Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Totally okay. I can see the appeal, but it's not for me.

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.

As a piano playing, signer-songwriter I should love Elton - but he doesn't quite do it for me. A couple of tracks are catchy but they don't make up for the crime of (the re-release of) Candle in the Wind.

Love

Hello, baby, hello open your heart let your feelings flow

More prog than I expected but lyrically very dated and generally not my thing.

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

Yuck

A friend of my fathers had this album in 1973, I was still at school, some excellent songs on here, “Bennie and the Jets” reminds me so much of that year, I bought candle in the wind on 7”, BATJ on the B side.

Let's start with the good stuff. Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is fantastic and is my favourite Elton song. It's the closest thing to prog he ever did. The rest, fine but there's a lot of bloat to cut through. If this were a single album, it would have been upper echelon. Instead, it's a decent outing that could have been so much more.

It's really, really long. But it has enough variation, and enough bangers, to get away with that. Nice.

Heeeel tof, leuke vibes Goeie beats

Great album. Candle in the wind hit me yesterday with it being my dads birthday.

I've never been much of a fan of Elton John but I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of this album. Though the last few songs were quite forgettable, the first few and some in the middle made up for that. Best songs: goodbye yellow brick road and benny and the jets

15/17 songs added, really fire album I would listen to this whole album in one sitting depending on the mood I'm in but no its great giving it 5 is overkill

Its a classic album so I can't vote it low i added one song also there was very interesting names of songs like what are we doing in Jamaica? Very interesting

3/17 not really for me

good! had some peaks and troughs but I thought it was solid all round would listen again :)

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!

Me gustó que duran más de un minuto. Que me transmitió calma con lyrics que poco se ve. Elton otra vez me extasiaste.

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

Some absolute bangers here, super fun album. I don't know exactly what it is about Elton John's music that I don't completely resonate with, but there's some intangible factor that I just haven't got over yet. I think it's good and even great at points, but doesn't reach that upper tier for me.

No notes

Iconic album!

Great album! So silly and groovy

Here's the thing - on some level, it makes sense why this record was included. This is the classic Elton John record that a lot of people point to as the best of his '70s run. Odds are good that if you have heard of Elton John before, it was from hearing one of the singles off this record. The title track, "Candle in the Wind", "Bennie and the Jets", and "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)" are all still in considerable rotation. Then you check out this record and realize there are more bangers than just the singles. The 11-minute sprawling medley of "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding", the bouncy, funkin' ode to the sea mammal on "Grey Seal", the smoky cabaret-esque rejection of courtship on "I've Seen That Movie Too", the showtune character portraits of "Sweet Painted Lady" and "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)", the fuzzed-out rocker of "All the Girls Loved Alice", there's a good degree of high-quality piano-driven glam rock on this record. When Elton and Bernie Taupin worked in their pocket, they wrote some wonderful tunes. But here's the problem - for as much as Bernie and Elton were an amazing songwriting duo, even during their most successful run, there were a few bad ideas that slipped through the cracks. At best, the problematic tracks could be viewed as misguided, and at worst, they could be viewed as teetering on cultural appropriation. I've noticed this with "Indian Sunset" on Madman Across the Water, and "Slave" on Honky Château, and it's unfortunately the same case here. "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is a faux-reggae pastiche with Elton singing in a put-on Caribbean accent over a drum machine, and it's as bad as it sounds. Even if it was likely done as a tribute to the country where they recorded this album for a week, it was such a grave misstep in paying homage. I would also argue this is a similar case with the country-aesthetic slow-burn of "Roy Rogers", with Elton sporting a fake Western accent and paying tribute to TV westerns. Even if I do like a warm pedal steel, it's not enough to save the song. The following track, "Social Disease," gets away with the Western aesthetic marginally better, as Elton revels in the drunken debauchery over the banjo twang and glossy guitar licks. Honestly, if Elton and Bernie had taken some time to trim down a few more tracks, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road would have been a slam-dunk in my eyes. I'll still call it a good record, if slightly flawed, where most of the tracks have withstood the test of time.

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.

Classic that I love

no notes

I didn't think that Elton John rocked, but I was clearly wrong. Elton John FUCKING ROCKS.

Opens with several great classic songs that totally justify this album's status and that was making me thing I'd rate this thing a 5, but as it dragged on, there were several instances where I had to resist skipping tracks. (More specifically, the first 4 tracks are all fantastic, but much of the back half of the album is just annoying, e.g. the Jamaican one, the Twist, etc.)

Was okay. A little slow for working out

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.

okei gøy! mamma elsker dette albumet // svinger godt gøy å kjenne igjen frank ocean i bennie and the jets goodbye yellow brick road er en av de beste låtene skrevet this song has no title er en ny favoritt! And each day I learn just a little bit more I don't know why but I do know what for If we're all going somewhere let's get there soon Oh this song's got no title just words and a tune høydepunkt: Bennie And The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I've Seen That Movie Too lowlights: Jamaica Jerk-Off PS. måtte høre goodbye yellow brick road en siste gang før jeg pusset tennene så jeg hørte på headset og sang med og da jeg skulle si natta til mamma sa hun "jeg hører du hører elton john.." også hadde vi en halvtimes prat om musikk.

- not my style

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.

esta weno pero no soy fan de sir elton john, me costo escucharlo todo

enjoyed thoroughly! good vibes and fun songs

The highs on this album are so high, and then the rest is fairly middling. Great drum sound though

es un muy buen álbum con un sonido muy de los 70s mi canción favorita fue your sister cant twist, un rock m n roll muy movido y entretenido

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

This is a classic album that I just didn't connect to that much. I was definitely glad to get an opportunity to listen to it, as I had never heard it from beginning to end. It's pretty dense and orchestral with elements of pop and glam throughout, so I feel like I need to run through it a few more times before I can really judge it. I love the synths and arrangements on the first track. "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," and, of course, there are several undeniably classic tracks here as well. My favorite of the classics is probably "Bennie and the Jets," but I was surprised by how much I was touched by hearing "Candle in the Wind" in its proper context. I was always aware that the song was written about Marilyn Monroe, but I was most familiar with it from its use as a tribute to Princess Diana. "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is where I run into a bit of confusion about the album's tone. It's clearly the worst song on the album. It reminds me a little bit of "Smile Jamaica" by Bob Marley and the Wailers, which was actually written a few years later by people from the country, for the purpose of boosting tourism to the nation they loved. "Jamaica Jerk-Off" exists in this uncanny valley that makes me wonder if it is just bad or so bad it's good, or is it just flat out weird and kind of racist? I'm comfortable with ambiguity in art, but I think maybe this song just sucks. The high points on this record are very high; there are some middling songs, and one very low point. I'll spend some more time with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. For now, I'm going to leave it as an obvious classic of American pop music that I remain pretty ambivalent about. Three stars.

A couple good hits, but the rest didn’t really stand out to me maybe for most people. This is a banger, but for me, it fell to hit the mark.

A classic!

I liked it!

1/9 Classic album. Heard the big hits from this before but never listened to a full album from Elton John. Good stuff

Liked the happy vibes

7.5/10 Amazing intro. I love the energy of this album. It is a bit long though Highlights: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Saturday Night's Alright All the Girls Love Alice Candle in the Wind I've Seen That Movie Too

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

Eh ok Bissl repititiv. Highlights: Benny and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

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.

Okay my review for goodbye yellow brick road…I often consider music an art form. And this is a perfect representation of that. It almost feels like a theatre performance in a sense. It is full of passion and creativity. Excellent song selections and progression of the album with the song placement. I also have been finding it interesting how many variations there are of rock and roll. Cause technically Elton John is rock and roll and at some points I can hear that typical rock and roll sound come out but it just goes to show how vast the genre is.

One of my favorite albums of all time

Pretty solid, has gems, had a fun Elton John run early 2025

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.

Elton, you gotta tighten this thing up. Some real all-timers on this album, but have you considered cutting some of the chaff…. Like, say, Jamaica Jerk-Off, just as an example?

I found the production a little hit or miss, as in some songs just over-produced. But the rest is just perfect

The highs here are incredible. Some of the best music ever recorded...and I didn't know all these songs came off one album. But there's some filler here, too. Jamaica Jerk-Off is terrible. Ultimately, the whole album is just too damn long, too.

B b b bennie and the jets

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

Lovely album, expected the vibe as heard half the tracks before. Funeral for a friend is epic and immense. Great stuff

Most enjoyable albums ------- I listend half of them due to the time limit but all of them are nostalgic -------

Really good! I liked this much more than I expected and will definitely listen again 👏👏

Good songs near the end slow start

Very good, never listened to a full album of his before. -1 for some of the titles that didn't age well

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

I always think I don’t like Elton John, but then hear his 70’s output and realise just how much of his music I actually know and like. This album also really reminds me of the Scissor Sisters (especially Social Disease) which gives it big plus points. Pleasantly surprised at how good this was.

I hadn't heard this before. The hits are great but a lot of the rest of it seemed dull and weirdly misogynistic which I didn't expect at all.

Fantastic album - no notes

I'm a big Elton John fan and this is his best album. The sound is really varied and I love that. Was reminded on listening how far superior this version of Candle In The Wind is to the 90s one, which has very bland and basic production (fair in the circumstances).

This was really good - more of a ballad track. OFC I like the title track.

Great album with some absolute classics in it. It does overstay its welcome with some songs getting pretty weird later on, but it's still good overall.

6/10 classic album, banger opening track. vibe started to get a little repetitive.

Funeral for a friend/Love Lies Bleeding - Ts 11 minutes im crine. Feels very ELO at first. Big p (iano). Any song over 9 minutes can't be higher than a 9 no offense. Third section feels almost Pink Floyd. Surprised no Jeff Lynne anywhere. Would be interested to see an orchestral/wind ensemble version. Almost feels like a mini album by itself. Meaty bass lines. Very good rock overture melody. 8.7/10 Candle in the wind - Piano rock soft. Ahead of its time in a way. Kind of whatever overall but not bad but nothing stands out. 8.2/10 Bennie and the jets - went in knowing this was going to be in the top 4. One of the greatest rock songs. 9.2/10 Goodbye yellow brick road - probably the more underrated of the two songs that are known from this album. Not my personal favorite pre listen though. 9.5/10 This song has no title - funny guy. Quick little tune banged out. Nothing special but interesting. I stand corrected this chorus is peak. 8.3/10 Grey seal - rainbow road? Almost feels like crocodile rock. Also very ABBA. Goofy turnarounds. Very spacey. 8.9/10 Jamaica jerk-off - feels like a John Lennon solo. I don't hate it but it's not my favorite. 7.6/10 I've seen that movie too - jazz club feel. Saddest song so far. 8.0/10 Sweet painted lady - lowkey spaced out during this one got distracted but it's still good. 8.4/10 The ballad of danny bailey - very story based. Feels like rocky raccoon. A little too gimmicky to be taken seriously. 8.6/10 Dirty little girl - honky Tonk piano/organ reminds me of white album beatle. Lots of seemingly filler songs on this album not that any of them are bad. 8.2/10 All the girls love Alice - queer rep in the 70s how interesting. Chugs along good and tight. Has a big sound like the rest of the songs. 8.5/10 Your sister can't twist (but she can rock'n roll) - songs like these are a dime a dozen for Elton but I can't say it's bad. 7.9/10 Saturday nights alright (for fighting) - I came into the album knowing this would be my favorite. I played this song with the university of Arkansas marching band when I was in high school and it was a lot of fun. 9.6/10 Roy rogers - calm waltz. Feels like nearing the end of an album. I think it's about a guy. 8.1/10 Socials disease - with such a long album a few random expirements have to make it through. This is one of them not that it's bad. Animal farm ahh song. 8.0/10 Harmony - the finale. Come back sorta song. Sweet little song to end it off. Ironically the vocal harmony is nice. 7.8/10 Overall - 8.44

mm

Some bangers early, but a lot of dead weight in my opinion - drags

Good album, a few great songs

candle in the wind into bennie and the jets is literally crqzy i didnt know they were like right next to each other

To me, Elton has always been a singles guy and a showman. There are some cracking tunes here, but also a lot of filler and little cohesion.

An enjoyable album that’s too long. It slows down toward the end. Could’ve been a near masterpiece if condensed down to one disc. No matter; he’s a hit machine, especially during this era.

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

It's elton he's awesome, some great stuff here just a few songs I didn't need

too long but a ton of good songs wow - also i really like instrumental bridges and elton john does them better than a mfer - i will say though it’s kind of just not my thing but it’s objectively an incredibly good album

Een rijk en iconisch album dat ik met plezier heb verkend en waarvan ik de historische waarde goed voel. Veel mooie melodieën en duidelijke hoogtepunten, maar als geheel pakte het me niet genoeg om mijn aandacht vast te houden of om er in de toekomst vaak naar terug te keren. Fijn om te luisteren binnen dit project, zonder dat het een persoonlijke blijver wordt.

Starts amazing, first half is great. Second half is extremely mediocre for some reason.

has benny and the jets. has a bit of a marching vibe at times.

Theatrical, creative chord progressions and song structure. 70s production sound. Classic Elton hits

Easy listening … quand même un peu soupe en fait …

Very good like all Elton John’s album !

not bad

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.

Some great tracks … but probably 4 or 5 tracks too long.

mhhh, it was better than the last one but still kinda boring. Some songs were cool mbut most of them tired me out.

I really think I'm just an Elton John singles kind of guy

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

Well I didn't like Elton John before this and I still don't. Never so pleased as when it finished and Thunder Road by Bruuuce came on. 2 out of 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

sounds good, i would listen to again

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

Masterpiece

Another double album, sob. Starts cool but then you are reminded this is Elton John. Could easily be a single album, would be a lot better. So samey so Elton John. 3 Heard before? Some Owned: No: 39/151 (26%) Will I get?

Favorite Songs - Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Candle In The Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Grey Seal, I've Seen That Movie Too, Sweet Painted Lady, The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934), Dirty Little Girl, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), Roy Rogers, Social Disease, Harmony

The 70s was the decade for the solo artist spree and this is one of the standards. Always something interesting going on, band just casually pumping out the unforgettable, Elton John somehow taking the sentimental and elevating it to the epic. I’ve had this record for a while, never gave it a focussed listen, predicted low point failed to appear. “Candle in the Wind” has an elemental appeal that survived a close encounter with a national outbreak of hysteria.

Pretty great run of songs throughout, a bit too long and a bit too hokey but I'm giving it a 5 for Xmas. One I remember fondly from my Uncle's collection as a young 'un, fascinated by the individual illustrations for each track on the inner gatefold. Now for another vodka and tonic..

jesus i'm still on the first song?? so incredibly mid but some songs are great?

1973. All the good musical weed in the 60s had gone up in smoke and now we must scrape the resin-crusted bowl that is 70s rock. Those first couple hits are Zeppelin and Floyd and Neil Young and then the last couple hits, the ones that taste like ass and make you dizzy, are everybody else.

Little long, 3.5 for the 4 or so classic tracks

Like all double albums ever released by any artist, if all the dud songs were pulled and just the great ones left, it would make a perfect album. Seeing as there are too many songs, the effect is a perfect album is now watered down and becomes average.

I haven't listened to much Elton John, but this was a pretty solid album.

Me gustó mucho, ya conocía 2 canciones definitivamente seguiré escuchando varias de las canciones de este álbum me gusta mucho la vibe que tienen. 9/10

I’m really not vibing with Reggie’s music, I’ve learned from this list. Even though all of my favorites of his are on this record (Funeral For a Friend, Bennie, Saturday Night etcetc), a ton of the tracks to me lay a static wall of generic rock to me that’s too focused on sounding grandiose in performance but not in actual musical diversity.

Pass

Listnened Before? N Never heard this one all the way through but I like all the songs in between the big hits. It's honestly pretty gritty lyrically - also pretty funny. Really dug it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Good album. I was glad to see that some of my favorite songs from Elton were on this album (Bennie and the Jets and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to name two).

Мне нравится звучание. Треки "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" и "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" особенно запомнились, ещё понравился "I've Seen That Movie Too". "Sweet Painted Lady" – controversial, как по мне. "Dirty Little Girl" — тоже. В целом кайф и приятное открытие на 7/10, хоть я не большая ценительница олдскульного такого рока и Элтона Джона, понимаю величие. Но не понимаю фиксации на 16-летках в текстах))) Понравилось, как в конце "Roy Rogers" скачет лошадка.

The opening track is a pretty crazy opening, starting like some eerie movie track into a rock pop amalgamation that sounds pretty epic. Candle in the wind... I'm familiar with this track. I fucking love this song. Something about the song writing speaks to me. I love the tempo and how all the instruments compliment each other. Its apparent that its about Marilyn Monroe, I don't know much about her, but this track confirms all the stuff I've heard about her being sexually abused basically her whole life. A very sad but great song. Bennie and the Jets. I really like this track, gets my head bobbing every time, and its the only Elton John song my Gen Z Girlfriend likes. Its overplayed for me because I hear it all the time out and about, and at work, so all I'll say Is it's an phenomenal piano song. The solo always tickled my brain when I first heard it. Good stuff. Good Bye Yellow Brick Road. A very good song about rejecting fame and fortune for a simpler life, written by Elton's song writing partner. I suggest you google more, its pretty interesting. Good song. The rest of the songs are varying but overall good. I was pretty disinterested in them honestly because I felt like the song writing got really boring and same-y but its worth a listen to see if you like anything. Amazing start to an album that gets boring as it gets to the end.

Elton John regele meu, coaie prea bun

Astro!

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

Liked this one a lot more than the other Elton album I’ve gotten recommended. I think the style was key to that; this one was much more of a rock effort than Madman. It started off really strong with Funeral for a friend/Love Lies Bleeding, which I found really cool even with its length. Then followed some well known, iconic tracks, leading to the ones I wasn’t familiar with. It tapered off some toward the end, but overall was very strong. The surprising star of the show for me was the guitar. It had a real rock sound and feel on most of the tracks. I prefer it to piano, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much here. Even the slower, piano-based songs were good, for the most part. My only real negatives here were that a couple songs were not good and the length of the album. Jamaica Jerk Off is a likely skip if I listen again. A couple others were just meh, especially when compared to how good the rest of the tracks are. Cutting a few of those out would make it an even stronger, shorter record. And, even though I liked it despite the length, I do think it ran a bit too long. I get it more here than on some others, because the number of good songs was probably too many for a normal record. But it really didn’t need to be 76 minutes long, and that showed as it went on. This one wasn’t perfect, but it still was really good. Overall: 4.1/5

Some very good songs, but some were so boring.

What's left to say about this album...

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

Elton John at his finest. Some absolute classics here.

Already know this gets a 5

Banger

A very enjoyable listen. Somehow, I've never gone out of my way to listen to Elton John before, his stuff has always just been in the ether and I'd picked up bits and pieces but never just put on his work to intentionally check it out. This was really well made and it's obvious why it's on the 1001 Albums list. Favorite tracks were Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I've Seen That Movie Too, Social Disease, and Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting). I think I've Seen That Movie Too was my number one favorite on the album. I was going to include Benny And The Jets because it started strong but then idk it just kind of lost me. Anyway, good stuff. 8/10, 4 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

if this were put at the beginning of the list, I would've given it a 5 hands down....after listening to so many great albums, I'm not sure it actually deserves all the 5's it gets though :/

God his piano playing

What an amazing opening track. An album like this, spanning 17 songs at nearly an hour and a half, is likely to have some duds. There are some fantastic songs and a few duds. The album starts to drag in the end and the piano ballads start to become tiresome. Still, I can’t deny the ambition of this album and how significant it is in the grand scheme of music history. Great record.

Five big booms

Not my style

3.97

Beste albumet hans

I liked this. It had quite a few songs that I know on it. My favorite Elton John song is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It was a long album though and I really only liked the songs I already knew.

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.

1. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding I love the way this song builds, it's so cool. Auuuuugh the piano is beautiful. Could kinda do w/o the synth but that's okay (especially at the beginning it's really piercing and annoying). The tempo change into like the lilty sound was a little interesting, still kept a nice groove though. The guitar solo makes my heart happy though. Love the lyrical part, so like unusually happy for what the song seems like it's about. Classic Elton John stuff, honestly this songs would be so much more popular if it were two songs, cause most people don't have the patience for the beginning. But yeah, I get that isn't what music should be about. Also gotta say the second time Love Lies Bleeding lyrics came out it felt a little repetitive. Kinda want some more variation or something, repeating the chorus and same lines doesn't really match the vibe of the song. 7/10 Not revelatory, solid song, would recommend, wasn't good enough to make me smile. 2. Candle In The Wind Nice, slow tempo, balances out the quick tempo of the other song, nice break. Nice twist on what my generation would call a classic slow song. Very good pace of song, 1:50 and I barely noticed. Nice message too I actually relate with this a lot, I am not good at making decisions, kind of a wake up call, I gotta make decisions and put my life in order. 7/10 Would have liked some more actually, but maybe I would have gotten bored, the message was cool and kind of needed. 3. Bennie And The Jets I love this beginning it's so good. Makes me think of The Walters (at least the feel of the vocals), good band, would recommend them. Nice jazzy feel, it's really nice. I'm disappointed at myself for not listening to Elton John enough, he's actually got some really cool sides. Piano solo is peak, kinda want more, but I'm also a little bit of a jazz kid so I guess I'm biased. Kinda interesting there's always like this random synth coming through and other strange sound effects, I really don't like it, cause it's kinda to distract from the repetitiveness of the song, gah, I thought I was gonna like that one. 6/10 Weird synth sounds, did not match the vibe. I liked it otherwise though. 4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Classic, this is one of the few Elton John songs I had already listened to. Gives off some sort of Beatles vibe, like Yellow Submarine type stuff. Love the classic background vocals, the aaaaaaahs really get me. Kind of nice message, leaving what you have been doing and going forward 8/10 Classic, nice message 5. This Song Has No Title The meaning of this song is a little beyond me, I probably need to read the lyrics. One sec. Kind of an interesting message, it seems like a story about learning through life, and getting prepared for death. Seems like there is also some sort of identity crisis going one, especially with the last line being "this song has no title just words and a tune" or something like that. 6/10 Not particularly spectacular just by sounds, does have an interesting message, but kind of no answers, and I don't relate to this songs as much. 6. Grey Seal Like the beginning good piano riff. Nice tempo, very contrasting to the previous piece. Like the little wuh-da wuh-da wuh-dah doot dah or whatever, fun little pause. Never a dull moment, nice and cool song. I also love the drums, they are not boring at all really nice. The guitar solo is cool, maybe a little extra on the reverb? but honestly fits the silly feeling of the song. 7.5/10 It was interesting and fun, but the lyrics would have needed to be more impressive to be an 8. Jamaica Jerk-Off Kinda like the different style of drums, grooves very well. I think I could like this song a lot, instruments aren't overpowering but they are still interesting, would like lyrics to change more, but I'm kinda seeing that that isn't Elton John's thing. Kind of interesting mumbling part in the middle, but I won't hate on that (too much). I think Imma move to Jamaica 7.5/10 Nice vocals, interesting at the beginning, began to be repetitive I've Seen That Movie Too Very nice mellow and slightly jazzy sound, good bass line, at least for the message, maybe a little boring for the bassist (but that's okay they are used to it). Never mind the bass line's kicking up. Very cool song though, like the violins, also the piano in Elton John's music is always on point, probably one of the high points of his music. Background guitar is cool, very nice touch, love the way it transitions into a solo. 8/10 I liked the lyrics, the feel, the piano was very nice, I didn't get bored, in fact the whole song was pretty engaging. Sweet Painted Lady Okay the start of this one is pretty promising. Getting subliminal Billy Joel vibes, which is always a plus. I think the accordion? is very fitting, makes it feel like Venice or France. I could see this playing in the background of some sort of romance movie. I don't like the seagulls 7.9/10 Sorry it was great, but the seagulls The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934) Wow, huge mood change. Piano weirdly made me think of Under Control by Parachutes, I dunno why, they aren't really similar (I listened to it earlier today). But Under Control is a peak song, a little repetitive, maybe. I like the feel of this song, nice, rigid, a little driving. I haven't really been paying attention to the lyrics, but poor Danny Bailey, sounds like a cool guy. Okay this is scary, I'm getting Coconut Mall vibes (Mario Kart), never quote me on that. But also thinking of two songs that are peak is a really good sign. This is song is cool. 8.5/10 Loved the piano the feel, felt like I was riding a wave the whole time. (Elton John has a weird thing about making sad songs happy) Dirty Little Girl Sorry this song has too similar of a feel to The Ballad Of Danny Bailey, my brain is getting bored. But it is a good song, nice guitar riff and good piano. The vibe isn't quite right to me though, it's like Elton John is a little out of his element maybe? Or I'm just in a different mental space, I can't tell. I could do without the random blaring synth. 7/10 I just couldn't with this song, my brain tells me it's good, but my ear doesn't jive with that. All The Girls Love Alice Okay, we back, Imma like this one, nice driving beat, good riff. I'm Still Standing type feel, except not quite the same, it's good. Love Elton's voice on the one (I can call him Elton, right?). Ooooooh nice good slow section, like the disappearance of the backgrounds. Oooooaugh, the bass, the guitar, perfect. Okay, I'm like mentally praying to music gods (that don't actually exist, I'm Christian) that this song doesn't get boring. Yesss, this beautiful, like the nice experimental sounds, they weren't right in some of the other song, but this style is messy enough that it fits, at least better. 8.5/10 I would love to say higher, but it still wasn't quite top tier, but it was truly a work of art. Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock'n'Roll) What's this funky-ahhh honkty-tonk rock that decided to show up? I dunno, but at least it's mostly grooving. Like the little organ, and like the classic a'cappella thing. Okay, what the freak, who asked the circus to join? This has gotta be the most interesting mash-up I've heard in this album. 6.5/10 Kind of random, kind of liked it, kind of was scared of it, but not the worst thing ever. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) Okay, back in the groove again, this one is pretty good. Moved past the honky-tonk and into more classic stuff. Pretty good, kind of just classic stuff, definitely not a bad song, nothing too special though. Nice drums, solid guitar, but really no huge wow factors. 7/10 Solid song, good groove, wasn't too boring, maybe a little repetitive, but I didn't want to die, or skip (I haven't skipped a single song, I ain't disrespecting anyone like that). Roy Rogers Good, nice slow song, much needed contrast to all the upbeat songs. Very classic, pretty similar to Candle in the Wind. Finally thought of the song they both remind me of, God Bless the U.S.A. which is obviously very well-known. So it's kind of hard when a song sounds a lot like it, not that God Bless the U.S.A. isn't annoying but it also makes the other songs harder to listen to. But this is a good song too. 7/10 Good solid song, won't make anyone go crazy, but very nice. Social Disease Love the slight bluesy-ness, and the little growls in his voice. Nice country feel, very cool. He said tequila +.1 points. I always have to give points for a sax solo, even if it sounds a little fake (I play saxophone). Pretty good style, impressed with the high notes if it is real, it is a little basic, but that's how all pop sax solos are, soooo.... eh. I can kinda agree with the message of the song, of being a social disease, I don't always get high, but I am not good at talking to people. 8.1/10 Good song, I liked it, sax solo, interesting and good Harmony Good upbeat slow song, seems to about a girl named Harmony. Could have three meanings, he loves Harmony, Pennsylvania, he likes the girl or he wants to have good harmony (which Elton John already has). Probably the girl one, but who cares. Anyway it was a good slow song, it was engaging, and he said Harmony a bunch, what more can you ask for? 7.5/10 Honestly about halfway through I got tired of the album, but I pushed through and it was really cool. Most of the songs were pretty good, Elton John laid a couple eggs but that's okay. I like Elton John a lot more now and am pretty sad that I didn't like him as much before. 4/5 for the whole album because there were no songs at or above 9/10, but nothing that was worse than a 6/10, it was all some pretty good stuff.

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

I really want to stop giving almost every album three stars but i suppose that's to be expected. has some good tracks but didnt really excite me. Maybe because theres a lot of albums like that that came out later.

yesss eltonas gerai pavare

Not my usual vibe but also not bad

16/1089 I don't know what's letting this as a 4* but it's got a line up of songs that were #1s with others that are also loved and overplayed for 50 years. After a slow first 3 minutes, it takes off and is just another classic EJ album. Fyi, I think Elton John might be gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Hits...funeral, candle, Bennie, GYBR, grey seal, painted lady, Saturday night, and my favorite All the Girls Love Alice

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

3.5 - Good

i like a ton of songs on here, but there's definitely songs that are repetitive or just.. aren't good (jamacia jerk-off...)

A little long and all over the map. Island sounds, old timey, 70s rock, easy listening. It was ok but not very focused.

It's alright but doesn't really need to be an hour and 16 minutes. Kind of overlong. Some good songs are balanced out by a lot of whatever tunes.

Elton John’s cinematic magnum opus double LP is chock full of classics and showcases his talents for drama and flair while keeping things boogieing.

I have never listened to this album in its entirety before. What an album it was. The opener, ‘Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding’, was so good it ended up being my favorite track on the album. The hits are all still S-tier songs, but the deeper cuts ‘Grey Seal’, ‘Dirty Little Girl’, and ‘All the Girls Love Alice’ are all great. There are two duds (‘Jamaica Jerk-Off’, ‘Roy Rogers’) that keep it from being perfect, but the album is still great and I will be listening again. Solid 4/5

many popular songs, but it's ok for me

Ummm it’s a classic but it’s just okay.

Before this came up in the mix, I had never listened to a Elton John album in full before. Obviously I know a lot of these songs. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't this. I was pleasantly surprised. I feel like you could draw a line from this to Meat Loaf, especially that first song, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies. Separately, I really dig that stutter on Bennie and the Jets. The song, Jamaica Jerk Off, is a really strange title, I'm not sure what it means (insert side eye emoji). It's not bad per se but it does not vibe with the rest of the album, which makes it stick out like a sore thumb. I don't dislike it, it's one of the better 1970s Brit reggae track.

I'm gonna be generous and dole out a 4 but only because I can't give a record featuring Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting anything less.

Wasn't sure at first, but there's a very strong run of songs a bit further in. A lot of fun, no bad tracks. Best track is Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (banger), but made some very enjoyable new discoveries too. A little overlong, but works well spread out through the day as I've done. Would listen again.

Man these guys were really rocking. Elton John is in a league of his own and this album rules start to finish. Total classic!

I loved this album.

Elton and Bernie at their finest.

Excellent album d'Elton John

This list has been challenging for me. I really don't like stuff like this, but I see it's highly regarded. I knew 3 of the songs from the radio growing up but was very tired of hearing classic songs like that already. So I want to give this a 2 but I'll be more open and give it a 3.

Elton Jhon rocking like never before! Or after.

Great songs.

Apart from the 11-minute progressive rock surprise of the first track, and what is undoubtedly his best track in Bennie and The Jets, this album is yet another collection of Elton John songs, and not much beyond that. I don’t care for Candle in the Wind or the title track, though I don’t hate them either. And as for the rest, well I can hardly remember them to be honest. Apart from the fake reggae farce of Jamaica Jerk-Off, which is the only one I’d particularly like to forget. It gets the score bumped up for the first side. But sides B, C, and D leave much to be desired, namely, a good memorable tune.

Es un disco que no había escuchado realmente. Nunca pensé en Elton John como alguien tan experimental.

For every classic on this there’s a song like “Jamaican Jerk-Off” where Elton adopts an embarrassing accent for a best forgotten ditty. It’s just the highs are incredibly high. 4/5

I have always liked 1970s Elton John but have leant more towards Madman Across the Water and Tumbleweed Connection than this album. And, on the whole, having listened to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in its entirety for the first time in years, I have to say I still prefer the other albums, and the wonderful live album, 17-11-70 to this double album. That said, the opening “Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding”, all 11 minutes of it, may be the best thing Elton ever recorded, and is prog-rock to rival Genesis or Yes, and the rest of side one, “Candle in the Wind”, still a triumph, and one of Bernie Taupin’s most affecting lyrics, despite the maudlin Princess Diana ‘90s version, and “Bennie and the Jets” represent perhaps the best LP side of Elton’s career. It could be argued that a single album of sides 1 and 2, dropping the poor “Jamaica Jerk-Off” and squeezing on “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Harmony” would be an undeniable 5-star triumph, but there are good songs elsewhere which do more than just fill the space. Aside from the best known songs, there are surprises like “Grey Seal”, “Sweet Painted Lady” and “I’ve Seen That Movie Too”. Elton’s regular band are excellent thoughout and Gus Dudgeon’s production is crisp with a wide soundstage.

To be transparent, I've only heard probably 1/3 of this album, but I almost felt like I knew every song because you just love his music so much that any of it is good. Could listen to it over and over without any hesitation.

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.

it’s good alright it’s a good fucking album

Hard to think of many classic albums that start stronger than this one.

So good

I think this review would be more fair if I had listened to it as the double album it originally is, because listening to every song in one long sequence makes the album feel too long. But the songs that hit, hit hard. Especially in the first half, because the second half was a bit weaker in my opinion. But 'Social Disease' picked it back up. And as I said, the songs that hit, hit hard. So I still want to give this album and mr John his credits. While the songs were swinging and groovy, there is a real emotional rawness behind it. I appreciate that.

This album feels incredibly hard to rate because of it being a double record and the first half being just so much better than the second in my opinion. Side Note: I fucking love the piano When the first 5/6 songs were done playing I thought to myself this might get a pretty high rating if it keeps up. It didn't. My god there's a lot of songs I consider to be filler, just songs that kill all momentum when listening to the album. The final songs made me want to skip through them instead of listening to them. If the album was only the first record/first 7 songs then it could've been a very high 4 Unfortunately I am rating an album and not only the best songs of said album. The length of the album, and the amount of songs that drag the album needlessly to said length, made me go all the way down to a 3 sadly. (would give a 3.5 if possible)

Ovaj album zvuči kao da baš ima ogroman potencijal, but can't quite get there. Šteta, jer neki dijelovi zvuče jebeno. I dalje mi oke album, ali imam filing da je mogao biti blizu masterpieceu. 3/5, 5.5/10

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.

I really liked Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It sure has been a while since i last reviewed Elton John which makes sense as the two i have done (including this one) are his only ones. I still like this one quite a lot more since it has a lot more to it and the songs here don't have any super long build-ups which did kinda plague Madman Across The Water. The music here was absolutely fantastic and while the album did go on for a bit long, i didn't feel like it was too bloated as the songs then were still very good. It does unfortunately get docked a star because there are some points where John's voice isn't great along with the ones where it is but this is still a great album. Best Song: All the Young Girls Love Alice Worst Song: Bennie and the Jets

7/10.

Not my personal style

It’s gooood

did not finish, but will try to finish

So fun.

Great genuinely, really enjoy this

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)".

7/10 Classic, very listenable. Not what I'd choose to listen to very often but would own on vinyl and listen in the background or for an event.

Great album. And 1973. Crazy that he's still going strong.

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

This album is a surprising mix of an incredible journey and a complete slog to get through. No wonder it's a double LP. Honestly though, while I loved this thing, the first half is really what carries the entire record. I found myself wanting to skip songs as I got towards the end. Once the overall idea of the album was prescribed to me in the beginning, the lack of fresh ideas or creativity towards the end made this drag. This sounds like an overtly negative review, but it's not. The album is so widely praised I'm not going to bother typing something out that I'm sure a heap of people have before. It's a great album, I just think it's a big loaded and could be way more concise.

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

Elton is so recognisable, he just has such a sound that you know it’s his. And it’s in a good way too. Whilst this isn’t my favourite and I won’t claim it to be, it’s an album that I enjoyed even if it it’s over an hour long.

- What an intro! Giving rock opera. Broadway quality almost. No lyrics until almost 6 mins into the song- over halfway through! - Oh Bennie and th jets is on this album. A classic, but also kinda bad? - I’ve definitely heard goodbye yellow brick road as well. Not bad - I’m liking the piano in this song has no title - I’m liking how upbeat and fast paced grey seal is. I feel like this would be a good song to run to. - I like all the girls love Alice. Like actually saving to my playlist! - Saturday nights alright is also getting added to th playlist

Not a fan but I believe it is a classic to some.

Knew the big ones, of course. But enjoyed this as a total package (even if it was a bit long). A proper album with a vision.

longtime listener of A Select Few Elton John Songs, was nice to finally sit down and listen to an album beginning to end

I’ve been meaning to get round to a deep dive into Elton John albums for a while. People always rave about his early 70s work but I’ve never really heard anything except the omnipresent hits. After this I’m still not convinced there’s a non-omnipresent hit worth listening to. Look I’m no different to anyone else we all like screeching Benn-ay at the top of larynxes and laughing at the weird squelchy 70s synth sounds but what else are people getting out of this? ‘Cos I’m not getting it. It’s vaguely interesting how even to my cloth-ears the opening instrumental is immediately recognizable as an Elton John song though. Not bad for a lyricist. Also, why does he repeatedly say I’m batshit during “Dirty Little Girl”. Also, do you think they had The Who in mind when they recorded Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting because if so it’s a perfect pastiche, possibly even more than The Who’s version of it.

I knew this was a rated album, and considered a classic. I’d never ventured into Elton John’s albums, only previously being exposed to his singles. I liked this. Interesting to hear Elton John not in the “singles” context. It got maybe a little too jolly for me towards the end, but this is a worthy addition to the list. Horrible cover art though.

Great album overall. Lots of hits. But also lots of just generally good songs as filler.

Musical perfection personified.

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a lengthy album spanning many genres. It starts off particularly strong with a series of hits both energetic and reflective, including the 11-minute epic 'Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding'. Yet despite the varieties of sound present in the album, it is heavily top-loaded and feels overstuffed towards the end, and it is not unlikely that as a whole it would have been stronger without many of the later tracks. Further, the songs at the start while good feel more like a compilation of greatest hits, rather than a collective album. Although the musicality is great, it suffers from the sense of lethargy permeated its later tracks.

A classic, really like this one.

the 70's continues to deliver. Elton at his best?

His best album, hands down

Listen again!

Very good album worth a listen

Great album front to back. Classic

Goodish

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

Surprisingly good. Had no idea that so many of his hits were on this album. Really good.

Medium

# 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.

мне нраица!

Painfully overrated.

Album is a classic for a reason, the highs are incredible and rightfully iconic. Not much else to say other than a few songs in the middle dragged a tiny bit for me

Epic

This album has hit after hit on it. Insanely good. Elton John cooked with this one, as they say.

Iconic album. One of his best.

I just don’t really like this guy. Sue me.

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.

Jamaica Jerk-Off : un morceau incroyable de A à Z; de même pour Saturday Night's Alright; par contre je trouve que les autres morceaux se fondent un peu dans la masse de la production musicale de l'époque, peut-être dû au fait qu'on s'habitue rapidement à la voix d'Elton John quand elle passe légèrement en background. une très bonne prod, des titres que j'aurais aimé avoir choisis, mais l'album ne m'emballe pas plus que ça alors qu'il réunit pourtant pas mal des éléments qui me font en général apprécier un album. c'est aussi peut-être la longueur de l'album qui a joué (au-delà de 9 sons je trouve qu'on peut difficilement trouver des albums sans "filler tracks"), alors que s'il avait été un peu plus compact je pense qu'il aurait pour moi été plus impactant. un 3.5.

Album is lit 🔥

This was good, but I didn't like love listening to it.

Wouldn’t say i am a big fan of Elton, but they are a great song writing partnership, and he is definition of star power, and these 70s albums are well good. Classic album without doubt, not sure what Jamaica is but whatever you gotta try. It’s probably should be a 5 Star but for me 4 Star

Elton John is great here, but this album stumbles a bit as it goes on. The 11-minute opening track is phenomenal, and there's quite a few great, classic Elton John sounds throughout the album. Some of the tracks make me cringe a bit - "Jamaica Jerk-Off" especially - but despite those missteps it's a really fun listen. Favorite track(s): "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

Lot of shorter lesser known songs on this one. Dilutes the better ones. One hell of an opening track though

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)

A classic but not my thing

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is like a cross between an 80s sci-fi death scene and Meatloaf. I bet Meatloaf loved Elton John. Eleven minutes is too long for an opening track. Candle In the Wind...the most famous song ever about a horny teenager. This song loses something when you know that later he'd remake the lyrics for Princess Diana. One a meditation on nostalgia and the images we carry with us from our youth....the other either a treacly attempt to express sorrow for a rich and powerful woman who never had a really hard day in her life or else a treacly cash crab and cynical injection of himself into a famous death. Bennie and The Jets is one of my least favorite Elton John songs but it was turned into the awesome Tribe Called Quest (featuring Busta Rhymes) song Solid Wall of Sound. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on the other hand is one of my favorites. All of Elton's songs have a cinematic quality to them. Maybe that credit should go to Bernie Taupin. It's a double album! And all the hits were on the first side of the first disc.....it's going to be a long day. British musicians love Jamaican music. I've Seen That Movie Too is a good song. The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934) is like the lyrics to early Bob Dylan with the music of a carnival. I'm not sure if this is the spiritual center or the pop music floor of glam rock. Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) would have been the theme song for college football coverage if it had been released in 1994. It's catchy and the best song since the hits from the first side. The chirping birds on Social Disease are really distracting. His hits are hits but everything else is just "Generic Elton John" song. I'm surprised he didn't write a musical, his music is like one step short of it already.

Elton John writes pretty good material. He is also a great performer. This is good quality rock.

This was great aside from the Jamaica sing

Good but too long

Not always my personal style - too show tuney for me. But excellent musicianship, culturally iconic, and the best songs are fantastic. There are low points - Jamaican Jerk-off is an inexplicable embarrassment.

Yeah I'm sure it's great and all, but holy fuck I ain't about to listen to 2 hours.

Nice album, one of the best from Elton John

I was shocked how many songs from this album I recognized and I am by no means an Elton John fanboy. Prior to listening to this that is. There’s so many bangers in this album alone it’s no wonder Elton is still relevant today. Probably won’t return to the album too often but I’ll enjoy the tracks when they come on fs.

All time favorite

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

Some great songs, but could have easily been cut down to make a better single-disc album.

Classic, can’t go wrong

8.23 - Musically good, not exactly my favorite. Solid voice, some good beats/vibes. Best: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, This Song Has no Title (8.7). Worst: Your Sister Can’t Twist (7.9)

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

There are some bangers on this album. Unfortunately there were some cringe songs too. Elton John continues to be a mixed bag for me.

I was surprised by how many songs on here I knew.

It's kind of peak Elton John, but I have trouble caring about Elton John. The music is good and everything is generally very competent, but it all slides right off me like a smooth goop. Bennie and the Jets is fun, but Candle in the Wind is just straight up bad (cringy, awkwardly paced, hard to listen to) most of the rest, even the hits, aren't really worth mentioning. The cover however, is great! It's also cheesy, but it's so extra I am willing to go with it, and the style is unique and appropriate, it's a 4/5.

Suffers from the bloat that affects most double albums, but just enough brilliance to make it an all time classic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Awesome

Not really my kind of music, but the album does have some undeniable classics like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bennie and the Jets, and Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting (my personal favorite). It deserves its spot on the 1001 Albums list, but I wouldn’t listen to it again. 7.5/10

ξαναακουω πολυ καλο 4.5

I like Sir Elton, many of these songs are objectively good, but it's just a pop album. End of the day, it's not much to write home about. Not even a real message. He gets a star for this being Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - i.e. yes, you absolute must listen to it before you die.

4.6

A genuine classic album.

Complete and utter toss.

If this is the epitome of Elton John then count me out. Wow, the three songs I've heard a thousand times were still heads and shoulders above the rest. 1 hour 16 minutes? No thanks. "Say one thing nice"... The opening track was at least provoking.

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]'

It was very alright besides the hits that I knew but there was a few good ones I didn't remember hearing before.

Was familliar with the hits on this one, assumed the rest were filler. Any song on this album could have been a single. Elton and Bernie could sure render a fine tune.

Iconic

I had never listened to this one all the way through before but now I’m glad I did. Elton John is a gem and this album is fun and cheeky and deep all at the same time. Favorite Song(s): Bennie and the Jets, All the Girls Love Alice (but really, I loved the whole album)

Ikke fantastisk, men super godt!!! Gotta love elton

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

Muito bom

:)

I can hear the popularity of Elton, it is a nice album and some interesting tracks, even tho is not my cup of tea.

2.5 stars It starts off with promise and then goes into a lot of forgettable tunes. Didn’t need to be a double album. I feel like that is said about 90% of double albums. The art of 75+ minute records that people would have to flip 3x is not relevant anymore. But there are enough good tunes to make it not terrible.

So many stellar classics on this one. Title track never fails to give my goosebumps. My headphones revealed so many small details in these tracks which I had not heard before. For instance, I was never able to catch the lyrics which reveal that Candle in the Wind is an ode to Marilyn Monroe.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time

Don't like it at all. No weight. Tried for an hour, but couldnt bring myself to listen to the final few songs. Its all acting interesting while saying nothing. I really wanted to like this, but I hate it.

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.

failed to catch my attention, will listen to again later

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,

Decent

Superb

Decent, some classics on there but wasn’t loving it today.

Quick note, Elton John knows how to deliver a banger. Also listened to today: Fontaines D.C., Romance. Great. 220

For an extended period of the 70's, Elton John's mix-cutting tenor voice was one of the greatest powers of popular music. This record shows it without a doubt. The hits here are incredible. The just hit different. Weather it's the touching Candle in the Wind or the glorious Saturday Night and Benny. They all become benchmarks of a hit pop-rock record, and rightly so. They are all so well written, performed and produced. Above all- the title song. In my opinion, one of the greatest melodies in popular song. Period. But it's a long album, and there's a necessity for the dip cut to go hurd as well. And most do. 5 6 8 9 10 12 15 17 all great songs. In the Elton spectrum of rocknroll-pop-country most of them lean on the rock-pop side but the folks elements are present. It's hard to say, but it might be a little bit to long. It doesn't matter anyway... because once you reach the second half (which is a test for most double album) you just want to listen more and more. It's all just a tour de force of a very talented and enthusiastic musician and preformer who, at the time, could do whatever he wanted. It's a very very solid 4.6

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.

Ooh, I actually never heard this The album's an hour long and all of the most famous songs are the very begining, oh well Is funeral for a friend inspired by wendy carlos version of funeral for queen mary? Clockwork was 71, so maybe? Really cool intro! Guitar part aswell is fucking great (8 minutes in), just a great fucking song isn't? The falseto part in the final chorus (pre chorus) of Bennie and the jets is so satisfaying. Wow. At least, I had heard the title track before, obviously it's fucking good Grey seal, the bass and the piano following each other is so tasty, good song! Elton what is this I've seen that movie too is really catchy I kinda hated dirty little girl, but then the ending rocks a lot, goddamn you got me Ok thiis one's the worst haha (13) I dislike saturday Just looking at my notes it's clear that the record starts really strong for me then it fizzles out. The closer is pretty decent tho.

It's Elton at his best

Only negative was the weird Jamaica song

This was way cooler than I thought it would be. I grew up listening to a greatest hits CD of his, and I had no idea how proggy he was capable of getting. That being said, the momentum fell off pretty quickly and I felt like the ending was kind of weak for such a gargantuan album.

I've heard more covers of Bennie and the Jets than there are albums on this list. It's a joke in my family that my dad is just completely obsessed with this song. I've never actually listened through this album before. It definitely has some all time classics and I'm pretty stoked that he opened this album with an 11 minute prog song. Only complaint is it starts to drag a little bit.

This record rocks. Its long as shit, but almost every song is fun to hang out with. Its really good pop rock. I wonder how I would feel about this album if it came out today vs. 1973? Or how I would feel about it if I was around in 1973. Would I hate it? Would it feel like Benson Boone? I think not.. because he's way more willing to mesh genres and get weird than most contemporary pop artists. I think pop artists today have learned a formula from big data to deliver what users think they need. I don't see Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran putting "Jamaica Jerk Off" on a record today. Its too weird and users wouldn't like it. But he does a great job of mixing pop, blues, soul and rock with really good songwriting. I like how so much of is piano based, with other instruments throughout (brass, organ, blues guitar, etc.) This is an excellent record.

Has three good big songs, one mediocre big song, and otherwise fine.