Reviews (page 8 of 14)
A classic
The first half of this is absolutely worthy of a 5. The second half falls away though. Some of these artists get carried away with self indulgence. A bit of trimming and this would be an all time classic. Still gets a 4 though
you can’t like music and not appreciate the great things about this album, one of the world’s best songwriting teams at their peak 4 song run to open the album is an all-timer i don’t think it stays consistently strong enough to be a 5-star record, most songs are closer to good-than-great, but the highs are very high
no one told me elton john was awesome-- songs are bit long. also, jamaican jerk-off is a crazy title
Levy on silkkaa genrehupsuttelua. Elton John ei kuulu omiin suosikkeihin, mutta levy on omaperäinen ja henkii iloa.
Classic
Oikein hieno levy, tykkäsin.
Pretty good. Can't go wrong with Elton John.
Lots of fun
I really enjoyed this album. I don’t know that every song is perfect, but there is a consistency to how good they are. The most famous songs really stand out, and they are the most enjoyable to listen to. I would definitely give this album another listen.
Songs 2-4 might be the greatest 3 song run I’ve ever heard. 4.5/5. Would be a 5/5 if I listened to it more.
In high school I don’t believe I owned any albums by Elton. Two of his early albums got reasonable rotation when we played cards (Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water). I did buy Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (not on streaming), a no-misses compilation. Elizabeth owned this album so is more familiar with it than I am. If this had been a one LP release it’d be a solid 5. It has my two favorite Elton tracks, Bennie and the Jets, and Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting, the latter a hard rocker that swings like nobody’s business. The songs I was not familiar with I was hoping I’d like more than I did. They were OK, but not good enough to make this a 5. Candle in the Wind is not one of my fave hits of his. I did recently buy “Diamonds” a blu-ray surround disc with 51 tracks. A 54 track version is streaming. It’s quite good.
Liked this more than I expected to
After listening to the first few tracks I was amazed and thought it was gonna be one of my favorite albums ever. But then it went on for much too long with too many weak songs. Shame, because I really thought the first side was fantastic. It's still a 4/5 but I wish it was a bit lighter
This album is pretty dang good. I've never been a huge Elton fan, but there's some great tracks on here and it's hard not to love Saturday's Alright for Fighting. 4/5
I honestly didn't expect much from this one; Elton John has never really drawn my interest. Funeral for a Friend was a solid start, and then three very good hits I've heard before, okay, then I figured the album would start to drag. But I have to say it was great from beginning to end. Some tracks I liked more than others, but after listening to this album I guess I finally get the hype.
I thought the album would be front loaded seeing all the hits at the beginning, but this is just fun and good all the way through.
It's just incredible how many singles he produced with one album. Even the non singles would have been singles to a lesser artist. Just crazy to think how everything you touch turns to gold. Let's just not talk about the Jamaican song...
Can't deny this feels like a masterpiece. Still a touch boring at times for me PERSONALLY.
Solid 4. Good deep dive, very iconic music in here. I don't think I ever seek out Elton John but every time I hear it I'm impressed.
I am fascinated by Elton John and Bernie Taupin's songwriting process. Apparently, Bernie writes the lyrics first, then Elton reads them, chooses which ones he likes, and writes the music. But what about completely nonsensical, confusing similes like 'You live your life like a candle in the wind, never knowing who to cling to when the rain sets in' made Elton read it and think 'now THATS a hook?' A candle doesn't know or not know anything! Much less what to do when its raining? It's a candle! What the fuck are you talking about? I find the problem with a lot of Bernie's lyrics. He must be the luckiest poet alive to have his harebrained and inscrutable verses immortalized by a musical genius and god-level performer. In the end, it doesn't really matter. Elton john is so talented he could sing the phonebook and make it a hit. Any one who can write a halfway solid reggae song centered around lyrics like: 'Come on Jamaica. Everybody say We're all happy in Jamaica. Do Jamaica jerk-off that way' must really have the goods. Other songs like 'goodbye yellow brick road' do read as though they might be meaningful to the writer (where the dogs of society howl MUST mean something to SOMEone, right?), but making sense of them as the listener is completely impossible. Maybe not knowing what any of his own songs are about frees Elton up to play around with them and arrange them in a way he wouldn't be able to if he'd written them himself? In any event, the combination obviously works more than it doesn't. This album is 7 songs too long but still has enough invention and charm to it to still be a classic anyway.
The highs on this album are all-timers for me. Title track and Benny & the Jets especially. Candle in the Wind is so over the top and I love it. At one point in my 20s, I had Goodbye Yellow Brick Road stuck in my head for over a week. It never got old. The guy does DRAMA better than anyone. I love that music with such weird Bernie Taupin lyrics was ever so mainstream. Guy somehow got us all singing along about a howlin old owl in the woods hunting a hawwwwny black tooooaaad A little too sprawling to get 5 stars from me though – the weird ones (like Jamaica Jerkoff???) dilute the good ones enough to knock off a star. If this were a tighter 12-track album, it's 5 stars for me. Gonna have this stuck in my head for a week again, and I don't mind
Total treat to listen to the whole album. Didn’t realize some of the songs were released that year.
Very Elton. Nice mix but didn't swing too far in any direction
Very well crafted numbers, some variety, and a couple of classics. Too long, though, and some of the reggae and country doesn't work for me.
Another absolute classic 1001 album. A double album with plenty of familiar tracks. It might be from 1973, it’s as fresh as day it was released.
Fun. Can’t believe I’ve waited so long to dive into Elton John. I get it. I love it. 3.9 vibes
I own this album on vinyl, and it's my strongly-held opinion that Elton John is just awesome. This album is no exception. I do think that Madman Across the Water is more consistently good and a better album overall, but I still enjoyed listening to this. Four stars.
A great bunch of songs. 2 or 3 songs I would have removed which is the reason I give it a 4 but not 5.
Some absolute classics on this album. Dynamically fairly one dimensional and repetitive.
- my aunt Jen gave me this original pressing, it’s a family heirloom!
Aunque tiene unos hitazos espectaculares, no siento que el resto del álbum sea igual de sólido. De hecho me aburre un poco porque además es larguísimo. Pero creo que es un buen álbum, solo que mis favoritas de Sir Elton no andan por acá.
The first half of this album is an absolute masterpiece. If he had called it quits it would’ve been a monumental album and his best. Sadly the weaker second half was allowed to live. Still an amazing album due to the highlights but not his strongest.
1. Goodbye yellow brick road 2. Saturday night's alright for fighting 3. This song has no title
The songs on this album are all over the place...there is no correlation whatsoever. This just proves that Elton John could do anything (and everything)!! What a king.
Favorite Song: Candle In The Wind and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road There are a lot of melodies here that I couldn't tie to a song until now. Still, the overall jangliness of the piano rock feels dated and many of these songs are just played out. The first half of the record feels stronger and more distinct than the latter half. That said, I can see why this song has 1.5 billion streams. It is solid and goes down easy.
First time listening to this album in its entirety. Some obvious hits on this. 'Goodbye yellow brick road' is such a beautiful song. I actually enjoyed The Ballad of Danny Bailey. All girls love Alice was not for me. The latter half of this album wasn't my favorite. Since this was a double album, safe to say I did not enjoy Side D.
yo piano man fr i get it now the bangers be bangin but i love songs like i've seen that movie too - masterful, takes its time, builds up the drama - this is how u make a song! i had to crank the volume up i enjoyed the journey that is this album
This album reminds me a lot of Supertramp's "Crime of the Century," which is probably a common comparison. The album is very theatrical and lyrically compelling. "Social Disease" stood out as one of my favorites on the album which I was not very familiar with before.
I hadn't heard this album in full and felt a little eye roll happen when it popped up. But I was pleasantly surprised to listen to the hits mixed in with other songs I'd never heard. The intro track (Funeral for a friend/Love lies bleeding) caught me off guard. I was like, hell yeah we're at a fucked up 70's roller rink on cocaine, but it's also a musical! No one can deny Candle in the Wind is a great tune. Benny and the Jets and Goodbye Yellow Brick road wormed their way into my ear and I spent the day with those two worming about interchangeably. The B sides are equally as good and less well known. I enjoyed it more than expected and will keep an eye out for the vinyl. Bonus: my son's review "8.5/10 I really liked it"
11 minute opening is giving rock opera. Some really big hits. Excellent pop rock album, piano heavy.
Inte så mycket att säga, det är jäkla bra! Det är rock'n'roll möter queen + mera. Det är inte en fullträff för mig men det är rätt nära, 4 av 5.
Really great album with several terrific songs
decent album, not Elton's best tho
классный альбом, очень музыкальный, стоит переслушать
Love Lies Bleeding is incredible, but the elegiac Funeral For a Friend is an extended instrumental tinged with mournful organ. "Candle in the Wind" about a queer youth identifying with the tragic and ephemeral beauty of Marilyn Monroe whose legacy lasted longer than her brief life of exploitation and manipulation. "Bennie and the Jets," "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" are iconic and overplayed. "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is questionable, but even Bonnie Raitt recorded a calypso song complete with "patois" in the 1970s.
What was amazing about Elton is that he could straddle that fine line of the Stones edginess with the Beatles’ pop sensibilities. This is a fantastic album just a tad bloated.
Very good album, Elton is a master on the piano. Bit too long and a handful of tracks that could have been left off, but on the whole I like the sound and the melodies.
really 4.5; eclectic and funky - something for everyone but maybe not everything for anyone lol. i preferred the slower ballad styles and was impressed by the musicality and diversity within 17 tracks. "this song has no title" is definitely one of my tops from this album.
Elton John always is good for bangers. Seems to fit a lot of moods.
Eh tycker detta bevisar stt glam rock inte kan skapa 10/10 album(förutom bowie då men han ju undantag som person) överladdar en å man bara orkar inte vid slutändan
4.5
Really good album throughout. There were a couple of songs here and there that didn’t really click with me but Elton just has that certain sound that’s just special 4 Jamaicans out of 5
Pretty solid album. Would probably be a 5 for me if not for side three and a couple songs in the first half
Incredible stuff from Elton, Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding took off at the 3rd minute of the song and it doesnt really takes a breath until Jamaica Jerk-off. Incredible album that its near perfection for example the fake crowd in Bennie and The Jets, the lyrical matter of Jamaican Jerkoff, why is the bass drum that loud in I've Seen That Movie Too? ( https://imgur.com/FbXI0Vo comment from the Youtube upload of that track) after the rest of the instruments get louder it is less noticeable Of the deepcuts that I didnt know Grey Seal stood out as a highlight of the album alongside Bennie and The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) 9.75/10
Went in skeptical and happy to have been proven "wrong" that Elton John is actually a generational talent. He was absolutely in excellent form here churning out banger after banger. Everybody is allowed a li'l sidestep with the Jamaican Jerk-off sesh but hey, very good times here.
I can't give this a 5 because you put Jamaican Jerk-Off on this record. What the hell Elton? Don't google this by the way, Genius is like, the 3rd page.
7/10 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a record that demands a lot of attention for you, not because it’s challenging or deeply conceptual, but because it’s trying to make sure you don’t look away from the fire works, confetti, and jazz hands, it’s very much insistent that you understand this is a magnum opus you’re witnessing. It’s got a fat fucking budget, a new stylistic change on every track, a fake live audience to make you believe you’re watching a sort of theatrical masterpiece, make no mistake this is Elton’s tour de force, but he overdoes it just a little bit. I think the grandiosity of this album tries to compensate for some pretty weak songs on here, while I don’t think Elton is a weak songwriter, his limitations can be pretty clear, especially on a 17 track album, with some embarrassing satirical song choices and “nice while it’s on” tunes. Still, his overconfidence is warranted as a pretty damn good singer and songwriter, it definitely impressed a lot of people, and some phenomenal material is still on here in spite of the mess. Can’t wait to listen to the next most essential Elton John record; Sherlock Gnomes (Music From The Motion Picture)
Colorido, lento por momentos pero bueno, que se yo, para escribir algo más tendría que escucharlo otra vez. Nota: 3.8
Solides Pop-Album mit großen Rock-Anteilen. Vielseitig, kreativ und abwechslungsreich geschrieben und produziert, und dabei trotzdem immer wie aus einem Guss. Schöne Produktion und das Mastering ist warm, mit einigen innovativen Effekten wie einem rückwärts angespielten Gitarrensolo. Generell sind die Gitarren auch ziemlich cool gespielt. Das Album hatte für mich etwas nostalgisches und zugleich zeitloses. Mein Favorit war wahrscheinlich der Opener, der mich sehr an die Arbeit von Wendy Carlos erinnert hat. Der einzige Kritikpunkt wäre für mich vielleicht, dass für meine keine klare Struktur im Album erkennbar war, sondern es für mich wie eine Sammlung von Songs aus der selben „Produktions-Session“ und mir das Album etwas zu lang war. Trotzdem, sehr empfehlenswert.
When I was younger, I was not an Elton John fan. I think Honky Cat was the only song of his I’d tolerate on the radio. As I’ve progressed in age, I’ve told myself I should be more open to revisiting his music. Maybe I’d end up really liking him. Since then, I’ve come around on a few of his songs, but haven’t dug into his discography, or anything. Asking me to listen to 75 minutes of him was daunting. And I used to HATE Bennie and the Jets. I’ve come around on that song, and liked the other hits. I liked most of the filler. I originally wanted to give this a 3, but I think it earned a 4, honestly. Really solid stuff, with huge hits and above average filler.
One of the greats
4.5
4.5
4.5
Sure, the quality drops notably later in the album, and the less we say about Jamaica Jerk-Off the better, but the highs are worth it, so many tracks on here absolutely bang
Right, let's get the negatives put the way first. This album definitely tails off towards the second half; there's a deeply questionable cod-reggae song that feels extremely awkward; and as someone who lived in the UK during 1997 I have a visceral disgust reaction to Candle in the Wind. That being said, when this album hits it hits hard, and I definitely feel that the first six or so tracks are awesome. Funeral For a Friend starts off with a bang, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Bennie and the Jets are classics, and I'm a fan of Grey Seal and This Song Has No Title - so had the album finished there it might have got five stars, but as it is that's still a STEONG start to any album and deserves the four.
better than i expected
This is a rich, varied, and interesting album. Elton is extremely talented musically and performs with a presence. I get it.
Pianao was obviously really good but there there where also a lot of electric guitar forward songs too
Memorable songs, wide variety of styles and rythms.An incredible effort for a big album with many themes and concepts. Great sound and production.
His masterpiece?
Þvílík byrjun á plötu. Mér finnst eins og ég sé að fara að hlusta á einhvern frábæran söngleik ef marka má upphafslagið og svo koma bara þrjár neglur í röð og svo fellur platan í meðalmennskuna og nær sér aldrei á strik. 4.5 stjörnur bara til að vera smá góður en dreg niður í 4 bara til að vera smá vondur.
Really fireee
Some absolute classics here.
great album. a couple hiccups bump it down from a 5, but it's a very high 4.
The first four songs are absolute bangers, and it's an incredible start to the album. There are a couple that made me roll my eyes and wonder what possessed them to keep them on (Jamaica Jerk-Off and Roy Rogers), but aside from them, this is a great album. Favorite song: Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.
Distinguishable, but no Daniel
4.5/5. Elton John has been serving cunt for years, decades even. So much variety on this record, from mourning Marilyn to what’s become a Saturday night hockey anthem.
Solid Elton John pop album. Lots of hits. I still don't like the original Saturday Night's Alright, but that's just me.
Classic album with classic Elton hits. Deep cuts really great as well, definitely overshadowed by top 40 hits
Joy
I think every Elton John song I know is from this album. Fun and a good listen.
This album is far more epic than I thought. The vocals are impeccable, the piano is notable throughout and the whole thing is very campy and musical theatrical. The standout tracks are “I’ve Seen That Movie Too” and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”.
- Already listened
Bello, molto bello Ma ziopera Elton accorcia sti album
Ive had a love/hate relationship with Elton John for a while- he has such powerhouse sounds (Someone Saved My Life Tonight) but also such hokey messes (Crocodile Rock). I found myself really enjoying this album- it has a great blend of sound and his talent as a singer and pianist is so evident throughout. Overall- very solid album.
I've never fully deep dived into Elton, mostly because I'm sick of hearing the same singles my whole life. Sort of embarrassed it took me so long to finally give this whole album a listen. Even though it contains a few of those said singles, in the context of a full album, they're pretty great. Also so many great songs I never heard. Nice work, E.
It's a great album, did feel a bit samey in sound at points. The big hits are top drawer still!
I like the ballads on this far more than the fast ones. (Saturday Night's Alright is such an insane song to me.) This album closes quite strong, even if it gets a little creaky in the middle.
What on earth is this man thinking? Saturday is most certainly, NOT, alright for fighting. Try talkin it out next time & take it easy Elton. Namaste, bud.
8/10 Favorite Tracks: Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road, You’re sister can’t twist, Least Favorite Tracks: This Song Has No Title, I’ve Seen That Movie Before
Starts strong with Candle In the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road! 4/5
Pretty good as far as pop rock goes. Runs a bit long (by the time I got to "Dirty Little Girl" it felt like it wasn't really doing much more), could've cut it around the 1 hr mark and made for a better album. An underrated track is "Grey Seal" with "Bennie And The Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" the other two hits.
Alright, this one has some absolute classics on it no question, and if it was just Side A&B I'd probably give it 5 stars. But did it really need to be a double album? Sides C&D just don't land quite the same way with me.
This was a fun listen. I've never listened to an Elton John album all the way through but I really liked this one.
Absolutely stacked with amazing songs! There were definitely a couple here and there that left me puzzled but this is ridiculously good throughout the vast majority of it. A delight
There is nothing like hearing your family belt out Goodbye Yellow Brick Road at the top of their lungs when you had no idea they even knew the lyrics. For that alone I have to give the album a 4.
Odličan album, iako nije nešto što bi slušao svaki dan. Prepuno raznolike glazbe, odličnog teksta, sve u svemu jako dobro.
The Good: Dorothy has managed to leave Oz! The Bad: Finding out that Dorothy isn’t who we believe her to be… The Ugly: Trying to figure out exactly what the wizard has done to her…. Undeniably a stellar album showcasing the importance of great songwriting and musicianship. Though for me this is not Elton’s best album, it sure is a great listen! However, for me, the experience of listening to this album starts off too damn strong, which means it tapers off towards the end. I would have ended with the opening song, but that’s just me. Having said all that, any artist would love to have something like this in their repertoire, and be willing to travel to Oz to talk to a wizard to see if they too can have such success… 4* as there are a couple of songs that are skip-able...
I liked this a lot more than Madman Across the Water. Only giving 4 stars because what the fuck is with Jamaican Jerk-off?
Ah, Reg from Pinner. Punchy, bombastic, overblown. I bloody love it.
seems like everyone tried their hand at a double LP at some point; they just keep coming! Goodbye Yellow Brick Road distinguishes itself from most other double albums from this period by actually being relatively consistent across the entire duration of the experience. that's not to say it's flawless, as there's still the ungodly annoying "Jamaica Jerk-Off" and the very creepy "Dirty Little Girl" to contend with (I'm really not sure where Bernie Taupin's head was at with those). but talk about a strong start! the first four songs here are some of the greatest of their time: two captivating ballads, and two infectious rockers. my other highlights are the dizzying "Grey Seal" and my favorite song here, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting". at its best, this album's symphonic ambitions and blood-pumping performances create some of the most magical rock music I've ever heard. props to Elton John and co. for creating 76 minutes of steadily high-quality material! for the most part, anyway. strong 8/10.
Very few people know this but Houmous & Chutney actually played The Troubadour the afternoon after Elton played that infamous gig. We drew a bigger crowd and from what most people said, we were ‘considerably better than Elton’ just a shame back then Len enforced a very strict no press policy. He’s always been about the music. Which obviously paid off in the end…….4.2
Pretty great album. It definitely runs out of steam toward the end, but side one holds its own with the very best. This was the first album my wife ever bought with her own money. Middle schooler listening on her 70’s era portable record player, lying on the carpet, reading everything on the liner, soaking up every sound coming out of the cheap tinny speaker. A small moment of bliss.
Really enjoyed this, minus a couple of dud tracks. Some of the songs are so intensely layered they need more than a couple of listens to truly appreciate. Tempted to give it a 5 just for the name of the first track
Catchy and fleshed out instrumentation, piano rock at its finest.
Ok
4 or 5 great songs and e all know and love. The rest range from interesting to decent and I’ll probably never listen to them again
Bunch of classics!
I just love that part on the title song when it’s going into the chorus, I guess? Such a great thing!
hell yeah /between 3 and 4
Better than I thought it might be. Some obvious classics and some fine unheard before tracks
One of the greats and his greatest album. I’d give him a 5 if he wrote his own songs.
Good soup
Very solid, though memorability of the second half is mixed. 4.5 for me probably
I'm on the fence with Elton. I can respect his talent / achievements and I do like some of his songs - but others leave me cold. Not that familiar with GYBR and the baggy 11minute opening track was not a great start for an Elton sceptic. I enjoyed the very familiar classics but not much else jumped out at me (other than the reggae song for the wrong reasons) - it being a double album meant only a couple of listens so perhaps on further listens I would find more to enjoy.
This definitely feels like how I initially perceived Elton John. This grandiose piano prodigy who, at his core, just wrote excellent piano rock/pop songs. Opening with a 12 minute track is super bold but epic (I saw him live open with this at bonnaroo years and years ago and was blown away). The first 4 tracks I would just say listen to in a row and you'll get a great sense of his capabilities. There are also lots of other songs/deeper cuts I never knew about from him on this. This song has no title is great, grey seal is good. I think Jamaica Jerk-Off is....I don't know not very good lol. The songs kind of go in and out of my head. The alice song rocks hard. The closer is good. Saturday Night is also a classic. I think this album's only problem is it's length. Some songs get a little samey or there are experiments that don't work but otherwise this may be my favorite of his next to Honkey Chateau.
Overall, pretty good Elton John album.
A beautiful voice, accompanied by beautiful piano arrangements. Elton John always seems like he's having the time of his life when he's singing, which makes this album that much more charming. The former half of the album is definitely stronger, though.
A strong opening rock opera album that only lets up a little by the middle. Ballads that have not forsaken to send the listener off with some energy.
1973: A great year for music. One of the most iconic albums from the prolific year. Though not always captivating, this really locks in that feeling of everything being light and boppy and in the 70's. Some big hitters, but really just an incredible, transportive double album
Pretty decent album esspecially looking at the time it was made. The best songs on here here are the self titeled and Funeral for a friend. The worst was easily Jamaica Jerk-Off just look at the title.
Classic Elton
More engaging than I was expecting. It’s lighter, but still fun and uptempo for much of it. It may be soft rock, but it does indeed rock
The main song is sooo good! Some others too. So, I guess it's four
Classic.....Grew up on it.....
In Jamaica he was recording Found a lot of wording Together with transpiration He found lots of inspiration 75 minutes is very long for the ride I came along Beatles are not too far away This album here to stay
good songs
While I am very familiar with all of his "greatest hits," I had never listened to an Elton John album from start to finish until I started this journey. This record was a spectacle to behold, opening with an 11 minute prog-rock-esque track. While it still feels a bit lengthy at times, it was a delight to listen to. Clearly the genius combo of Elton John and Bernie Taupin were in top form when they composed this gem.
Many good songs on the album and very cohesive vibe throughout
Bueno
Alright this is a strong album, maybe it weakens a bit after the midpoint but still a good 4.
Where Elton John does what he does best: writing piano rock odysseys and being utterly inconsistent. I mean, you've got some absolute gold in tracks like Bennie And The Jets and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but then you've got tracks like Jamaica Jerk-Off and Dirty Little Girl which feel like mildly amusing b-sides at best.
More passion! High energy! Plays the piano beautifully
I was totally expecting this album to just go in one ear and out the other like some of the few I've gotten lately, but surprisingly I wound up really enjoying this one! It almost feels like an anomaly though, you mean to tell me that a 1970s pop rock piano rock double album from Elton fucking John would be one of the few older rock albums from this list that I not only enjoy but also heavily click with? It's not common for me to enjoy any of those things but something about the way these songs have more than most pop rock things of the era, it is multifaceted emotion wise yet it manages to be convincing at its saddest songs and fun at its most playful and happy songs. Even more amazing is how incredibly consistent the album is for its whole 70 minutes and even the more middling songs like Jamaican Jerk-off or Your Sister Can't Twist are thankfully short enough not to get in the way of the other songs. Great album all around
OG
This is fucking music man
Someone just said “I just don’t get rock and roll piano” and I’m dumbfounded. Piano rocks and this album rocks as well. I thoroughly enjoy this album, but I do think that, if it were condensed and made into one album, that it would have been even better. With that having been said, it’s still amazing. Catchy hooks, the album flows well, high energy songs to get you moving, some slower songs to keep it evened out, excellent production, top tier musicianship. It’s like a 4.5, so close to 5.
Man, this is full of bangers. That's to be expected with Sir Elton John, of course. The image of him just absolutely slaying on the album cover is a good sign of what's in store. ...And what an impressionable start it is. Starting with an eleven minute prog rock-like medley ("Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"), immediately followed by Elton John's three biggest singles, the duo of Elton and Taupin were cooking here. One of the best songwriting partnerships in history, completed by Elton's showmanship and flair on vocals and piano. There are a few lulls that follow here and there, but overall a very strong double album with some of the Rocket Man's best recordings. Fav tracks: Bennie and the Jets, Grey Seal, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Harmony
I can't say every song on this album gets me going as much as Candle in the wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and buh-buh-Bennie and the Jets, but on this listen I did discover some of the forgotten tracks that were obviously overshadowed by those hits. Grey Seal is fun and Jamaica Jerk-Off may be the only time Elton John tested the Reggae waters. Not sure what The Ballad of Danny Bailey is about but the tune was good. I can't wait to sing Dirty Little Girl to my twin daughters in the bath. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting is another one of the hits. Overall a lot of good stuff here with just a few songs that didn't make my cut.
Ever listened to a full Elton record and it was very enjoyable!
Confesiones de Invierno walked so Goodbye Yellow Brick Road could run
That's more like it! This is the second Elton John album I've had, and the first one (Madman Across The Water) was a massive disappointment. Glad this one came along and restored my opinion of him. Full of hits and great songs I've never heard before ("I've Seen That Movie Too" in particular).
“Saturday” is always a song that will hit for me, even when I was in middle school and saw him in concert. I was not into, but then he played that and played the piano while laying underneath it with his hands on the keyboard. Iconic.
Absolutely iconic
I was expecting a 5—there are plenty of great songs I already knew, but the ones I hadn’t heard didn’t grab me. Probably just a case of expectations set too high.
Classic songwriting and performances. Interesting to hear some of the deeper cuts.
We played this on a family road trip driving South to see Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Katherine. It was a good roadtrip album. Roy Rogers was my favorite.
I'm sure it's great on its own terms, but it's not really for me.
This is definitely not my preferred type of rock, but it’s well written, produced and performed. It’s also a bit overlong.
Hits hits hits, I can't say every one of them because it's not every one of them, but it's enough of them!!
Some great songs. Definitely worth the (re)listen, just not really my type of music.
Absolute mint album, First time fully listening to it and the first song is so good, most of the classics are on this. P.S Ay liam Bennie and the jets is still great song
This is way longer than I anticipated, still excellent though.
Yeah I know this is like an all time best album but I'm just not the biggest fan of it, not sure why. It's still better then the half the albums we've gotten so far.
Really good but does go on for a while. That would be the only thing stopping it from a 5. After a few more listens I reckon it could be a 5
It's a great album. There are a few snoozer tracks, but the hits keep hitting after 50 years.
Could have been a 40 minute 5 star album, but it's too long. Favorite song: funeral for a friend
Pretty good
Iconic and distinct singer-songwriter, Sir Elton John. This record really portrays some of his best capabilities as a writer, singer and musician. This has some great ballads that are really fun and easy to get along with. Really sets himself apart with the mood of these songs.
always worth a revisit
Very nice!
Classic
Solid album with memorable songs and some absolute bangers. I hadn't heard an Elton John album before and was only familiar with his biggest hits, so it was cool to see how his songwriting and playing worked in other songs. The album was on the long side and I think could have been edited down (did we really need Jamaica Jerk Off?), but everything was so pleasant that I didn't mind a ton.
I have to admit, this one was way better than the last Elton John album I listened too.
Loved it
Great album, the title track is just a pure classic. The opening track is brilliant. It is probably a 3.6 from me, purely because I think it would have made a better single disc album, so rounded up to 4.
great album, love Elton
Goat Shit from Elton 4.5 rounded down
Quite liked this one. Iconic album.
Good
Excellent music but honestly could afford to drop a few of the tracks at the end.
Elton John piano = instant happy signals to the brain. :-) Favorite track: Sweet Painted Lady or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
I'm not a huge Elton John fan and I hadn't listened to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road before this, but that was a great listen! I enjoyed this one from start to finish and it was nice to hear some of his songs that aren't always on the radio.
A fun album with a lot of his greatest hits.
Surprisingly I think this might be our first Elton John album on the list. This is certainly one of his better albums, and is set off with a couple of real bangers in 'Candle In The Wind', 'Bennie And The Jets', and 'Goodye Yellowbrick Road'. It's actually crazy that these 3 come in succession. Unfortunately, that is pretty much everything that is interesting with this album. I really like Elton John, and it's ridiculous how many good songs he has to his name. But in my opinion he has never really succeeded in putting many of those songs on a single album. They are spread out over all of his many many albums. So, while he certainly has a good amount of hits, there's also many songs that aren't particularly good or notice worthy, a bit like this album. Still, I think those 3 songs are just good enough to edge this record to a weak 4, but the album certainly doesn't deserve more than that to me.
Ok
Excellent album
Very fun. A bit front-loaded though. Huge hits that are widely beloved, but some pretty meh songs on the back end
Had a very good time listening to this one. Forgot how much I love some Elton. Funeral for a Friend is awesome and really enjoyed some of the deeper cuts like Roy Rogers. Of course the hits rock. Really close to a 5 for me but just a few too many that I wanted to skip, and Jamaica Jerk Off is weird af
Classic
If it was a single album it would be an easy 5.
4.5
Good! Lots of good lyrics and lively spirit throughout the entirety of the album. My Top 3: 3. I've Seen That Movie Too 2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1. Sweet Painted Lady
I have heard alot of the songs before but never the album as a whole. I liked the songs but it feels like more of a singles collection than a cohesive album. Favourite track: Saturday night is all right for fighting. 7/10
caralho um album duplo do elton john. to chegando a conclusão de que 80% da lista é dad rock. dessa vez foi dad rock para papais pró-lgbt. mas esse aqui eu curto, acho divertídissimo. beanie and the jets é clássico demais
Good
Really enjoyed a lot of this (Jamaican Jerk aside) but did feel it could have been a few songs shorter.
I still don't like Bennie and the Jets, sorry.
Best intro ever?
Y’know as someone who grew up in the 90s I had no idea “Candle In The Wind” was originally about Marilyn Monroe. Great tunes on here, but I don’t like it quite as much as Madman Across The Water and I can’t give 5 stars to a record with “Jamaican Jerk-Off” on it.
8/10 An all time classic. We see the best from Elton John. this is his masterpiece and his best album Favourite Song=Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Least Favourite Song=Your Sister Cant Twist
Yeah, I enjoyed most of this. Double album, so it needs a couple of tracks editing out. I'd listen to this again. Good solid album. Get a good solid 4 stars from me.
Entertaining and versatile record from a very talented singer.
This was already one of my favorite albums of all time. It has great melody and lyrics. It flows well, and it is well produced. I think I’d give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
yeah elton john is awesome, not sure what else there is to say
Great album, heard individual songs but not all the way through. Lovely
Elton John!!!!!
DAAAAAAAMN THE FIRST TRACK
🎧Lotta top tier Reg tunes here, but a few that definitely could’ve been trimmed (looking at you Jamaica Jerk-Off). Opening track Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding is epic and unlike any other Elton song, as far as I know.
Similar to what I've previously but distinct and less rock focused than I expected, I believe it'll take some repeated listens to appreciate it. Initial impression is good however.
The hits hit, and the filler is filler. Not much else to say except the first four songs are an all-time start to an album
This is a great album. I am a fan of the 70s Elton John having recorded many great songs. Some tracks on this album are fluff and not my favorites, so I give it four stars.
He and Taupin were/are forces, and at the height of their powers here. No single song strong enough to push to 5 like madman or rocket man but a lot of good songs.
Should be 5 stars but there's a couple tracks that drag it down into a 4.
If you took the best 9 or 10 songs from this great double album it would be a 5. Have to drop it down a notch for a few less then stellar fillers, but overall great album and the first 4-5 songs are as good as you can start an album. 4.5
What an insanely great album. Even the cheesy songs that have been played to death on the radio sound better in the context of this record because it’s so well put together. But you have the classic double album problem of there being stuff that could have been cut to leave you with a much stronger single album. Honestly though, Elton John might have been the best in the world at this time. What was Stevie Wonder doing? Innervisions. Well, he was up there. If he wasn’t the absolute best, most interesting, recording artist in the world in 1973, he was without question in the conversation. Also, holy shit, Google “albums 1973”. Shit is crazy. We haven’t had as many truly great albums in the last 24 years as came out just in 1973. This album is big, weird, overstuffed, silly, bombastic and insane. Everyone should hear this.
It is so cool that the first few minutes of this album could be the beginning of a Tyler, The Creator album. There are moments of timeless composition, timeless performance on here. Impressive storytelling throughout. The one ding on this album is that it’s a bit long and played out, for how many songs sound so similar. Still, a classic.
Overall I really liked this album, but a lot of Elton John albums lose me halfway through. Feels like he puts some filler in there and the album is really carried by his heavy hitters (and those heavy hitters make up a lot of ground for me). This album isn't any different. He does the whole wailing on the keys and flashy theater kid troupe which I actually like quite a bit, but an hour fifteen of it is a bit much and really drags at times.
A classic from Elton John, but not as cohesive an album as "Madman Across the Water" was.
Cut 4-6 songs, and it’s an instant 5-star album. Bennie & the Jets is one of those that should be cut, along with that Jamaica-thing
It was pretty alright … some beautiful songs where he finds it in a few. Weird songs about women?? Dirty little girl is amazing, sweet painted lady insane.
Olen positiivisen yllättynyt. Pitää kuunnella vielä uudelleen, mutta aikamoisen hyvä kokonaisuus tämä.
4 - some Elton John will always hit, title track is some of his best stuff. I don’t like the more fast paced second half as much (other artists do it better), but it’s still a good time
Some absolute classics on here but I’d never listened to it all the way through, so giving this a 4 so that I’m likelier to come back it for repeat listening.
Ok.
fine
ett fantastiskt album men riktigt många fina låtar. men man kan ju inte låta bli att tänka hur jäkla tight albumet hade varit om man valt att göra det till ett standard album och inte en dubbel-lp.
Very mixed quality on the album as a whole. It's John's first double LP so there is naturally a lot of excess. The Side A of disc one is great, an all time collection of songs. The rest however is not really that interesting, but I did enjoy Side B of disc two. So if they cut out the middle parts, it's a pretty great album. There's just not too much happening for most of it, but some of them are clear indications, that John was in his creative prime.
A rockin' good time. Would look forward to another Elton John album.
interesting concepts
Three really great tracks in a row: Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. But the rest of the album is kind of meh. I'm not even into the other popular song: Saturday Night's Alright. Still those three tracks are enough for more than a 3.
There's only one double album I've heard off this list so far that justifies being a double album: Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. While Elton might be just as skilled a songwriter, this album suffers from some serious bloat. The only thing saving it is just how good the hits really are (Benny & the Jets, Good-bye Yellow Brick Road) that literally stayed in my head all weekend. Only one other song I hadn't heard before caught my ear and beared repeated listening: Sweet Painted Lady. Otherwise, this was a lot of piano prog filler around a couple of genuinely amazing songs. Maybe more like a 3.5 to 3.75 but, I mean....B-B-Benny and the Jets.
#337. Aside from Jamaican Jerk, which is a terribly annoying song, the rest of it is pretty fucking good. 4/5: yes
Classic. This is a great record. There is indeed some filler but there’s also some unreal music.
This is a great Elton John album. Some of my absolute favorite Elton John songs on here like goodbye yellow brick road, candle in the wind, I’ve seen that movie too, etc. this album is packed with hits. It also has a couple songs that I just find bad. Like straight bad. Songs like Jamaica Jerk off, dirty little girl, and social disease. Overall the hits on this album much outweigh the bad songs so I’d give it an 8/10.
Classic album.
Pretty good. Couple of fun songs.
This seemed a little long. I always feel bad that Bernie Taupin never gets recognized for his contributions... Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
Would've been 5/5, but I'm sorry Bennie and the Jets is a terrible, awful song and I resent being made to listen to it.
goeie
Some massive bangers of Elton's in this one, but also some that aren't as fun (but are still great).
While this double album contains some of the best songwriting to come from the John/Taupin collaboration, it's a kind of a wild ride. Uneven in terms of the songs in sound, topic and apparent thoughtfulness. Jamaica Jerk-Off is just weird. If you replaced that track in order with Harmony, the first 8 songs could have been a perfectly solid album. The rest of the songs could well be some Off Off Broadway musical book. Don't get me wrong, Elton John is one of the most enduring musical influences of the era. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie and the Jets and Grey Seal alone make the listen worth it.
Fun! Full of ideas! Just a bit too long with too many "fillers"
Didn’t have myself pegged as an Elton fan but had a great time through most of this album (Jamaican jerk off is regrettable). Benny and the Jets is a great song and Saturday Nights alright brings me back to 90s HNIC intros
Fav: Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) Least Fav: Jamaica Jerk-Off
A little too long but soooooooo good
AHHHHHHHH listened to this with maustin in the car ride home and she liked some of it yay. Funeral for a friend = one of my favorite songs ever. But this is not a perfect album thanks to some slow songs that drag on for a bit too long. And a long run time. A 4.5 in my book.
Hits, and slow tho
I haven't listened to this since I was maybe 5. Why? These songs are fantastic.
an abundance of bangers at once with some likeable padding
Picking this mammoth double album apart, you find all kinds of treats and tricks, from the proggy opener, Funeral For a Friend, to ubiquitous classics like Candle In The Wind and the title track, via the rather irritating Bennie and the Jets and Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting) which never quite found a place in my favourites. For me personally, it's an impressive work of art but one I admire from afar. It won't make it onto my regular rotation but that doesn't mean it isn't a great record worthy of its success and acclaim.
Not a huge fan of Elton, but this album is pretty good.
Favourite Song: The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)
This is my favourite Elton John's album; unfortunately, it's got too many fillers to rate it a 5. 4 stars
Ok so historically I've not been a fan of this one, just cause it has a lot of songs. But in the environment that I heard it this time I didn't mind the extra filler songs. They actually ain't THAT mid, there's a few decent ones in there. And the bangers BANG Fav songs: - Funeral for a Friend - Candle in the Wind - Bennie and the Jets - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - I've Seen That Movie Too - Saturday Night's Alright
Le Glam Rock est à son zénith, un paon gigantesque et pailleté qui déploie sa roue sur le monde de la pop. Bowie est un Martien, T. Rex fait hurler les gamines et au milieu de tout ça, il y a Reginald Dwight, alias Elton John. Le mec n'est pas un nouveau venu. Depuis 1970, il enchaîne les albums et les tubes à une cadence de stakhanoviste sous amphètes. Mais en 73, il est au sommet de sa montagne. Il est LA plus grande star de la pop mondiale. Et que fait une pop star arrivée au sommet de sa montagne ? Elle ne redescend pas, non. Elle essaie de construire une putain de cathédrale sur le pic pour être sûre que tout le monde la voie depuis la vallée. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" est cette cathédrale. Un double album. Le double album, c'est l'Everest de l'artiste pop. C'est le geste ultime, l'affirmation péremptoire : "J'ai tellement de génie en moi qu'un simple 33 tours ne peut le contenir". C'est aussi, et c'est là que le bât blesse souvent, le piège le plus con du monde. Le syndrome du "White Album", de "The Wall" ou d'"Exile on Main St." : l'oeuvre géniale mais boursouflée, le festin gargantuesque où, à côté du caviar et du homard, on te sert aussi des chips éventées et de la purée Mousline. Et c'est exactement là que se situe "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". C'est un monstre fascinant, un monstre à deux têtes, l'une sublime, l'autre un peu moins inspirée. C'est l'album qui justifie parfaitement cette note de 4/5 : un disque pétri de talent, essentiel, mais qui rate le chef-d'oeuvre absolu à cause de son ambition démesurée. Quand je bossais au magasin de disques, dans les années 90, on en vendait encore. La pochette, avec Elton en satin blanc qui pénètre dans une rue de pacotille, était iconique. Le simple fait de tenir ce double vinyle dans les mains, c'était quelque chose. Ça sentait l'opulence, l'excès, la démesure d'une époque que nous, avec notre grunge boueux, on regardait avec un mélange de fascination et de mépris. Pourtant, il faut être honnête. La première moitié de ce disque, disons les deux premières faces du vinyle, c'est une pure démonstration de force. Un sans-faute. Le mec, avec son complice de toujours, le parolier Bernie Taupin, est en état de grâce. Il y a tout. Le rock'n'roll de stade qui sent la bière et la sueur avec "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting". Le glam-stomp irrésistible avec son faux public et son piano bastringue de "Bennie and the Jets". La ballade intemporelle, celle qui te fera chialer à tous les enterrements, "Candle in the Wind". Et bien sûr, la chanson-titre, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", une pure merveille de composition pop, avec sa mélodie qui s'envole et son orchestration digne d'un film hollywoodien. Sur ces morceaux, Elton John n'est pas juste un bon artisan. C'est un putain de génie. Il digère tout ce que la musique populaire a produit et le recrache à sa sauce, une sauce flamboyante, virtuose, mais toujours accessible. Il y a du music-hall anglais, du rock sudiste américain, de la pop californienne, du glam, de la soul... C'est un catalogue de tout ce qui se faisait de mieux, mais avec une cohérence bluffante, tenue par sa voix unique et son piano virtuose. C'est une masterclass. Point. Et puis... et puis il y a le reste. La seconde moitié de l'album. C'est là que la cathédrale commence à montrer quelques fissures dans les fondations. On sent le remplissage. L'obligation de fournir assez de matière pour justifier le double sillon. Attention, ce n'est pas mauvais. Elton John, même en pilote automatique, reste meilleur que 90% des artistes de son temps. Mais on sent une baisse de régime. "Jamaica Jerk-Off", sérieusement ? Une parodie de reggae qui tombe un peu à plat. "Sweet Painted Lady", une jolie ballade, mais qui n'a pas la force des précédentes. On a l'impression d'assister à la fin d'un repas trop copieux. On a bien mangé, on est repu, et on continue de nous amener des plats, bons mais dispensables. C'est tout le paradoxe de ce disque. Il contient certains des plus grands morceaux de l'histoire de la pop. Des hymnes qui ont traversé les décennies sans prendre une ride. Mais en tant qu'album, en tant qu'oeuvre complète, il souffre de sa longueur. Un éditeur impitoyable en aurait tiré un album simple absolument parfait, un 5/5 incontestable. Mais Elton John, en 1973, n'avait personne pour lui dire non. Et c'est tant mieux, et tant pis à la fois. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" est donc ce monument un peu bancal mais grandiose. C'est l'oeuvre d'un artiste au sommet de sa gloire, qui veut tout embrasser, tout essayer, quitte à se perdre un peu en chemin. C'est un disque qui, 50 ans après, reste une porte d'entrée idéale dans l'univers d'Elton John, parce qu'il contient toutes ses facettes. Le rockeur, le crooner, le showman, le compositeur de génie, et aussi le mec qui, parfois, en fait un peu trop. Alors, 4 sur 5, c'est sévère ? Non, c'est juste. C'est la note de l'admiration pour le génie, tempérée par la lucidité sur les excès. C'est un album qu'il faut entendre, absolument. Pour ses sommets vertigineux qui justifient à eux seuls sa place dans cette liste des 1001. Mais il faut aussi savoir pardonner ses quelques longueurs, comme on pardonne à un vieil ami génial d'être parfois un peu bavard. C'est le prix à payer pour fréquenter les géants.
As I get older I’m more a fan of his earlier stuff, maybe just that nostalgic sense of a time gone by…
It's hard to hate on an album hailed as someone's magnum opus. Started off very strong but carried on a bit too long. Some of it could have easily been cut (I'm looking at you, "Jamaica Jerk-off").
There are some truly dizzying highs on this album, but there are some really deep lows too. For every Goodbye Yellow Brick Road there's a Jamaica Jerk-Off. Also, it's really long and bloated. If he had cut the 5 worst songs it would have been a masterpiece.
I’ve heard the big hits from this but never the full album. I’m once again not a fan of double albums, but the over the top extravagance really works here. I’ve seen that movie too has gone straight into my favourite songs playlist.
Ah ha, Elton John's greatest hits album is here. I was ready to be extremely cynical and miserable about this, but the quality of songwriting is absolutely stellar from start to finish. It's annoying in parts, because, y'know, that's Elton, but when he writes a banger he writes a banger. The second album (I listened on record) is particularly monstrous.
The omission of Jamaica Jerk Off would have made it 5 stars. Aside from that song, the album was consistent and engaging listen
Nor my favorite EJ record but overall very good
What a classical album. With great hits.
Let's start with the album art, which may be a trite exercise, but since it's such an iconic image, I suppose I can be forgiven for sliding into my laziest impulses. So, I don't know, something about Elton peeling off this imaginary one-dimensional world and finding enough depth that he can start to walk through (with the other red-ruby-platformed foot firmly in reality) feels appropriate for this record. The image itself looks slightly psychedelic, but has been faded to lose its once spritely neon glow. And so too does Elton shed the skin off of the aesthetic contours of 60s psych rock in order to help usher in a special breed of anthemic rock-and-roll with flamboyance at the front-and-centre. Bernie Taupin is a severely underrated lyricist who also deserved everything that happened to him after "We Didn't Start The Fire." But, the man can imbue so main pain and sadness in the simplest of phrases - "I've Seen That Movie Too?" "Funeral for a Friend?" "Love Lies Bleeding?" Hell, even "Candle in the Wind" is such an evocative image; the tiniest glimmer of brightness and warmth meeting resistance in the form of a shapeless, unknowable force. He's so good at descriptions of people and what it means to be perceived by people (and of course, by logical extension, the celebrity culture that feeds off this idea like chum to a shark). Does it really get any better than the mohair suit and electric boots, which the narrator only knows because of reading it in a magazine? And does it get even more depressing than seeing that the only thing the press had to say about Marilyn Monroe's death was that she was found in the nude? Maybe, but let's be real, maybe not. Still, he deserves some grief for some truly boneheaded moments in the form of "Jamaican Jerk-Off" (get it? Yeah) and "Dirty Little Girl." In listening to this album and reading reviews, I'm surprised at how little attention is paid to Elton's backing band here, composed of guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olson. Sure, we're not missing out on some secret virtuosos (though, I'm inclined to listen closely to Elton's previous records to be sure), but these are no lazybone-two-bit-players up on stage. There is a slight deliciousness to Dee Murray's bass tone in "Candle in the Wind" as well as a slow, sexy strut in "Bennie and the Jets." At this point, it's become cliché to say this, but "Bennie" is my favourite track of the record. Elton's vocals are aces, the piano sounds like champagne glasses clinking together in a toast that lasts for ages. Johnstone brings in the acoustic guitar right before the chorus (for the aforementioned mohair suit, electric boots combo) in a way that it sounds like change swishing in a pocket in order to convey that Bennie looks expensive and knows it. I never tire of this song. Of course, the band is in full form for "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," which singlehandedly lifts up the second disc from being an outright snoozefest. There's a world that I wish to inhabit in which the narrator for "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" knows the narrator in Roxy Music's "Editions of You" off of For Your Pleasure, another glam rock album from 1973. It's fun to imagine that two different dudes are hyping themselves up - in the exact same way - to meet up with each other. In short, dudes rock. A-
liked it more than I though I would, will re-listen
Definitely a classic. A bit front-loaded but a great listen overall. A lot of different styles covered. Made for a fun listen in head-fi.
Starts off hot but gets a little bloated by the end
Un 4, casi 3.
Doesn’t feel like a double album length due to the quality throughout
Great (but long) album. Very recognizable music.
rips !! way too long tho
What a start to an album. The first 6 or so songs of this are absolutely glorious. Elton John is so talented. Just a shame this was a double album as it would have been perfect as a single, some of the songs in the second half just bored me
Great. Classic
Absolutely great although it did go on a bit long. Fab classics!!!
Is it heretical to say he should have cut some songs from this album? The songs that hit are just so good and the songs that are lesser known well I can't even remember them now.
What a classic
Another double album that intimidated me, especially because of the first song being almost 12 minutes. But what a listen, once I got going the vibes were fantastic. So many hits that I’ve heard over the years, and it was nice to hear them in the proper album format. Definitely need to be in a certain mood for this one, but overall a fantastic listen.
Full of absolute classics, but this really tapers off dramatically in the second half. With the exception of "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", pretty much everything after the titular "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is only alright, and I found myself checking my Spotify several times to make sure it hadn't started a new album without me noticing. The first four songs absolutely kick down the door and really solidify the album as a hit though. I really loved the decision to open the album with "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding", what a way to kick it off.
Tighten it up to 40 minutes and this would be a 5.
What a ride! There are so many classics and many I had never heard that I really enjoyed. Most of the songs from this album pulled me into his space—full immersion. He creates a tangible world. I’m not sure why they resonated so much this time around. Maybe it’s because of listening to the full album. He sings about women in such a different way, from seeing deep into Monroe’s despair and isolation to a painted lady and dirty girl; there are many angles. Maybe it’s the lack of sexual attraction, it’s different.
I was really enjoying the shorter albums. So another double album from an artist I think of as a singles artist. While this one has a lot to give. Better than I thought. I still think the signs are the high points. It doesn't really do anything truly interesting and reach in a double album sort of way. Just more ballads. Enjoyed it more than expected but less is more for me...
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 // Social Disease
Peak Elton John album, and overall a really great double album, that deserves the hype. 4/5
dia 01
Might be my mood but I really grooved with this Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) is such a nice song but I actually prefer the Nickelback cover of it (linked below). I remember back when I was ~9 years old and saw a video of Battlefield 1942 with that cover on youtube. Great kino but I havent been able to find it ever since. Here's Nickelback's cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7DL1FUQY9U
This is a wonderful album full of amazing songs
ive been an elton john hater for a while now, ive heard this album in the past and thought it was kinda ass. ive listened to individual songs since then and none of them did much for me. in listening again i actually really enjoyed it. i can see why the songs didnt do much for me by themselves but together it becomes a really cohesive album. i cant quite give this an 8/10 yet but i will give it a strong 7/10 for now and come back to it again soon.
My very first Elton John album and one I was excited to dive into considering I generally enjoy the title track. Aside from that ambitious, foreboding synth opening, this album has quite the established formula encompassing its hour-plus runtime. It's a formula that's hard to hate though, perfectly capturing that gleeful 70s piano rock sound with many memorable melodies and a very distinctly light piano style performed primarily by Elton himself. It's good fun all the way through which is all I was really hoping for out of this. I will say though, I generally enjoy the slower ballad-type tracks like 'Candle in the Wind' and 'Roy Rogers' as opposed to the rockier tracks like 'Saturday Night's Alright'. While I mentioned there is a "formula" here to be lulled into on this relatively long experience, there was never really a moment where the songs sounded too alike or anything - probably because of the generally diverse sonic palate. While not every song hits (I can't say I liked 'Jamaica Jerk-off' or 'Dirty Little Girl'), the sheer amount of great 70s bops here makes up for it.
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 3.8 Candle in the Wind 3.8 Bennie and the Jets 4 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 4.2 This Song Has No Title 3.5 Grey Seal 3.6 Jamaica Jerk-Off 3.2 I've Seen That Movie Too 3.7 Sweet Painted Lady 3.6 The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34) 3.4 Dirty Little Girl 3.5 All the Girls Love Alice 3.4 Your Sister Can't Twist (but She Can Rock 'n Roll) 3.6 Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting 4.1 Roy Rogers 3.5 Social Disease 3.5 Harmony 3.7 Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again) 3.6 Jack Rabbit 3.2 Screw You (Young Man's Blues) 3.6 Candle in the Wind (2003 acoustic remix by Greg Penny) 3.6 Score: 3.623809524
I really like Elton, and this album has such a rich tapestry of instrumentation. Hard not to love.
I didn't expect to enjoy this album as much as I did. Having it start with four of his strongest songs must have played a part. I was surprised at how 'rocky' it was in places, and I was surprised to discover that it wasn't just 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' that rocked. The whole album was pretty solid from start to finish, but why does a pop star of any era, feel the need to do a faux country number? Italy a 4 star for Reg.
I don't see how you can't like this era of Elton John. Some tracks are better than others, sure, but this album is full of classics.
It was great
some hits. that Jamaica song is kinda weird eh?
Candle in the Wind, Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting are still relevant songs in popular music and played in many live performances.
- as one of my first forays into 70s music in general (in regards to whole albums), this seems pretty impressive to me - bold decisions, throughout the album and perhaps most visibly with the opener - often very full and thought out arrangements, for the short time it was created in - some of it is not for me, as i take quick issue with certain cadences and chord changes, but that's more my fault than Elton's - does seem to have a bit of filler - i would blast Grey Seal all day
Good album. This has some really solid piano/pop ballads and is just a fun listen. I'm not a deep Elton John fan, but he has a lot of songs that I think are phenomenal. ****
It’s a classic for a reason, although suffers a bit from double LP syndrome
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" rocked music charts and is considered one of Elton John's greatest works, which is saying something considering his prodigious career. Pop rock, John has a remarkable knack for creating hits that make the listener to get up and dance. The successful tracks outweigh the other more lackluster and obscure tracks on this double album. This album produced greats including "Bennie and the Jets," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," and the title track, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
very cool but also not really something i would listen to on repeat.
This is the hallmark of Elton John's albums. But you must like his style. I find that under the exciting arrangements there's always a bit of a similiar formula.
So who knew the only Elton John songs I actually like are all on the same album! So I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Really good song writing obvs but generally I just like the sound/production of it. Downside is that it was a bit long and dragged a bit + Jamaican Jerk off is awful (why is that even on there).
this one has really grown on me
I never really payed Elton John much attention. That might have been a mistake as this is yet another excellent album (after Madman across the Water). Not good enough for 5 stars but an easy 4.
Liked Songs Funeral for a Friend Candle In The Wind Bennie and the Jets Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Grey Seal Sweet Painted Lady
I think this is Elton’s best overall album. The piano is excellent and his voice is in its prime.
I’m not a big EJ fan but there’s no denying there is a unique brilliance to his sound and lyrics which have had a major influence on pop. Some true gems on this record. Dragged down a bit by the hokey Candle in the Wind.