Rock, piano-led rock, boogie and bits of country-rock. Ballads and thoughtful songs are well done. A well deserved critically popular album. And it does not outstay it’s double length either. Very enjoyable. Could be a 5* album, but I’m not yet familiar with it apart from the hit singles. Oh ok, it does have Bennie & the Jets and Saturday Night’s Alright. Worth a 5😉
Comes from a time in my life when Reg released one memorable album after another, in this case a double album. A superb opening side - the instrumental Funeral For A Friend segues into 3 great tracks, ending with Bennie And The Jets, a hugely successful singles & John’s first song to make the R&B charts in the U.S. There’s some great stuff on Sides 2&3, notably the title track, Jamaica Jerk-Off,Sweet Painted Lady, etc. and he brings it home with Side 4, beginning with 2 absolute belters then easing out with the beautiful Roy Rogers, the country-inspired Social Disease & the mellow Harmony. Still does it for me.
70s Elton John was banging. Love lies Bleeding is a standout track amongst others.
Love this album. Funeral for a friend is one of the best songs of all time.
Pretty familiar with most of this album but it was really great. Saturday night's alright is one of the greatest songs ever. Nuff said
Fantastic album, Elton’s Melodie’s, singing and piano arrangements are fantastic
Incredible album with fantastic singing and catchy tunes. Lots of big hits on this one, "Saturday Night's Alright", "Bennie and the Jets", and has an incredible start with the long opener in "Funeral for a Friend". 9/10.
Even before turning this album on, I'm already inclined to give it five stars solely for Bennie & the Jets. After listening, I'm reminded of just how great of a song Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is, which makes me even more inclined to give this record five stars. And then you have tracks like Sweet Painted Lady, I've Seen that Movie Too, Dirty Little Girl, Roy Rogers, Social Disease, and yes, even Jamaica Jerk-off. Has it become obvious that I'm just gushing over every song on this album? Because that's exactly what I'm doing. Elton John can sure turn a piano ballad and a piano rock song into gold.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a strange title for an album, given that it's not only a symbol for the promised land but the pinnacle of Elton John's creative and commercial streak in the 70s. It had to be huge, it had to be bombastic, it had to be yearning for the plights of those who didn't have things easy. Sure, he would go on to achieve a few more smashes before things started to go haywire but Goodbye Yellow Brick Road served as the moment where Elton can firmly place his name in the hat amongst those who came before him and establish himself as a legend in the process.
There are a few albums that are so good, and so ubiquitous, that they almost transcend "music" and become just a part of life. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is one of those albums. Absolutely fantastic!
Rockin album. It goes in different directions from track to track. Very funky at times, then jazz, dance hall, then rock. Good stuff.
This album came out when I was 8 years old, and one of my older brothers owned it. My two earliest music memories are listening, re-listening, and examining every inch of the album packaging of both this album and the Beatles white album. This isn't perfect by any means. There are quite a few throwaway songs, but when you look at the whole collection of songs and the packaging it really is an amazing accomplishment. Highlights for me are Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Candle in the Wind, Grey Seal, and All the Girls Love Alice. 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
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.
Some amazing songs and a good composition but some tracks seemed out of place
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!
Elton worked a cobbled, oily orgy of piano for every track. Pretty damn good
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")
Enjoyed this. Encompassed sounds of the era with some absolute classics.
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!