Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

So much great material here. It can get a little overwhelming. The first half of the album is an absolute banger-fest. Unstoppably so. We start with the spectacular multi-part Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding. Each of the individual sections would make for a decent track by itself, but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Elton knows how to do his prog, and how to make it sounds poppy, rocky, exhilarating. Then we have Candle In The Wind, which would normally be a very strong ballad but is made much more powerful knowing that it was written for Marilyn Monroe, who died 11 years earlier. The 1997 version, rewritten for Princess Diana, is also pretty breathtaking, and increased the size of the song's cultural footprint. Then Bennie And The Jets, an infectiously catchy take on the "faux-live" performance. Maybe Elton's falsetto gets a little old towards the end, but it's still goofy and lighthearted. And of course the piano and other instruments are top-notch. That title track... breathtaking. The closest Elton John comes to musical perfection, I think. A great chord progression can do wonders. And he chose to add some strings, so you know it's a banger. That's how it works, right? A couple songs later, we encounter the Grey Seal, clearly one of the more underrated tracks (judging by streaming numbers). A swift, breezy, energetic percussion/piano combo can do wonders. The greatness of this song mostly lies in the intro and chorus, where we hear those nifty descending harmonies. Speaking of which: these songs have some gorgeous vocal harmonisations. This Song Has No Title (yes it does, idiot), Roy Rogers, and the title track are some of the best examples. Well, and Harmony, of course. Jamaica Jerk-Off is pretty stupid. A half-hearted attempt at a sort of Caribbean-flavoured reggae, imitating who-knows-who. Reminiscent of Billy Joel's All You Want To Do Is Dance, by far the worst song on the otherwise near-flawless 1976 album Turnstiles. And later, though not necessarily a bad song, Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock'n' Roll) contains that circus-music interlude – you know the one – that feels completely out of left field. At least we get a cool song transition to Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), which gets bonus points for being one of the few rock songs ever to contain Saturday in its title. You have no idea how tough of a first-world problem it is to search for good alarm ringtones for each day of the week. (But I do.) Also, it's a genuinely good song. Harmony is also a very good side-4 song; the only thing it's missing is a convincing hook. Great Rolling Stones-esque riff in All The Girls Love Alice, and a bold lyrical theme for its time. I'm reminded a bit of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, by which I'm sure Elton was inspired. 5/5 Key tracks: Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, Candle In The Wind, Bennie And The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Grey Seal, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

It's mother-f'n Elton John doing what only Elton can do. Huge melodies. "Bennie and the Jets" is an absolute classic, and "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" opens the album with a level of class and ambition that still sounds incredible decades later. Nearly every track feels iconic. One of the greatest albums of the 1970s and a must-hear for any music fan.

76 minutes flew by on this one. Just a masterpiece that I've never listened to before. I recognized so much of this album just from the radio and the singles, but that's almost the entire album. Just phenomenal.

Þetta er frábært plata hjá þeim bræðrum. Byrjar með látum og er kósý og flott. Þetta er klassíker og ég er big fan big fan.

Masterpiece.

Just and undeniable classic. Elton makes such effective songs that speak to the soul but still get you grooving. Truly a generational talent. Even the lows here are still fun. 9/10

God this is just too much fun. I mean there’s one track on it that I don’t really want to talk about but, you know, I don’t really want to talk about it. Other than that? No notes

He’s the wizard.

Bennie And The Jets started playing just as I stepped out into the sunlight for a walk around the park. My experience with the music of Elton John was somewhat of a unique one. While I had certainly heard countless songs of his in my childhood, I could only actually place one or two as being his songs (Pinball Wizard and Saturday Night s Alright (For Fighting)). Rather, I first truly realized just how strong of a catalogue Elton John had when I sat down to watch what is now one of my favorite movies, Rocketman. I fell in love with this film almost immediately despite going in with only a passing familiarity with Elton, and one of the results of such an introduction was that I spent the next few years primarily listening to the Taron Egerton covers rather than the original recordings, even continuing to prefer those versions once I had finally heard Elton's. But this Rocketman favoritism could only hold so long, because it's Elton fucking John. By the time I listened to this album, I was fully bought into Elton's original sound, and I can never imagine a world in which I didn't appreciate him for the talent he is. There's a reason Elton is considered one of the all-time great songwriters alongside Bernie Taupin; they simply complement each other so well,w with Elton's musical skill perfectly capturing the tone of these lyrics. This album is just an incredible example of piano-driven glam rock, a genre of which Elton is practically the patron saint. Even the songs which have aged a little strangely are still solid tunes at their cores. Whether Elton is dealing with real issues and societal emotions or playing with high-energy whimsy, each song manages to keep up the momentum of the album even as it shifts between different tones and topics. A sprawling journey of camp and sincerity, this album is a perfect summation of what makes Elton John such a captivating musician. Highlights: Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, Candle In The Wind, Bennie And The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, This Song Has No Title, Sweet Painted Lady, The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934), All The Girls Love Alice, Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock'n' Roll), Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), Roy Rogers, Social Disease, Harmony

Was expecting to like this album, but not THIS much!! An excellent album by Mr. John!

:D

What a brilliant album. A lot of pop sensibility here, it's all very catchy but still beautiful and holds artistic merit. A double album with a ton of long songs that doesn't overstay its welcome. Every time I listen to it I wonder why I don't really listen to more Elton John.

This album is phenomenal. There are the hits, but the tracks that aren’t hits should be.

This is Elton John’s “Born to Run” magnum opus. Sprawling and eminently musical w all kinds of storytelling, its quality remains consistent throughout its long length. I’d take this to a desert island.

How the hell are there this many all-timers in a single album? What the? Huh??? God damn!

Esse é daquele alguns impossíveis de não dar as 5 estrelas. É fenomenal. Vocais, arranjos e muita emoção. QoA Cloudscape.

Excellent

Candle in the Wind -> Bennie and the Jets -> Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is such a great sequence of songs. I'd argue there are a couple tracks you could drop to get this to a standard length album (Jamaica Jerk-Off for instance) but this is just an amazing album. I need to spend more time with it later but a couple listens today were plenty to convince me this is an easy 5-star.

So much of this feels like a big swing to me. The least I can say is that the thing stays interesting start to finish An 11 minute prog opener is one such big swing, carried for me by that piano and the bite on that bass part. Bonus points for the synth droplets The title track is a banger, fair play to him. Its hard to feel anything but positively about it Their bassist is really going for it, which obviously does things for me. I think as far as the album's we've had so far go this one has most surpassed my expectations

A real masterclass in song writing. One of the albums I used to study alot with my guitar teacher. Given the fact its piano, and still worth looking at while learning guitar is really something. That first run of 4 songs is really something else. The back half of the album isn't as strong except Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), which is one of the best songs on the album and extrememly fun to play. My personal favourite is Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. Banger of a song. Add on the 3 songs after that, and Saturday Night's Alright, and you get my top 5 from this album. I've Seen That Movie Too was great aswell. Bonus points for the guitarist being from Edinburgh. Another fun fact is that the film composer James Newton Howard was in Elton John's band in the late 70s. It's a real shame Eltons other music is nowhere near as good as this album.

Great album with a huge blend of styles. But, in the commercial sense, was Elton John thinking when he started the album with the 11-minute prog rock "Funeral for a Friend?"

Day859 - there’s six really good songs on this album and grey seal is my favorite

Great album, the early years of Elton were the best.

When I saw this was over 70 minutes long, I have to admit, I wasn’t keen! But that was 76 minutes ago, and I’m a new, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road loving man! Genuinely great album. Favourite track: I’ve seen that movie too

So many great musical and lyrical stories on this one, delivering the variation that makes a good album.

I haven't listened to this album in 20 years and I'm rendered to tears. What more can be said?

This must be a contender for the most consistent double album ever put out - no filler, no flab and a real compendium of song writing approaches. There's prog, ballads, RnB, ska/reggae, rock n roll, glam, hard rock and country. It followed on from the Rocket man single and the 'Don't shoot me I'm the Piano player' album as Elton became the world's biggest act until 1976. Its title track is one of the great songs of all in my view and the other three big hits on the album are all stone wall live staple classics. It was a remarkably prolific period and a sense that stardom had its drawbacks.

From front to back, this album is full of hits that will be familiar to any casual fan of classic rock. The 76-minutes has a good flow: starting out with hard-hitting and catchy tunes and settling in as the album progresses.

Listened to this one on the record player. Such a great album, front to back.

I’m not the biggest Elton John fan. But his first 3-4 albums are undeniable, capped off by this one. So many hits and a lot of the album cuts are strong too.

This one is a favourite. I can spin it on repeat.

One of my favs from Sir Elton …long time memories of this one.

I stayed with this album for about a week! The first half is soooo re-listenable. I especially love the opening sequence (massive track!).Love him or hate him, he has written some beautiful songs, the words (hats off to Bernie Taubman) and sublime melodies. The difficulty I have is picking just one track for the challenge playlist! I love this album!

Camp in it's highest form.

I love this album

very likable album fav song: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Best Elton album in my opinion, but he’s a cool cat all the way around. It’s long, but doesn’t overstay its welcome. Title track is simply amazing and the best song on the record.

Favorite Song: Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

solid classic

Brilliant. One of best albuns of all time. Beautiful songs and lyrics. Perfect vocals. Dynamic. Instrumentals. Arrangements. Mixong. Layers. If it were possible I’d give it 10 stars.

Top albums de la historia, la cantidad de temazos que hay aca adentro. Un cra el Elton

This is one of the greatest albums ever made and the best album by Elton John that I've listened to (haven't heard everything yet). A seamless double album that doesn't feel that way at all, with incredible songs, singing and instrumentation. 5/5

Me gustó bastante

This is one of my favorite albums ever, no brainer.

Loved it

Wow. So enjoyable.

...and that is why he is one of the best selling artists of all time.

Amazing amount of talent from these two (Taupin and John).

Amazing album.

good album

Had no idea but this must have been a massive influence on Billy Joel’s Turnstiles album just 3 years later. This album is absolutely massive

Second double-album in a row. Love Lies Bleeding: like the interplay of the piano with the lyrics. Reference to stigmata? Candle in the Wind: Poor Marilyn. But not really feeling the electric guitar. Bennie and the Jets: Great song. I love the production. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: Amazing songwriting. I need to listen closer to lyrics. I've Seen that Movie, Too: Great metaphor of a breakup to cinema. Sweet Painted Lady: I see where "Roxanne" came from... The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934): Need more fictional biographical songs about gangsters. Dirty Little Girl: This is a Stones song. All the Girls Love Alice: /Eyes opening/ Oh. Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock & Roll): Great rock vibes. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting): Just a banger. Harmony: That's how you end a double album. Just an awesome album. Most double albums have some filler tracks. This is just great song after great song. Especially the second album. Most of the time the second seems to be just experimental stuff, but this has a ton of great tracks.

Aside from Jamaica Jerk-Off this is an outstanding album. Huge variety, great tunes throughout

За одни только каблы на обложке ставлю 10. Было долго, но все равно круто. Человек никогда не разочарует.

Лучшая песня: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Худшая: Social Disease Отлично

bennie and the jets - одна из любимейших песен ever, альбом тоже замечательный, крепкие 4.5

I remember listening to this album the first time with my dad, when he dug out his old vinyl collection. I remember being so excited about how much art vinyl albums had compared to CDs and cassettes -- the fact it was a double album gave it that much space to be fun and creative. I would read along the lyrics as the album played. Love the whole thing, and I'm aware I'm super biased from nostalgia. I like to think even if I weren't this would be an easy 4 or 5.

The pure sounds of 1970s cocaine. Manic, overstuffed, overwritten, overproduced, exhausting. 10/10, no notes.

If you only own one Elton record… As with most double LP’s, there’s a little bit of filler (reggae tinges?!), but there are at least 5 or 6 all-timers. A lot of piano pop, a little glam, a little schmaltz, but always hooky and memorable. 4.5 stars

great! metal type shit

Absolute classic - no debating. Elton John forged the archetype of flamboyant, larger than life male pop singer with this record, an image so so many (Harry styles, benson boone, etc) continue to imitate

benny and the jets to me is one of the best and most iconic songs of all time. top 20 for sure. also, “opportunity awaits me like a rat in a drain” ??? why have i not been talking about elton john more??????? why am i not an eltonite???? this is amazing stuff.. and we’ll just ignore the lesbo song

I truly adore this album. Elton John is absolutely a favorite of mine and has been since I was four years old and mumma put on crocodile rock in the car car out in Evansburg 🥰

Es una maravilla de album. Siempre pense que estaba sobrevalorado pero estaba equivocada, es de lo mejor que he escuchado, realmente me sorprendio, cada canción es un temazo, ame todo. Te amo Elton John

para mi elton es el mejor, lo amo ojalá algún día venga a argentina, el álbum me gusta, ya lo conocía pero no lo había escuchado entero, fiel a su estilo es un 10/10. mi preferida es ooooobvio que goodbye yellow brick road, es un graaaaaan clásico es un 11, otra que me gusto que no conocía es i've seen that movie too, demasiado bien ese comienzo. para mi todo lo que venga de él es un sólido 10. (capaz la pifio un poco en jamaica jerk off, es un intento de reggae que no va con el álbum, pero como lo amo no me interesa). si quieren adentese al mundo elton este es un gran álbum porq tiene de todo puntaje: 11

Now THIS is worthy of being on the top 1001 albums of all time.

classic . Plein de hits et de merveilles!

This album effortlessly puts an extra spring in your step, whether you want that spring or not. Obviously the famous songs are bangers and classics, never will grow old. Enjoyed some deeper cuts like "I've seen that movie too" and "Roy Rogers"-the latter with a nice embrace of country. All due respect to princess Di, Candle in the Wind will always be for and about Marilyn.

Amazong

This only gets 5 stars if you're allowed to skip "Jamaica Jerk-Off"

amazing album, one of my favorites of all time. Starts off with my all time favorite song, and is just a good after that.

Brilliant, I'd forgotten how brilliant.

He’s just really in the elite songwriters league with this one. Banger factory.

peak

Part Prog masterclass, part Rock Opera, part Pop, all bangers. This album did so much more than just surprise me. It started strong right off the bat, only took its foot off the gas for a select few songs that I didn’t love, and demanded I give it a 5. I’m going to do so without hesitation. Everyone’s favorite gay knighted icon Elton John knocked it out of the park with this one. It may surprise you to know that I didn’t actually know any of these songs, but a few of the hits sounded familiar enough where I’m sure that I’ve heard them before, but not positive. Even the softer songs which I wouldn’t necessarily always want to rehear, like “Candle In The Wind” and “Harmony” are fantastic. Elton John has a great voice. I’d listen to him doing taxes for all I care, and I’d do it with a smile. I’ve got a tough week ahead, and this man just made me forget all about it. That’s talent. For an album that’s over an hour and 16 minutes long, I’m glad there’s so much variety. My favorite of the bunch being the long Prograstic opener, “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”. What can I say?? I’m a sucker when it comes to that kind of music, and this is no exception. My other favorites include the title track “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Grey Seal”, and “Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock'n' Roll)”, the ladder of which has actual clown music but incredibly makes it work and then goes off on a crazy solo. This is the first of 2 albums I’ve rolled from Elton John, and he may just get a set of 5 star reviews if the other album is half as good as this one. I’m ashamed of myself for not really knowing anything about his music going in to this album, because I’m very familiar with his life. What a cool guy. What a great album. This has a little bit of everything for everyone, I really don’t know how anybody could hate it. The little tiny piano on the album art kills me as well. Great art. There’s even a few Country adjacent songs on here that aren’t terrible. The only thing I’d skip is “Jamaica Jerk-Off”, which I find more obnoxious than entertaining. I’m sure if I listened to this album for a second day in a row I’d probably find another favorite or 2, and I will in fact do that later, because I’m not done with this album. Those are just the ones I immediately committed to memory. Other classics like “Bennie And The Jets” are worth talking about, but what more could I even say about it you haven’t already heard before?? 5/5 album, the few skips are drowned out largely by the length of the album, and the otherwise flawless consistency of banger after banger. There’s a good reason why this one’s so highly rated on the site. Rightfully so. Gimme some more of this, I’m going to have to seek out more from Elton John, the ultimate success the site can give me is seeking more music from my daily artist. So, yeah, good job. Raucous applause for this one. I’m hoping for an all 5 star week, and this is a great start.

I absolutely loved this album it’s really good

A ton of great songs. Elton is a legend for a reason. Many I had heard before and others it was my first taste. Screw You is a song I can see sending to people who need to hear it. lol

Favorite Track: Saturday Night

I'm an unabashed fan of early Elton John/Bernie Taupin, and this album is a gem. It's rare for a double album to be good from start to finish and this one pulls it off.

There is a reason Elton John has had such a long and successful career and that is quality. Absolute classic album. Many great songs.

Really enjoyed this album. Good variety and Elton John nails each style.

Could be his Masterwork, and that is saying something with the rest of his discography.

класика. обожнюю Елтона Джона. <33

Classic. Love the variety. It’s the culmination of Elton’s career to that point, but moving it forward in a fun and eclectic fashion. Such a great album!

Man this album is good. No notes. Beautiful songs

Elton John is an institution. He can do slow stuff (Candle in the wind), ballads (Danny Bailey), high energy (Saturday night's alright for fighting) and pretty much everything in between. Musically great and he can vocally punch out the lyrics when needed. Many lyrics are social commentary from the time, although that's not always obvious. I've listened to this album many times before and I know I will in the future.

I think this was my first time hearing an Elton John album - wonderfully surprised with this one! Great vocals, instrumentals, energy - very theatrical too (in a good way). Amazing listen!

Was a fun one for sure.

Discazo que me encanta, lo escuché antes de que me digan que mi casa estaba embrujada y me hizo pensar que todo lo contrario

Me sorprendio!

Great album, only a few fillers here, surprising for a double album.

One of the greatest double albums ever crafted. Nearly every song is awesome. Just about as good as it gets.

9/10 Elton has the ability to write some absolutely phenomenal songs. Sometimes that doesn't completely translate into completely consistent records, but during the early 70s, he was bashing them out at a clip and, for the most part, they were of a standard that most musicians would aspire to. This record is considered to be his magnum opus and you can see why. It runs the gamut from prog rock inventiveness, via heartfelt ballads all the way to country rock party tunes, all the while feeling coherent and maintaining a smooth tonal flow. The band are at the peak of their powers and the whole album is super tight, full of fluid groove and played with an immense standard of feel and control. But the best thing is Elton’s melodic writing. By god, the boy can write melodies that grab you, hook you in and lodge in your head in the best possible way. Not only that, but whether singing them or playing them on the piano, he puts so much swagger and presentation into his performances of those melodies that it just kicks them up another notch. It’s pretty remarkable that this album was released in 1973, as it sounds so coherent, with the sound design and instrumental mix, particularly the use of synths feeling completely natural, which was not something many acts had managed to completely nail at this point. It also manages to keep in just enough weirdness and depth that it becomes a rewarding album to listen to again and again, because there are so many layers to each track and so many twist s and turns to the compositional structure that it never gets boring. Yes, it’s perhaps a tad long, but this is so much fun that even the less inventive and musically dense tracks just beg for you to bob along, and the album does fly by pretty quickly, despite its length. I was going to rate this an 8, but frankly I can’t stop listening to it, having played it from start to finish 6 times in two days. It’s just so moreish. Keep on rocking, Hercules, you mad bastard. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - What an absolutely epic start to an album. It’s a slow building, proggy masterpiece of a track. The synths are cool, the piano work is nuanced and interesting and it does so many interesting things, all the while anchoring itself around some beautiful hooks and melodies that occasionally touch here and there on motifs that pop up across the rest of the album. It’s subtle in places, grand and exciting in others. And when it gets going, it really rocks too and never gets stuck in one place for too long. It’s hard to make an 11 minute song seem so interesting and varied, but he pulls it off. Fair play, Elton. Candle In The Wind - I only heard this 3-4 million times in 1997, so this is somewhat coloured by that fact. It’s still funny to me that Elton quickly got Bernie to switch up the lyrics and chucked out an old one for “England’s Rose”, but it’s actually a really good song. Well written, beautifully performed, the piano here is great and Elton’s vocal is spot on. It’s pretty saccharine, but I don’t know how much of that is impacted by the Diana thing. No, It’s definitely cheesy as fuck. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Bennie And The Jets - Another banger. It’s got a laid back swagger to it that’s so packed with groove, especially focused around the way he works between his two hands on the piano. There’s nothing overly complex about it, but it just hooks up so much feel into the delivery. The jazzy piano breakdown in the middle is so lush too. Good lord does our boy Reg know how to write a melody. It does go a little off-piste with some of the synth and crowd sample parts, but it doesn’t do much to detract from the cool smoothness of the track. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - And here he goes with more magnificent melodic moments. The switch up between verse and chorus here is really tasty. It’s got subtle groove to the verses and then the soaring, harmonic richness of the pre-chorus into the chorus is great. I’ve been singing this chorus all day and it’s still so good. There’s grandiosity to it, but it also manages to be incredibly bittersweet, which is a hard feeling to evoke in music. This Song Has No Title - This is more proggy again, but focuses around the man himself and his piano just roaming around to begin with before twisting into this odd fantasy sounding chorus. It’s a really interesting and instrumentally pleasing track. I love Elton’s dynamic control on the piano, you can just feel him pulsing his emphasis in and out as he feels the underlying groove. It’s less hooky than other tracks, but it’s still solid. Grey Seal - There’s an edge of crocodile rock to the verses here, but it adds a proggy twist into the choruses, particularly the transitions back out to the verses, which are so cool. It’s pacy and engaging, with great rhythm. The drumming here is excellent, giving a solid backbone, but adding in great range and excitement to that groove. It’s half way between a rock and roll and a funk track, and it’s just a great deal of fun. Jamaica Jerk-Off - An ill advised cod reggae track in which Elton actually leans into a Jamaican accent. It's not good and feels pretty out of place on the record, in part due to the tone and feel of it, but also because it really lacks the depth, variety and inventiveness of the rest of the tracks too. It's pretty repetitive, the synthetic percussion doesn't sound great and,to sum it all up, apparently Elton has never played it live and Bernie claims to have no memory of writing it. I've Seen That Movie Too - This is a nice slow groove that builds really nicely. Elton does a great line in a super slow build into the chorus and being restrained with a central hook and he's at it again here. The orchestration is subtle but dynamically impactful here and the way the piano and bass play around each other is really good. It's perhaps a tiny bit on the long side, but it gives him the chance to throw some cool instrumental parts and some nice jazzy piano licks in there, so that's all good. Sweet Painted Lady - It's a slight change up of feel here, but that hook up between the piano and bass carries on again nicely. It's more melodic excellence and the combination of melodic writing and vocal delivery gives this a really smooth and satisfying sound. Nice if not spectacular. The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34) - This is a more sombre little number that meanders a little. There are some really nice moments in here, and there are some really tasty chord progressions, but ultimately it doesn't manage to give the same standard of melodic hook that's present in the album's beat tracks. The instrument section is pretty damn solid though. Dirty Little Girl - This has got, rather appropriately, a solid dirty groove to it. It's got an edge of soul and and edge of rock n roll to it. The pulse of the groove is great and I love Elton's vocal delivery here. It's gritty and chock full of swagger and attitude. It's not quite got the compositional depth of the most compelling tracks, but it's a really solid vibe. All The Girls Love Alice - Ah, now we're cooking again. The pace and drive of this is so good. Again, he takes his time to get to the chorus, but the tonal switch up into it is superb. The sound design in the chorus is excellent too; that distorted guitar and synth bass are just sexy. The backing vocals are excellent. In fact, I think everything here is excellent. The juxtaposition of tone between verse and chorus, the groove, the instrumental performances, the production. It's all top notch. Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll) - He's just having fun now. It's trad rock n roll, done at an absolute clip. It's got great attitude, a little edge of grit and it's delivered with such a sense of enjoyment. It's hardly ground breaking, but it's silly and fun. Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting - Bosh, straight into an absolutely iconic song. Elton's vocal delivery here is so on point, full of grit and swagger. The chorus is another Elton pop masterclass, taking the gritty rock of the track and spinning it through his pop melodic sensibility to make something incredibly infectious and danceable. It takes the fun of the previous track, cranks it up and spits it out with so much verve and panache. Beautifully fun stuff. Roy Rogers - This leans more towards country, but it's a nice change of pace after the fun and intensity of the last couple. Elton's melodic chops hang this one together nicely, even if it's a tad on the slow side. The piano and orchestration are really nice and the groove is slow but endearing.  Social Disease - It's kind of weird how quietly this starts, but god damn it's got a great groove when it gets going. If all country had this level of funk to it, I'd be all over it. It's got swagger and pace, plenty going on across the instrumentation and it's super fun.  Harmony - And we get something that's a bit more ballady to end things. There are some tasty harmonies in here, appropriately, but I think interesting things in here are some of the chord changes, which occasionally move in an unexpected way. It's a pretty way to finish.

10/10 a genuine genius at his peek.

Yep

Great

Elton John is the goat

Who doesn't love Elton John, his voice is so smooth and lovely. This album would go into my rotation and for that it will be rated as such. I grew up loving Billy and the jets.

Great album

Tremendous! An album where every song is catchy and, more importantly, unique. Elton John is a storyteller both with his lyrics and instrumentals.

Wonderful album. Another classic. A varied, beautiful project. 5/5.

How could I possibly give less than five stars? It's Elton Fucking John!

It’s brilliant album, it be hard to get this anything less than a 5

surprisingly delightful. pretty long but still packed to the gills with great stuff. maybe no skips? the hits are great and half of the non-hits are confusing because it feels like they should be hits. i dont really know what it means but i want to say "wonderfully composed"? favorite song is The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934). just an easy fiver

Repeat listen

One of the top POP albums of the 70s , piano rock pop really and amazing work from the duet couple

Elton está como lokita

speaks for itself really

So - this is almost overfamiliar. I played this album a LOT back in the day. It’s the high water mark of EJ’s 70s output and that’s saying something when there are a LOT of other very very good albums in his run from 1970 to 1975. This is a sprawling double album and it shows a couple of times where weaker material made it onto the release, but overall the breadth of tracks on here remains really impressive even now. So many classic tracks on side 1 alone. It is a masterpiece. Still love it. 5

Elton John is known for the wrong songs. This album is one banger after another

Its a near perfect album. Some of his all time great songs are here. Could do with some trimming, maybe if it wasn't a double album I'd consider it perfect. 4.5/5. Raising to 5.

While I never heard this album before. I see at least three songs that are classics. I am only ranking on the songs I do know and they are worth the price of the whole album for sure.

So many genres and they're all good. How does he do it?

Incredible as always! This album is a gem.

This album's a little too long for its own good and has a couple of weak tracks here and there, but I can't really justify giving it any less than a 5, it just has too many absolute classics. Powerful vocals, inspired songwriting, and great performances from Elton and his band. Let's just avoid talking about Jamaica Jerk Off and Dirty Little Girl. Favourite tracks: Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, All the Young Girls Love Alice, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

YELLOW BRICK ROOOAAADDD

11 minutes of mashing shuffle on the keyboard functions? Yes. Yes please. Strong day 1

Ok Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, wow what an epic of an opening song that Elton makes sound so effortless. All The Girls Love Alice into Your Sister Can’t Twist into Saturday Night’s Alright was my favourite trio, was loving the surf rock vibes! And of course Goodbye Yellow Brick Road puts my right at the Gasoline Pony with my friends 🫶

classic

10/10

Ahhh SO GOOD I LOVE YOU ELTON

Fantastisk! Varför har jag aldrig lyssnat på albumet i sin helhet förut? Nästan ingen dålig låt alls.

Not sure if this is my favorite Elton John album or my second favorite. I also love his Tumbleweed Connection album and his Madman Across the Water album also. But this is definitely a classic. Every song on here is good to amazing.

Maybe half the songs are forgettable, but 4 or 5 are truly great. Elton John still rocks, 50 years later.

artista nunca mais quero ver ngm comparando o rato feio do harry styles com ele

When to listen: Want to feel good. Really anytime: cooking, cleaning, road trips, party. This was a fun one because I have this album on vinyl, the Irish man I was seeing found it for me in Dublin. Grew up in an Elton John family, and am a diehard for life. FIVE STARS!

Needs to be listened to front to back at least once in your life.

Its an elton john album

A 5, probably.

Only a couple of duds (that Jamaica Jerk-Off song is just awful) but everything else about this album is SO good I can't justify giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

Love

first time fully listening to Elton John (besides his hits) and the first half of the album was INSANE. felt like I was floating. I genuinely was so immersed in the music. however, the second half fell off a little bit. it was more monotonous and repetitive! still not bad songs just a little forgettable and definitely cant compare to the first half! 9/10 and I probably should be rounding down to a 4/5 because the second half wasn't as good BUT I CANT HELP MYSELF THE FIRST HALF WAS JUST TOO GOOD

Heeeel tof, leuke vibes Goeie beats

Bernie Taupin lyrics in 2 1/2 weeks, most Elton melodies in 3 days, and 2 weeks recording in the studio, they had no intention of releasing a double album and some songs were scratched. And yet with more bangers than misses, it makes sense why this album stayed on the charts for so long.

Elsker dette albumet!

The first four songs on this record might be the best opening to a record of all time. And I think there’s 42 minutes of material on this double LP worthy of “greatest of all time” consideration. Clearly there are duds over the course of 80 minutes. But I can’t ding it too much. This record is a classic, the highlights are timeless, and the album 1000% deserves its place on this list. 4.7/5.

Elton and Bernie threw together as many songs as they could and created a masterpiece. 5/5

Great album! So silly and groovy

Loved this album Some of my favorite tracks- I’ve seen that movie too, dirty little girl, sweet painted lady, all the girls love Alice, harmony, goodbye yellow brick road and my favorite- Funeral for a friend mostly listened to it while driving and made the mood so much better and relaxed but also fun. It’s an album with a little bit of every feeling.

no notes

Such an absolute treat to listen to a full Elton John album start to finish. I need to do this with them all!

This isn't an album. It's a hits compilation. This album is a top 10 album of all time.

Have this to my album quest list. Bernie is such a great writer and Elton’s music and voice are one of a kind. I enjoyed every song. The ones I could sing every word as well as the deep tracks.

You don’t have to be an Elton John fan to be a fan of this album. It has so many elements that it’s hard to pick any one that stands out. A song like “ Your Sister Can’t Twist” could be considered a throwaway, filler song yet it 2 minutes and 42 seconds of Elton at his most fun. Classic album from beginning to the end.

Thank you for the excuse to revisit this 5/5!

I liked it!

4 stars first because of its artistry, star power, instrumentality, and icon status. That last star for nostalgia’s sake.

One of my mother’s favorite albums during my childhood. She passed in 2019 from pancreatic cancer. Her last concert was Elton John’s farewell tour. It will always occupy a special place anytime I hear it.

One of my favorite albums of all time

Man. This really is greatness. It's not something I'm going to reach for generally speaking, but all the way through are fantastic singalongs, stories, and incredible piano jams and accompanying instrumentation.

B b b bennie and the jets

Elton John shows us why he is one of the GOATS!

Knew the hits, and there are SO MANY - his songwriting is just instantly classic. A fun singalong album, good for the soul.

Fantastic album - no notes

mm

can’t believe i’ve been sleeping on elton john for this long ‪‪❤︎‬: Funeral For A Friend, Grey Seal

Fantastic listening experience.

Generational talent & bangers! The 3 song run of "Candle in the Wind" "Bennie & the Jets" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is about as big as you can get. The bass in GYBR is one of my favorites to play. Throw in "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and some good other tunes and you have a legendary album. I got to see Elton at Outside Lands 2015 and was incredible. Rocketman is probably my favorite of the recent wave of music biopics. Amazing talent & album.

This entire thing is a complete masterpiece (just ignore Jamaican Jerkoff lol). The album is incredibly diverse and it is pulled off extremely well. All of it is so uniquely Elton. Absolutely unbelievable. WOWWWWW! :) I LOVE Funeral For a Friend, Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, The Ballad of Danny Bailey and Dirty Little Girl, All The Girls Love Alice.

Masterpiece and one of the only double albums I’ve come across on this list so far where the whole thing is worth listening to at once. It’s crazy how much energy and vitality there is in all the songwriting and performances. Must-listen #273.

A fantastic collection of piano-heavy rock/pop songs. There are enough hits on here to get a 5. There's plenty of variety in the track list too, with the epic prog-rock instrumental opener going straight into Candle in the Wind. The title track is my favorite track but Funeral For a Friend, Saturday Night's Alright and This Song Has No Title are great too.

An incredible series of memories funding my musical preferences has come roiling in. I will never tire of the title track, Bennie, or Saturday Night. Everything else is still what the most talented could only dream of.

I normally would knock an album for a bloated runtime of over an hour, but there’s enough quality songs here to forgive it a bit. The title track has always been a favorite Elton song of mine, but I recognized several others which was nice. I’ve always considered Bennie and the Jets a bit overrated. Overall 4.5/5

temazo tras temazo, apenas tuve el titulo sabia que era un 5, Elton John, love u forever, nada que decir, voy en el dia 5 y ya se que este es mi album fav de los 1001

First Listen; 4.5; This was way more diverse and interesting than I was expecting. Experimental in parts, lots of fun guitar leads, melonchaly mood, and upbeat rocking. Manages to balance between fun camp and serious music, and nearly all the songs I could listen to multiple times. Favorite Track: Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Elton John is an absolute gem and he cant get anything less than 5 stars

Masterpiece

bennie and the jets goodbye yellow brick road saturday night's alright (for fighting) 1973 united kingdom pop rock, glam rock

Funeral for a friend / love lies bleeding still gives me chills. It's a perfect song. It's so exciting!!! Every instrument intrigues. It rocked my world as a child when my dad would play this album. I hope one day my kids will love it as much as I did. To this day I'm an absolute sucker for "songs that change halfway through" and this might be the reason why. Bennie and the Jets... the hold this song had on our family as kids! I still know every crowd whistle and cheer. And I was a grown ass adult before realizing it was not a real live recording. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.. obviously iconic. Will I ever learn the lyrics correctly? After 2000 listens, the answer is still no. This Song Has No Title darkhorse for my fav track. Grey Seal at one point *was* my favorite song as like a 9 year old kid, no cap. It's written on an old growth chart I had on the wall growing up. Funny I always loved Sweet Painted Lady as a kid too. I think I knew kinda what it was about... can't resist those sweet sea sounds. Then a few more tracks about druggies and sex workers, etc. Ending on a high note with Harmony. Incredible record. 4.9/5

Already know this gets a 5

Banger

after finishing heated rivalry I just have to say, thank you again, gay men.

God his piano playing

Five big booms

One of the best 4 song starts to an album, the rest of the album doesnt quite live up to the start but it’s still up beat catchy songs all the way through

Funeral/love lies bleeding gives me goosebumps every time I hear it, let alone as the album opener, let alone as the start to one of the best album sides ever. The rest of the album follows through, and it's rare to get an album if this quality as a double disc.

This is a perfect album, plain and simple. An epic opener that rocks as hard as anything, followed by Elton - at the height of his powers - dipping his toes in all kinds of genres. The title track rules, there are multiple hits, and an epic closer with "Harmony". "Sweet Painted Lady" is also a personal favorite melody. It's perfectly produced and arranged music without being self-serious; there is a healthy balance of nostalgia and camp in the "old time rock and roll" type tracks and their lyrical content; thematic without being repetitive. This is also the rare double album that never drags on and seems to lack filler material. I genuinely think this has a strong case for any best albums of the 1970s list and am always happy to have a reason to listen to it.

You cannot underscore the man! It must have been something really cool to see him live.

yesss eltonas gerai pavare

banger after banger. what can I say? A banger is a banger.

Elton Jhon rocking like never before! Or after.

Back-to-back excellence. This Song Has No Title and Grey Seal were standouts, and both new to me. Love the waltzy air to Sweet Painted Lady. Love the divergence into country with Roy Rogers and Social Disease too. REALLY interesting directional changes in Harmony, and LOVE the chord changes at the end.

I knew this album but I did not KNOW this album. Its 5 stars it just is. From the opener thru the title track to Grey Seal to okay so Jamaica Jerk Off is a bit out there to All the Girls Love Alice to Saturday Night's Alright this album is firing on all cylinders. Okay, so it could probably afford to lose a song or two but even with it being a little overly long it is still 5 stars from me.

Absolutely what a double album should be. This is 17 tracks long and not a single throw away in the bunch.

In my head, I feel like I have a bias against pre-90s albums. They make up a very small portion of my listening outside of what I do for this project, perhaps I partly think they are limited by the technology that was available at the time and I get it in my head that it won't be that great. Then, when I listen to an album like this, all those concerns go away. Of course I knew the hits from this album (who doesn't, and they're amazing) but the entire album is excellent throughout. 70s Elton John is an extremely strong vocalist and he shines through on all the tracks, and the compositions are excellent as well. Definitely a 5/5 from me.

Even with Jamaican Jerk-Off this is five stars. Beautiful instrumentation, great variety in lyrics and musical styles and fantastic arrangements. This sort of lush musicality is such a feature of 70s rock albums, I wish it would make a comeback. Song of the album: Too many but either "Candle in the Wind" or "Saturday Night's (Alright for Fighting)".

Easy solid 5. We've got this vinyl and Ryan did not fight me playing it.

Truly the worst thing you can say about this album is that it sets its own standards far too high. I'm always a bit sceptical when I see a double album. Elton John and Bernie Taupin have a reputation for extravagance in their music, and it's fully realised here. Even the deep cuts here seem to receive the same amount of love as the tracks that the band probably knew would be big hits. None of this feels phoned-in or like they are going through the motions. Sure, Side D doesn't hit as hard as Side A but it's still good. Highlights: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I've Seen That Movie Too, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Musical perfection personified.

A classic, really like this one.

His best album, hands down

This is a classic a favourite of people a certain age Thee are spake all timers on here and so many good things Great lyrics and musicianship

# Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – An In-Depth Review ## 1. Lyrical World - **Story-telling cinema-scope**: Bernie Taupin treats the double-LP like a panoramic film reel—Marilyn Monroe elegy (“Candle in the Wind”), comic-book dystopia (“Bennie and the Jets”), gangster novella (“Danny Bailey”), Oz-weary homesick parable (title track). - **Core themes**: – *Escape from artifice* – the wish to “go back to my plough” is a recurring Taupin confession of farm-boy unease with fame’s excess . – *Lost innocence* – dead screen icons, dead 1930s outlaws, dead lesbian teenager (“All the Girls Love Alice”) populate a sepia America Taupin absorbed from movies, not life. – *Rock-’n’-roll as circus* – several songs mock or celebrate the performer’s life, most explicitly the fake-live satire “Bennie and the Jets” . - **Writing quality**: razor-sharp couplets sit beside clunky filler (“getting paid for being laid” is still cringe) . ## 2. Musical Kaleidoscope - **Instant hooks + conservatory chops**: Elton wrote most tunes in 10-20 minutes, yet they brim with tempo changes, gospel chord pivots, chromatic walk-downs and trademark pentatonic piano riffs . - **Style atlas**: – Prog-rock overture (“Funeral for a Friend”) – Glam-soul stomp (“Bennie…”) – Pub-rock thrash (“Saturday Night’s Alright…”) – Country-rock shuffles (“Roy Rogers”, “Social Disease”) – Reggae-calypso detour (“Jamaica Jerk-Off”) – Music-hall sing-song (“Your Sister Can’t Twist…”) - **Band chemistry**: the classic quartet (Johnstone, Murray, Olsson) is tight; Paul Buckmaster’s string charts add grandeur without syrupy overkill . ## 3. Production & Sound - **Recorded in 15 turbo-charged days at France’s Château d’Hérouville after fleeing Jamaica’s civil unrest** . - **Producer Gus Dudgeon**: piles on stereo-panned guitars, horse-hoof percussion, canned applause, wind FX; yet every element is crisply layered (exemplary in the 2014 remaster & Apple Digital Master) . - **Double-LP sprawl**: allows cinematic segues—organ dirge explodes into power-chord anthem, honky-tonk piano dissolves into string quartet, album ends with a cappella “Harmony” tag. ## 4. Cultural Impact & Legacy - **30 million sold**, Billboard #1 for two months, 7× platinum in US; Elton’s passport to stadiums . - **Four permanent radio staples** (“Candle…”, “Bennie…”, “Saturday Night…”, title track) covered, sampled, sport-arena sing-alonged for five decades. - **Title song became shorthand** for disillusionment with celebrity; 1997 Princess Diana rewrite cemented its cross-generational status . - **Artists from Axl Rose to The Killers cite it**; Dream Theater still close live sets with “Funeral/Love Lies Bleeding” . --- ## Pros & Cons (short-score) | PROS | CONS | |------|------| | 1. Seventeen songs, almost no two alike—yet Elton’s melodic gift holds it together . | 1. Seventeen songs—inevitable filler (“Jamaica Jerk-Off”, “Dirty Little Girl”) dilute momentum . | | 2. Bernie Taupin’s lyric novellas: witty, cinematic, emotionally open . | 2. Taupin occasionally drops juvenile or clumsy lines that haven’t aged well . | | 3. Top-tier musicianship & Dudgeon’s state-of-the-art 1973 sonics; still sparkles in hi-res . | 3. Double-album length felt indulgent even in the vinyl era; many argue a single-disc edit would be flawless . | | 4. Four era-defining hits plus deep-cut gems (“All the Girls Love Alice”, “I’ve Seen That Movie Too”) . | 4. Some genre experiments (reggae, music-hall) feel like costume changes rather than conviction . | | 5. Cover art & packaging became pop-culture icons; gate-fold fantasy invites imagination . | 5. Gate-fold fantasy also branded Elton as “campy showman”, overshadowing his serious songwriter side for critics . | --- ## Verdict Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a flawed masterpiece—too generous for its own good, but bursting with the exuberance of an artist who could toss off a top-ten tune before lunch. Its lyrical mix of nostalgia, satire and vulnerability, married to Elton’s effortless melodic arsenal, explains why the album still feels like a fireworks show half a century on. Trim four tracks and you’d have the perfect 50-minute LP; keep the sprawl and you have rock’s most entertainingly cinematic double-feature.

Love it. Own it.

Iconic album. One of his best.

Trop bon. Estomaquée dès le début par la virtuosité de la composition et l'efficacité des ambiances. Ce mélange de jazz / rock / pop est exquis, l'instru est folle, la compo est hyper créative je trouve, sur le chant (autant la voie principale que les choeurs) comme sur les sonorités plus originales qui s'ajoutent aux instrus. J'adore les mélodies autant que le groove et les textures. Un timbre puissant et doux, très riche. Je veux ce mélange piano - batterie - voix dans mes oreilles plus souvent.

It took me quite some time to listen to this gem from start to finish My favorites: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding and Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

All time favorite

AMAZING album! I loved the piano so, so much.

Classic, can’t go wrong

5, ca va dans les prefs your sister can't twist = super insulte

A genuine classic album.

Always great

Okay, this is going to sound crazy: prior to this, I'd never listened to a single Elton John album from start to finish. I know the hits, and I was in the thousands-strong crowd at Bathurst's Carrington Park on 22 January 2020 to witness his barely-believable concert date in the town. That still blows my mind to this day that Elton John played in Bathurst, and the fact I was there to write a review of it for the Western Advocate, having been gifted a 'free ticket' valued at $400 [courtesy of Chugg Entertainment] to do so, was a moment I'll never forget. But it took nearly six years before I actually played one of his albums from start to finish, and what an album to start with: his magnum opus, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'. When the first four songs on your record are 'Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding', 'Candle In the Wind', 'Bennie and the Jets' and 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', there's enough game-changing masterpieces already that you could call it a day at a perfect EP and go home, but no, Elton, Bernie Taupin and co. don't stop there. This 76-minute, 18-track behemoth of a record sounds like a painstaking endeavour in songwriting, musical arrangement and production, but in reality, Taupin wrote the lyrics in two and a half weeks, Elton had most of the melodies down during a three-day stay in Jamaica and the album was recorded over two weeks in France. I mean......whoa, what the actual f***? How on earth did they manage that? Probably a lot of creative energy and substances, to be sure, but jeez, what an unreal effort. And the crazy part is this album is mostly killer and barely any filler. Elton's buoyed by his impressive band; David Hentschel (synths), Davey Johnstone (guitars), Dee Murray (bass), Nigel Olsson (drums); and some serene orchestral arrangements by Del Newman and David Katz, but Elton's clearly the star of the show here. Everything he touches on 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' turns to gold accompanied by bursts of emotional energy. This album is truly an incredible work of art. I now understand why Elton is so beloved. The urgency, the passion, the frivolity, the cinematic scope of the music....this album is uniquely and unabashedly Elton, and popular music is all the more magical for it. Best songs: 'Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding', 'Candle in the Wind', 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Dirty Little Girl', 'All the Girls Love Alice', 'Saturday Night's Alright [For Fighting]'

Iconic

God sangskriver, gode ballads, solidt front to back ✨nogle af hans største bangers er på

Muito bom

This is one of my favorite albums of all time

This is another 5 stars right out the gate. Because it’s already one of my favorite albums of all time. This one is special to me.

Prachtig begin met het 11 minuten durende intro! Ik ga hier goed voor zitten want als dit iets zegt is het dat Elton niet bang is voor lange stukken met vrijwel niets. Zo begint het heel mooi met veel piano en de sterke stem van Elton er bij. Is dit genoeg voor een heel dubbelalbum aan prachtige muziek? We gaan het meemaken! Er zit wel best wat variatie op het album, al is 'natuurlijk' de piano en Elton wel het hoofdpunt. Ik ben geen groot fan van Jamaica Jerk-off als nummer, maar het zorgt wel voor een stukje afwisseling. Dat is dan wel weer fijn. Maar eigenlijk heeft dit album het niet nodig? Dit duurt een uur en een kwartier, maar het vloog echt voorbij. Ik heb wat nummers als FAVO gemarkeerd, maar daar hadden er makkelijk meer aan toegevoegd kunnen worden zoals Bennie and the Jets, Sweet painted Lady en nog veel meer. Het vorige album van Elton John hiier vond ik al erg lekker, maar deze is nog groter, grandiozer zeg maar. Ik heb me ontzettend vermaakt en neig heel sterk naar 5 sterren en dat had ik van tevoren toch echt niet gedacht! Echt wie had Elton kunnen stoppen hier? Your Sister cant twist but she can rock n roll is een echte klassieke twistrock song. En daar ben ik normaal niet zo van, maar dit vind ik dan weer echt top. Ja ik neig toch echt naar 5 sterren. Ik heb me eigenlijk maar een moment een beetje geirriteerd, maar zelfs dat nummer is nog wel prima. Niet fantastisch en vooral nogal fout. Maar de rest is goed tot absoluut geweldig. Favoriete nummer is misschien wel Ive seen that movie too, wat een pracht nummer is dat zeg! Gefeliciteerd Elton, je zit in een zeer exclusief gezelschap! FAVO: Funeral for a friend, Candle in the wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Ive seen that movie too, Your Sister, Saturday Night's alright,

Superb

There’s something weirdly funny about getting both Elton John albums three weeks apart… I said in my review of “Madman Across the Water” that that album was Elton’s best, and I stand by that declaration. But man, this is a VERY close second. “Funeral for a Friend” is my favorite track after “Madman Across the Water”—the way it builds so skillfully while weaving in different instruments and John’s piano is explosive and hooks you immediately. And then off we go into “Love Lies Bleeding”! The first four tracks of this album are some of the best in John’s catalog, and there’s a lot of fun to be had as it chugs along. All in all, a successful record!

Elton John always kills it. Grandmaster of piano.

Only negative was the weird Jamaica song

This is really a Genre that’s mostly a miss for me. I don’t really like theatrical rock at all. Too much piano and overly dramatic singing is off-putting to me most of the time. Not really for me, but this one? Well… This is a little different. There were like 2 songs which should’ve been cut, but other than that, this was an amazing listen. The songwriting and the production are insane on this one. Can’t bash Elton’s piano play and singing either. This is a bop. Low 5.

You know, the original Candle In the Wind is a lot easier to listen to than the '97 version. It just feels kind of wistful, remembering a superstar from Elton's youth who imploded at a young age, not like the bizarre parasocial raw grief of the Princess Di rewrite that got severely overplayed during my early teenage years. Ahem. My Elder Millennial youth experience aside, this is a damn good album, and even as a double it never really dragged (my least favorite track being second, it's all up from there!) and didn't feel excessive. Elton was wandering all over the place, experimenting with different styles, and I am here for it. (O.G. Candle In the Wind is decent enough to not knock the album as a whole down to four stars, but I still don't LIKE it. C'est la vie.)

mega tolls album! s erste stuck het mi komplett umghaue, bi vo afang a begeisteret gsi vom album. soo funky, vielfältig und schön. d basslinie, klaviersoli und gitarreduett gönd ab, d instrument sind vielfältig, d rhythme catchy, d harmonie interessant und gfühlsintensiv. s einzige was mer biz schräg inecho isch dasses ide mitti mal recht reggae-lastig und happy-songy wird, das het mi biz gnervt, aber wird ufgwoge dur alli bangers.

Some real classics on here.

Great music

Amazing album Probably no skips

Masterpiece

Eines der großen Werke von Elton John. Mit bekannten Hits, entspannten Pop/Rock-Songs. 5/5

How can Elton John be the only one that makes piano vibrant and not depressing Truly a great album

Great music by a great musician and lyricist.

Cannot believe that I have had 50 years to listen to this album and just now got around to it.

11 minutes first song damn 😭 ahhh nvm i love it hahah i really like it very very much even though i normally prefer guitar albums over piano ones bit long but thats alrightyy

Probally the best album that Elton made so many classics but Benny & the Jets is my Personal favourite

Really no need to say anything. Just listen to the legend.

Classic. One of the first albums I bought.

First half is just fantastic and then there are some more good songs

First double lp I ever bought

This is one of those albums that explains to you very clearly why someone is a legend. Just the introduction alone stunned me. I've never listened to an Elton John album in full, but I get it now. The writing alone is masterful, and I so look forward to sitting with these lyrics—which is to say nothing of his voice and the music. Sweet Painted Lady was one of my favorites, as was the title track. Long Live Elton!!!!

Typically, double albums are a type of ego-driven project by an artist or band that believes their fans want more from them with every new album. What those artists don’t realize is that you always want to leave your fans wanting more. You don’t want to give them reasons to dislike those extra songs on the album or to feel like the double album is more for the band than the fans. There might be one case where a double album might have been better than two separate albums, and that’s with Metallica’s Load and Reload, but I digress. Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a perfect double album. Every song is a banger. The album flows with a loose concept of nostalgia for the past, and every few songs, you get a new musical style, it seems. Plus, the album is loaded with singles that you've already heard, you just didn't know it. Elton John is a musical genius, and his writing partner Bernie Taupin may be one of the world’s best poets/lyricists. Put them together and you have some of the greatest songs ever created. Just on this album alone, you have Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, Bennie & The Jets, Candle In the Wind, and the title track, which I think is vastly underrated. Plus, the album kicks off with one of the hardest rocking songs John ever released, Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. Incredible stuff that I hadn’t heard until my brother told me, “You’ve got to hear this.” It was embarrassing that I didn't know it before Dustin showed me. I don’t have to tell you how good this album is, it’s got accolades out the ying yang, but I can tell you it’s one of the most beautiful and brilliant rock/pop records ever made. You’ll feel good listening to it, and you’ll find yourself singing some of the songs when you aren’t listening to it. I mean, Roy Rogers is such a great song and you’ll only hear it when you listen to the album. Before bed or while you’re winding down for bed, put this on and drift off to dreams of Captain Fantastic and the Brwon Dirt Cowboy.

Superb album, enjoyed best in it’s entirety

still figuring out how to vote/have opinions lmao, 4 or 5 or sure tho. mkay 5

I understand John is one of the greats, however I had never really taken much notice of his work. Before my time. This was a brilliant album. Really enjoyed the instrumental soundscape in addition to his excellent vocals. The opener was amazing.

One of the best albums ever

There's not really a bad song here. The first four in particular are classics, and a great demonstration of what Elton John and Bernie Taupin were capable of at the height of their powers. One of the greatest albums of all time. 5 Stars.

There are generational talents out there, and Elton John is one of them. This album displays that.

Beyond the yellow brick roooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad

Epic. Classic. Easy 5 stars.

Inte hört hela denna tidigare, men det blir den första skivan som jag tveklöst kan ge högsta betyg efter endast en genomlyssning. Mästerligt bra.

This album has arguably the greatest opening 4 songs in music history. It opens with the 11 minute medley “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” it’s gorgeous for the first half and turns into one of the greatest rock songs of all time in the second. It’s one of my favorite recordings Elton ever recorded. This immediately goes into “Candle In The Wind”, his tribute to Marylin Monroe, the soft guitar and backing harmonies have always been favorites of mine on this song. We then get the big hit “Bennie And The Jets” which is one of the most fun lyrical and musical moments in John’s career. It then moves into the title track, my favorite Elton song, the lyrics and vocals are amazing and the harmonies are amazing. The next track “This Song Has No Title” is fun and I love the opening piano line. The remaster of “Grey Seal” is so much better than the original it’s fun and a rollicking good time. “Jamaica Jerk-Off” is somewhat catchy but it’s the only truly weak track on the record. “I’ve Seen That Movie Too” is one of my favorite Taupin lyrics and is gorgeous especially the instrumental in the middle. “Sweet Painted Lady” is really pretty as well. “The Ballad Of Danny Bailey” is a great mob story and I love the opening piano chords. “Dirty Little Girl” is decent too. “All The Girls Love Alice” is one of the great rockers on the album. “Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock N Roll)” is super fun and echoes back to classic rock and roll. “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” is a fantastic rocker and one of the best of Elton’s career. “Roy Roger’s” captures that feeling of nostalgia amazingly and is a go-to hidden gem for me. “Social Disease” is a fantastic country tinged tune and “Harmony” has amazing (well) harmonies. The track is a wonderful end to a wonderful album. This album is one of the greatest double albums of all time. Only two tracks are below average and it’s not significant. The lyrical themes are amazing and there’s a reason it’s John and Taupin’s most celebrated piece.

Classic

amazing although did not like the first song too much. The outro and intro should have been switched would have made a lot of sense. 10 out of 10

Sir Elton John is a legend. And Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is perhaps one of if not the greatest of his albums. Candle in the Win, Benny and the Jets, GYBR, Saturday Night. These are all time classic bangers from one of the greatest artists of all time. I'm waffling back and forth as to if this is a four or five star album. Probably only worth a four, but It's Elton and I feel obligated to go full five stars. Saturday Night will make the playlist because I favor upbeat songs.

When I think "Elton" I think of this sound and energy.

Muy buenos temas y en general buen regusto.

Another one I had never listened to before and a very pleasant surprise. Never had really listened to Elton John and was surprised he could rock this much. Excellent classic rock album!

Отличный альбом ! Шикарный голос Элтона Джона!

An absolute legend. Has to be Elton’s greatest albums ever. Greatness from start to finish.

It’s so funny I got this album right after the Stranger, when I specifically mentioned Elton in that review. This album is incredible. I’ve listened to it many times. My controversial take is that I hate “Saturday.” Favorites: - Funeral for a Friend - Goodbye Yellowbrick Road - Dirty Little Girl - Roy Rogers - Harmony

Fantastic album

Elton John plus Bernie Taupin is a muscial match made in Heaven; they give me goosies so many times across this album. Candle in the WInd takes me to Diana so I cannot listen to it. I've Seen That Movie Too and Listened before? Y Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie And The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I've Seen That Movie Too, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love love love

Absolutely fantastic. Gloriously epic. I've heard a lot of the different songs separately and loved them. This was my first time listening to the full album. I love it!

A classic

Chef d'oeuvre l'intro de Funeral for a friend Et Bennie and the Jets = Intro de Super rich kids de Frank Ocean

A classic. Great album.

This album has been part of my DNA since I was seven years old (my mother had the eight track, which had a slightly different sequence to the original LP) and has never left. This album began my lifelong appreciation of Elton John and his music.

Funeral for a friend is so well done, my favorite of this collection.

This is another one of the albums that takes me back in time. I was born at the beginning of the 70's and, although I don't own this album, I've probably heard every track on it at some stage. It contains multiple classic tracks, no weak tracks at all. This really was Elton John's zenith, or if not, it was during his peak years.

What an album. Awesome all the way around!

An obvious 5-star album, even if it is slightly bloated and could be a couple songs shorter. It’s an essential, timeless record. Probably Elton’s most famous album, the hits are incredible as per usual from his classic era. The album tracks aren’t quite as strong as some of his other records like Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau, but Elton is still at his peak performance here. What an iconic album art too. I’d have loved to have been around when Elton was releasing new albums like this - picking up this record on vinyl had to bea magical moment for millions.

This was brilliant, all the singles hold up despite massive airplay on classic rock radio throughout the US. First track was stunning and very cool, I love those analogue synthesizers he used. Spans all moods and really comes together well despite the longer length.

This was basically a stimming album! The production was so engaging even through slower beats, and each song had a lot of unique and interesting character to them that made re-listening easy to do. A lot of bangers here!

I actually hear a little TSR-era Tame Impala on the intro of Funeral for a Friend lol Great album overall, no notes

Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is the greatest song ever written and you can quote me on that

Beautiful

I’ve known Elton rocks for some time now, but this was still a pleasant surprise. Started to get into some Lion King territory towards the end, but still a great listen.

Showcases Elton John’s versatility and talent. Each song feels like a testament to loss and the different ways we experience saying goodbye. Whether it’s a relationship ending, a close friend dying, or even just saying goodbye to a personal hero, each stage of grief is represented.

This is a very fun (and a bit sad at times) album that has aged amazingly, an amazing listen that feels fresh even after ~50 years. Incredible work. However, should have been cut a little, some songs feel either too long or just dont fit/dont add nothing new. Still, amazing work 87/100

What an album. Almost every song is captivating. The musicality and creativity shines through. Elton's music grabs you by the ears and doesn't let go.

222/1089 - I was surprised and impressed by the amount of texture variety in this double album. I guess I shouldn't be, piano is a very versatile instrument and Elton John knows what he's doing as a pianist and singer. I liked the synth and organ playing too.

Very good

Love it!

Cultural icon and brilliant societal touchstones like this don’t come around often. I almost wish that I hadn’t heard it before

Better than Coldplay

Love this album since my childhood, used to listen to it on tape reel

Great album

There is so much good stuff on this.

One of the few double albums that is not too over-bloated to deserve a top rating. Sure, there are some songs here that are a bit weak, but in many double album playlists, you'll find enough dross that you wonder why the artist didn't just go for a single, really great album. Here, a single album would almost certainly have left out too many terrific tracks.

Can't hear Bennie and the Jets without thinking of this Chris Fleming bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzzkhS_goJk The first 4 tracks on this album - "Funeral for a Friend," "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and the Jets," and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - are an incredibly good run. Unfortunately the album continues on for another 50 minutes after the end of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" without ever hitting that same level again... maybe Elton really *is* bound to the piano by some kind of unseen malevolent force. Decided to weight the first 23 minutes and let it have 5 stars.

Now, this is more like it! Love me some Elton John, especially with Bernie Taupin's lyrics. I'll even excuse Jamaica Jerk-Off because I've Seen That Movie Too is so good. Listened before? Y Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie And The Jets, I've Seen That Movie Too, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

Now, this is more like it! Love me some Elton John, especially with Bernie Taupin's lyrics. I'll even excuse Jamaica Jerk-Off because I've Seen That Movie Too is so good. Listened before? Y Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie And The Jets, I've Seen That Movie Too, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)

Mad at myself that i didn’t listen this record before

tons of bangers on this one, great album benny and the jets is def my favorite elton john song

Mr Elton I’m sorry I wasn’t familiar with your game

A classic.

Phenomenal. Easily some of his best work. It's a great listen and I was just overall super pleased with this album.

I am not a fan of Elton John per se, not my preferred style of music. Even so, this gets 5 stars, it is clearly his masterpiece. Very creative.

Bangers.

Meisterstück eines genialen Teams!

Loaded with hits that have stood the test of time.

Did not things it was going to be this good

Isn't it common knowledge that this is one of the best albums ever made?

Normally don’t dig long albums but this is an exception. Just a high level throughout

One of my favorite albums with my all time favorite Elton song. This album is legendary.

This is arguably my favorite EJ album. I saw him at MSG on the tour introducing this album. The intro for "Funeral for a Friend" was unbelievably surreal, the show was spectacular! Undoubtedly, I have a clear bias as I sat and listened, not something I could objectively set aside. What a great album. If I were to own only one Elton John album, this would be this one.

AMAZING first half. Absolutely goes downhill in the second but the first half was GOAT territory so it retains the 5.

Something about geeked up gay british dudes. They just make some of the best music. Sonically luxurious, harmonically beautiful, it rips it rocks and it rolls. Bonus points for tasteful use of Accoridan and Banjo in some deep cuts. Elton is one of the best composers of a lifetime.