Madman Across The Water

Classic elton john. I havent listened to this album throughout before, never really noticed how soft his voice was in some songs. 3.6

Love! peaceful

Easy listenig

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.

I felt some songs were trying to be another Tiny Dancer, but I really liked Holiday Inn and All The Nasties.

Kinda high 3

7/10

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.

This was quite good. Very consistent and each track flows well into the next.

Stable Elton music

Great album!

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

If you ignore the weird musical redface of Indian Sunset....

2 amazing songs. When Elton and Bernie are great, they're really really great. But the rest of the album just... isn't. Let's never mention Indian Summer again.

I kind of like Tiny Dancer

Favourite tracks: tiny dancer; levon; Indian sunset; holiday inn

Decent. Need to listen more often

Good stuff.

Love this era of Elton John. One of the best eras of any artist out there. Madman Across the Water isn't my absolute favorite album from this era, but it's a good one. Starts off with a bang with Tiny Dancer, and then just has a bunch of really solid songs. Great listen.

The only real issue is it starts of with Tiny Dancer, which yeah it's a big song but there's a reason, it's a masterpiece. Rest of the album is also great but never reaches that height again.

horrible

Brilliant, just freaking Brilliant. Hardly a dead spot.

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.

Tiny Dancer is sick but most of the other songs didn't really stand out. Still not bad.

I like some Elton John songs but overall, this album isn't something I could get into.

I've never been a fan. Good radio stuff tho

Leads with two of the biggest hits of the man's career. Transitions into beautiful, lush, dramatic arrangements. Elton John the hit maker transforms mid-album into Elton John the composer. It's a genuine surprise for me, and brings Mr. John's genius into a whole new light. I loved it.

They're great songs.

Holiday Inn

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.

Tiny Dancer and Levon and Madman Across the Water. So good. Indian Sunset, despite interesting orchestration, is the weakest link. Elton's vocals are strong.

I knew the singles, but I've never dove into Elton's catalogue. That was a mistake. Elton and Bernie have put together an incredible album here. Every song holds my attention, the piano is a great change up from normal, the string arrangements are really cool, and I love the guitar work too. Lyrically I'm invested in every song. Another in a string of great albums lately.

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

Quite a good album, instrumentation is engaging never boring.

7.5/10

Perfeito! Elton.

This felt like I was watching a musical. I don't remember most of it. 3/5

Seichter progressive Rock.

good seemed kinda religious

This should be a must listen on any best of list, if only for the title track, Tiny Dancer, and Levon. Throw in Rotten Peaches for good measure and you've got a right beaut.

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.

Banger after banger

Get that white shit outta here

Det som Elton John är sämst på är att göra dålig musik. Han är en av de artister jag beundrar mest och efter att ha läst hans självbiografi har jag fått en mycket bättre uppfattning om vem han är, mycket bättre än av den där jävla filmen. Även om denna inte var hans bästa platta så var det fortfarande bättre än vissa femmor jag gett innan och därför måste denna också bli en 5/5. Har typ inget att klaga på med denna.

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

nice

5 stars

Beautiful album!

Meh

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.

Miksi hittibiisi on eepos, josta täytyy kuunnella kaksi minuuttia ennen kuin pääsee koukkuosuuteen? Muutenkin biisit ovat helvetin pitkiä - ja muut eivät ole hittejä. Sanoitukset ovat aikamoisia sikäli kuin niistä saa selvää: Bernie Taupin, mitä teet? Matala 2.

“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.

Very nice

#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.

Nothing to dislike about this. The tracks do seem a bit longer than necessary, and the start of the album is a lot stronger than the last half.

Great album. I forgot how solid how work is.

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

The album is absolutely front-loaded with some of the must-listen Elton tracks, but starts to lose steam the longer the listen lasts. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong on the back half of the album, it just kinda chugs along through the end. Still an incredibly solid album.

Some classics, rest is solid as well.

Although more enjoyable than other 'one good song' albums, nothing else really stood out for me

Tiny dancer is doing a lot of heavy lifting on this album, but overall was pretty decent and low key

Was thinking four but it's so much good elton, not quite tumbleweed but what is

It was alright but ultimately didn’t do enough for me relative to what I want from exploring more Elton

This isn’t my favorite Elton John work but it gets 4 stars because it’s Elton John

Solid Elton John hits. Did NOT know that Indian Sunset is also used in Ghetto Gospel by Tupac. I think that it works better in that song lol

I’m between a 3 and 4: there’s one all-time song but the rest is still Elton John even if it isn’t all a sing a long. Also hilarious how bad the Indian song has aged

Some songs are 5 star worthy. The rest are ok, after awhile I thought the started to sound the same.

As always from Sir Elton, chock full of instant classsics. Only Elton can bring so much unironic emotion so readily without being hokey.

I like Elton John, truly. He’s got a great voice and the melodrama of his singing is always so well-suited to the drama he brings with the piano, guitar and horns on this album. And somehow it’s when he strips back a lot of the “oomph” most of his tracks that he really shines (on this album, it’s Tiny Dancer). This album had a lot of “oomph” (or in Elton’s words “Jeasus!”) across it. Indian Sunset kind of threw me for a loop. But overall a good listen.

La.voz y el piano destacados. Con mucha potencia y riqueza melódica. Muy disfrutable desde la primera escucha. 4

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

To me, the trifecta of gay rock stars is Freddie Mercury, George Michael, and the creator of today’s album, Elton John. Unfortunately Elton is the only one remaining out of those three amazing people. And I truthfully have the utmost respect for this man. He’s just undeniably an icon, and it’s hard not to love what he has represented for so many years. Aside from the hits I’ve heard every once in a while, I’m actually not all that familiar with his music. Now how do I feel after hearing said music? Pretty positive in all honesty. This is a fun ride from beginning to end. Elton sure can play that fucking piano. And he can sing like his life depends on it. Tiny Dancer is an insanely good way to start. I worked for eight hours after hearing that song, and the chorus melody was stuck in my head basically my whole shift. It’s so damn catchy. What I wasn’t expecting is how progressive this album feels in many places. Maybe it’s because of the very theatric sounding string arrangements, but this flows like a great progressive piano rock album, with different instrumental sections. Elton sure has a knack for said theatrics. I mean just look at the way he dresses and his personality. But this doesn’t feel glam rock theatrical. It tones that down a little bit, which helps it feel unique and more separated from that sound. I really only have two main complaints. One, the last 3 songs or so aren’t as enjoyable and satisfactory as the rest of the album. And two, although they do experiment here and there, this sounds a little repetitive in some places. This also causes it to drag on. It might only be 45 minutes long, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. This could maybe be attributed to the slightly longer average track length, but I’m not sure. But overall, first impressions were pretty solid. Rating: 7/10

Wow 🥲 It’s beautiful and full and energetic. I had heard Tiny Dancer before, but nothing else. I favorited every song.

Tiny Dancer and Levon are fantastic. Pretty standard Elton Stuff after that, so still pretty good.

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...

Day147 - madman across the water is one of my favorite songs and levon and tiny dancer are just timeless gems.

...

I always admired EJ. He has a vast library and an awesome lyricist. His early work always seems to touch a personal level with him. This is ore Captain Fantastic where he begins to really embrace a new bold approach. Worth many listens

Uneven songwriting. Tiny Dancer and the title track were the only tunes I liked.

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!

Managed to avoid Elton until now, though not for any particular reason other than that the songs I heard never compelled me to listen to more. Is it just me or do he and Cher, at times, sound alike? Never before realized that he's singing Levon and not "leave on." Tiny Dancer has not gotten better with age. I suspect there's an Elton John album I would like because I do like "Rocket Man" but this album is not the one for me.

Definitely a record of two halves, the first side is pretty good, not least the title track, which was new to me. Flip the record for some hot garbage.

Get a bit fed up of everyone playing the same Elton hits all the time. Lovely reminder of just how great he is when you get to listen to an album largely made up of songs not considered his greatest hits! 3.9

this album should be a slay, but it simply is not

Elton maybe not at his best but just as strong as ever. Poetic, catchy songwriting as is his skill. Melodic and layered.

Soft 2

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

Early Elton John dit, en hij had z'n Britse ziel duidelijk al verkocht aan de glitter en glamour van Californië. Heb een instinctieve afkeer van het meeste werk van de man, maar deze ballades - duidelijk meer gericht op de US dan zijn eerdere platen - bevatten hier en daar wel momentjes die laten inzien waarom het mannetje zo immens populair is. Maar ondanks deze momenten - zoals de Supertramp-achtige symfonie in 'Madman Across the Water' en de storytelling in 'Levon' - voelt het hele album toch een beetje als mosterd na die machtige maaltijd genaamd 'Tiny Dancer'. Één van zijn signature songs, en één van de weinige die ik echt goed kan hebben. Werkt ook in verrassend veel films, wat wel wat over zijn gave zegt om nummers te laten leven. Alles na die epische opener wat enigszins interessant klinkt, is uiteindelijk een slap aftreksel van 'Tiny Dancer'. De catchy hook in 'Holiday Inn' komt nog wel in de buurt. Het was allemaal wat veilig, wat toch ook wel een grote reden was achter zijn populariteit. Easy going en relatable. Al met al wel een album waar zijn songwriting me doet denken aan een Jackson Browne, en de productie aan dat van Paul McCartney & Wings. Geen hele verkeerde combinatie. 6/10 Highlights: Tiny Dancer Holiday Inn

Ook al laat de ontknoping van Tiny Dancer lang op zich wachten, het tempo van de plaat is lekker hoog. Echt een show plaat, waarmee John de US wil veroveren. Passend bij zn karakter, bij de 70's, echte piano rock. Niet mijn ding, maar hij tikt een hoog niveau aan voor wat hij wil bereiken. Tiny Dancer blijft zijn magnum opus. Alles daarna is toch een slapper aftreksel. 6,5/10 Highlight Tiny Dancer

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 not at all what I expected from an Elton John album. I love that it feels more intense and almost prog rock-esque in its sound, not nearly as poppy as I would have thought. Obviously still an Elton John record, but a more unique listen than I expected. Top tracks: Tiny Dancer, Indian Sunset, Goodbye

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.

Nicely done

HIGHLIGHTS: Tiny Dancer Levon OVERALL: 3/5

great early album from the legendary piano player

Very 70s. I listened to the title track, but was not interested in listening to anymore. 3/5.

Loved

Excellent. Best track is Tiny Dancer 4/5

Good

It is after all early Elton John

Possibly his best album. Hit after hit.

Primaraly known for Tiny Dancer, a truly beautiful piano driven song, sad and fill melencoly, a part from that i dont lnow any other songs, Levon feel like it is the little brother of Tiny Dancer The album is considred Prog Rock but i’m not sure why, way more pop Rock for me This album mark the beggening of Elton John massive sucess, honneslty it has good songs, but not very impactfull and very « original » in the sense that it just fell like every Elton John album

Tiny Dancer and Levon are classics, though I didn't know the name of Levon, I've heard that one a lot. Any Elton album we can get on here I will take, I don't profess to be a fan of him in the same way I am with other artists I love, but I do love his music. I will always think of my dad and my wife who both love the guy so these are always special albums.

Another strong showing from Sir Elton John! Maybe not as many hits as Yellow Brick Road, but it's very solid. Didn't realize I knew "Levon," but obviously "Tiny Dancer" is legendary. Gets a little same-y, but some would call that cohesion. I like Elton's style, so I'm calling it good here, same-y-ness isn't bad when you like what you're hearing. Favorite tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Rotten Peaches. Album art: A classic, love this text and font, color is great too. Pretty simple all things considered, but it's really effective. 4/5

levon, tiny dancer and the title track are all absolutely amazing the final 4 tracks are pretty mid razor face & indian sunset are solid

Legendary stuff, well worth a listen.

Actually loved this

classic

First 4 songs are phenomenal. Then not so much.

Ok

A great album, although more than one sounds like Tiny Dancer!

Would be cool with guitar

Ok

Love me some classic Elton but this doesn't really make the cut. First two are great, rest is typical '70s Reg - clumsy but oddly endearing lyrics and some pleasant tunes.

Que buena mezcla

So very good. Love Levon “ great lyrics- “ he was born a pauper to a pawn”. Tiny Dancer, Bennie the haunting Madman Across the Water. This album is truly iconic- “Your Song” is pivotal in the musical Moulin Rouge which i just saw two days ago; it reverberates through time.

It's a good album.

G’wan elton

Don't care for the rollicking piano

Indian summer excellent.

What a great album!

Okay

This album has no business going as hard as it does. Never listened to it end to end, what a treat.

I have never listened to an Elton John album before - now I know why. Best track: Holiday Inn. But still way too OTT for my liking. The lyrics are all quite bad. The music/vocals rather bonkers in places. But it's Elton, and this is what he does. Watford! :D

Overblown nonsense, it's just so boring. .Next......

Besides Tiny Dancer I’m not too sure about this. Indian Sunset was a bit of a weird listen. He can definitely sing well it just doesn’t click with me overall. Favourite song: Tiny Dancer

Nothing wrong with this, I just found it very boring. Every song sounded the same. Won’t be in a rush to listen again.

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

Pleasant

Started off strong but tapered off.

Nothing to say. This is an incredible album.

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.

It’s just not clicking with me. And I wish I did. Because I respect Elton John. I just find myself bored. Tiny dancer is a classic though.

Not the greatest Elton John record but a damn good one.

gorgeous vocal range set in a melodic masterpiece collective

wow! piano! strings! somehow the vocals are the least interesting part of the album, but they also just float delicately and almost humbly over the vast instrumentality!

Amazing album , always a pleasure to listen IT

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.

Maybe this is not the most legendary Elton John project, but it is really good anyways. Starting with Tiny Dancer is incredible!! Great listen.

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

Ok

Why is this British man so obsessed with the USA? “Indian Sunset” was very weird. I did appreciate the Holiday Inn love. “Tiny Dancer” is a classic of course. 3.5 stars.

A lot more interesting than the usual Elton pop dirge.

hey i know Tiny Dancer, bet you this album is gonna be good

Favorite tracks: Indian Sunrise Razor face Confused on themes

Lil homie a homo 💥💥

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.

unsure if its really good or just super familiar… I love the song writing and also cool solos Heaps of jesus content for someone you would publicly announce himself as bisexual in 5 years. He is not deep into drug abuse yet. Comparing it to the beastie boys i like that the drums are further back in the mix. favs: tiny dancer, razor face (dope solo apparently an organ solo by wakeman not and accordion 🤷‍♂️), indian sunset

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.

3.5

Obviously Tiny Dancer is one of Elton John's best songs, but I don't think the rest of the album quite followed it

can truly never go wrong with Sir Elton John. This album has got some bangers on it, hoping that "Honkeytonk Chateau" is on this list somewhere - my personal fav Elton album

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

I was really shocked for how much variety there was on this album. When I think of Elton John I usually think of him wailing on a piano and singing his heart out for an hour plus- and there was a lot of that. But there was also a lot of really unique instrumentation that I wasn't expecting. He had a damn sitar! On top of that it's the standard praise of Elton John, crazy talented song writer and very soulful voice. Great listen.

Just a few notes in and you can tell why EJ is such a star. The instrumentals alone are gorgeous. Add in his smooth voice, catchy tunes, great lyrics—love it.

can i be honest i dont get it.. :-|

A small collection of ballads and prog rock tracks. It’s pretty good actually. My only issue is that it can drag in a few songs. Other than that, great record with good writing from Elton. Very good.

Not a great fan of Elton John and I don't think I ever heard any of this before but it was pretty good.

I was so excited for Elton but I hateddddd this.

Ok but not catchy enough compared to his other tunes!

Tiny Dancer is one of my favourite EJ songs, but I still don't love it. And it's the best thing on this album, which is otherwise just very EJ. Fine, but not interesting or exciting at all.

Great - like it

Classic Elton John.

"Tiny Dancer" soars. The others are less familiar to me so it takes a second to get the narratives, since they're fairly dense, actually. I think I get it, though. Yes.

so nostalgic

Can’t go wrong with Elton John.

An alright album from Elton Top tracks: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across The Water

As usual with Elton John for me... Some absolute killer tunes, but a whole album's worth is just too much. Particularly this one, which is heavy on the really grand piano, strings, big emotions. It's just too much for me. As a side note, the production on the drums really is godawful. Worse than St Anger. There, Elton John and Metallica in one short review.

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

It’s Elton, lovely voice lovely music. Not like that interesting or whatever, a few absolute bangers, def 4.5 but not quite 5

tiny dancer!

3.5

Not bad at all

Not Elton's strongest work, but there's still that magical story telling you can only get from Bernie and Elton in their prime. Still a meticulously crafted effort, the band as usual is on point and the production is nearly flawless.

Some legendary songs on here: "Tiny Dancer", "Levon", "Razor Face", and the eponymous title track. The end kind of drags down a bit, and is a bit too over the top and/or repetitive for me ("All the Nasties"), but there's not a bad song on here. (By the way, I think Blind Melon took some cues from "Holiday Inn".) Giving this a 4/5 (really 4.4999), since Elton John has (even) better records. For anyone else this would've been an easy 5/5.

own

Album Nr. 84 Nicht schlecht aber für meinen Geschmack etwas zu eintönig und gefühlt zu langatmig.

A fun little collection of songs, featuring Elton John's signature janky piano playing. He really doesn't vary his playing style much, so while it sounds pretty darn great (especially in combination with his voice) it makes many of the tracks sound very similar to one another. This, along with a marked decrease in songwriting quality throughout the album, explains why side 1 is much stronger than side 2. Indian Sunset, Rotten Peaches, and All The Nasties are lyrically very odd and incongruous with the remainder of the album. And sonically, they aren't any better, replacing the emotional grandeur of Tiny Dancer and Levon with a more acoustic, country-ish style that doesn't suit Elton's singing as well. It's hard to explain. However, the two opening tracks – Tiny Dancer and Levon – are so darn great that they very nearly justify a 5-star rating by themselves. They're essentially a one-two punch version of Bowie's "Life On Mars?" released the same year. (Dang. 1971 was fantastic for music.) Texturally, the combination of strings, light drumming, and piano playing self-described by Elton as "pound[ing]" makes for some really exhilarating accompaniment to the vocal, which is strong and unfaltering. Definitely adding these two (and a few others) to my playlist. Key tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across The Water, Holiday Inn Side 1: 5/5 Side 2: 3/5 Total: 8/5 Adjusted total: 4/5

part of the furniture really, not dislikeable but not ever going to put it on for me

I already know this album very well and grew up listening to it. Love this old Elton John recording.

Love me some Elton John and really enjoyed this album. Obviously starts with one of his best songs, Tiny Dancer, and it's hard to beat that one. Like others have pointed out, Indian Sunset is a pretty cringe song but at least I learned where the samples for Ghetto Gospel came from! Love the theatricality of Elton's music.

Great album, tiny dancer such a classic

Está bien.

This is a great album!

Solid entry

It was good.

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

I don't mind Broadway Elton John — Aida is a good show. I've never been a huge fan of Elton John the pop singer other than a few of the big hits. I don't know if it's because he's always seemed too melodramatic and overwrought for pop (i.e., too Broadway, perhaps?), if it's because I've never gotten his weird obsession with blues and Western tropes as a British dude (though maybe that's really Bernie Taupin's fault), or if it's unresolved childhood trauma from when I asked my mom to buy me the "Circle of Life" single from The Lion King when I was six, and she came home with the Elton John version — clearly, I still haven't forgiven her for that. This album didn't do much for me. Other than the classic "Tony Danza" song, there's not much I really enjoyed. His singing style is just not my thing. He has a good voice, but he tries to do too much and it gets obnoxious. He ends up sounding pitchy, and he does a slightly less egregious version of the melisma theatrics that Christina Aguilera is infamous for (but without the vocal chops she has). It's also difficult to understand what he's saying because of the weird affected Southern twang. I generally much prefer covers of Elton's songs to his originals. Some of the music is okay, but it starts to feel same-samey after a while. And again, it's all very theatrical, but not in a way I enjoy. The literal Broadway chorus that comes in on All the Nasties is like a nightmare orchestrated by Phil Spector (though the drums in that song are cool). The lyrics are mostly cheesy, but I prefer the lonely rock star songs over the weird attempts at epic storytelling. Indian Sunset is god awful and deserves a special shoutout — the definition of the racist "noble savage" trope. 2/5 for me

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.

So many ballads...

Tiny Dancer is almost too good of an opener. The album doesnt really have anywhere else to go unfortunately.

Best song - Tiny Dancer

Was good but really fell off at the end of the album

Hard to say if this was a 3 or a 4. Elton's unique songwriting is certainly prevalent in this album, and manifests well in some songs, and poorly in others.

Elton John - best male vocalist EVAH!

I'm not a fan, the music is just too saccharine which is quite off-putting. I could maybe stand it one song at a time, but the whole album is too much

I just have an occasional love of Elton John. There are an handful of his songs which are brilliant but the majority I can take or leave. Not listened to this album in full before. Not surprising as there are no big hits on the album which would draw me to it. The exception is Tiny Dancer which belongs to the aforementioned brilliant category. The other songs I haven’t heard or took notice of before. It was an enjoyable listen which I would not avoid in the future. Will stream again but unlikely to buy unless in bargain bin. Lot of album reviews state album is a bit proggy. Other than Rick Wakeman being on it and a few tracks over 5 minute mark cannot hear this. 2.5/3 25/3/24

This rating is a double edged sword, with both edges pointing at Elton John. I am not a huge fan of his, and this album is just one song in nine different fashions.

no oczywiscie super album eltona lovciam

Bob Dylan. 3 stars is too little

I'd never really listened to an Elton John album front to back before. Really enjoyed this one, comes hot out the gates with one of the best songs of all time and the quality barely drops from there. Looking forward to more Elton albums!

didnt know all the songs and really enjoyed this

Classic Elton. Has Tiny Dancer. Many of the songs have that similar feel to them.

Tiny daner

Good album

Very cool orchestral rock sound on this record. I get a heavy Beatles and Band influence on this record. The songs all work together very well.

Even if you didn't know who Elton John was, you could tell why these songs were popular back in the day. The only one that was familiar was the first one in the album. I am happy with this album, and given that this was released in 1971, this was massive back then.

maybe my favourite Elton John album

Good. Not my favorite of his, but clearly dropped some serious hits on this one. He’s a stud.

One of the best albums of all time!

What a genius, and a gift to the world of pop music. Such great songs!

Steady album.

Known this one on vinyl. Good album. Tiny dancer being the highlight

One of the best Elton John albums.

Accidentally listened to the extended version of this which was basically three hours of variations of tiny dancer.

One of my favorite Elton movie moments is the bus scene from Almost Famous....released in 2000. Goes to show these songs are timeless! I was impressed with the songs (most of them, Indian sunset not so much)I hadn't heard and how they still seem relevant and listenable in 2024.

Elton is always fantastic. Indian Sunset and Rotten Peaches could have been left behind but the rest of the album is better than good.

Awesome!

C'était intéressant mais pas délire

three hours is a bit much, three disks is nutty, good songs though

A nice album full of ballads, nothing significant except for "Tiny Dancer". A few songs sound similar to each other but it's ok. I've got a cold right now so I can't enjoy to its fullest. Elton and Bernie are a great writing duo. I'll give it 4 stars.

One of my favorite Elton albums. Bright and earnest collection of songs, with the most famous of couse being track #1. Instrumentation and vocals all meld together so excellently to make a near perfect elton album.

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

OK, nothing particularly attention grabbing

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

Camp fun, slides down the ears.

I’m torn because Tiny Dancer is one of my all time faves. I want to give this a 4.5. What to do?

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

Beautiful album. Got weird in a good way. But as I have some distance all I remember are the two hits.

Classic!

2 classic songs. The rest was boring

Very solid album throughout.

He’s good. Never really listened to him via albums so I’m not sure where this stacks up against other ones. 3-4 songs I really like. Another one I want a half star system on. Rounding up from 3.5 to 4.

Never been a fan.

First song was good, rest of album was just okay.

It’s more than just the one song. The rest very much enjoyable.

I enjoyed this one a lot more than I did Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The songs are all long, but they’re filled with great instrumentation and arrangement, and Elton John’s voice is as good as ever. I even enjoyed Indian Sunset, not knowing enough about Native American history to recognise which bits were historically inaccurate which seems to be the main complaint

My first thoughts on seeing this album come up were "oh no! another Elton John album". I had been assigned Goodbye Yellow Brick Road last week and didn't feel ready for another album, even though I had enjoyed that one and rated it four stars. I had considered that must be the high point of Elton's career and anything else would be a disappointment. I was wrong. I think I hadn't truly appreciated just how prolific Elton was in the 1970s and 1980s (over 20 albums pumped out over those two decades). I tend to think of him in terms of his greatest hits, after all there are plenty of those to consider. I even saw the biopic a few years back; also concentrating on his hits mainly. This album had one song I thought I knew, listened to and realised I didn't know that well, and then remembered the end bit. Every other song was entirely new to me. Although this is not the sort of music I would actively seek out, I can see the charm, appreciate the craft, and love the fact that the songs here a totally different feel to the other material I've listened to. I'm going to give this four stars, mainly because it's taught me a valuable lesson about making assumptions, but also because of the sheer quality and talent on display here.

Such rich beautiful songwriting. Killer mix. Can’t imagine what it’d be like to hear this upon release and realize how different and unique it is. Struck especially by the symphonic layers and rich texture of production. Love.

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.

Let's not go crazy here. Songs are too long, and meh.

meh, not interesting

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

#150. I'm sorry, I can't concentrate. Rock stars have kidnapped my son! 4/5: lovely *this is the sixteenth album i purchased from this list Song added to playlist: Tiny Dancer I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Two incredible songs followed by mostly filler. Not as I remembered it.

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.

not as good as other Elton John

It's 'Sir'!!

Elton John was an artist I devoured as a wee one. Tiny Dancer and Levon are all time classics for me but I never saw much in the rest of this album then. Now I appreciate it more. With the exception of Indian Sunset which aged terribly, Madman showcases a lot of what makes John great.

Elton’s attempt at a country album? First two tracks are classics and the rest is good enough. Got kind of weird with the Indian song. Overall a quality album.

Elton John is great but somehow this isn’t a 5 star for me. Maybe I’ll get roasted. It’s great but not a top album for me

A really, really good early EJ album that includes 3 phenomenal songs -- Tiny Dancer, Levon and Madman Across the Water. The rest is good but just not up to that standard, which keeps this at a 4 for me.

Obviously this album starts out with two absolute heaters, catapulting it into a minimum 4, but the rest of the album does not get it to a 5 for me. I'm hearing lots of gospel influences on the non hits (especially the piano and choral background of "Rotten Peaches"). "Indian Sunset" was an interesting artistic choice, though one he and Bernie probably wouldn't make today. As weird and possibly problematic asc it is, the lyrics were super evocative and detailed.

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.

You know, I feel like it's been a while since I've gotten an album from a truly legendary artist. I've gotten albums recently from artists or groups that I'd consider "iconic", but no one that I've gotten in the past 10 days or so is anyone that I would consider as legendary as Elton John. The guy's just awesome, and so is this album. It's really good! The album opens with one of his most well known songs, "Tiny Dancer". Needless to say, it's a great song. The rest of the songs are also great. The sound on this album is very pleasant to listen to. Elton John's singing is just phenomenal. The instrumentation is very good. Elton John's piano work in particular is always great. The writing is solid. Overall, this is a great album from a truly iconic artist. 4/5.

Faudra que je le réécoute

okayyyyyy

These early Elton John albums are much more meaningful to me than his later bigger releases. After Honky Chateau, Elton became much more flamboyant, his clothing got wilder, the music got rockier, and Bernie Taupin's lyrics got more out there. These earlier albums have a much more personal feel. For Madman Across the Water, I listened to the 2016 remaster/deluxe version which expands to include alternate versions and, best of all, a slew of piano demos. This set of demos could easily have stand on its own as a standalone alternative version. Stripped of the excellent rock and orchestra arrangements, these songs really shine. Elton's piano work and vocals are as good as I've heard them. Bernie's lyrics really shine in these performances. I'd love to hear this approach taken with Elron's later work. I highly recommend this album, as well as everything from this early EJ period.

Elton is always a great listen. I want to spend more time in his discography. This album also starts with Tiny Dancer, one of the most iconic. I will be back. 4/5

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

I feel like I’m mixed on Elton John, but this album was pretty good.

Listening to Elton just makes me happy. I love the musicality. Dug the long instrumental exit on Holiday Inn. Indian Sunset is beautiful if you take away or don't listen to the lyrics. I don't think I'd heard the title song before, but I liked it.

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.....

I mean...it's Elton John! I feel like a few of the ballads are odd choices for subject matter...didn't age too 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.

This is my favorite Elton John album. Loaded with great songs.

Enjoyable to listen to front to back. Tiny Dancer may be the perfect song.

Not my jam.

It's Elton John! His music is amazing and his voice it's simple unique, no one like him. Most of the songs here are really great and i enjoyed them. Another thing that I have to say is that the cover for me it's really great, I like the monocromatic use of blue color and the typography.

Really good. I think Yellowbrick Road is a better album but most things like Elton John are unbeatable