Madman Across The Water

No sorry don't buy the whole he was credible in the early seventies. Yes there are songs here. But not songs I particularly like. Even Tiny Dancer.

Never listened to a full Elton John album before this project. He's really an incredible musician and pretty much all his songs are catchy. I thought I'd only heard his super hits but then you listen to an album and they're ALL super hits LOL

Kan goed zingen en prima nummers schrijven maar is niet helemaal voor mij

Some fun stuff but oddly less immediately engaging than I expect from Sir Elton.

Classic Elton John. I hadn't had the time to get into his music, but it's pretty alright. While it is a beautiful album, some songs did sound sort of repetitive. Don't know if I would go back, but for a one time listen it was good. Fave track(s): Indian Sunset, Rotten Peaches

Classic

This is just one of several excellent albums that Elton John released in the 1970s. It's striking to see how creatively mature John and his band are, relatively early in their career at this point. I mean, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is 2 years and 3 albums away from Madman Across the Water, and it sounds like he has been doing this for 15 years. Side 1 is ridiculously good, with 3 of John's all time best songs on it ("Levon," "Madman Across the Water," "Tiny Dancer"). Credit where it is also due, to Bernie Taupin's eloquent yet winsome lyrics. For all his natural talent and charisma, the Elton John we all know and love doesn't exist without Taupin. The rest of the album is less spectacular, but how could it not be after those songs? None of John's albums are exactly perfect, but I think the minor flaws actually add to the charm of his music. This album never fails to be a unique and engaging listen, with some stellar deep tracks in the mix. I'm personally fond of "Rotten Peaches" and "Razor Face." He finishes the whole thing just gorgeously with "Goodbye." Fave Songs: Levon, Madman Across the Water, Tiny Dancer, Rotten Peaches, Razor Face, Goodbye

Great album, Elton John really was at the top of his game in the early 70s. Tiny Dancer an awesome song to kick the album off.

Not that great.

Early Elton John was less that was more.... When he was still new, he could carry it with just him and the piano. The simpler accompaniment from this era was stark and minimalist... Quite good

To be honest, I've always cared about Elton John's music about as much as the current economic situation of the Marshall Islands. This is a really good album though, so maybe I should look into the Marshall Islands more. As it turns out, 77% of their exports are passenger and cargo ships. Also this is my 365th album. Thanks for a great year! This site really made each day a bit brighter and I look forward to roughly 2 more years of great (or at least interesting) music! :)

Early excellence from Reg

tiny dancer <3

Compositions bore me to tears

Madman Across the Water is the fourth album by English musician Elton John - his third released in 1971. This is one of Elton John's lowest charting albums, although it has been certified double platinum in the US and silver in the UK. The singles "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" are perhaps the most popular songs on the album with the former being my favorite from this work. I was not aware that Elton John released three albums in 1971, and that's quite the accomplishment! Maybe that's why this album did not chart well at release, because there were already other albums of his somewhere on the charts. Elton John has a cool way of making soft rock sound awesome and this album does have one of my top songs from his discography on it, so I can't complain. This is a decent album.

Awesome songs all through this album, with Tiny Dancer obviously being the highlight, one of the greatest songs of all time. Only thing that holds back a 5 star rating for me is the album can get a tad repetitive towards the end.

Fun blend of pop and theatrical elements

Tony Danza með 600 milljónir spilana, það er ágætt. Levon er með 26 milljónir, það er sæmó. Hin lögin 7 ná samtals um 20 milljónum spilanna, það er viðeigandi. Ég gæti alveg hlustað aftur en ég myndi ekki leita hann Elton uppi.

Might be my first play through an entire Elton John album. Very impressed. The piano playing is great, and I like the storytelling of the songs.

This album is that kind of stuff you know that is classical and important for music history, even being a little bit repetitive. I'm not an Elton John fan, but his talent is impossible to do not to remark on.

Much more subtlety than the last Elton album I got. I can now appreciate why he is rated.

I really enjoyed this one. First good album I've listened to since I started this project.

I don’t know if I can give an honest review of this album without the color of sentiment. This the epitome of early Elton John. His bright, young, expressive voice takes center stage of every song. He sings with enthusiasm and never just recites the words. Every song is easy on the ears with no unnecessary noise. Every instrument is brought in and faded out with purpose. Of course the piano lays the foundation. But horns, strings, and even an accordion take their place in the songs. This album is often overshadowed by later ones. But this brings out the early talent and lays out musical elements that show up in later albums.

It was good. For me, not great, but certainly good

One of the best

Yndisleg plata. Einfalt mál.

I never owned this album, but I knew a lot of the songs. There were just a few that I was not familiar with at all when I looked at his discography, it's hard to believe that he released two more albums after this before goodbye, yellow brick Road, which is one of my favorite all-time albums.

Wasn’t my favorite Elton album. Great first two songs, but the rest of the album didn’t do much for me.

Pretty good album. Even though it's not exactly my cup of tea, I can understand what makes it great. I can appreciate the amount of work put into it and you can hear how much was poured into this album. Some of the highlights for me were: "Razor Face", "Holiday Inn" and the title track. My only criticism of it is that a lot of it feels the same. Kind of like one song that drags on and on. There wasn't much variation in beat and BPM, and the production was almost exactly similar on every song which made it somewhat boring for me. The good thing about listening to this album is that now I can totally hear the link between Elton John and the songs on The Lion King.

It’s not quite as good as goodbye yellow brick road but it was still better than almost every punk album I’ve ever gotten on this list. Tiny dancer (obviously) and Indian sunset were the standouts

Wow, this album starts strong with Tiny Dancer and Levon! I've never heard any of the other songs before, but they all have that distinctively catchy Elton flair. I had a fun time with this one today. Even though Elton will always be a greatest hits kind of artist for me, I enjoyed my time going a bit deeper into his catalogue.

Amazing but not my fav album by Reginald.

Hier merk je dan toch het verschil tussen de terecht in vergetelheid geraakte koekenbakkers die deze top-1001 vervuilen, en de echte muziekgrootheden. Van a tot z een fijne, warme en afwisselende luisterervaring. Het stijgt niet naar de vijf sterren van eeuwige genialiteit, maar ik kan me voorstellen dat er Elton John-albums zijn die dat wel doen. Wie weet heeft de buurvrouw van de ouders van Dunnen (waar Elton John altijd langs kwam om te blijven eten) nog luistertips.

Ik krijg deze de dag na George Michael. Leuk om deze twee naast elkaar te zetten. De heren kunnen beide prima zingen en muzikaal klopt het allemaal. Toch is het een easy win for Elton. Hij gebruikt in elk nummer zijn stem en de muziek veel veelzijdiger (zonder uit de band te vliegen). Het wordt hierdoor nooit saai. Het album van Elton is een stuk ouder dan dat van George, maar klinkt veel moderner. Een zeer bekende naam natuurlijk, maar eigenlijk toch een ontdekking voor mij.

Hadden we gisteren zijn makker Sjors, nu Sir Elten Jon zelf. Tot grote vreugde van de oude buurvrouw van Dunnen. Ik kende uiteraard alleen de hit Tiny Dancer. Maar er staan echt hele dikke prima tracks op, die zo op een bluesy of progrock album hadden gekund.

An easy and intimate Sunday morning album.

Tiny dancer classic

Great 70s rock 👍

God-damnit, I specifically checked the box, so I will not be recommended this type of music. I don't know, this must be more of a Pop, then a classic rock, and especially blues. Fix the recommendations, please. I am not saying Elton John's music is bad, this sort of music is just not for me. Way to relaxed and out of me.

Hyvää musiikkia! Atmosfääreilyssä.. ollaan onnistuneita..

Nice orchestrations, some real classics

- he does have a really nice voice - i like a lot of the instrumentals too - so far nothing super note worthy has grabbed my attention overall impressions, i enjoyed it but kind of forgot everything about it already.

Very good album, very powerful, deep and meaningful

If you can get past the Album cover then you’re in for a good listen. I don’t know, there’s something about the album cover that just puts me off. This isn’t “1001 Album covers you must see before you die” after all.

No fan

Elton Jon is one of the artist where I either really like some of his songs or I really dislike, not much in the middle. Levon may be my favorite song by him and like Tiny Dancer. Other than that, I didn't get mush else out this album. 2nd time around, I'll add Razor Face, but reinforced I'm just not a big fan of most of his stuff. I'll give a 2.5. 1 point for each song I liked and 1/2 point for Razor face. Coded it as a 3, due to the fact he is a legend.

3 EJ has a lot of albums and only some of them are all-time greats. This is the worst of those (that I’ve heard). Tiny Dancer is still a great song and deserves all of the love it gets and Levon is a great title track but the rest is fine. Nothing remarkable for EJ but it’s the album with Tiny Dancer so it makes the list.

3.5 Great timing seeing as how I'll be at Sir Elton's Dodger Stadium show this Thursday for the last stop on his farewell tour. With that being said, while I quite enjoy a good chunk of Elton's work, I'm far from his biggest fan (more of an "in the right place at the right time" kinda thing regarding my upcoming LA show). I've heard this album in particular before, and while I'm overall a fan, it admittedly all starts running together after Levon. Nothing is unenjoyable or outstays its welcome, but it's not particularly remarkable either. So, this album is probably about a 3 from me, but I'll bump an extra half point because Tiny Dancer really is that good of a song.

Not as good as I'd've hoped. 3

Great album, love Elton. Musically complete, melodic, competent, distinct. Misses a bit of edge as you'd expect

------1----

I hadn't listened to this before, it's pretty good!

T3B 1. Tiny Dancer 2. Madman Across The Water 3. Indian Sunset

Much though I love Elton's music, I don't feel he's really an album artist. There are generally one or two strong tracks on each album, with the rest being high-quality filler.

I'd really like to rate this higher because Levon and Tiny Dancer are so good but it turns out those are the only good songs on the album. 3.5 stars

Elton John has a lovely sound on this CD. His compositional skills are great, with some lovely harmonic flourishes, and he has a serviceable singing voice, but the real star here is his production. The opener, “Tiny Dancer”, is a clinic in how to introduce varied sound (in rough order, slide guitar, drums, electric guitar, female backing vocals, beat-you-down orchestral strings, and then chorus backing vocals). He nails the other half too, which other guys with a similar build-up technique often leave wanting- that is, he motivates the draw back to a more sparse arrangement on the verses just as well. The main knock I have on this CD is it’s a little slow. It’s very ballad-heavy, and generally operates in the double-digits bpm. That’s not a flaw, but it’s not my style, and it does make it a little less fun and a little more of a chore to get through the whole thing. John’s voice is a little thin for how big the arrangements are too, and he has the funny affectation of trying to sound like Southern country, which comes off as very forced. If he just used about the same dose of backing vocals on every song as on “Tiny Dancer” it wouldn’t be a problem- but on the climax moments of e.g. “Levon” and the title track (which is also probably his worst abuse of the cowboy voice) he just hasn’t got enough power and projection on his own to carry it over the top, so those moments fall a little flat. The song structures are a little monotonous as well- he’s got a style, and that’s fine- but even guys with a style typically don’t have every song built the same way (starting slow with a single harmonic instrument, then vocals, then building to a monster chorus). He’s obviously capable of composing in a different style- he doesn’t do it much on this CD, but e.g. “Crocodile Rock” is quite different structurally (faster-paced rock, launches right into it). Apart from the opener, I think I liked “Holiday Inn” the best, precisely because it avoids some of these pitfalls- it used a more varied sonic palette (heavy on mandolin), it’s faster-paced, and it has big backing vocals on the chorus. If about half the songs were like that, I’d give it a 4, but it’s almost the only one like that. Enjoyed listening to it though.

Good album, not my favourite of Elton's songs though

This is one of my favorite albums, mostly because of the centerpiece, “Indian Sunset”, and the deep cuts. “Madman” and “Tiny Dancer” are great songs, but “Indian Sunset” rises above the rest of this already perfect album. It’s not really what you think of when you think of an Elton song. It’s expansive, serious, and bittersweet, kind of like a grander “Skyline Pigeon” or “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”. The delicate piano parts giving way to the orchestral finale perfectly evokes not only the sadness and solitude of the Native American warrior but his inevitable and glorious demise. Side B has the deep cuts worth every moment of your time, from “Holiday Inn” through the appropriately-titled final track, “Goodbye”. I just wrap up in this album like it’s a warm blanket.

HOLD ME CLOSER TINY DANCER!

Not as good as Honky Chatau, but fun and full of range

It's a nice album with two big hits in "Levan" and "Tiny Dancer". Rest was nice but didn't exactly pop or warrant a 5 star rating. 8/10.

Love me some Elton John

Creative yet not his best.

Tiny Dancer is an all time great banger. The rest of the album is also very strong even though I am not as familiar with the rest of the songs.

Elton Juan

Side 1 is amazing, Side 2 is just ok.

Tony Dancer is a huge classic obviously but nothing comes even close to it on the album. Levon and the title-track is cool, but that's about it. Nothing bad either, just unremarkable.

Not his best works, but still very enjoyable. You can say what you want, but it's still Elton

I think that even the regular stuff from Elton deserve at least a 3

Good album. Not my favorite from Elton John, there's a few song that I don't care about... But there's nice tracks anyway : Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Indian Sunset or All the Nasties, well composed and arranged tracks directly from one of the best pop maker ever.

I like elton John

The record is not great but bad either - the pace and length is doable and just the fact it has Tiny Dancer and Holiday Inn on it elevates it - but the rest is middling Elton John fare so it balances out.

Tiny dancer hits

Solid album

Mehhhh…..

One of Elton's finest! For me, the middle child in his early more progressive output that doesn't follow the Americana theme of the other two. Honky Chateau and Tumbleweed Connection are dearer to my heart though. Tiny Dancer feels like the first show of Elton's future pop stardom, the rest of the album suggests a shift forward into this, just not quite yet.

Opening with one of Sir Elton’s best tracks this is prime ‘70s Elton John. Great song writing coupled with fast action pop choruses makes everything feel bigger and better.

I can hear the talent, but I just cannot connect with this. I have the same response in relation to Queen or the Beach Boys. Not sure if this is a fair comment, but I sense something phony or inauthentic about them.

I love lots of Elton John but I don't love this at all. Only one stand out song - Tiny Dancer - the rest a real struggle.

Great

It's pretty good, Elton is Elton, you know? Not like amazing but pretty good.

AmaZing !!

Very good!

was okay

This album is a nice change. It's not quite as good as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but there's still a lot of great, relatively-easy-listening soft rock going on here. Very piano-driven stuff, great lil melodies and harmony etc etc. I can't say it'd make regular rotation in my flat but it's still a 4/5.

Bernie and Elton are insanely gifted storytellers. First half of the album kept me going, fell off a bit at the end. All in all, I have a new appreciation for Elton's music. 3/5

great album; many great songs.....Holiday Inn is great

it seems silly to write that the piano stood out for me on this album, considering it's elton john. but it did! it's no wonder his piano playing is so renowned and respected. the piano was beautiful and commanding in every song. the piano in "tiny dancer" (while a great song) is what allows the listener to become destroyed. and i must bring up bernie taupin! elton gets a lot of well deserved credit, but this album is filled with beautiful lyrics. while the "madman across the water" song has a soaring piano, the lyric of "is the nightmare really black/or are the windows painted" is what makes the song into an epic masterpiece. all this to say, john and taupin make a great team. a super enjoyable listen.

What a great entry from Elton John! This album kicks off with one of Elton's greatest hits of all: Tiny Dancer. Generally speaking, this song is kind of a surprising opener, but it makes makes sense when looked at in the scope of the album. All of the songs on this album tell stories, something that Elton is well known for. The songs all have that signature Elton "flair", as well: a little pop, a little rock, some forward-facing piano, and a lot of glam. But in this era and on this album specifically, all of the songs have a bit of a piano ballad quality about them. While beautiful, I would not describe any of the songs as "fun" -- another adjective sometimes used to describe some of Elton John's later work. And so in this light, Tiny Dancer shines as an excellent album opener. The album has a very cohesive sound; one might even argue a little too cohesive, as a lot of the songs sound really similar. But honestly, for me, this doesn't take away from the enjoyment. The backing band's music is engaging and Elton is simply captivating.

Elton John überzeugt mich immer mehr! Erstklassiger Musiker!

Only few things in this world make me feel the things that Tiny Dancer does. The rest of the album is solid Elton but does not reach the same level as the lead single or many of his other albums. Will Elton sing at the Queen’s funeral and what though? RIP

Beautifully, carefully crafted album. EJ offers nothing less than his fullest capabilities, although inspiration seems to taper off during the second half. There remain impeccable, brilliant songs such as Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water or Indian Sunset.

I hadn't realized this album was this old!

Love

One of my favorite Elton John albums. Really displays his true and best sound.

Nice

This is an interesting addition in John's stellar 70s run. There are some amazing songs on here but the flow doesn't quite work for me. The instrumentation throughout is very diverse and a lot of the songs have their own unique style which is great, but the songwriting is incredibly samey throughout as pretty much the entire album is 5 minute-ish mid-tempo rock opera ballads. After a little while it's really begging for some variety and, while songs like Levon are fantastic, having it straight after Tiny Dancer makes it pale in comparison. If there were a couple of shorter songs of a different style mixed between here it would be a much more balanced listen

Amazing voice Arrangements are detailed and complex

A classic Great piano

4/5 Fun to listen to. Great songs.

Cba

Fun times in elton land

Good album, tiny dancer is a banger

An excellent Elton album. First 3 tracks were rocking.

So OK, "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" are amazing songs... But most of the other tracks on this record drag on until you feel all those flourishes in them are quite unnecessary, honestly. And this as good as they are sounding at first... So give me *Goodbye Yellow Brick Road* any time, it's a nearly flawless album. But for the rest of Elton John's career, I think a nice compilation will nicely do the job of getting you acquainted to his overall talent (there are at least *two* of those compilations that can do that job right, by the way--don't miss them). Some artists are just more fit to the singles format. And Elton John is one of them, I think. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 820 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 97 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 46 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 39

Listened to this album on a run yesterday, and it was great to keep me going and distract me from the pain. Really enjoyed the first half with the obvious bangers, and liked "Indian Sunset" a lot as a more mellow and experimental vibe. Ends on a calming tone, great album

3.5/5

Very nice to hear the whole album at once.

this was my first ever elton john album. i recognized a couple songs. he's good, but faded into the background on this go 'round. prolly need to queue it up again

Cool

Another first. Another win

I think I’m more of a greatest hits fan…but some interesting tracks o hadn’t heard.

Really good

I took your advice to do subjective reviews Jambo, but no one needs more exposition on the emotions that Elton John tries to evoke*. Everyone that has even glanced momentarily at pop culture has his affectations and melodies burnt into their brain. So I'll just say that the title track is great, as is Tiny Dancer. Holiday Inn isn't bad. That's two and a half stars. Rounding up because Elton John seems cool. * Ok just one. Levon has a nice idea for a lyrical theme, but really, overusing the word Levon just takes me out of the moment. Like when you repeat a word over and over and the raw sound of it just bounces around in your head, detached from all meaning.

An incredibly strong start with Tiny Dancer, but apart from the title track nothing else stood out that much. Still fantastic piano and singing, given it's Elton John, so that made it enjoyable.

Skrýtið að Tiny Dancer sé eina lagið sem er enn í umferð.

Either refined to the point of dullness or dulled to the point of refinement, this is a sluggish show of songwriting pomposity.

This is primo Elton - his piano playing, vocals, composition...however, I think equal tribute needs to be give to his writing partner Bernie Taupin for the amazing lyrics he writes that inspires Elton's melodies. "Levon" has soaring lines and that unusual word/name is apt for the take-off. The haunting closing track "Goodbye" is waiting for its cinematic moment.

What’s on earth is this album about. I have no idea what are you thinking about any one of those songs and even if I got I did I couldn’t empathise with any of us totally boring

listened to again it's great

Nice

Not really my taste

Have heard a lot of 5he tracks. All good.

best - indian sunset worst - all the nasties

Good, but not as good as the first one

Maudlin. Not horrible but never going to choose this.

Elton John is amazing!

Very pleasant to listen to album with gorgeous piano playing, also a very solid album. Favorite song: Holiday Inn

4.75

The orchestral arrangements are excellent, the vocals not so much. A few of the songs have a haunting quality.

Couple of standout tracks, rest sounds like every other Elton John filler

Tykkään kyllä! Ei mee ykkäspaikalle eltonin levyissä mutta kyllä listaukseni kärkipäähän! 4/5

Elton on aika iso aukko mun sivistyksessä. Ihan jees tämä. Eka biisi tietty tuttu ja kova.

Vähän väsynyttä Eltonia. Pakkohan tältä on olla useampi levy tällä listalla jos tääkin on täällä, koska aika outo valinta musta muuten. 2/5

Elton John 🤝 Randy Newman Writing songs that kind of have slurs in them In all seriousness tho, solid album. Earns a 4 just for “Tiny Dancer”, but the rest of the album is pretty good as well.

Tiny dancer is great. This album otherwise wasn’t

Perhaps a bit too pompous and grandiose at times, but it just hits right the whole way through.

Phenomenal stuff, but some of it does Circle the drain a bit too much for my liking.

A couple of standout tracks, but overall pretty uninteresting.

starts strong but contains several snoozers

Beautiful

Here's a story I heard several years ago: Brian Wilson (you know, the cat from the Beach Boys) was doing an autograph signing somewhere in Texas. And apparently Don Henley (you know, the dude from the Eagles) was there and thought it would be fun to get Wilson to autograph one of his albums for him. Being the key cogs in legendary "California" bands, Wilson and Henley were familiar with each other and had met previously a few times. So Wilson was delighted to spot Henley show up with an album for him to sign, to the point that he even personalized it. Wilson wrote, "To Don, thanks for all the great music, Brian Wilson". But then he went back, drew a line through the word "great" and wrote "good". They both had a good laugh about that, and legend has it Henley then framed the album and still has it on display in his home. Now I have no idea if any part of that story is a true, but I feel better about the world believing that it's 100 percent accurate. And what does this have to do with SIR Elton John, or his 1971 album Madman Across The Water? I think it has something do with Elton John's legendary appearance at the Troubador in Los Angeles in August, 1970. Henley was there for one of the shows, confirmed in the Eagles Documentary. Brian Wilson was probably home in bed. But Elton John still talks about how "mind-blowing" that whole Troubador experience was and impacted his entire career. This album was recorded a few months after those Troubador appearances, and I can't help but believe that Elton adapted his sound to be more like the "California Sound" that was spreading across America. The fame and adulation he experienced during those performances was a drug that Elton would chase for years. You can hear a lot of that "California" influence on this album. He wanted to be part of that scene.

I prefer the greatest hits of Elton John

Baladas de Elton John. Un megahit. Un 4.

Elton John's second best album behind 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,' with many amazing classics like 'Tiny Dancer' and 'Levon.' The lyrics are sometimes weird, but more often are they whimsical and carry you away to some strange place you didn't know you wanted to be in. I could listen to this album many times over before getting tired of it.

Really not enjoyable.

sensacional

'Tiny dancer' è una canzone meravigliosa, dolce e poetica. Ma 'Indian Sunset' è stato campionato in 'Ghetto gospel', mio dio che pezzone

I only knew a song from the album. The rest was pretty interesting.

I like the chorus to Tiny Dancer and that's about it.

I’ve never been a fan of Elton John and this album didn’t change that. Every song sounded like a variation of Tiny Dancer. Thankful this was over in 45min.

Vraiment très bon, toujours de la bonne musique Elton

Nice album. Big tunes

Tiny Dancer is obviously great and Madman is also good. Indian Sunset is certainly a product of the times.

Certainly and interesting artist. Tiny Dancer is well known and pretty good. Levon was interesting, along with Madman Across The Water, and Rotten Peaches. But it's not something I'll be rushing to hear again.

Great song writing and lyricism, as expected. Not my favorite from EJ but pretty great nonetheless.

I can't figure out what, but something prevents me from connecting with this album. To be fair, it is full of good music, energetic performances, and emotional storytelling. Normally that would be the perfect mixture for me. For some reason though, it just feels a bit too "put on" or stuck somewhere in the uncanny valley, just shy of the qualities that would resonate with my senses. I guess I would point to 'Indian Sunset' as an example of what I'm talking about. I should be into it, but it just feels a bit awkward. Looking beyond the well-known tracks like 'Tiny Dancer', I personally think 'Holiday Inn' is the stand-out here, but even that could do without the sitars and swelling strings. A good album, but something's just off for my taste.

It sounds pretty good, I dunno, ol' Elton just never struck a chord with me. My brain processes all the song as ballads which is a little unfair. But what can I say? I'm not excited by his work.

Solid album. I love the songs Levon and Tiny Dancer.

Great Elton album, start to finish. His best tracks are found elsewhere, but there are no bad tracks on this gem.

He is talented but its just not my jam.

Not a big Elton John fan but this was fine...

I hate, hate hate Elton John. I love Tiny Dancer mainly because of the scene in "Almost Famous" (movie) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qW9wqUI4Lg ) And Levon is a pretty good song. I think I can stomach early EJ easier. And I get his allure and greatness so I'm reluctantly giving it 4 stars....like a guy saying "I hate salmon, but that's good salmon." I hate EJ, but this is good EJ.

3.4 - Aside from "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", this one's underwhelming. Particularly egregious is "Indian Summer" that sounds like he researched Native American culture in the encyclopedia and strung together the main points.

tinyyy danceeeeeeeeee

Classic songs by EJ. Honestly not my favorite of his albums, but it still amazing. B+

Excellent. Love his voice and piano work

Best Song: Levon. Only now did I realize the song isn't titled "Leave On". Good song though. Worst Song: Rotten Peaches. A little too Elton in this one. Elton's swooning voice, his raucous piano playing, and the twangy guitar all feel like they're competing for attention, not melding together well. Overall: Elton John has a very singular voice and presentation that makes it hard to compare him with other artists. Who can even be said to be his peer? That isn't to say it always works, and the album sags and flumps on occasion, but I can't help coming away having enjoyed the uniqueness of it.

Pop rock. Un poco aburrido

HOLD ME CLOSER, TINY DAAAANCER

tiny dancer!

It has "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" on it. The songs have a cinematic feel to them, and the writing is good. There's a lot of interesting instruments used, from horns to organs to gospel back vocals to a mandolin and sitar. I also tend to like the instrumental solos. The songs are too long, and I get bored by Elton's singing.

Fine. Totally Fine. Will probably never listen again.

Not into Elton mostly but other than the radio hit or two on here this was pretty enjoyable

Day 3: I feel like I'm rating these albums too harshly, Madman across the Water was a good album and I'm almost tempted to give it a Rating of 4/5, Tiny Dancer and Levon were great songs and an amazing way to start an album, though the album kind of dropped into the background on the last couple songs and didn't grab my attention as much as the first half. Favourite Songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon

it was all right

Great 1, 2 punch to start things out. Elton is nearing his creative peak with this album. Many of the songs here were new to me and remain strong pieces of work.

Goed wegluister album met de klassieker tiny dancer

I dont get the inclusion of this album. It's not a great Elton John record. It has the classic Tiny Dancer but that's first and nothing that follows is anywhere near its level. Elton John is a talented man but swing and a miss here

Awesoem

I really like Elton John. I first came to him in the early 90s when they used the song I’m Still Standing for a show on City TV (I had thought it was Fashion TV but that was Obsession by Animotion). Really good music video and I’m disappointed they didn’t fully recreate it for the Rocketman movie, instead just green screening Edgerton into it. I also grew up on the Lion King soundtrack he collaborated on. I think his versions of those songs were the superior ones, but the ones in movie are obviously more appropriate. Really good few songs. I mean Tiny Dancer is an all timer. Levon is pretty good. I think a lot of the other songs kind of lack any hook or go on for too long.

fav Tiny dancer, Levon and Madman across the water

Not one of his better ones.

Començament de l'etapa gloriosa d'Elton John, que durant 4 ó 5 anys no donaria ni un sols pas en fals. Sense singles destacats ni cançons que hagin passat a la història (com a mínim fins que 'Almost Famous' va glorificar 'Tiny Dancer'), tot el disc en sí és un exercici de pop rock brillant i consistent, sense daltabaixos. Un dels discos que ofereix motius per reivindicar l'artista

I've always liked Elton John and I still like Elton John - a strong album. Tiny Dancer is one of his very best songs.

Admittedly I was only half listening but some good stuff here. I really like the wee banjo or whatever in Holiday Inn

Good album, enjoyed Elton’s singing and his piano playing

Surpreendeu com a pegada de rock.

Too nice

Elton you're my dad

Good album by a great

Elton John is reliably tuneful, even when the songs fall too far in offensive or ridiculous registers. I never appreciated the orchestration of his music, though: Tiny Dancer is too staple to register in that way. So I liked Madman Across the Water - the album and the track - most when it got louder on the stereo and I heard the band playing together, directed with mastery.

This is one really good song and a load of nothingness. Elton John has a ridiculous back catalogue but not sure this belongs on here. 2/5, weaker than his best work by some way.

Definitely doesn't hit the heights as regularly as the previous Elton album we had, but is a lot more focused (and more like a normal album length at 45 minutes). On the flipside, each song is probably a bit longer than it needs to be; only the last track (which is more a vignette than a song) clocks in at under 4 minutes. Tiny Dancer is a wonderful song (although I need to keep listening to it more to cleanse the memory of that awful remix that was everywhere 11-12 years ago when I was at uni), but it's a bit weaker after that. Fun to discover Indian Sunset (that's the one 2pac used for Ghetto Gospel!), but there's not a huge amount of depth in quality. No songs other than Tiny Dancer that I'd go back to, so it's a 2/5 for me.

This album contains some good songs, but overall it feels very long and the songs start to blur because of their melodic similarity.

Nice. Tiny Dancer and Levon are obvious highlights. This is a difficult one for me, I quite enjoyed parts of this, but overall it just didn't really grab me and I'm unsure if I'd put it on again in full. A 3.5.

Elton John is treated like royalty in the UK. Thus album shows why it's deserved.

Enjoyed this. A great voice and some very decent songs to match. Even snuck a 2Pac cover in there. By most accounts it's not his greatest album, which bodes well for some of the others. 3.5

Incredible opening to an album. This is the kind of piano playing that catches my attention more than the previous album in my list. Hard to find anything to complain about

A lot of the songs sound like tiny dancer, which is fine, since I like that one. Wide range of lyrical themes, surprisingly, and pretty consistent quality throughout. Only three stars though, can't be much higher since even the best song is ony OK!

4.5

Tiny Dancer Levon Madman accross the water Indian sunset Rotten Peaches Assez bon album, ça se ressemble un peu mais c'est vraiment agréable à écouter. Pas son album le plus rock

A bunch of random stories, album wasn't cohesive. A lot of songs sounded the same. Ghetto Gospel sampled Indian Summer Favorite songs - Tiny Dancer, Levon

Sir Elton was really a madman for this one. Lotta tracks start off innocent enough and then just explode into a bombastic pop-rock/orchestral symphony

I was interested to hear some of Elton John's earlier stuff, rather than the later ubiquitous stuff that was crammed into the ear of my generation. "Tiny Dancer" was the only track I'd heard before. It was pretty fun pop rock, sure! Can see how he got to where he did. "Indian Sunset" sounds a bit questionable, mind. Fave track - "Levon", maybe, or "Rotten Peaches"...

Enjoyed the classic that is Tiny Dancer, rest was meh

Never had much time for Elton John but this was great

This is fine. Wouldn't listen to it again. Can't remember a single song from it. Fine

Personal top 5 Elton John albums, not every song is a chart topping earworm, but they are all memorable and make up a very strong body of work. 4.5/5

Bom... , Elton é Elton Disco muito bom , mas não acho o melhor do Elton

Very good album. For all the airplay on Side One cuts, Side Two is also very good. had not listened to this in a long time.

Classic Elton John album, sounds as good as ever: a clear 5* album of course (and not even his best seventies album!)

An old favorite I picked up when it was new. Classic Elton.

Some energy in Elton's voice and playing back in the early '70s. Sprawling arrangements, great soaring melodies and decent songs well played. Good album.

Supprising good, epic finish

Outstanding.

3/5 not good enough

Excellent E.J. album. 4/5

It opens with Tiny Dancer, which is a great tune, but the rest of the album doesn't quite like up to it. Pretty solid songs, just not as great as the opening.

Pretty nice album. Great songwriting from Elton on this one and the vocals are also really forward and passionate. 7/10

Pretty good all around, sorry no detailed review. Just listen, you'll like it.

Classic early Elton, country piano pop, feeling at home in Georgia, relaxing on tour with characters and stories.

If this is considered pop rock in the 60’s-70’s, then honestly I’d take it over the pop we have today. I adore this sound so far. Kinda has a melancholic tinge.

A pounder of the piano by his own admission, Elton John, that unlikeliest of rock stars brings an album with the sublime Tiny Dancer, a gorgeous ballard both pounded and belted out, and the charming Levon, followed by a collection of songs that meander and unfortunately suffer from a lack of focus and precision. The weirdest track has a boy from Pinner imagining himself as a First Nation warrior, singing about his squaw and his tomahawk, which reveals in John and Taupin a tendency to lean towards the musical theatrical and operatic which, in truth, they do not always pull off. But John is always charismatic and gets the music over the line through sheer force of will and unusual talent. Not a classic but not a disappointment either.

Excellent. Elton John is a true original and this is one of his best albums.

Elton at his best. Piano pop rock with his amazing voice. The songs have great lyrics, each song is composed so well, layered with nice harmonies from choirs, orchestration, and nothing out of his caliber. This is top quality pop.

Great pop album that is focusing on its strengths and not trying to be something it shouldn't be. Great variety of songs, all at a very high quality level, they all belong there

2 bangerz on diz alboom

Ok

4/5. Great songs! I like it a lot.

Прикольно, конечно. Но совсем не под настроение. Ничего не имею против Элтона, но сейчас не зашло.

Good

I really dig it. Can’t wait to see him in Sept

Wish I had listened to this sooner.

Starting with Tiny Dancer was baller. Piano focused of course and feels less theatrical than Bennie and rocketman. Levon is my new fave Elton jam. Beautifully written!

Jumping from Tumbleweed Connection to Madman Across the Water has Elton and Bernie continuing to create an amazing consistency in output that continues on through Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Tiny Dancer and Levon are highlights, I particularly like the transition between the two songs which brings them together beautifully. The piano intro to Levon is stunning. It would be near impossible for the rest of the album to continue at the heights reached by these two songs resulting in a bit of a let down on some of the middle songs (it would be interesting to sequence this album differently and see how it feels). The song lengths, tied in with the excellent string work, makes the album feel less like a collection of songs and more like a cinematic work. I love the mandolin work on Holiday Inn and Goodbye is as great closer. Elton's muscular piano work and the production make this a great album! 4 out 5.

Madman, Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau are my favourite era of Elton and Tupin. This album feels a little chaotic, but also sentimental. It feels like it is almost gonna fall apart near the end, but it never does. Beautiful ballads throughout, even if Indian Sunset's storytelling is tainted by the songwriting duo's stereotyping of Indigenous Americans stories. If it wasn't for a couple mediocre tracks like Razor Face and Rotten Peaches, I would rate this album a little higher. 3.5/5 Fav Tracks: Goodbye, Levon, Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water

"Tiny Dancer" might have one of the greatest build ups of all time. Over 2:30 to get to the chorus! Unreal restraint and talent on display here. And then Elton outdoes himself and goes straight into "Levon". The record loses a little steam with "Razor Face" but bounces back with the title track, which is heavier and more atmospheric than I expected. This album almost gets a five from me for its first two tracks alone. It feels like a classic, near-masterpiece to me. "Indian Sunset" is compellingly cinematic if you can ignore the stereotypical representation of an Indigenous warrior written by a white British dude with very little in the way of meaningful perspective or insight. It's not particularly problematic, but it hasn't aged well. I can't quite bring myself to give the record a five, but it's a worthy inclusion and I really enjoy how dark and introspective Elton gets here. Especially "Goodbye". Chills. Rating: 4.5/5 Favourite tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, Holiday Inn, Goodbye

Two iconic songs, the rest are good but fall off a bit.

8/10

7/10. Yeah, can't say there's much to this album besides Tiny Dancer. The singing feels really overdone, and clashes with lyrics that are typically a lot more sober. There wasn't anything that I thought was really bad, but a little disappointing.

Two total classics and some really enjoyable other songs. 9/10

A fine album from Elton that contained elements of what would carry him to his imperial phase later on in the decade. The first four songs load the album with consistent hooks and catchy melodies, the middle portion is a little forgettable and the last two songs end the album out with great ease. One of the few worthwhile introductions to Elton around this time if you want to get ahold of what he was about. Favorites: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Razorblade, Madman Across the Water, All the Nasties.

Legal demais! Não conhecia o álbum e me encantei com as canções. Boas baladas, tom crítico em algumas canções e uma pegada bem característica do John. Quero ouvir outros.

Maybe not amongst the best Elton John albums…but still a collection of solid pop songs here, performed by brilliant talenter musicians

Beautifully cinematic, what a story teller. The man absolutely cains the ivory.

elton john sempre foi uma lacuna dentro da minha coleção de música, já conhecia tiny dancer como qualquer pessoa mas nunca tive um interesse a mais de ouvir sua música. ouvindo o álbum, é de se notar o quanto as composições são elaboradas e tem uma levada muito barroca nelas, a construção cadenciada até chegar num ponto de explosão bem específico. chega até a ser formulaico, mas o elton john é um intérprete excelente e consegue carregar bem o álbum. música pop de qualidade, definitivamente.

Loved it. My favorite: Tiny Dancer.

"Tiny Dancer" is such a sad song. So many Elton John songs are sad. I don't know what the song is about because I've never paid attention to the lyrics, really. In spite of that, I feel melancholy every time I hear it. It's a perfect song. Not every song on this record is THAT good. And, much like acoustic guitar-based music, it doesn't hold my interest through the whole run time. I think Sir Elton was the first "emo" singer. I'm cool with that. This record is great.

Tiny Dancer is a classic - one of my all time favorites. Levon is also great. So, we were off to a great start. It leveled off a little after that, but this is still a solid album. Great tunes, fun lyrics. No complaints.

Opens with Tiny Dancer which IS THE BEST SONG HE'S EVER WRITTEN. Closes strongly with the last two tracks, but the rest is a bit meh.

Saved

Really Jolly Good

Levon sells cartoon balloons in town

tiny dancer, levon, madman across the water is a cool song. Indian Sunset is also cool. Great album.

Really enjoy this

Enjoyeable dancey.

I enjoyed the theatricality so much more than I thought I would. A classic with a lot of sincerity, but Indian Sunset certainly does not stand up.

Awesome album with Tiny Dancer and Levon on it. Madman across the Water was really good also. Got a bit weaker near the end of the album.

Pretty good all around, sorry no detailed review. Just listen, you'll like it.

Classic

Frábær plata

Tony Danza

Fine.

i think elton john is moreso known for his hits rather than great all around albums and after listening to this i understand why. definitely not an awful album but also not great!

sorry but theres no reason for this to exist when david bowie is right there. tiny dancer is pretty good i guess though

I am no Elton expert, and apart from a couple of tracks. I think he has produced much better.

piano pop

Irgendwas zwischen 3 und 4. Schon schöne Popmucke ala Bowie. Aber irgendwie auch eintönig irgendwann.

A couple of big hits. The other songs are good enough to carry it. The is probably a little less than a 4 but more than a 3.

I'm not into Elton enough to do anything other than spin a greatest hits album once in a blue moon

Tiny Dancer plus seven other songs that follow a similar pattern: delicate piano builds to big orchestral sections, then drops back down, and repeat. It may lack variety but it's a winning formula; and when the melodies are this good it's very difficult not to like. 4/5.

Tiny Dancer & title track are classics. Album cuts ok, but this is where Elton's voice starts to get a bit schmaltzy to these ears.

Deze Elton vind ik lekker om naar te luisteren.

Zelfs de hitjes van Elton zijn mij onbekend en had altijd 't idee dat er sowieso een hekel aan zou hebben, maar dat bleek niet helemaal waar.

Ik kan Elton wel waarderen. Niet alles is even sterk, maar die opener is echt classic!

Best prettig album en de beste man kan ook echt wel iets. Maar zo op 2/3e van de plaat begon het Disney-gehalte me wel een beetje tegen te staan. Alsof je naar een musical zit te luisteren waar maar geen einde aan komt. Iets teveel van het goede.

Helemaal niet zo pompeus als ik had verwacht. Mooi, maar het bleef niet hangen.

Nice songs, great singer but overall not really my cup of tea

Szkoda, że country

Solid, slight point loss for the degree that the time is past for the "as a white guy, here's my perspective as a Native American" genre.

As ivory-tinklers go, Elton is of course up there with the very best. Just a shame this album is quite dreary, perfect for BBC Radio 2, which I don't consider a good thing

One legendary tune, several less impressive but not terrible

Elton John has made himself an evergreen prince of pop but it's still good to revisit his early years, when he was just on the verge of his imperial phase. This album is full of the iconic John/Taupin piano pop, including the now legendary "Tiny Dancer". A lot of the songs feel like storytelling, whether it's Elton recounting a historic battle or the ups and downs of a heterosexual relationship. It's even better knowing that this was merely the tip of the talent iceberg.

Tiny dancer was the only song I liked. The rest of the album put me to sleep.

3rd December 2021 Listened on my way from the work Christmas party to JWs for poker. Hazy. Not much to remember from this due to the circumstances I listened to it in, but I have fond memories.

Decent enough rock music, but nothing on here was so good to make me think "oh, that's why Elton John is a household name".

Meh

3.5

Classic

This was a very nice listen, but kind of boring

4/5. I recognize the talent and importance but not really my thing

Niet helemaal mijn ding maar goed gemaakt en veel gevangenis nummers

Klassiker så att säga

Elton John is epiiic

Samma sak om och om igen. Lät ändå helt bra

Know it well. Great Elton John album. 4/5

My rating will be based on how I felt while listening to the album. Did I like it?

several classics

A great album that has some great orchestral beats and infectious piano parts!!! 7/10