Reviews (page 10 of 13)
27/11/24 It wasn't great.
I didn’t get through all 3 discs but I don’t really need to hear all the piano demos to understand Elton John. A solid album, obviously Tiny Dancer is the main highlight, but Holiday Inn is another favorite.
Rolling like Thunder! Under the covors! *fjärtljud*
Pretty good, of course with Elton John this isn't surprising. A bit long and dragging at times, but it might just be because I'm not used to songs over 5 minutes anymore.
I like Elton's voice but for me the lp lacked a bit of edge
Bang on three, decent.
3.5 I feel like any early Elton album is at least this good just from his voice.. Piano parts feel perhaps slightly repetitive but the vocals drag this up.
I've never really considered myself an Elton fan and while this album has not changed that, I did really like a couple tracks. Tiny Dancer is a classic of course, and i liked Levon.
I got whiplash going from Pantera to Elton John. Tiny Dancer is a great opener, but I'm not sure the rest measures up to it. I like Elton, but this album didn't quite do it for me. Rotten peaches convinced me Elton can sing about anything.
Like the other Elton John album I listened to a while back, this is OK without really standing out in any way. Tiny Dancer reminds me of early Jackson Browne, which is no bad thing, but beyond that it’s all a bit bland. I can’t quite make up my mind about Indian Sunset. I suppose benefit of the doubt is reasonable, but it still feels a bit off 50 years later. Just a bit meh really
Pretty good album but not my favorite of his.
Killer opener. Can't argue. But genius over an entire album is tricky. Elton albums are different from Elton singles.
Good music, but unfortunately boring.
'Tiny Dancer' is a great song, but listening to this album felt like repeatedly listening to 'Tiny Dancer', for better or worse. Many of these songs sort of groove the same way, with those light piano keys and the subtle touches of string that build alongside the tracks. 'Madman Across The Water' was a nice change of pace and 'Indian Sunset' was epic in stature, and has John shedding light on American atrocities towards the natives. 'All The Nasties' had a nice gospel passage closing it out - might be my favorite moment on the album. I do wish more songs stuck out, songs like 'Holiday Inn' and 'Razor Face', while nice on the ears, just tread the same water as many other songs here. I definitely enjoyed the diversity of an album like 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' more.
Looking over the tracklist, I was only familiar with one of the songs. This wasn't a good sign, as Elton John is all about the hits. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how well crafted and cohesive this album was. Not very many highlights, but a very good album listening experience. Key tracks: Tiny Dancer Indian Summer
Happy this is shorter than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. First two songs are the ones to listen to, the rest is good if you like Elton, but meh for me.
Levon gives it an extra star
Klare aldri å bli heilt venn med Elton
eh. no real strong feelings. unfortunately the big song was right at the beginning, and you know how that goes!
eh, this one was fine. tiny dancer is a good song, levon and madman across the water were pretty good, and the rest ranged from uncomfortable to forgettable to bad. i didn't really grow up with elton john and trying to find an accessible way to enjoy his music in my 30s is tough. all these songs feel really similar and each one is about 2-3 minutes too long. i will say the album cover is pretty cool though. favorites: tiny dancer, levon, madman across the water
General impression: I love him, but as a whole, I only like this album. Detailed review: Let’s get this out of the way — there are three perfect, 5/5 songs on this album: “Tiny Dancer” (obviously), “Levon,” and “Madman Across the Water.” These songs rule. The other six tracks, though, while featuring great arrangements and great singing, are merely good. There aren’t many hooks. “Razor Face” is okay, “Holiday Inn” is pretty good, “Indian Sunset” is cringey as hell, and the rest are pretty forgettable. I think the Elton/Bernie combo increased their hit rate as time went on, writing more memorable melodies. They’re some of the best songwriters ever. But on this earlier release, the quality isn’t very consistent. Deeper thoughts (context): not really Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 966 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 19 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 16 (including this one) General impression: I love him, but as a whole, I only like this album. Detailed review: Let’s get this out of the way — there are three perfect, 5/5 songs on this album: “Tiny Dancer” (obviously), “Levon,” and “Madman Across the Water.” These songs rule. The other six tracks, though, while featuring great arrangements and great singing, are merely good. There aren’t many hooks. “Razor Face” is okay, “Holiday Inn” is pretty good, “Indian Sunset” is cringey as hell, and the rest are pretty forgettable. I think the Elton/Bernie combo increased their hit rate as time went on, writing more memorable melodies. They’re some of the best songwriters ever. But on this earlier release, the quality isn’t very consistent. Deeper thoughts (context): not really Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 966 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 19 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 16 (including this one)
Love Levon
Clean production nice vocals some cool instrumentation. Nothing too special but I enjoyed my time 7.2/10
got some real classics on here. makes you remember why someone is as well regarded as they are. didn't super jump out at me though, no offence
3.5
This album made me realise that Elton's voice is really the weak point in his music (for me). The musicality and of course the lyrics are excellent, but after a while his voice grates on me. Nice album but it felt all a bit same same and that's mostly due to his voice. I'll probably just stick to the greatest hits rather than listening to another of his albums end to end.
This is better than expected, but I still don’t love it. There’s a ton to like, loads of quality. This record follows the 70s epic story telling style of pop song. Similar to Billy Joel, but way, way, way more elaborate. I don’t dislike this. I just don’t enjoy listening to it all that much. Not really made for casual listening. There’s quality, it’s just very dramatic.
This album is carried by tiny dancer, but to be honest I think that’s enough for this to make the list.
Pleasant but I don’t really care.
Ignore that other review, this website does dumb things like keep previous reviews. EJ here starts his journey and I’m here for it.
Ho hum. This kind of album suffers from the other wonderful stuff that's around it.
Elton John has created some of my all time favorite songs. But his singles are often better than listening to his albums. At least in my opinion. So many forgettable tunes on this and one that’s embracing. But the bangers are just so good. 3.5/5
alright, has a lot of his iconic songs. kind of all over the place, but great nonetheless.
Good
Very samey sounding but the latter half is worth it. Still not a massive fan of Elton's voice. Pristine production
Kicsit kevesebb teatralitás lehet, jól tett volna neki...
szóval van rajta pár tényleg jó szám, de nekem olyan egyformának tűntek, hogy sokkal hosszabbnak éreztem az albumot mint amilyen.
3.5/5
The piano work is, obviously, top notch. Starts off with a banger, Tiny Dancer. Rest of the album is not bad, just ok. It's kind of a let down after the first track, though. Best song: Tiny Dancer
It was alright, probably merits a second listen
Great voice and lovely classic but not my favorite…
Opens with a banger Tiny Dancer. Nothing after that really made a mark in my memory. I liked the parts with backing vocals.
Think I expected more from an Elton John album? Not bad, but I usually like him more than I liked that album
Tiny dancer is worth three stars alone
This was a extremely strong 3, I'm only withholding a 4-5 because I'm sure I'll enjoy Elton's other albums even more (looking forward to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road!). There's a great mix of pop and rock on this album which is all accompanied by Elton's great vocals and even better piano playing; the lyrics themselves are also vivid and each song feels deliberately crafted. On the other hand there are a couple uninteresting spots on the album and the album became more dull as time went on.
Wasn't for me I'm afraid, Tiny Dancer is a banger. Just felt like the rest was just missing something from it.
I don't understand Elton John. Clearly, he is a very talented songwriter and performer, but I don't get the hype. The singles shine here, and the other songs are just what you'd expect... well composed filler.
This one to me was just good. I want to like it more because the songs tackle some tough topics (misaligned wealth, drugs, exterminating native populations, etc.) but for some reason they just miss slightly to me. Absolutely love Tiny Dancer!
I didn't care for this album as much as Yellow Brick Road. This is the more POETIC Elton John or something. The song writing is just not as catchy as Yellow Brick Road. It has two hits, Tiny Dancer and Levon. Neither of those are my favorite Elton John songs. Indian Sunset kinda comes off as a white British dude romantacising the wild west and maybe trying to make a statement about racial injustice? I would have to analyze it deeper. Rotten Peaches? Rotting in the sun? WTF? ... anyway... it would take me more than 1 or 2 listens to get into this album. Not his best.
haven’t listened yet
I appreciated the piano and Elton John is clearly very talented, but would not go out of my way to listen to this again other than Tiny Dancer.
From the pop legend himself I’ve only known one of these songs my whole life, glad that’s different now. More of a Too Low for Zero type guy. <<Tiny dancer, holiday inn, Levon
Elton John's music never really stood out to me. Don't get me wrong, I understand how big of a name he is and his influence, but his music never really... clicked. This album is no exception unfortunately; the only songs that stood out to me were Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset (I know many people hate Indian Sunset but for some reason I loved its musical structure). I cannot really rate it anything more than 3/5, good album I guess but not interesting enough for me to remember.
The 3 hits are top-notch. No surprises otherwise.
Legendary singles artist but often uneven albums. This one comes out the gates blazing but loses steam fast.
Yeah it's an Elton John album
-well I’ll just start by saying that Tiny Dancer is definitely the best song on here and my favorite Elton John song period (though I haven’t exactly heard that many). The prog rock style is interesting and not what I was expecting. Overall a pretty solid album though maybe a bit too “samey” with some songs -Favorites are Tiny Dancer and Razor Face -Favorites are
3.5☆/5 09.13.2024
Mooolto meno catchy degli altri che sono apparsi in questo elenco
Incomparable highs, middling lows. A fine enough enjoyable adult contemporary (70s, that is) pop music.
There are artists who play a big part in the soundtrack to one's teen years and Elton John was one of mine. This album has two huge hits but there are still better Elton albums out there. 3.5/5
Никогда его раньше не слушал вот прямо альбомом. Альбом норм. Лучшая песня - Tiny Dancer.
Good first track. 3
The hits are great of course. But some of the songs aren't up to EJ standards.
Always been an Elton fan. But many of albums I've heard seem to have a bit of filler. This album seems to have more than a bit. It certainly starts off very strong with Tiny Dancer and Levon. I love the orchestral rock sound. But the rest of the album meanders somewhat aimlessly although Elton sells it with his classic pop singing style. But I'm not sure what makes this a candidate for the list.
This album was good. I wouldn’t call it anything special. Just good. Obviously it has the standout track, Tiny Dancer, and one of my personal favorite Elton John tracks, Levon. But the other songs on this just don’t standout. They’re good inside the album but I wouldn’t replay them much outside of it. Still a good Elton John album though. 6/10
Pretty solid glam rock album. Really liked tiny dancer,levon, razor face
Not Elton Jhon's best. 6/10
Sin mas
Started off strong and then became fine. Took me a while to recognise Indian Sunset from Ghetto Gospel
Tiny Dancer is sure a strong opener. We have a couple of less memorable piano tunes next, but the title track made me sit up and take notice. Much more bite to it and very cinematic. Indian Sunset has some good moments too and Holiday Inn leans more prog rock than I expected. I don't like everything though so it's hard to give this an overall rating higher than ***.
If I'm being honest I didn't finish the entire album. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it... or maybe I just didn't like it. Of course, Tiny Dancer is the best song on the album. Good thing it's the first. I like Elton John classics but this album didn't really sell me.
Catchy as hell, great production. Am I the only one who thinks these lyrics are abysmal? And the lines that aren't got lucky? Indian Sunset wouldn't get written today and I think that's ok
Surprisingly good. I guess there's a reason why Elton John is popular.
The title track is pretty cool here, but it's impact is dimished by 45 minutes of piano ballads back-to-back. This album is ok, with my favorites being Tiny Dancer, the aforementioned Madman, and Holiday Inn. I think Goodbye Yellowbrick Road was a more fun album.
It’s cool. Starting with Tiny Dancer is ballsy when it’s such a great song. On the other hand, rest of the tracks follow the same style of that song and it becomes less interesting the longer it goes.
kun heräsin tänä iltana, kun puusavun tuoksu tarttuu, kuin lempeä hämähäkinverkko roikkuu maalatun pihan päällä.. Oi, menin tapaamaan päällikköäni, sotakehäni ja naiseni kanssa. sillä hän kertoi meille, että keltainen kuu lähtisi hyvin pian... koskettavaa settiä, maailman parhaat lyrisisoijat elttoni ja bernie.... Oi, suuri irokeesien isä Nuoresta asti Olen lukenut savun kirjoituksen Ja imetettiin rumpujen äänellä Olen oppinut heittämään tomahawkia Ja ratsastaa maalatulla ponilla villinä, Juoksemaan sioux-käsinettä,tehdä päällikön tyttärestä minun... FFFFFFOOOOOOKING ALL REIGHT LYRICS MATE:.................... SIR:..... YES SIR...... levon
Tiny dancer is a classic but otherwise it felt like the same song over and over.
3.5
Not bad from Elton 6/10
Maybe I've been a bit spoiled by Candle In The Wind since it was my frist album from Elton. It's not bad, but it didn't really strike me as anything that amazing
I would’ve once said eww but this is actually really good music all round. 3.5 stars
Plain. Some of the Spotify recommendations were more engaging.
Not his best but a good listen.
Like many of Elton John's albums there are absolute masterpieces (Tiny Dancer) among some really cringey numbers (Indian Sunset). As a stalwart of the rock album era I have always struggled with how bad his albums actually are despite his excellent singles.
Elton John does Elton John
Would this album be on this list if it didn't have Tiny Dancer on it? I don't think so. That's a brilliant song, one of Elton John's best, but the rest of this album is run of the mill. And what's up with Indian Summer? No way he could record that song anymore. I liked Levon and Madman Across the Water, the rest of it is nothing I would really ever listen to again. I don't know what else (if anything?) from Elton John is on this list, I would imagine the self titled album or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (or both) probably are. It would be a really weird choice to pick this to be the only Elton John record. I'll give this one a 2.5/5, mostly for Tiny Dancer.
Kinda high 3
Of course it is no thing to say Elton John is legend. Deservedly so. Even here we have classic wonderful songs that will continue to stand the test of time. We also have songs that I have never or rarely ever heard on an album from 1971. I think this is telling. I have spoken of this before: a voice and a piano can be sublime. The same voice and piano over and over however, can become... I don't know. I don't want to say boring but maybe one would need to be a quite specific super fan to hit repeat and listen over and over. Actually for me this defines his career. A huge personality, beloved, huge hits, beloved, and a lot of "stuff" in-between.
Stable Elton music
Great instrumentation and arrangements, starts strong and then tapers a bit.
Pretty good Elton John record but not his best. Levon is my favorite EJ song
Decent. Need to listen more often
I'm surprised "Madman Across The Water" was featured but "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player" wasn't? "Tiny Dancer" was great, but I feel like Elton's fourth studio album is less remarkable than its successors.
A good album with a lot of fun songs. Elton's singing is always great. Despite being a little odd Indian Sunset felt like the best song on the album.
Madman the album is decent. .It’s got two big singles in “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon” right out of the gate as a 1-2 punch opener. As a whole, it’s a fine album with nothing incredible that stands out to me. I do appreciate the more progressive rock efforts on songs like “Madman” and the jaunty mandolin outro on “Holiday Inn.” But there are certainly better Elton albums on this list. 3/5 stars: I see why this is on the list; something worth revisiting. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *John's first progressive rock album, Madman Across the Water contains nine tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. *Madman was John's first foray into progressive rock, and it did not sell well. His next album, Honky Château, shifted gears to glam rock, beginning a string of more successful releases. He did not touch upon prog rock again until Blue Moves in 1976, another less popular album. *Dispelling rumours that the (title) song's lyric referred to then US President Richard Nixon, Bernie Taupin had this to say: “Back in the seventies, when people were saying that "Madman Across the Water" was about Richard Nixon, I thought, That is genius. I could never have thought of that.” Interesting Factoids from SongFacts.com: *"Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" were the most popular songs on the Madman Across the Water album, but Elton says that he feels most connected to the title track. The album marked a major musical shift for Elton, as he brought a guitarist into his band for the first time, enlisting Davey Johnstone. *The first US single from Madman Across The Water, "Levon" runs 5:22 and Elton wouldn't let his record company cut it down for radio play. He wasn't yet a big star, so many radio stations ignored it. The song peaked at #24 but proved enduring, earning airplay on classic rock and adult contemporary radio for decades to come…The next single from the album was "Tiny Dancer," which is even longer, running 6:12. Like "Levon," that one fared poorly on the chart (#41) but also became a classic. Neither song was issued as a single in the UK. *[On “All The Nasties”]: On the BBC TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test, Elton and his lyricist Bernie Taupin said this song is about all the critics he and Bernie thought were nasty people who only had nasty things to say about their work. This interview was conducted in the early '70s before Elton came out as gay. Standout Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across The Water
This felt like I was watching a musical. I don't remember most of it. 3/5
Nice to hear some of the hits mixed in with songs I’ve never heard. Not totally my thing, but was amused by some of the more orchestral pieces.
Get that white shit outta here
It is obvious how talented Elton John is as a pianist and songwriter. There's quite a few really great songs, with nice vocal melodies. I am more of a Billy Joel person though, and only really was interested in about half of these songs
Сладкоголосый поп фортепиано певетс
Interesante
ein
Lempibiisini Tiny dancer! Mutta heti kärkeen, jonka jälkeen joka biisi oli turhan samanlainen. Tarinat juu erilaisia, elokuvallisia kuitenkin kaikki ja pianonsoittaja-lauluntekijähahmo vahvana. Pikkusen meni tylsäksi. Mutta: tyyli- ja camp-pisteitä ei voi olla antamatta.
“Razor face” is gonna be my new nickname for someone. I truly do like how openly gay those lyrics are. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to be so open in 1971. Some songs, including the title track, didn’t hit for me. His voice sounded shrieky at times in his high register. The radio hits and a few other solid songs saved this album from being a stinker. 3.2
EJ's albums sound like musicals or soundtracks to me - a little over the top but cohesive and enjoyable. I think I liked this more than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. 3.5
God is dead Jesus went to Venus
Wonderful! Tiny Dancer is definitely my favorite, but the weird combo of folksy and glam is oddly charming. I honestly don't think of myself as the sort of person who likes Elton John, but this album is undoubtedly a triumph.
first listen in entirety. I liked it a lot. It a solid album but with the exception of a couple of tracks not very memorable tbh.
#20 - First time I've listened to an Elton John album back to back. And I feel I add this disclaimer to many of my reviews - having grown up relatively sheltered from pop culture, I feel like I can approach this objectively. It's nice to listen to, it has it's own brand that we are now very used to but back in the day it must've been huge. Almost cinematic Disney film qualities. Agree with other reviewers that it's mostly however a version of the same song. I find Elton's plonky piano a bit grating and I'm extremely annoyed by how he pronounces words (Jaysus!). This being said, I was pleasantly surprised by some daring instrumentation and cannot deny some songs are bangers. I've never particularly loved Tiny Dancer but Levon was a straight favourite after hearing it.
Day 6 - June 7th, 2024, I will admit that this was my first time listening to whole entire album, and while it wasn't anything special, it was still good, and reminds me of growing up with a classic rock obsessed dad. Highlights are Tiny Dancer (duh) and Rotten Peaches. 3.5/5
Although more enjoyable than other 'one good song' albums, nothing else really stood out for me
It was alright but ultimately didn’t do enough for me relative to what I want from exploring more Elton
Some songs are 5 star worthy. The rest are ok, after awhile I thought the started to sound the same.
Wel cool, legendarische songwriter natuurlijk. Maar wel zo vaak van die orchestrale arrangementen, dat vond ik een beetje te dramatisch.
Tiny dancer wel erg cute zeg, Indian Jungle is de Ghetto Gospel van Tupac, daar word ie gesampled, fun fact dat nummer is weer door Eminem geproduced.
wel prima tiny dancer hitje natuurlijk rest wel degelijk
Elton John has like 5 good songs. Tiny Dancer is one of them. The rest of the songs on here are mediocre at best.
Second time this one has come up...
...
An interesting choice for Elton John albums, given that it was neither a best seller nor seemingly all that popular when it was released (and didn't really seem to have a lasting legacy either). The first two songs I'd definitely heard before, and are great songs (to me at least), but I'm not familiar with the rest of the album, which seems to me to be variations on the first two songs. (Although I might have heard the title track before; I can't quite tell, but it's definitely more interesting than many of the other songs.) It seems like a fine album, but it doesn't really stick for me. Sorry, Elton John!
Good album but many tracks sound the same
Ça s'écoute bien mais Tiny Dancer est le seul vrai hit de l'album.
Ik moet eerlijk bekennen dat ik dit extravagante mannetje nog nooit een kans heb gegeven. Wel durf ik mezelf enigszins fan van Tiny Dancer te noemen. Wellicht staat er nog wel meer op de plaat dat me aanspreekt. Er zitten veel Tiny Dancer achtige nummers op dit album, waarbij ik moet toegeven dat het soms echt heel lekker is om te luisteren. Ik hou wel van de pianostukken die in vrijwel ieder nummer terugkomen. Vooral bij Indian Sunset en Madman Across The Water. Tijdens het luisteren van Indian Sunset kon ik maar niet ophouden te bedenken dat ik dit nummer al kende. Waar was dit nummer ook al weer in gesampled.... en toen bij "Those who wish to follow me, I welcome with my hands" wist ik het. Ghetto Gospel van 2Pac. Zouden een leuk duo vormen die twee. Ik zou niet zeggen dat Elton John er een nieuwe fan bij heeft, maar ik kan echt wel genieten van een aantal nummers op het album. Rating: 7/10 Highlights: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across The Water, Indian Sunset
Curious to what makes everyone award 5 stars, as I’ve yet to give one yet and sadly Elton won’t be the debut recipient. He seems to have been given a fair few 5s for this album though. Never actually listened to a full album of his before but I’m not sure if this is the best full introduction? I’m a big fan of piano and strings, which this album has a lot of. Once again I seem to be a real stickler for the vocals cause Elton’s just don’t do it for me. But it’s more enjoyable than a lot of what I’ve been offered up so far on this quest, and Tiny Dancer is always a joy to listen to
This was the first full Elton John album I’ve listened to. I like “Tiny Dancer” well enough and “Madman across the Water” was kind of cool, but on the whole, not really my kind of thing. Maybe I didn’t listen attentively enough.
Elton is one of those artists for me where a ‘Best Of’ compilation is really all you need. I rarely find myself enjoying any of his deeper cuts. It was, unfortunately, the same for this album.
HIGHLIGHTS: Tiny Dancer Levon OVERALL: 3/5
Very 70s. I listened to the title track, but was not interested in listening to anymore. 3/5.
classic
Ok
Okay
jeden bardzo znany utwór, reszta przyjemna ale nie zostaje w pamięci
This was okay, but I didn't care for it that much and I usually like Elton John. Not sure why.
Sounds like Elton John sounds. Some ok numbers like "Tiny Dancer" but overall too many versions of "Candle In The Wind" 😉 Not really bad but without his charismatic voice and personality noone would talk about a single song from this album. 2,5
Started off strong but tapered off.
Was wondering why only Tiny Dancer and Levon had any amount of plays, they are indeed far and away the best songs on the album. Levon #1 of course.
Madman Across the Water has that classic Elton John sound married with Bernie Taupin’s lyrics. It starts out with the two singles (who doesn’t love Tiny Dancer?) and then the rest is pretty one-note except for a few missteps.
Pretty enjoyable album to me. 3.5/5
This man. Legend and deservedly so. The piano, the melodies. The first two tracks are stellar, however, this albums remaining tracks aren’t quite in the same league as the first two.
grande voce, qualche canzone piacevole ma non è proprio il mio genere
A lot more interesting than the usual Elton pop dirge.
Favorite tracks: Indian Sunrise Razor face Confused on themes
I wish I could have listened to these without prior judgment!! This album’s use of strings feel like the strings that are sampled on Sibaleus bahahah, plus Elton’s classic plonky piano I always love.
Mixed feeling about this album. While I definitely don’t dislike it, I’m not sure how much it sparks in me - as if it’s erring on the side of safe. The instrumentals feel almost too polished, and lack a certain bite I think would elevate some of the darker songs on the album. Similarly, the lyrics build compelling characters but occasionally fail to take them much further than that, and I feel some of the American themes come across somewhat contrived. All that said, this album has a lot going for it. Unsurprisingly the vocals are brilliant throughout, the string arrangements are great, and it is overall an enjoyable listen. Standout tracks for me are Holiday Inn, Razor Face, All the Nasties, and Tiny Dancer. It will be interesting to revisit this one in 6 months or so, and see if my feelings change over that time.
Elton John is the master of piano ballads, but it gets exhausting when it’s a full album of them
Again, good listen, the piano fucks, the strings fuck but everything sounds the same. Like all his songs are predictable, like good but predictable. He’s just another gay man who loves to gab, poetically for sure
can i be honest i dont get it.. :-|
Ok but not catchy enough compared to his other tunes!
An alright album from Elton Top tracks: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across The Water
Definitely not my go to Elton John style. I don't dislike it is just not very exciting. I really am not a fan when an album starts with by far the best song and just gets worse and worse as it goes on and this was definitely the case here. Not much to say really I like the odd Piano Rock piece but after a while it can feel tedious. Still a legend with a great catalogue but wouldn't be my choice. 3/5 Stand out songs: Tiny Dancer Genuinely couldn't pick any other stand out songs the rest just felt forgettable and more background noise-ish
Not bad at all
Album Nr. 84 Nicht schlecht aber für meinen Geschmack etwas zu eintönig und gefühlt zu langatmig.
part of the furniture really, not dislikeable but not ever going to put it on for me
Está bien.
Solid entry
Better than expected
This really is as expected: a collection of uninteresting piano ballads, save the surprising exception of the title track, which actually has some interesting aspects and energy, and is now one of two genuinely enjoyable Elton John songs I have heard, alongside Bennie And The Jets. In all, some nice background ballads. Not bad, not particularly great.
Fun but ends a little weak
Two of Elton John’s best songs back-to-back start the album, but afterwards it gets much less interesting. Still, less interesting than “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon” is pretty good. After Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (by far Elton John’s best album), Madman Across the Water is probably tied with Honky Chateau for my second-favorite.
Tiny Dancer is almost too good of an opener. The album doesnt really have anywhere else to go unfortunately.
Was good but really fell off at the end of the album
Bob Dylan. 3 stars is too little
Classic Elton. Has Tiny Dancer. Many of the songs have that similar feel to them.
Tiny daner
Good. Not my favorite of his, but clearly dropped some serious hits on this one. He’s a stud.
Steady album.
C'était intéressant mais pas délire
three hours is a bit much, three disks is nutty, good songs though
I love Elton, but albums always feel a bit too much of the same thing.
Not my favorite John record but good one. Drags a bit in parts
Only ever listened to Yellow Brick Road in full before but was familiar with a few of the songs anyway. Good album but not on the level of Yellow Brick Road. Fav songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Holiday Inn
Tiny dancer! Maintained the quality through the whole album.
The singles on this album are really fun and iconic. The rest of the songs are just meh.
⭐️⭐️⭐️of course there ar songs we all know and love- some good ones and okay ones I have not heard live here too
2 classic songs. The rest was boring
First song was good, rest of album was just okay.
Tiny dancer slaps ofc but the rest I wasn't too familiar to begin with so I think I need to listen to this again. Overall I dig what I was hearing.
Highlights: Bennie and the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting. In a nutshell: a healthy dose of glam pop rock. Proggy organ intro's, duelling harmonies, cultural appropriation, symphony flourishes and grandiose touches. It's pure Elton and Bernie. I think I'll need to listen to Sides C and D again and come back to this review. Overall: 5/10 Overall
Solid piano rock with progressive tints from Elton John again. Some elegant arrangements here, sometimes including strings and an interesting accordion (?) solo. The first two songs are Tiny Dancer and Levon, creating a pretty strong emotional 1-2 punch, and generally storytelling and somewhat visual lyrics across the album. Vocal melodies and harmonies are well-designed and performed. I was surprised to hear this came out before Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (an early assignment for me), because the arrangements generally seem more developed and complicated. Started zoning out a bit as the album got to the back half.
It's 'Sir'!!
First side is very strong steeped in classics. The second half was ok, no new takeaways. Overall still a strong enough album to let play through.
could i write poetry to this? n
Elton is great, but this album is just OK.
I like Elton John. I do. I’ll never forget quitting my job after a huge hour long argument with my boss and cresting a hill on my way home to see the sunset while “Don’t let the sun go down on me” played. But, every artist has the album that went the other way. Madman was a good album but compared to the sheer power of Elton Johns greats, it just doesn’t shine. Tiny dancer is good but the remainder feels like filler. Additionally, for a man with such an amazing vocal range, the lyrics do not set him up to perform like he always does, feeling more like an afterthought to the instruments. Crowded, messy, and confusing, this album is a must listen due to the prestige of the artist but unfortunately this is Elton John at his worst.
Starts strong but then never really picks up the pace. Gets a little boring for a whole listen (2.5/5)
It’s good but not quite what I like
Pretty good album. Was never crazy about Sir Elton, not really sure why. Maybe it was too pop flavored for my folk-rock loving young self. Maybe too few guitars, maybe too theatrical. I hear it now and acknowledge it's good stuff, but it really doesn't do much for me. I want to love it, but I don't. Ah well.....
Good album. I'd have to have another listen to zero in on all the songs I really like.
It’s got good moments but I’m not loving the grand piano tunes.
The first two songs are so good, but the rest of the songs are so similar yet so bland that it almost makes the good songs bad.
some real high points, but generally not my favorite.
Tiny dancer is amazing but other than that just some regular Elton John Best song Tiny Dancer Levon
I've never been particularly fond of Elton John's work, and listening to this album doesn't change that. However, I can absolutely recognize the quality of his work. His composition in this album is interesting, and various tracks include unexpected and wonderfully layered instrumentation I would not usually think of an English artist using: specifically those typically associated with country western or bluegrass such as the dulcimer and fiddle. I'm happy to have listened to this album, and it was not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn't change ether fact that it just doesn't do much for me personally, and I don't see ever returning to it. I give it a 2.8 so that I'll round up to a 3. It's far more deserving of that leeway than many others I've given in the two range for this project.
I am glad to have heard this, and promptly forgot what I listened to.
3.5 stars, but closer to 3 than 4. Good tunes, some lost me a little.
Tiny dancer is good though I actually like many cover versions better. Levon is good. The rest is listenable but nothing memorable.
A couple of classics with a bunch of filler.
Best Songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon Listen Again: Yes
On the album the song "Tiny Dancer" is good but the rest is just average.
Decent, interesting album but don’t get the hype around Elton John from this album
He's a legend. Respect the songwriting and the music, just never vibed with it.
A surprising “meh” overall. “Tiny Dancer” is the obvious standout, and that song alone should be heard in your lifetime. But the rest of the album doesn’t really pay off. Apparently this was the third album that Elton John released in 1971, and maybe the well was just running dry by that point.
This was an interesting listen. very samey throughout but kind of enjoyable. Obviously an incredible start. Kinda wished the album was over at track 7 though to be fair. Though the choir vocals on track 8 were great.
I realised I can only handle a bit of Elton John at a time. Tiny Dancer is always a banger though
I didn't give this one an overly deep listen so I may have missed some gems. No doubt a couple of songs truly bring it but I thought this would have more for my tastes.
Cool album art. Amazing production. Sounds almost to be a sneaky country album. Although great, the first 2 tracks can't carry this album.
Está bueno el disco. John toca el piano una locura, pero es demasiaaado pop y los temas son demasiado similares.
“Tiny Dancer” is great. The rest was beautifully arranged but quickly forgotten.
Indian sunset was certainly a choice but otherwise this is a nice underrated gem of an album. Much respect to anyone who can make deeper cuts worth listening to.
Elton really set himself up opening with Tiny Dancer. Definitely a top 5 Elton track. Levon is pretty good but the rest of the album was not as enjoyable as I expected.
Listened to EJ all my life and don’t listen much anymore. Fun to revisit the classics but didn’t fall in love again.
Elton John überzeugt mit dem ein oder anderen Hit. Insgesamt aber eher eine Schwere zu spüren. 5.2/10
Elton John is a great artist. There is always so much movement in his piano playing! ‘Tiny dancer’ is the only song I’ve heard from this album and must be the biggest hit, but every song was definitely enjoyable
Iha jees! Aiempi elttoni parempi
MAN THE HIGHS OF THIS CHALLENGE HAVE BEEN HIGH. I love Elton John he was literally the first Cd that I ever owned and I had heard this record was very good but I never actually visited it I love the themes of this album and I think it flows so well together. 4.5/5
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Not sure why I've never gotten into Elton John as much as, say, Billy Joel, but to this point I never have. I'm unlikely to seek Madman and play it on my own, but I do enjoy it once someone has spun it up.
Me at 12 years old definitely not crying while watching Almost Famous for the first time. This was the first Elton John record I had access to, and I played it on repeat monthly from the time I saw that scene until I was probably 18. Taupin and John have this strange trend of front loading their albums with some of the greatest, most timeless songs ever written, and then abandoning the back halves with mediocre, forgettable and sometimes downright silly tracks.
I was rather lukewarm on this one, though I no doubt enjoyed and appreciated the affecting introspection in Elton's character-driven lyrical style.
First two songs on the album are classics, the rest, not so much. Perfectly slightly above average album by EJ. 3/5 Might listen again
High 3.
Levon makes a lot of money... selling cartoon balloons in town? Wow, what a boomer concept. ...or is it supposed to be commentary on public perceptions? Are the balloons a side hustle? I am definitely overthinking this. I'm not a huge fan of Tiny Dancer or Levon, but once you get into the b-sides it's decent (albeit with some Big Yikes From The 70s in "Indian Sunset"). I like the musical style though if I'm being overly cynical it's a bit overdramatic. Should probably expect the Drama from Sir Elton though. The title track is a highlight.
Yep!
Good album, though nothing spectacular. The best had yet to come for Elton John.
Similar to meatloaf!
I really liked the second track, Levon, I haven’t paid much attention to that song in the past.
6.5/10 Great piano work, but all the songs were pretty slow, and a few sounded really similar. Overall good, but not my style.
Elton John goes progrock(ish). Tiny dancer blijft sterk. Verrassend lange jamsessies aan het einde van nummers. Verhalende nummers soms te lang om zo eentonig te zijn. All the nasties is fijn meeschreeuwen. Holiday Inn heeft een fijn tokkeleinde
It was fun to listen to but idk if I’d put it on regularly. I think I’d need to be in a very specific mood.
Exactly what I’d expect an album of new to me Elton John songs would sound like. Not as good as rocket man though. Solid production, high to mid songs, good lyrics. Not that interesting on the piano playing to me.
Elton John is always a good listen but not exactly a greatest hits album
It's ok. Never been a big Elton John fan.
Escuchable
Weird, I liked more the obscure tracks. Love the arrangements but not my cup of tea. Lacking imagination, rehashing the same formula.
La première fois j'écoutais du Elton John. Belles mélodies, ça s'écoute bien. Tiny dancer est cool, mais sinon pas de wooooow.
Elton has better albums than this, but Tiny Dancer is definitely a classic
I was never really into Elton. The first two tracks are obvious bangers and probably lean me further into the realm of enjoying his stuff if listening to a single song in passing. But listening to this front to back I was surprised how much it all sounded alike. The back half had a few surprises, good and bad. The mandolin on Holiday Inn helped, but Indian Sunset? Really Elton?
First two songs are bangers. Slows down for my tastes but still a solid album.
Average album elevated to above-average by Tiny D and Levon. Holiday Inn is good, but overall…average. 3/5
IMHO, this is one of Sir Elton's best albums. I've always felt that his early albums (the first half-dozen or so) were TRULY comprised of his intricate inner workings. 'Tumbleweed Connection' was the album that really did it up for me.
My first time exploring Elton outside of the mainstream hits. Rather enjoyable, if somewhat redundant by the album's end. Really highlights the dynamism of old school audio production, where soft notes are allowed to be distinguished from loud. Will rate a 3, but I feel it's a solid 3.5/5. Entertaining, but largely unmemorable.
Disco muito gostoso de se ouvir, como é caracterisitico do Elton John. Contudo, poucas canções ficaram na mente depois da primeira audição. 1. Tiny Dancer. 2. Levon 2. Indiam Sunset
Irgendwie reißt es mich nicht mit ...
6.5/10 Highlights: Tiny Dancer
Feels like most EJ albums, you know what you're getting into, and if that's what you want, you won't be disappointed!
Ganz ok
This starts off on a high note with "Tiny Dancer", but it fell a bit flat to me after that. It has this prog rock / piano ballad thing going on that honestly just kind of makes one song blend into another after a bit musically. He's obviously a really talented singer, but I was a bit underwhelmed by this given the high expectations. They lyrics are also all over the board, it's a bit hard to follow over the course of the album. Perfectly good, but that's it. Favorite song: Tiny Dancer Other: Levon, Holiday Inn, Rotten Peaches, Goodbye 12/18/23
Typical Elton, but very samey.
I've never been an Elton John fan, despite enjoying "Tiny Dancer". This album hasn't really changed my mind on that, but it was definitely better than I'd expected. I'm sure that a lot of people will find a lot to love here, but for me it fell short of what it could've been.
Good. Its strongest material is the opening pair - the classics, Tiny Dancer and Levon. Otherwise exactly what you expect from Elton John - lovely, plaintive vocals, good work at the piano, a strong backing band and good storytelling from Bernie Taupin. Elton does tend to run on a little but that was his style. I do think it's worth it for folks familiar only with his hits to listen through some full records. You may return to just listening to greatest hits compilations afterwards, but the man deserves credit for the fairly solid albums otherwise. It's no Dark Side of the Moon, but it's a strong collection.
Ok
Know Elton John, not the album - only know the song Tiny Dancer on the album (which is a banger tbf). Not massively into Elton John but listening with an open mind. 3/5 so far (although Tiny Dancer is added to library)
this a fine album, some great songs here but filled with filler songs too i feel like. it shows a different side of elton's songs, different from what it would become on the next albums. his style of singing seems more rock to me, i cant describe it, its more raw i feel like, not better not worse, just different. overall not my fav lp from him, but enjoyed at least half the songs.
Hit and miss - some great bits - some a bit dull.
Levon may be my favorite EJ song and Tiny Dancer is up there, too. Madman Across the water is good. The rest of the songs can disappear, especially the one where he is singing in first person about being an Indian. I don’t care about political correctness, I just don’t buy it!
This was my first time listening to an entire EJ album. While I enjoyed some of the songs, I got tired of him repeating the same chord patterns. Also, I've never been a fan of Bernie's lyrics. When they work, they work well, but boy does he have a lot of clunky lines, and that Indian Sunset song is especially cringey. The two hits are fantastic (even though Levon's lyrics aren't). They sounded so good this morning. Like they could have been released yesterday and no one would have known. The arrangements on the other songs were spotty, though. The drumming was often thrilling, but I was kind of surprised at what an average piano player EJ is. He does the same tricks over and over again. Also, the strings were often distracting. And those chorus singers on the penultimate song were kind of embarrassing. I really wanted to like this more than I did. Maybe I'll like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road more.
The highs are really high on this one, which makes the songs I’m not familiar with fall a bit flat.
A CLASSIC ALBUM! Growing up, my aunt LOVED Elton John, so that meant so did I and I remember listening to this album quite a bit growing up.. There are so many good songs on this album, and I don't want to go into hyper detail on this thing because its just overall such a great feeling album for me, it shares memories with my aunt who is no longer with me.. Some of my favorite tracks on this thing are 'Tiny Dancer', 'Razor Face', the track the albums named after 'Madman Across The Water' and 'Holiday Inn' to name a few.. Elton had such a great voice and was an incredible musician. Whenever I hear any of his music, I'll always think of my Aunt. God rest her soul. Overall: 3.4/5
Glam Elton is better than prog Elton.
Didn’t get me. Tiny dancer is of course fantastic
Meh. First two tracks are obviously classics, but after that I would give the album a C-. I mean, do we really think Elton should be singing about Native Americans like he is super familiar? Not offensive to me, but a bit weird.
Well, it's well produced and professionally executed but it doesn't hit a spark with me. Elton morphed from a sensitive songwriting soul to a rocker then back to a sensitive soul and then to a pop-icon in the 80s and beyond and this I reckon this was on the cusp morphing to a rocker. He did better albums later on from this.
AJ: Tiny Dancer opener!? Levon!? 4. But also… 3.
Why does it take 10 bridges before he says the thing
Tiny Dancer is superb, the rest is good but not great
# 113 : Good album. A couple of hits, a couple of fillers. Not too bad and he is a great singer. Favourite Track : Tiny Dancer Listened : 20/11/2023
Elton John is great. And this is definitely one of the classic albums of him.
Aside from, of course, Tiny dancer, some cool moments here and there. In particular liked All The Nasties
A slight album, though one containing Tiny Dancer, so not without merit. Otherwise, it's quite gloomy, and not his best.
Pretty good! Gets kinda jangly which is a sound I don't associate with Elton.
TINY DANCER
Well after that pitiful showing of the last album i did. I am pleased to know that Madman Across The Water is pretty decent. The songs weren't the most memorable and could take some time to get going but when they did get going, they sure did get going. I am glad to have run into a good album again. Best Song: Indian Sunset Worst Song: Tiny Dancer
The first half was great, a lot better than I was expecting. Was pretty done with it by the end of the album. Will all a couple songs from the front to my playlists though.
3/5. While I very much enjoyed the classic, Tiny Dancer as well as the title track, Madman Across the Water; the rest of the album left a lot to be desired in my eyes. In addition, every song’s length just felt way too long for the message and didn’t add anything positive.
What would be a boring Elton John album, carried and led by the actually good “Tiny Dancer” single, was relatively saved by the last three tracks.
норм, може в машині їхати слухати Або десь на фоні влітку ввечері
The piano composition is excellent. The music feels a little dated to me, like it's more appreciated by a previous generation.
not the best Elton John album find Tiny Dancer overrated 3.3
I'm not really a massive Elton John fan. He does have a pretty great backlog of classics, but a lot of other songs feel quite similar to me, at least in a structural sense. On this album I think that kind of holds true. Tiny Dancer is a great song. I (obviously) love the bit where it all kicks off, and you get all the strings coming in along with the piano and the rest of it. A lot of the other tracks are very well done, and are good in themselves, with plenty of decent hooks and melodies... it's just I started to lose a bit of interest after a while. There's some really good experimentation and variety of instrumentation on this album though. Holiday Inn has some cracking mandolin playing through it for example. Other than that there's violins, keys (obviously) and even some soul backing vocals. So, overall good, just not entirely my jam all in one sitting. 3.5 rounded down.
Reminds me of my mum, lots of good songs, felt like i knew every song without actually knowing them.
Pretty good. Better than most 3s I've given, so gets a phantom half star Anyway, one of those albums evoked a random memory, so here's a lil anecdote. (tw: no punchline) My grandma worked in a morgue. When I was a little lad she took me to her work once and for some reason they had a drum set, synthesizer and some other instruments there. Back then I didn't think much of it (I don't think I even knew it was a morgue), and now I just couldn't trust my memory, so I asked my mom. Turns out, it really happened, the morgue workers were having their houkago tea time there when the boss would go home. They also set the boss's door on fire once.
>tw: no punchline yet I laughed at "they also lit the boss' door on fire once"
No doubt this is another monumental classic from Elton John. This has been in my queue for weeks and I just can't force myself to listen. I know I've probably heard the whole thing through as singles on the radio or sappy movies. As happens with music sometimes it's just hard to find the right frame of mind to wallow in such indulgence. I'll leave this exercise for others who are in the mood to get cloying.
6/10
Tiny dancer is great, but the rest of the songs sound nearly identical.
Heerlijk openingsnummer met Tiny dancer, benieuwd of de rest van het album het niveau vast kan houden of in de buurt kan komen! De rest van het album is pop. Dan vind ik de rest van het album toch voornamelijk niet het beste werk van ser Elton. Die heeft naar mijn mening toch echt mooiere nummers gemaakt, en dan bedoel ik niet Cold heart. Het titel nummer vind ik wel weer heel interessant! All the nasties verraste me ook behoorlijk met het koor op de achtergrond, totaal niet de vibe die ik verwachtte haha FAVO: Tiny dancer, Madman Across The Water, All the nasties
Elton John Nog nooit een Elton John album geluisterd, die kunnen we weer afvinken. Tiny Dancer is een absolute klassieker, gewoon een mooi nummer. Hoewel de zangstijl van Elton John vol met emotie zit, vermoeit het op den duur wel een beetje. Ik vind de instrumentatie wel heel fijn, het album klinkt gewoon heel goed. Al met al vind ik de toon wel een beetje te somber, vandaag meer behoefte aan vrolijke muziek blijkbaar Prima albumpie, wat ook niet te lang duurt Favo's: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Indian Sunset
I mean, it starts with Tiny Dancer.
good yeah
reminds me of kitchen closers and the people that would make fun of them
kinda corny. kinda cute. indian sunset is an insane song.
Ah yes Tiny Dancer. Levon is cool tune too. Can't help thinking Elton John's songs sound same-ish. Sweet piano.
elton john
good stuff
First album of Elton John I've listened. At previous albums from legendary artists I've barely truly listened to, I could say "this pretty much encapsulates the artist" whether it's their down-to-basics debut or their opulent imperal work. But at this album I'm like "hmmmm it's not as flamboyant as I expected, but it also drags on for way too long." It's only nine songs, but most of them cross the 5 minute mark and don't hold my attention to be honest, with the obvious exception being Tiny Dancer. Hope next time Elton pops up, it'll be a proper experience. Strong 3
Emotional pop tunes with great vocals. Tiny Dancer stands out, and while the other tracks were great to listen to in the background, they were significantly less memorable.
Ok
Eh. Some good sounding stuff but the rest is kind od Basic 3/5
It's a low three, as some of it was kinda boring, but pieces here and there were good and Tiny Dancer is good. If that song wasn't on here, it'd probably be a two. I hope I like some of his other albums more. My favourite song was Tiny Dancer.
Not my style