Reviews (page 10 of 13)
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
Just sounds like elton john, title song and tiny dancer were the only songs of note to me.
It's just classic Elton John. It's really good music, but I guess in the year 2023 it's a bit predictable. Tiny Dancer, of course, is an all-time banger.
Songs are well-composed and tiny dancer remains a great song. The artist/album is very theatrical and this doesn’t really trigger me for some reason.
It was ok. Got a bit distracted, then listened again and got distracted again. So, not really memorable
Elton John at his best is great, but this ain’t it.
Quite ok
Has some great songs but fails to impress me as an album
I just don't care for Elton John that much. I will admit Tiny Dancer is an all time classic though.
Didn't expect to like it but it was actually not that bad
7/10
Holiday Inn was a great side two gem
Finely crafted but not really for me.
Standard Elton John - I've overheard the singles, but still a good easy listen. 6/10
Un album bien lyrique, dont certains textes ont un peu mal vieilli. Tiny Dancer demeure un chef-d’œuvre, et les arrangements quasi orchestraux sont bien travaillés
Cocaine. Lots and lots of cocaine.
Den gode poprock, tiny dancer, generelt et hyggeligt album
Solid album. Enjoyed it
Probably a 3, Tiny dancer Carries
Hits carried this. B sides sounded similar. Sturdy 3
Meh. Obviously Tiny Dancer is amazing but the rest were very mediocre.
seee 7.5/10
Está bien.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 5/5 ------------------------------------- Besides the two hits (Tiny Dancer and Levon), I was kind of disappointed how mediocre the other tracks were.
Its alright but is just way too slow and gaudy for my tastes. I respect the songwriting and vocal abilities regardless of whether or not the songs actually do anything for me.
Felt exactly like I would have expected an Elton John album to sound like. It's hard to see why certain songs are "hits" and others not-- they're all very good.
Honestly probably Elton John's best effort. But I will say, I think this record is super front-loaded. The first side of the record is great, but the second side sort of becomes a drag.
Not too many super famous songs on this album, although the most notable is Tiny Dancer. Madman Across The Water is one of Elton's lowest charting albums reaching only 41 in the UK albums charts and peaked at 8 in the Aus & US Pop Album charts. Seems like the public didn't really like the prog rock feel of this album by Elton John whatsoever, and I'm inclined to agree for the most part. Best: Tiny Dancer Worst: All The Nasties
Tiny Dancer is the best track in the album and it goes downhill from there.
Got weird towards the middle, start was good
Decent. Starts off strong but the second half of the album fades. Tiny Dancer is a classic! Drinking game. Take a shot every time Elton mentions Jesus. You'll be drunker than a frat house during pledge week.
It’s always a bit disappointing when an album starts with by far the best song.
Tiny Dancer.. YES! Levon ... WTF? This song, Levon, that I've loved for years got fresh ears for a listen here. These are my takeaways: - Levon is a good man. - He's got a kid named Jesus. - Levon has a flourishing family balloon business. - Levon's kid, Jesus blows up balloons all day. - Jesus also wants to go to Venus on an inflated balloon and watch his dad die. - Also, someone Alvin Tustig dot, dot, dot. ...and just in case you forgot, Levon is a good man. This is the most interesting thing on the album, the rest of the album was forgettable meh.
Elton John’s “Madman Across the Water” opens with one of his biggest hits, “Tiny Dancer,” and follows it up with the rousing “Levon.” The title character in “Levon” was named after The Bands’ Levon Helm, who didn’t like the song and thought "Englishmen shouldn't fuck with Americanisms." And yet, on “Indian Sunset,” John and Bernie Taupin do it again. Maybe that song wouldn’t have been viewed as full of stereotypes and anachronisms in 1971, but it sounds kind of silly today. Taupin and John at times make a great songwriting pair, and at times deliver some head-scratchers. Nothing else on “Madman Across the Water” reaches the heights of those first two tracks. Elton is yet another artist that the 1001 has taught me is great as a collection of hits but never delivered a truly stellar full album.
3.5 stars really. I enjoy Elton John, but sometimes it feels overindulgent. But maybe that is just who Elton John is.
This album is like one of those out and back rollercoasters. It starts at the top of the hill with Tiny Dancer. It hits top speed then goes right into Levon when the thrills are still high. The rest of the album is like the mini hills that follow. Sure there are momentary thrills as you come out of your seat momentarily at the crests or think you may hit the overhead wooden beams if your arms are raised too high, but none of it compares to high thrills at the beginning.
Not every Elton album in the 70’s was a stellar effort. This wasn’t. But it does open with one of his ( & Bernie’s) greatest - Tiny Dancer, glorified forever by Cameron Crowe in Almost Famous. I had not played this album for decades. It’s just a bit limp. Although I am lucky enough to have the cd reissue of Tumbleweed Connection ( one of my faves) & as an extra, it includes the original version of Madman Across The Water. It features the great Mick Ronson & is spectacular compared to the version they eventually ran with, which used Chris Spedding, no slouch himself.
A big thank you to this album for reminding me of the song "Razor Face" which I used to listen to all the time but forgot about for the last 15 years! Great songwriting, great piano, great voice - though the majority of this album I wouldn't go back to for casual Elton John listening
Stay hydrated 🐟
pretty good A-side, pretty bad B-side, overall it's ok-ish. all the nasties being pretty good prevented me from giving this a 5/10 instead of a 6/10 but i do not want to listen to any of the other B-side songs again if i can help it
A fantastic first song and 8 more ok to mediocre ones to follow it up, Bold move cotton, lets see how it plays out. A few songs to go in multiple rock playlists and a bunch more that are already forgotten, was hoping for more, another to add to list of single Princes not album Kings.
I know some of Elton John's work, but Madman Across The Water was an unfamiliar title to me. I recognized two of the tracks by name and was familiar with a third. I like some of what Elton John does, but I'm not quite sure what to do with it. The first two tracks are a good example of my ambivalence. "Tiny Dancer" is a solidly written song (my favorite from the album) and the song gets its hooks in deep into your brain. But the topic and tone feel so sad, I'm not sure if I want the song to settle in so deep. "Levon" feels similar but does not imbed itself into your psyche quite as deep as "Tiny Dancer". The whole album is full of songs that seem to be telling stories of tragedy and sadness. Even though I have heard "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" dozens of times, I'm still not sure if I really know what the songs are about. I'm not ready to dig in deeper and get a full dose of the meaning and the sadness. I definitely don't know how to process "Indian Sunset". Good songwriting on this album and good music, but I probably won't take the whole album in all at once again anytime soon.
I quite liked this, title track especially. Some standout really good songs but mostly kinda bland and samey.
Ik vond dit album niet zo speciaal
This was good. Only one or two songs I knew, but a fun album. Lively and some cool arrangements. 👍
Mid boring rock and rol
It's quality, it's proggy, but it's just too showtuney for me
I enjoyed this more than I expected. While I've been an Elton fan for a long time, I've always just bounced around the classics and never taken a deeper dive into any albums other than Goodbhe Yellow brick road. This starts off with a personal favourite, tiny dancer, and maintains a good tempo and pop-hooks well into the album. 9 whole minutes of the title track didn't do much for me, and a few tracks thereafter seemed a bit self-servibf, but otherwise Elton's growling rock and roll vocals and aggressive piano made for a decent listen. 3 stars because as good as it was I likely won't listen again.
Top-heavy album with a few duds in the second half - would have stopped listening at Indian Summer if I wasn't waiting for the Ghetto Gospel bit.
3.6/5
I used to like Elton John, then I didn't so much. Listening to this album today helped me understand. A whole album is just too much for me. I'm burned out on Tony Dancer, So I started my listen with Levon (which has always been one of my favorite EJ songs). The rest of the album I was pretty unfamiliar with. Had some nice surprises... I really liked Madman and Indian Summer. The rest sounded like good quality Elton John songs, but I was so fatigued by the end, it was hard for me to enjoy it too much. I think this album deserves 4 stars, but I have to keep consistent with the scale I have been using. I give it 3 because it's great album, glad I heard it, but will probably never play it again.
Took me 2 months to realize that this was a lot less groundbreaking than I hoped.
Hmmm, way less punchy than I remember. Maybe because the only time I listen to this album it involves hilariously bad but fun karaoke in the car. Tiny Dancer, Levon, and the titular song are all fantastic, Holiday Inn was decent, but the rest of the songs are just... there. Not a bad effort Elton, but I need a bit more consistency next time.
Abre con un temazo. Canciones que cuentan historias, aunque algo monocorde. Elton, siempre en mi corazón.
Great record. 7/10
I liked the hits - Levon especially - but the rest kind of meandered for me
Unremarkable
Good stuff
A couple hits but plenty duds
A bit ponderous but still great song writing and playing.
The first half was good, last half was fine. Wouldn’t listen to it on my own in complete again.
Elton John has put out so much music over the course of his career, but the early 70's, right when he started, was like someone turned on a fire hose. A good album that's got plenty of Elton's classic charm and songwriting that starts with Tiny Dancer of all songs.
Like it overall, nothing wrong with it, just not sure if I would return, except for the odd songs
Decent
Not bad. Definitely not as good as "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," though.
It's Elton John, so you can't really go wrong. All these songs are really good, but none of them (minus Tiny Dancer) stands out.
Two radio hits start off an otherwise background music album. 3 stars because "Tiny Dancer" is one of my favorites.
I respect Elton John's abilities, but outside Tiny Dancer, this album just ain't it for me.