Reviews (page 4 of 13)
It’s good!
I never listened to Elton John all that much, but that might change after this album. "Tiny dancer" is such a lovely song and hearing "Indian Sunset" was a revelation - I have never realised that's the sample in 2Pac's "Ghetto Gospel", a song I really liked as a kid. "Indian Sunset" is absolutely beautiful and moving to tears. A lot of Jesus and God references quite surprised me, but after a bit of reading they make some more sense. Glad to have listened to it, might come back once in a while, but the two aforementioned songs went straight to a "1001 album favs" playlist of mine.
Wer kennt ihn nicht.
Hold me closer Tony Danza
Remember this one from highschool
Never been quite familiar with Sir Elton's discography apart of several singles and a handfull of deep cuts. I was not aware of the proggy experience this album was going to give me, I thought it would be more of a Your Song kinda experience. I'm quite surprised. Starts with classic singles, but the expansive journey the middle takes you on is quite impressive. The orchestration doesn't swallow Elton's personality on the piano as he keeps going towards Al the Nasties, which very well could've been a fantastic closer, only to give you the hearbreaking Goodbye to end on a sour note, but not for the album. This was a fantastic experience listening for the first time, another artist i'll be looking forward to learning more of their discography thanks to this experience.
We almost had a 5 today, if only ‘Rotten Peaches’ were not on the album. As is typical with most things Elton, this was very well done. Excellent melodies, great production, and very bombastic in the best way. ‘Tiny Dancer’ gets all the attention on this record, but don’t sleep on the title track and ‘Levon’. Not much else to say, all y’all know what Elton John music sounds like, whether you enjoy it or not is up to your personal tastes. I think this is a classic album and a strong 4/5
Actually really enjoyed it, some excellent songs.
Classic Elton John—how can you go wrong? 4.5 stars
Banger! Indian Summer, wow.
This is one of those times where I feel like not being familiar with the album aside from the singles kind of hurts it, since Tiny Dancer and Levon are such amazing songs, while the rest of the tracklist is just solid. Had I been familiar with this album my whole life, I could honestly see myself rating it higher, but for now, it's just gonna get the four. But yeah, aside from the big hits, the rest of the tracklist has similarly great piano work, just the lyrics are kinda throwing me. Not as immediate or punchy as the big Elton hits. Still good though.
Underappreciated album. It’s a coherent musical journey full of this team’s signature blend of evocative storytelling and style.
“Piano man, he makes his stand In the auditorium Looking on, she sings the songs The words she knows, the tune she hums” When you open an album with “Tiny Dancer” it is very easy to set yourself up to disappoint for the subsequent 40 minutes. Fortunately, Elton John and Bernie Taupin were one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the 20th Century so naturally they don’t fall into this trap. It’s the epitome of Piano Rock and more than entertaining from front to back. The lyrics keep you engaged and every song has the catchy quality that Elton John brings to all his work. Is “Tiny Dancer” the highlight? Yes, obviously. But there is so much else to enjoy than just that.
Lots of good stuff here, got a second listen
Elton at his best, kicking off with Tiny Dancer just a really, result well-written song which sounds fantastic too. This is the first full album I've listened to of his bar just listening to the odd songs here and there. The title track Madman across the water surprised me, quite a great groove there with crisp strings and nice guitar work. Least favourite track was Indian Sunset, that was missing a bit of substance for me plus the lyrics are just plain cheese.
Overall: 8/10 I love Elton John, man. So much, in fact, that he is one of the few artists that I've shared my love of with my 4 year old son. He loves Elton even more than I do. This album especially has been one that we listen to a lot together. I think Elton and Bernie Taupin is one of the best collaborations we've ever gotten in music, their music and lyrics just work so well together. Obviously Indian Sunset hasn't aged well at all, and is the biggest reason this isn't getting a perfect rating, but everything else is just so much fun for me. Fav Song: Tiny Dancer
Good album from a master. Only a few songs get any airplay today, but this album is exceptional in its consistency of tone and mood. All the songs are different & creative, but they are coming from the same place. This is an album’s album! A 4.
8/10 Elton John is an incredibly talented and diverse songwriter, and an excellent performer, both vocally and at the piano. Sometimes his voice isn’t pitch perfect, but he emotes so well that it more than makes up for it. He has got one hell of an ear for melody, but he equally writes with a tremendous appreciation of rhythm, dynamic and drama. He can be a little inconsistent at times, but I think much of that is him trying to satisfy his wide ranging musical interests and ideas. This golden period of Elton’s during the early 70’s is remarkable for the number of absolute classics that he produced, but he also had depth. This album is a shifting, evolving journey through Elton’s development at the time. He brings in subtle beauty, in your face drama and engaging hooks in an ever-moving blend that keeps you on your toes and hooked into the story remarkably well, especially given that most songs are around five minutes or longer in length. He uses dynamic really well and rarely reverts to a basic verse/chorus/verse structure, preferring to build, work and stretch his ideas until he’s ready to let loose with the full weight of the composition. That’s not to say it’s perfect. There are moments when things lull a tiny bit here and there, but there was at least something in every song that caught my ear and hooked me in, even if it wasn’t completely consistent throughout. The performances across the record are super solid, with Elton’s parts on the piano and vocals being the obvious highlights, but the rest of the band and the strings section do exactly what they need to do and allow the main man to flex his stuff. The production is top notch, with so much depth to the arrangements and it’s a rewarding listen as a result, with so many instrumental pieces to unpick and enjoy on repeat listening. While this isn’t a perfect album, it’s a really, really good one, and Elton would go one step further with Honky Chateau to tweak his formula and deliver an absolute knockout. Tiny Dancer - The piano in this is really beautiful. It dances around so nicely, and when the guitar comes in the way the spin around one another is an absolute delight. It’s bold to open an album with a track that doesn’t bother getting to the chorus for two and a half minutes, but every second of this gold. Elton’s voice is excellent, the mix is gorgeous and the build of dynamic is epic. As a composition, this is remarkable. There’s so much instrumental depth and range, it moves through a range of clearly defined movements but feels so natural, and the string arrangement is so lush. Oh, and melodically, this is absolutely out of the top drawer. Levon - More lovely piano playing around a really lush, evolving chord progression. Elton knows how to write songs with great verses and choruses, but builds more structural interest around those core sections to make things way more musically interesting. It’s dramatic, but not overly so, the orchestration is deep and warm and it’s all produced with great clarity, but still with plenty of space for Elton’s emotive vocal performance. Razor Face - This takes a step into something a bit more laid back. There’s some nice guitar playing in here and it’s got a lovely bit of swagger to it, emphasised by Elton’s vocal, which is delivered with an edge of attitude over a really decent tonal range. This has a nice rhythmic blend as the song progresses, with the groove around the solo section being particularly nice. It’s not as strong as the opening couple of songs, but it’s still solid. Madman Across The Water - This is a bit of an epic. It’s a slow, subtle start with some really nice rhythmic stops and a groove that builds slowly enough that it’s barely noticeable until it’s suddenly pretty full and punchy. The passing of the rhythm between the different instruments in various bits of call and response is really cool and it’s so dynamically rich, building and falling in two distinct cycles, which is not a common approach in pop music. Tonally, it’s quite interesting too, as it’s quite a proggy composition, but is instrumentally quite traditional, which is a cool blend. Indian Sunset - This is another epic. Lyrically, it’s pretty ropey, with Taupin plucking as many cliché Native American Tropes as he can and throwing them together in a story that is almost offensively inaccurate. But aside from that, it’s pretty nice. It’s not quite as hooky or consistent as some of the earlier tracks, but when it gets into its stride there are some really dramatic and beautiful moments, particularly when the full orchestration comes into play. Elton really knows how to let a song breathe with structure and orchestration, and this is another fine example of that build, ebb and flow of his more florid, evolving work. Holiday Inn - And now we’re leaning more into the country Americana that’s been hinted at elsewhere. This has its moments, but it doesn’t quite manage the consistency and engagement of some of the earlier songs. There are still some really engaging moments in here though and Elton’s swagger in his vocal delivery is great. I kind of love that a guy from Middlesex can lean so far into the Americana thing and then flog it back to the yanks. Another decent track, even if it’s not as spectacular as others. Rotten Peaches - The chorus here is great and the best part of the song is the little break in the chorus where he sings “Mercy, I'm a criminal, Jesus, I'm the one” before leaping back into the main chorus melody. That bit is so, so, so good. Seems silly to love such a small part of a song, but that just does it for me. And he doubles down on it later on. Cheers Reg. This is a really solid track and leans a little more towards the kind of sound that he would explore further, and probably more consistently on Honky Chateau. Great stuff. All The Nasties - There are some excellent moments in this, but it’s tonally a bit of an odd one. The piano playing is great, as usual. The chorus is solid too. But it kind of roams off into some odd places in the middle and then the ending is weird too. It’s just a fairly inconsistent track that doesn’t quite manage to thread the needle in a particularly satisfying way. Goodbye - This is pretty. It’s a bit saccharine and dramatic, but it’s a decent and brief ballad. The arrangements are nice, his vocal is delivered well with good emotional depth and it’s a pleasant way to end the album.
I have never listened to a full album Elton John album until now, I liked it! The album started strong with Tiny Dancer, and all the songs that followed were great too.
i kinda don't care which album it is, i will never rate Elton John lower than a 4. can you imagine hearing something like "Levon" in a stadium? damn. not my favorite elton john record, but a pretty good one.
I always thought I’d meet more people named Levon with how much I heard this album as a kid.
Levon is my favorite Elton John song, is that a spicy take???
Tiny Dancer was the stand out on the album but good stuff all round
It's hard to imagine any album beginning with a stronger one-two punch than "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon," and the title track (which ended Side 1 back in the vinyl days) certainly does its part to make the first half of this album a classic. Unfortunately, none of the other songs are close to the level of those three, probably because this was the fourth album John had released in less than two and a half years. That's just how things were done back then: Make sure there are two singles, and the rest of the songs don't really matter.
Uhh it's Elton John come on
What am I supposed to do, not enjoy THE Elton John? Of course this is a good album.
Börjar som en 5a de första 4 låtarna men slätar ut sig till en stark 4a. Att lyckas följa upp tiny dancer med en sån panglåt som levon är magiskt. Otroligt jävla svag för Elton John. Till och med den cringiga indian-låten är bra.
Mm mycket bra! Sjukt att han släppte typ 8 album inom loppet av 5 år här. Maskin. Tror att jag tycker att det här är Elton Johns starkaste album och då är det ändå inte en femma. Känns som han lider lite av samma problem som Stones - har ett oändligt bibliotek av bra låtar men dom är också utspridda över typ tusen olika album.
Eclectic mix of songs. Two masterpieces-Levon and Tiny Dancer. Brilliant artists Bernie and Elton.
Tiny Dancer and Levin are certified bangers. What a way to start an album. I didn't know any of the other songs on the album, but they were all at least decent with a few bops. It's no Yellow Brick Road but still a solid album.
Would buy
An album full of energy. All of what you expect from Sir Elton
Tiny Dancer is iconic, Levon is a good single the rest of the album is solid, but it is missing another banger to put it at 5 stars
Mooi album met Tiny dancer. Na de eerste paar nummers de Elton John sound wel zat, maar de verandering kwam daarna snel! Van genoten dus
The ballad intensity of this album makes it worth every penny.
Has the same kind of catchy timelessness of the best of Billy Joel. Them piano men know how to sound a tune.
tiny dancer is arguably one of my fave songs of all time. but why did he open with it it was unfortunately all downhill from thete
This is the second of Elton's two albums on the countdown that I have gotten, after having Goodbye Yellow Brick Road previously, an album which I thought was just amazing. EJ is an incredible artist, no doubt, and I have a significant affinity for piano driven artists (Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby, Sara Bareilles). I just didn't think this album was quite as good as GYBR. It gets off to a great start with Tiny Dancer which might be my favorite Elton John song outside of I'm Still Standing. Unlike I'm Still Standing though, this is more of an epic track than a straightforward pop track like ISS. Amazing to read about how it wouldn't get played in various regions for different reasons (too long, certain lyrics). Hard to believe it took so long to gain the level of popularity that it did, as it is truly excellent song. Levon is really good as well, with a bit more of an impassioned approach from Elton than we hear on Tiny Dancer. Two great songs but pretty different from each other, at least to my ear. Speaks to how great Elton truly was, he could make a series of different styles sound tremendous. Razor Face was decent, not amazing. I did like the how the piano, organ, and guitar blended on this track, each taking their turn in the sun. Well constructed, just wasn't my favorite song. The title track was maybe as close to hard rock as Elton John is ever going to get. It's not Black Sabbath, by any means, nor is it close, but it was interesting to hear that he had some of this in him. I know that there is orchestral backing to a lot of these songs, I just thought it stood out as being a great touch on this track. Indian Summer took me a few listens to appreciate, but I grew to like this song. It's hard to wrap your head around Elton signing about Indians, but ultimately it works. Holiday Inn was so interesting to me with the mandolin, which made this track for me. Another good song. Unfortunately, the album didn't finish as strong as it started. Rotten Peaches was decent. Typical fare for EJ, it just didn't do a lot for me. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of All The Nasties. The first half of this felt like he was trying to fit a bunch of the sounds of some of the earlier songs together in this one and it just didn't work. The back half was very repetitive and rather uninspired. Goodbye is just filler, so no real comments about this. All in all, a very good record, carried by what is on the first 2/3rds, let down by the last 1/3rd.
Elton John easting as always.His vocals were on fleek and the whole vibe of the album was very positive! 4.5/5
Never listened to Elton before, pretty good
A very front-loaded album, it doesn't help that two of the greatest songs ever written appear in the first half of the record as well LOL. Tiny Dancer and the title track are so mind blowingly amazing that it's hard to have the rest of the record follow up the precedent set by those two tracks. There are other good songs here though, "Holiday Inn" is actually quite nice and "Rotten Peaches" is also a quite good deep cut, but the other songs either fall flat like "Razor Face" or just sound cringey with the lyrics and the context; despite how good the instrumental may be (Indian Sunset). Still, it's a pretty good record and worth it for side A alone.
way more banger ballads than I knew this album had tupac sample for Indian Sunset!!!!
4 - UGH a classic - only rating a 4 because its not something I'd listen to regularly and I cant give perfect scores away that easily.
I like this. If all the tracks were as good as Tiny Dancer, it would be a 5.
Fair play
Never listened to a complete Elton John album. Enjoyable
Positive surprise. The album had notes of rock and lots of instruments I liked making whole songs. That added to Elton's voice. I didn't even mind his most famous songs were not in the album.
the second and final Elton John album for this challenge, and yet I have like a billion Elvis Costello albums left to go. about 120 albums ago, I looked at the other John album in the book, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and liked it quite a bit despite some of the typical issues with 70s double-LPs starting to set in (namely the presence of at least one song I skip every time I return to it). Madman Across the Water being a single LP definitely mitigates that issue; all nine tracks here are very good! it's just a matter of which album I prefer musically, and that's actually a bit of a tough call. Madman is your prototypical Elton John experience; beautiful Bernie Taupin stanzas paired with some tremendous, quasi-progressive piano tunes and gorgeous string arrangements. Yellow Brick Road follows a similar path, but it's more stylistically diverse; in particular, John really leans into influences from glam, and many of its tracks are far more blood-pumping compared to Madman's more introspective balladry. Madman's title track in particular gives way to one of John's most spellbinding tunes and captivating vocal performances. of course, there's also "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", two of his most iconic tracks, but there's even a lot of gold to be found in the deep cuts on the B-side, particularly the prison escapee narrative of "Rotten Peaches". I like John a lot in both of the modes his two albums in this book display, and I think their strengths and weaknesses kind of cancel each other out, to the point where it's hard for me to pick a favorite! these are two extremely strong 70s pop rock albums, and you really can't go wrong with either. strong 8/10.
Starting with the legendary, slow burn build of "Tiny Dancer" and moving straight into the soulful narrative of "Levon", the album establishes an atmosphere that is both grand and deeply personal. The second half loses a bit of that initial momentum, particularly with "Indian Sunset" despite its gorgeous melody. However, the sheer vocal power displayed in the title track and the hauntingly simple closer, "Goodbye", more than compensate for these lulls. It’s a rewarding listen that captures the artist perfectly.
The album begins with one of Elton John's greatest songs, so that makes the following tracks with a LOT to live up to, but it does well. This is classic Elton John, with sick piano chords, and happy "feel good" music. Favorite Track: "Tiny Dancer".
Great album with several songs that I have never heard before. Good stuff all around, the album has an energy to it that is hard to describe. It's hard to be in a bad mood when listening. Gets my blood pumping and the foot tapping.
WOOOOOO! This album has an excellent beat, in which I want to drop everything and dance like no one’s watching.
Tiny Dancer is the stand out, but everything else here is great as well even if not as popular.
8 / 10
He was popular for a reason.
A beautiful, melodic album, pleasure to listen to. Two outstanding pieces - Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset.
First Elton's album I have listened to from beginning to end and it's great. Hard to follow-up a banger like Tiny dancer though, but the rest is still great. Indian sunset made me want to listen to Tupac again.
Really good album. I'm a sucker for Tiny Dancer, and the others I didn't know were very good as well. 4/5
I enjoyed this much more than Yellow Brick Rd even though there was only one well known song. All good songs, well sung and played.
Kicking off with Tiny Dancer is about as unfair as it gets for an unbiased listening; what a jam. Album is shorter then I expected but the average song run-time is longer, mostly chalked up to outros. Good musicality, obvious for an Elton John album, vocals are alluring. I have not heard a lot of these, but am being pleasantly surprised. Would not say it blew my doors off but this is a beautiful piece of music. 4/5
Solid album, with punctual highlights (personally) in Tiny dancer, a song i've heard other times, but hearing it the context of the album makes it that much more special. A great discovery is Indian Sunset, loved the drama and theatrical sense it has, great tune. The other songs are not bad, but they are less memorable in the repertoir.
4.1 I've had a few Elton albums on this list now and this is the first time I've really enjoyed one. Tiny Dancer is a classic, although so overplayed so hard to rank. But the next 4 tracks are all really good. Second half definitely not as great but has its moments. First time I've felt like I've 'got' Elton. Not as pop as some of his other releases which really helps.
I’ve never listened to a lot of Elton John but damn he’s good. Very much enjoyed listening to this one all the way through
Couple of great songs... A bit theatrical for my tastes
Listened while shoveling so a bit of a concise review. Opens with a classic in tiny dancer, song you still hear today. Levon and madman across the water are classic Elton John songs, very good. Incredible production, great use of modern and classic instruments. Piano throughout the album is so good. Indiana unsent tells a great story, also has country vibes. Good not great song. Holiday inn is a little goofy but shows good range. And again good production. Rotten peaches is forgettable but leads into 2 really good songs In all the nasties and goodbye. Good bye is exactly what you want in the last song of an album. Over I thought this was really good. Not Elton’s best but a great album. 3.7 stars.
Genre: Piano Rock I honestly should listen to more Elton John. The guy was a freak. One of the better pop rock pianists out there, tuneful and melodic, but full of energy and passion. This album is way more than Tiny Dancer, and it's a total romp. Fun tracks, a lot of greay energy, and some top tier mid-70s rock and roll. Totally listenable, and very good, but I don't know how essential this is. Still loved it! 4/5
Really Elton johny, didn’t expect anything less.
My first listen-through of an Elton John album. And John leaves no doubt here that he is a master of vocal melodies. Even despite some lyrics that are on-the-nose at best, Madman across the Water easily warrants it's place on this list. Tiny Dancer is obviously a classic and hard to beat as an opening to an album, but Tevon puts up a great argument for the best track on this album immediately afterwards. The songs are a little long for my taste, and the second half of the album drags a bit, but Elton John's vocals do more than enough to carry the album all the way through. Highlight: Tevon Highlight #2: Tiny Dancer Lowlight: Indian Sunset Surprise Hit: Holiday Inn
His singing was good and so was the music but still not really something I would choose to listen to. Some of the songs were a bit too long. Overall a pretty good album. 7.5/10
It was good. I really like Elton John, I think his voice is good and the lyrics are also really good. The piano and backing instrumentals are also very good 4 stars Strong 7 point of 10
Pretty cool, Elton John is one of the best gay people of all time. Maybe if he wasn't advocating for gay rights this would be a better album
Some pretty good songs, Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset being standouts, very strong vocals and songwriting throughout, wouldn't expect less from Elton John. Quite a nice listen. 76/100 Score edited 28/01/26
Good. Indian Sunset probably a favourite. First time I got this I gave it a 3 but I think this warrants a 4. Solid all the way through with some absolute classics.
++++
A Elton meni uvik dobro zvuči i volim klavir pa je bilo lipo slušat. Pjesme imaju dosta sličan zvuk sve pa bi tribala još jednom poslušat da bi svaku zapamtila i skontala tekst ali sve u svemu dobar album. Uzivala sam. Dobra pjesma osim Tiny Dancer ofc je ova naslovna. like. dala bi 3,5 da nude half ocjene
a fun listen, lively and classic.
Rock opera feeling. Upbeat, de merengős is egyben
Friggin love “Levon”
Elton classic.
plutôt agréable à écouter
Très sympathique j’aime beaucoup sa voix
Not a bad album. Love Tiny Dancer and the rest of the album flows nicely. Definitely a strong album that sits well in the highly creative period of Elton’s early career.
It’s probably because I was growing up at a time that Elton John was already a legacy act, doing big money Disney stuff, appearances at events, etc, but I always kinda forget that he really rocks. This sounds a lot more alive than I expected going in, I had a great time with it.
Good album that just tails off towards the end
Early 70s Elton John (his 4th album already!!), with a fantastic opening track in 'Tiny Dancer'. The rest is not as amazing as that, but still has a lot to offer. Lots of lovely piano melodies, even some piano accordion and mandolin on the later tracks. Background vocals amounting to a choir, to carry these pop tunes across to the listener. Indian Sunset suffers in the modern glare of history, but the rest is mostly vidid, personal tales of characters, from Levon to Razor Face and even the Madman Across the Water.
tiny dancer - 100000/10 levon - 8/10 razor face - 7/10 madman - 8/10
This was really good. It starts off with one of the greatest songs from the 70's in Tiny Dancer and just kept going from there. I really enjoyed it.
At the risk of sounding like Alan Partridge, this is classic Elton John - all expert piano showmanship, building ballades and rousing vocals. What really comes across is Bernie Taupin's storytelling, rich in emotion and imagery, and how strings are constantly trying to swell the heart. The first few tracks are in the Tiny Dancer style (balladic lyrics, tinkling piano, rousing chorus) and and after a couple, it feels easy to skip onto the next song, but the title track is just excellent - a splendid sonic journey, starting off with a simple acoustic guitar motif, joined by Elton's vocals, then his piano, and the remaining live band. The string section wends its way in to bring drama and emotion, only for the whole thing to be stopped back down. It's not clear if this was conceived of as an album, or it's just a collection of songs that Reg & Bernie came up with at the time, because most of these songs seem to take the listener (and the performers) to through the same emotive journey, time after time. If you got as emotionally with each song, as the music bids you to, you'd probably need the next day or two off to recover.
Overraskende!’
Previously known. I don't understand what the hell is going on but I can tell that it's EPIC.
Peak Elton John. Still in the thrall of The Band, the deep cuts are consistent in tone and quality with "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon." On the verge of bombast (that to his credit, he's good at) and not yet suffering the allure of doing stupid things like "Crocodile Rock" for radio play.
It has a cool, early ‘70s singer-songwriter road trip quality to it, with cinematic, evocative songs that could easily slot into a movie soundtrack. Elton John is a great songwriter, entertainer and arranger, while Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are vivid and invite closer inspection. “Holiday Inn” joins Seger’s “Turn the Page” on my mixtape of great songs about the tedium of life on the road as a traveling rock star. Makes me wanna put on some denim bellbottoms, hop in a convertible with all my friends, cruise the PCH, smoke some shitty shake and go roller skating.
Like the Beatles, I only know his hits , and listening to songs by him that are totally new to me is great.
Tiny dancer carries
I liked it. I mean who wouldn't not sure I was mesmerized by the albums but still really good. What was happening with razor face? Weird name.
This album makes its case early and confidently. “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon” are absolute gems, the kind of songs that justify an artist’s reputation all by themselves. The melodies are generous, the arrangements are rich without being suffocating, and Elton sounds fully locked into that sweet spot between intimacy and grandeur. After that opening stretch, things get more uneven. A few tracks feel like they’re reaching a little too hard for epic status. “Holiday Inn” and “Indian Sunset” have ambition but don’t quite land, and while “Rotten Peaches” works musically, some of the lyrical imagery veers into territory that feels more awkward than evocative. And yes, “All the Nasties” is one of those moments where you can almost hear someone needing to tell Bernie Taupin to maybe put the pen down for a second. Still, the highs here matter. When this album works, it works beautifully, and even the missteps come from a place of excess rather than emptiness. This is an artist swinging big, sometimes overreaching, but often connecting. For me, this lands at a solid four stars. Not flawless, not consistently great front to back, but anchored by songs strong enough to keep the whole thing standing tall.
Elton John's music is very good, he's very talented, and I don't really want to listen to it
I am a fan of Elton John's music and have been since I played my parent's greatest hits album incessantly on the Fisher Price record player I owned. Knowing I am a self-proclaimed expert on Elton, having read his autobiography and listened to all of his albums, I find it a bit odd Madman Across the Water is in this book. I guess it's based on what the book is going for. Madman Across the Water has two of John's biggest hits but I think Honky Chateau is the better album, Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the more pop-oriented album (the version with Skyline Pigeon as a bonus track is especially great), Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the more interesting album and Rock of the Westies is the "out there" album. To me, I would have put Honky Chateau in the book if that goal was to turn the listener on to an album they MUST hear. Now that is done, it's difficult to start an album off with two stronger songs than Tiny Dancer and Levon. Otherwise, there is good material here but I don't think it is anything that I would consider to be challenging or demand a listen. There are other Elton John albums that I believe better represent his sound that must be heard. I'm told by Wikipedia this was John's first foray into prog-rock and he didn't touch on it again until his Blue Moves album. Yet, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding exists just one year after this. That is prog-rock and Elton didn't "touch on it" but dove into it with that song. But whatever. Elton John is known for a glam rock look and a glam rock attitude in his music. Yet, only one album from his most successful era is represented in this book. It just strikes me as weird. Go listen to Honky Chateau and tell me it isn't better. My favorite tracks: Tiny Dancer Levon Madman Across the Water Holiday Inn Goodbye
8.4/10 Fav songs holiday inn and goodbye
Tasainen ja laadukas kononaisuus. Avausraita Tiny Dancer oli ainoa jonka tunsin entuudestaan.
🎶Hold me closer, Tony Danza...🎶 This has so many bangers. A lot of great melodies. I was entertained the whole way through. A pleasant surprise, since I'm not into this music.
Bom álbum, músicas longas, ótimos instrumentais e voz maravilhosa.
The combination of Taupin's lyrics with John's piano/compositions and soulful vocals has always spoken to me.
I liked “Indian Sunset”!
overall, pretty solid album.
Simply really good
7/10
Classic!
Favorite songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water
Great classic Elton Album with the cozy feels. Rainy day perfect! Standout songs: Tiny Dancer Levon Madman across the water Indian Sunset Holiday Inn
Solid! Good overall listen and I would gladly come back to this. Some goofy lyrics here and there but nothing too distracting.
Very good 4
Not an EJ fan particularly, but this is pretty good.
4.5/5 bc i really love tiny dancer
Leads with the classics. Has a ton of tracks I haven’t heard and equally fantastic. Solid album. 4.4/5.0
Dit album had een leuke vibe van begin tot eind! Ik heb niet heel veel onthouden (deels omdat ik ook aan het journallen was en niet met volle focus luisterde) maar ik wil dit album wel ooit opnieuw luisteren! Ik vond het wel een 8.5/10!
This album is like going to university in a different place to your hometown, having been raised in a sheltered and devoutly religious home. Your eyes are opened to horrifying societal issues that you had previously been blissfully oblivious too. You go home for mid-semester break and tell your family of the horrors of the world, but your parents aren't interested in listening. Confused by your parents lackadaisical response to these issues, you come to the conclusion that nothing even matters any more, and everything is fucked. You start doing drugs as an open affront to your family. You'll try to find an athiest girl to date too, that'll piss them off.
levon is amazing. rotten peaches is an ear worm
Good prog rock tones and some real bangers.
I do enjoy Elton John buys there’s only a few on this album I felt a real connection to.
Ohan tää komiata sävellystyötä ja hienoja kokonaisuuksia. Välillä meinaa lähtee vähän ylitsevuotavaks sävellyshommat, mutta onneks on vähän helpotustakin osassa biiseistä ettei pelkkää mahtipontisuutta. Varmaan kun elttoni joni meni myöhempinä aikoina enempi populäääriin suuntaan niin nää alkuaikojen setit ei saa niin ansaitsemaansa huomioo. Annetaan siis nelkkukelkkuu ja jännitetään tuleeko lisää tuubaa tältä artistilta tällekin listalle.
class masterclass
Tiny Dancer will forever remain the highlight, but there are plenty of gems aside here to enjoy.
“Tiny Dancer” is an incredible song, and I’m just learning today that there’s a whole album of sweeping, piano-driven rock songs in the same style where that came from. Beautiful production, great songwriting, and an energy that can turn any room you play it in into a stadium.
"Tiny Dancer" really steals the show on this one. Elton's voice is literally perfect here. He sings like he talks, he sings sometimes with a little added tone for theatrics, other times he sounds less theatrical and more intimate, but throughout he sounds effortless and smooth. He's like Andruw Jones in center field, it's just easy for him. "Tiny Dancer" is a song that I think you hear many times in your life but it's not until you sit and really take it in that you realize that it's more than just a song to drunkenly sing at karaoke, it's really beautiful. The rest of the album is solid but not nearly as triumphant as "Tiny Dancer". Still, I think it's worthy of a 4/5. I love this album cover, very cool texture to it.
I have no way of knowing if I’d like “Levon” as much as I do today if it wasn’t played on the radio all the time during my most impressionable years. The song feels like a family heirloom sometimes. I’d like to think that it’s a strong testament to the playing of Elton and the writing of Taupin that the song has never worn on me in all the times it’s been played - I’d argue I like it now more than ever. While "Tiny Dancer" is rightfully pop immortality (especially the use of that slide guitar), I hopefully think "Levon" is right there too. The bassy synth at 1:35 in the title track is incredible. It isn't even around for that long, and there's plenty of other whirling instrumentation and a great vocal going on that you can almost miss it. "Indian Sunset" is a well-meaning song with apparently many inaccuracies, which makes it hard sit with completely. On one hand, I'm glad to hear there's a song this popular about anything related to Native Americans. I just wish it tightened up it's history. Beyond this, little bit of brilliance are peppered throughout the last few songs. The "slow down Joe" line in "Holiday Inn" is so pretty. The choir on "All The Nasties" is so surprising it makes you double-take. A fair 4/5 on this one. Frontloaded by two of the greatest songs of the 70's, worth it for that alone
Bought this on vinyl when I went through a period of listening to Elton John, generstional opening tracks what else can I say.
Classic
3.75 war echt gut, ich habe noch nie wirklich elton johns musik gehört, bis ich vorkurzem herausgefunden habe, dass er rocketman geschrieben hat. und jetzt bei dem album kannte ich tiny danzer, daher glaube ich, dass er noch mehr gute sachen hat, davor konnte ich nie was mit ihm anfangen. ich kannte ihn zwar vom namen her, wusste aber nichts über seine musik. ich find das projekt 1001 albums bisher auch voll gut, da ich jetzt wie hier zum beispiel etwas gehört habe, dass ich sonst nicht hören würde.
I watched Almost Famous a while ago, and that was the first time I heard Tiny Dancer. It was such a good scene, I love that song! Listened to the whole album today and it’s really good
"Madman Across the Water" is a mighty fine album and a rewarding listen. While the absence of a "radio-ready" single may have dampened its initial reception, it now holds status as a classic album and rightly so. Throughout the record, Elton’s vocals are soulful and bluesy, bolstered by Gus Dudgeon’s sophisticated production and lush arrangements. The album opens with the formidable "1-2 punch" of "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", two tracks that find the John/Taupin song writing partnership at the absolute peak of its powers. It remains a curious historical footnote that the album produced no UK hits and was originally dismissed as a commercial flop. Aside form the opening two tracks, other highlights include the brooding title track, which features a stellar vocal performance from Elton John (though fans should also seek out the version featuring Mick Ronson on lead guitar). Furthermore, "Indian Sunset" continues Taupin’s fascination with the American West. A very strong four star listen. Side one 1 "Tiny Dancer" (5/5) 2 "Levon" (5/5) 3 "Razor Face" (4/5) 4 "Madman Across the Water" (5/5) Side two 5 "Indian Sunset" (5/5) 6 "Holiday Inn" (4/5) 7 "Rotten Peaches" (4/5) 8 "All the Nasties" (4/5) 9 "Goodbye" (4/5) Total - 40 Average - 4.44 192/1001 106/192 albums reviewed were new to me.
MUITO BOM
hearing now but i wanna know the new album for today
Not a bad album but it’s really downhill from tiny dancer. Specific rating - 4.2 Fav song - tiny dancer Least fav- Indian sunset
Easy listening
liked it
Iconic from the first song, Tiny Dancer. Really liked Levon and Rotten Peaches. “When the New York Times said god was dead”
I tend to think that this was just a bit of an overreach after two other albums in the same year. Three of these are just classics in every sense. Another couple are musically and performance strong, but the drop off feels pretty bad. That close to one of the best albums of all time. 4/5
Du bon Elton
Starts with arguably his two greatest songs. And there a couple other bangers
What a beautiful soul. Obviously amazing.
Learning I love the classics
Modern rock needs more piano. But I'm pretty sure that's not how Geronimo died.
Flora said tiny dancer was the worst thing she’d ever heard.
I liked it! But maybe i like his other music more. Indian summer was a fun time.
This album is really good, the songs are pretty great. I didn't think I would like the album, I have never been much interested into Elton John's music, but I should check it out. So, well, it's not fantastic but it is really interesting.
I think I love Elton John (4/5)
Great energy and performances throughout. I'm not particular towards his voice, however. It sounds good, but something about it doesn't fall right.
Sure!
Love Elton John and loved the vibe of this album. The fact that all the beats sounded like they came from the same sample. Speaking of samples, so cool to hear the original version of the Tupac song Ghetto Gospel.
Elton John is absolutely phenomenal on this album (most albums). His singing and piano are so good its hard to really overstate. Tiny Dancer is about as good as a song can get. The only reason I deduct a star is that Bernie Taupin is one of the worst lyricists in history. There, I said it! I know that they have this legendary song writing legacy but I just don't get it. His horrible lyrics drag down Elton. And this album is one of the worst cases. There are so many attempts at 'American' themes on this record but they just aren't believable through his words. Sorry Sir Elton.
Didn’t really think much of Elton John when I was young but as I got older he has grown on me.
Great album to play in the background.
4/5 A-
Most of the album is made up of piano ballads that build into big, passionate songs, so it can feel a bit repetitive. Thankfully, the album doesn’t have too many songs so you never get fully bored of it. All the playing is good, Elton John is a great singer, and the songwriting is really strong, the only exception being all the inaccuracies in Indian Sunset, though the song is still very good despite that. 4/5
Better than I thought, tiny dancer is good but I’ve never been crazy about it, but this album is so strong!!!
Fantastic Album! Some great songs.
Stellar opening to an album....Tiny Dancer, Levon....the rest was a deep dive into Elton I never took. Was fine.
The only song I can recall hearing from this album despite calling myself a pretty big fan of Elton John is Tiny Dancer, of which is a good song but absolutely done to death.. but in the context of this album I’ve grown a new appreciation for it. The whole of this album is filled with lush symphonic instrumentation that really adds to the grandeur of the songwriting (for real, Taupin was in his BAG on this album). This album at times feels weirdly progressive in an Elton way, which is so cool. Tracks like Madman Across the Water and Indian Sunset had me absolutely floored with the drama and storytelling.. some of Elton’s best vocals I’ve ever heard have been on this album. That being said, some tracks on this album like Rotten Peaches and Razor Face kind of felt a bit flat in comparison to the more grandiose tracks. Overall this was a solid album I’d definitely listen to again. Favorite tracks were the title track and Indian Sunset.
Tykkään.
Did Elton John love country music? This album sort of reminds me of country music, if Meatloaf did country music. That there was a time and place where Indian Sunset seemed like an awesome idea is a testament to progress. All that probably sounds like I didn’t like it.
It was good.
Great songs. Starts with one of his best, Tiny Dancer, but everything on here is quality. This is hungry Elton. Before he became fat comfortable Elton.
That first track must be really worn out on a bunch of vinyl's. This album is classic Elton John with his biggest hit on it. The other songs are good and don't drag it down. I just wish there were more big hits to make this a truly epic album. It's Elton John. Your going to love it even if you don't know the songs.
Some mighty fine piano rock in’.
First off, I love Hold Me Closer Tony Danza, but Levon typifies the vast bulk of Elton's work for me. It's sort of stream of consciousness gibberish and opaque lyrics. That's probably what most folks like about his stuff, but it doesn't blow up my skirt. Great voice and I enjoyed the orchestral arrangements on this album, though. So 3.5* rounded up for Tony.
Me ha encantado, pero me niego a darle un 5 porque estoy harta de hombres y del inglés de esta selección.
Me ha encantado, pero me niego a darle un 5 porque estoy harta de hombres y del inglés de esta selección.
Pretty classic Elton John here. Couldn't help but laugh at the first line of Razorface.
It is a dense album, with many ideas on the orchestral arrangements. The lyrics are strange and confusing (see Levon), but they leave space for the interpretation. I think it's an high quality work. Tiny Dancer is a masterpiece
Another great album from Elton John, with tiny dancer being my favourite.
Fantastic album!! Although it stings a bit that the album starts with the best (which is also the most famous) song.
Es elton jonh, te tiny dancer que m'encanta. Es un album que ja no es de la seva epoca daurada, pero molt bee.
I guess I’m just an Elton John fan now, wtf
Really incredible how talented he is, he makes his singing seem effortless with great piano playing at the same time.
Actually is quite good. Forget about Elton John for months and then remember and play him non stop for a week. repeat. This is the Elton I like the most- limited instrumentation. Tiny dancer (tony danza) is still one of my favourites so for that alone it’s a 3. But I’m in a generous mood.
As with any Elton John album there are SPECTACULAR high points on this album. There is also more than a fair share of "meh". The good far outweighs the bad.
C’est toujours un plaisir d’écouter Elton John!
Un crack!!Com sempre.Un 8.
One of my mother’s favorite albums when I was growing up.
I'm not a big Elton John fan, but I actually really enjoyed this. It's a little too theater-kiddy for me, but the variety of instruments that made an appearance on this album was fun. Plus, seeing his MTV Unplugged performance this year has increased my appreciation of him. 3.5 rounded up because i was surprised that i liked this as much as i did
This guy is a pretty good songwriter
Consistently great songs
Cover 4 This is an epic. Thematic. Tiny Dancer kinda sticks out like a sore thumb even though it's a good song. This album must be listened to on it's enter m entirety. Great stuff!
This was beautiful. It’s Elton so of course it is but I think this is the best Elton album I’ve had so far (though I think I’ve only had Goodbye Yellow Brick Road). Tiny Dancer is a fantastic song and Elton just sounds amazing throughout. Beautiful instrumentals, great voice and it comes together as a great album worthy of a place here!
Indian sunset is a really good song.
I kinda thought I would get tired of this sound but I really enjoyed it.
Another banger by the king. This one felt much more story-driven and a little darker, a little sadder. Chills.
Bangers across the album
What a way to start this challenge! I remember Tiny Dancer used to sneak into all my generated playlists on Spotify, so this was pretty ironic, haha I had never listened to the full album before and I found that a lot of the songs felt similar to one another. I enjoyed listening to it, but I feel that nothing stood out too much. Great album regardless
Musical narriative storytelling with complex melodies and delicate layering of instruments. Love me a good Elton John record
Great album by an all-time great artist. Starting out very strongly with a classic song, and building upon that throughout the rest of the album. However, in my opinion, the album is a bit too monotonous. It could have been a bit better with some more variation. Therefore it falls just short of a 5/5. 4/5
Really enjoying the instrumentals and melody for each of these tracks! Maybe I'm just partial to Elton John but with the album opener of Tiny Dancer and the next track being Levon I was open to the rest of the tracks I was hearing for the first time. And overall I really enjoyed each one! Will revisit this album in the future - maybe not for a deep listen but as a nice backing track when going about my day.
Fantastic album with a few songs that didn't grab me as much. Elton John can write a hell of a hook. 3.5-4 stars
Good
more catchy and memorable than a ‘yellow brick road’ for me. great album 4.5
Elton from the 70's just slaps
Excellent
Good! But I'm finding a lot of these songs to sound more or less the same. Side A is much stronger and I would definitely listen to that in full again.
Beautiful album, that's it.
Maybe I am a "Madman over Water" because I wonder: Is this Elton's best album? No, but I wouldn't "Levon" home without it. Not as long as 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,' 'Madman over Water' packs the "All the Nasties" in quickly. I had a happy 'Razor Face' to the first few tracks. But the end of the album is a bit of an "Indian Sunset" that slows down as it says "Goodbye." However, this album isn't "Rotten Peaches," so if you're heading to a "Holiday Inn," this could be the album for you. "Tiny Dancer." Top tracks: "Tiny Dancer," "Levon," "Razor Face"
--Tiny Dancer...cheesy but great --Levon...great song. what the hell is it about? --Razor Face...funky. I like --Madman Across the Water...feels like the last song of the first act of a musical. in a good way --Indian Sunset...woah, did not have based Elton/Taupin on my BINGO card. good lord this is insane in the best way --Holiday Inn...damn. that mandolin! am I a bigger Elton fan than I thought? --Rotten Peaches...bombastic, funky, and fun --All the Nasties...a lesser Tiny Dancer. first track that didn't hit for me --Goodbye...an oddly sad closer. still sounds nice
Gets a 4 because of Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset.
Indian sunset such a great song
This was a new album to me and although wasn't peak Elton, it was still very good. I liked the prog/glam pop sound. Tiny dancer, levon, Indian sunset were my highlights. It perhaps tailed off a little toward the end. Overall good listen
It was a matter of time before I got an Elton John record. The songwriting partnership he's had with Bernie Taupin led to some of the most innovative piano-driven music during the 1970s. Madman Across the Water was released towards the beginning of that successful run and is solid in its own right. The obvious highlight of this record is the opening two singles, "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon". Those two songs alone are some of the most enduring classics in Elton's discography. In fact, I'd say side one as a whole is a rather song half, with the endearing ballad "Razor Face" and the sinister slow-burner that is the title track. As for side two, things start to falter a bit in the songwriting. I wasn't into the Native American stereotypes leaned on for "Indian Sunset", even if there was good sentiment in writing about their displacement. The quality picks up with Elton's road song in "Holiday Inn", followed by the plight of the prisoner in "Rotten Peaches", and the choir accompaniment on "All the Nasties" as Elton confronted his sexuality. A rather short goodbye follows this, and the album ends as I'm admittedly left wanting more. It's certainly not a bad problem to have, but it feels like the album peaked with the first half, as the rest was good but not quite up to par with what was offered earlier. Madman Across the Water is a record that is on the cusp of greatness. I know Elton and Bernie's songwriting will continue to improve as the style shifts towards glam rock, and I look forward to hearing how this change unfolded.
Звучит как саундтрек диснеевского фильма. Это было очень приятно слушать! Но мне не подошло в моменте. Обязательно вернусь!
that madman ain't so bad ?
Quality but lacking standouts
Honestly really good
8.5
Des gros classiques, overall solide
Deserving of every accolade, Elton John is a great musician. And with Bernie Taupin they helped make popular music what is today. Only 4 albums in and they nailed it.
I was ready for the 1-2 punch opener of "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" but I wasn't ready to absolutely love the first four tracks. I guess "Razor Face" has kind of dumb lyrics, but the outro absolutely rips. "Indian Summer" is one of those songs, though, that the melodies and bridges and solos, no matter how beautiful, can save the beyond cringey lyrics. Even if this wasn't offensive in the 70s, I still have to think wtf were they trying to do with this song? Then "Holiday Inn" is such a banger I completely forgot about how bad the previous song was. The rest of the album was solid, but I didn't like it nearly as much as the rest. The choir in "All the Nasties" definitely threw me. Overall, this is really good and makes me want to listen to more Elton John. But also I never realized how weird his lyrics are.
good. not my fav but solid
It’s crazy that Tiny Dancer is the opening track. So many hit songs on this album. Madman across the water might be my favorite Elton song, so powerful. Last half of the album is a little slow, but good.
Hold Me Cloaer, Tony Danza. Once you hear it, you cannot unhear it. And it amuses me to no end. Anyways, I love this album. The compositions are fantastic. I call them compositions because they feel like that rather than rock songs. Strong first half but peters out at the end. 4
Stark, emotional
This is a very good album. The only thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars is “Razor Face” (WTF?) and “Rotten Peaches” which is pretty awful.
The first half of this album is a masterpiece - “Tiny Dancer” is gorgeous, “Madman Across the Water” has some of my favourite of Elton John’s piano, and “Indian Sunset” builds and builds into an orchestral delight two-thirds in and then again as the track fades out. The second half of the album doesn’t live up to the first half for me - it’s comparatively so boring and, because of that, felt longer than the first five tracks despite being shorter by a handful of minutes.
Jon Elton kan å laga låter. To første er så sterke at de nesten bestemmer antall stjerner uten resten av rekka.
Elton John's work is so gaudy and dramatic to the point that a deep, dark piece of my soul can't help but always be pissed off. But, I probably need therapy, because there's no denying that the musicianship is off the charts. Even on a lyrically stupid-ass fucking song like "Indian Sunset," I found myself vibing to the music underneath. And, you gotta put some respect on the few blokes in rock who had the guts to shove a piano into the genre. Fave songs: - Tiny Dancer (duh) - Levon - Razor Face - Madman Across The Water - Rotten Peaches
Dope
“Tiny Dancer” is a helluva opener, the rest is great but doesn’t top that
Pretty good.
Some good stuff here, but a lot of misses too. Obviously Tiny Dancer is a classic, as is Levon and the title track, but the rest of the album is...fine. I'm rounding up to 4 stars but it's solidly 3.5. Above mentioned songs all added to Liked Songs.
aw yep
Underbart, amazing, vackert och bra album
3.5/5
Muito bom conhecer o inicio do Elton
Man, I just love me some elton, don't know why.
Pretty solid offering here. Quite a few "hits" I recognized and enjoy. Even the deeper cuts are all really good. I've never been a big Elton John fan, but certainly understand why others are. This one definitely makes me feel like I should explore more of his catalog.
Elton John is an incredible songwriter. This is his first record I've listened to so I'm really unsure how to score it. Thoroughly enjoyed though. No skips. Fav Tracks: Title Track, Levon 8.2/10
Pas mal
These songs are fun, and his voice and playing are quite impressive, but I really enjoy the composition of all of the songs. definitely an enjoyable listen
Listens: 3 or 4 Standout Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Rotten Peaches I thought this was great. Tiny Dancer and Levon especially. The subject matter, the piano, the vocals. The whole package was quite amazing. The playout with Goodbye too was great. Glad to have heard it and going to be adding it to my library.
Great album. "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" are both classics, and the rest of the album is pretty good too.
Surprising choice by Tupac
Surprised by how much I liked the whole album! I think I actually prefer it to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which suffers from a bloated runtime. This one, on the other hand, never loses its mojo. I especially liked All the Nasties with its gang vocal bridge refrain. Tiny Dancer, of course, is also a certified bop.
Always a good listen
All excellent, most of which I’d never heard before. Groovy, bluesy.
Great album. Love the blue jeans record album art.
4 out of 5 Good album. Elton's songs are timeless. Nice to hear some lesser-played songs.
Tiny Dancer alone makes this album legendary. A few duds but that’s okay. Love the song compositions. The mix is a little questionable (drums feel like in another room)
*1971 *Starts off with Tiny Dancer and Levon. Wow. *Solid songs, nothing weird. RATING - 8/10
Includes the iconic Tiny Dancer and Levon. The title track is instrumental and lovely. Some of the songs have a little country twang, which is more unique for him. Quite a variety, very enjoyable.
A great Elton album! Has my fav Elton John song in it as well! Such a good album!
OK, Tiny Dancer is pop perfection. The other songs are OK - undeniably good songwriting but just a bit meh for me. But I just have a hip-hop album a generous 4 and can't give this any less. On a different day it might have been a 3. Too poppy for me.
One of the few Elton albums I had never listened through. Great album. Great to hear Indian Summer which is the basis for the 2Pac banger Ghetto Gospel that is the first place where I heard Elton as a kid.
Even this early in his career, Elton John had a flair for the cinematic and theatrical. Given how iconic it now is, I’m surprised that Tiny Dancer wasn’t an huge hit back then. Enjoyable all the way through, though admittedly it comes dangerously close to being essentially an album of Tiny Dancer clones.
I did not expect to like this as much as I did. EJ was in rop form and his skill was on full display. Album sounded like a symphony opera with big layered sound and a great album flow
Title track is an all-timer, for sure, but the rest of the album is quite strong and up there with any other Elton John album.
I really want to like Elton John as a fan. Funny thing is, sometimes I actually do. Tiny Dancer is a classic, Madman Across the Water is great, and Indian Sunset feels almost like a film score. Still, a lot of his albums drift into background music for me. That said, this one stands out... probably my personal favorite of his. By the way: Rocketman is a better film than Bohemian Rhapsody… fight me. Elton, I love you for who you are — a true legend — and this album earns a solid 8/10.
first 2 songs are great next 2 are very good the last few are above average
Finally a good album after days!
Tiny Dancer is a good and known track to me, put I didn't remembered. Full albus is very good. I've probably listened to it already when I was getting ready for Elton's show in Rock in Rio (2015?). Holiday Inn is also very awesome!
Not a super well received Elton John record, but I have no preconceived notion of what an entire Elton John album should sound like I’ve only heard the hits, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of this album except for the poorly aged Indian Sunset.
Elton John is one of my favorite singer-songwriters of all time. A great album, though not my favorite of his.
Madman Across The Water by Elton John [1001 albums]: 8/10, In his prime, Elton John really had his specific style of piano rock perfected. With an interesting fusion of this piano rock and a Beatles-esque progressive pop, Elton managed to create some of the longest songs in popular music at the time. Tiny Dancer being just over 6 minutes long and triple platinum, one of his most popular songs, is quite impressive for 1971. Of all the songs here, one stands out as the best, but also the most questionably aged, Indian Sunset. A supposed retelling of a story from a painting, the language is poorly aged (Indian? Yellow people??), and the story isn't very accurate. With all that said, it's a very notably anti-colonialist story which is pretty ahead of its time. Musically, it was my favourite track on the album, but had no shortage of moments that made me question what Elton John was thinking when he wrote it. With all the strange and vaguely racist parts of the story of that song and the rest of the album being less noteworthy while still being pretty great, the whole album stands up relatively well and could pass as a modern album with some remastering.
weiss nöd obi tiny dancer schomol ganz glost han. schono guet. goht jo ewigbis de refrain chunt whaatt. ah huere lange song. find de refrain de nervigst teil well er en mega komisch betont irgendwie. levon wer isch de levon? coole song aber het etz nüt mit mir gmacht. razor face cooli zweiti stimm. moll und cooli gitarrelicks. titletrack fangt guet ah er spielt so viel akkörd? uuuuh de synth bass huuere cool holiday inn isch au suuper de bass huere cool, mandolin haaammer. rotten peaches au sehr sehr guet, find langsam tönt alles ähnlich aber halt guet. klapprigs klavier. all the nasties seehr klapprigs klavier, superschöne chor.
freuumi, kenn voll kei elton john albe (defür sini neberolle in kingsman 2) tiny dancer isch schomal huere schön, riese stimm liechte country ihfluss, super klavier ohh coole wechsel ide bridge rieewse song levon isch auno cool, aber chli vill striicher für min gschmack HANDORGLE aso würkli ich han nöd cheggt dass de john so e INSANE schöni stimm het indian sunset megaa schöne ahfang oaaah und de chunnt de bass inne! SO SCHÖN holiday inn isch iwie mega episch hahaha ROTTEN PEACHEEEES kenn scho es paar lieder so passiv all the nasties und goodbye sind na cool als closener (oder heissts closer HÄ) nei ich glaub closener egal aber nüt unglauuublichs aso würkliii es klars 4i wow, vlt muss ich endlich mal meh elton john lose. mengisch chli schnulzig aber überhaupt nöd störend, very beautiful
52/1001 :: Elton John - Madman Across The Water Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Fav Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Levon Listen before you die: Yes I mean who doesn’t love Tiny Dancer? Probably my favorite Elton song. That alone is a reason to listen to this album. And by the time you get to Levon you know this a serious album. I said last week Elton John over Billy Joel and I’ll take that to the grave. Especially after just listening to The Stranger that stance could not be more firm. This album has rock n roll attitude with operatic elements. Of course the Elton performance is great but the strings overlayed across the whole album really puts it over the top.
pas pire Tiny Dancer est un classique
Good album, big dramatic songs, bit of a rock opera feel.
I know why the album is titled after that track, even though Tiny Dancer is more well known. Work of art.
Good
When I was about 10 or 11 or so, my mom upgraded from the 1974 Greatest Hits compilation that soundtracked every vacation of my life to a more recently-released two-disc one. With this upgrade, I was introduced to far more Elton John than I had previously been aware existed, including songs like Tiny Dancer and Levon, the latter of which ended up quickly supplanting Honky Cat as my favorite of his songs. Somehow, I never got around to checking out Elton John's discography when I started getting into music as a teenager, but honestly, I can't imagine that I could ever love him as much as I did in those days, when Tiny Dancer was the soundtrack to pulling into another hotel parking lot late at night, with the knowledge that tomorrow we'd be at the beach.
When I went through Elton John's discography I was not a huge fan of this album. I only liked about a third of the songs. I find myself liking it a lot more this time around. Especially Levon, it is much better than I remembered. I prefer the version of Madman Across the Water with Mick Ronson, his guitar playing is just so elevating.
Not my favorite Elton John, but still a good one. Undoubted mastery of melody, theatricality, orchestration. Tiny Dancer is and will always be my favorite off of this album, Levon and Goodbye are up there as well. Part of his charm is that he can somehow create such catchy, listenable songs out of such genuinely insane lyrics. I truly think that the universe forced him together with Taupin as a writer because he would have been too powerful without him. I don’t ever really know what the hell he’s talking about, but he manages to make it work *most* of the time.
Du bon rock à la Elton! Malheureusement le fait d’apparaître en même temps que d’autres albums de là même période le fait pâlir un peu! Tiny Dancer, classique. Bien aimé Levon, Indian Sunset, Rotten Peaches. Bien aimé la forte présence des cordes dans plusieurs chansons. Mais parfois je trouvais que les chansons se ressemblaient un peu d’une à l’autre. Je m’y perdais. Quand même hâte d’en découvrir un autre du maître du showbiz!
Obsessed with this being labeled as progressive rock.
Tiny dancer is so good, the rest of the album could be awful and it would still receive 3 stars. A very excellent and quick album over too soon.
i like. highlights: “Tiny Dancer,” “holiday inn,” and “all the nasties”
Having never listened to an Elton album in full, I enjoyed. A compilation of fine songs. Would be interested to know (so will listen to!) how this album rates against his others.
Not bad, feels like an outsider's perspective on the US.
Mai sentito Elton John prima. Tiny dancer molto molto bella e fa capire lo stile che ha in generale l'album. In generale è molto sullo stile e ricorda, almeno a me, i primi album di steely dan anche perché il periodo aiuta. :)
High quality - there are so many good songs on here
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. 4⭐️
A lightly frustrating album. Wasn't a fan until I went in 2019 and he was rather excellent. One of the last true showmen. Contains my all-time favourite song: Indian Sunset. A tragic tale of colonization, but such a good tune and the lyrics, whilst potentially a bit tone-deaf in retrospect, are great. I love a song that tells a story. So good, and heavily sampled since. He rarely plays it - only a couple of times in that part of his suspended Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Lucky enough to hear it live, it really builds and crescendos. Superb. Levon and Tiny Dancer are great too. My main complaint is the length of the songs, the boring back half, and the tendency to go for a repetitive fade-out rather than some virtuoso piano-playing. So he loses a star. Just like we lost Diana.
4.0 - Very Good
J - 4/5 Best Track - "Tiny Dancer"
Should really have cut Indian Summer and Rotten Peaches out. Oh well. Great album if you know which tracks to skip.
I knew a few of these songs before listening to this album for the first time. Overall, good stuff.
I'd say better than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (IMO). They only small criticisms would be the backing vocals on "All the Nasties", and the main character's name in "Razor Face". Kept thinking about Tazer Face from Guardians of the Galaxy.
I own this one and it's one I enjoy.
Elton John, the rocket man. Maar ondanks de grote naam, ken ik eigenlijk alleen Tiny Dancer en dus Rocket Man. Ik laat mij dus verrassen. En wat is dit een goed album zeg. Piano top, gitaar top, zang top. Veel variatie en het houd je aansacht erbij. Word ik dan toch een beetje Elton fan? Ief.
Pretty solid Elton John album.
Solid. Can’t believe he released 3 albums in the same year.
Very fun pop rock record
Empieza con la mítica "Tiny Dancer", canción que es un 10/10. A partir de ahí son todas nuevos descubrimientos muy en la línea de lo que ya conocía de Elton, por lo que me ha entretenido mucho. El mejor descubrimiento "Holiday Inn". 7.5/10
I've never dived into an Elton John album before! It's quite cool, John's voice and performance shines the lyrics and the instrumental is really captivating. "Tiny Dancer" is easily the strongest track, and overall it is a good setlist, but some songs are long. 4 out of 5
I always forget just how impressive of an artist Elton John is. The album starts off with Tiny Dancer, a song I didn't really like until I listened to it again yesterday. The entire album sounds massive, yet Elton Johns voice makes it sound intimate as well. The string arrangement backing many of the songs is very pleasant to listen to. Very enjoyable album, although some parts like the choir at the end sounded a bit campy.
timeless classic
Tiny Dancer - Might be one of the best songs of the 70s Levon - One of Eltons better songs, for sure on his greatest hits list Rest of the album - Songs
Solid.
This record ended up being a lot more consistent than I thought it would be. I knew how good Tiny Dancer and Levon were, but you don’t always seen albums with more than 2 amazing songs. Sure, there are some low points, like Razor Face and Holiday Inn, but even those are solid songs with great instrumentation. The storytelling and raw emotion on tracks like Indian Sunset, Rotten Peaches, and the titular track is frighteningly resonant and beautiful. All The Nasties is very meh melodically, but the real-world story behind it makes it shine. Goodbye is a fine track to end the album, even if not necessarily memorable.
I mean, it's Elton John.
Is one of the secrets behind Elton John and Bernie Taupin's decades-long songwriting partnership that were both equally keen to pretend they weren't English? Between writing songs from the perspective of a Native American warrior and whatever is going on with Elton's already transatlantic accent on Holiday Inn, there were some real choices made on this album. Luckily, there are some incredible tunes too - Levon in particular is up there with Tiny Dancer.
COMO LA ROMPES ELTON JOHN 4.5 es en realidad jiji
Primeira vez ouvindo um disco inteiro do Elton John. Fora isso, conhecia apenas seus grandes sucessos, tal qual a primeira faixa deste álbum, Tiny Dancer. De certo um ótimo vocalista. Uma linda voz, e minha parte favorita de suas canções são suas melodias vocais. Ele realmente plana sobre a música. É bem lindo de se ouvir e prende bem sua atenção e fica na memória. Hold me closer tiny dancerrrr . Além dos vocais, impossível falar de Elton sem mencionar seu piano. E nesse álbum ele se destaca perfeitamente. Nunca é demais, sempre na medida certa, dando espaço suficiente pra banda e pra lírica. Tudo balanceado, como deve ser. Brilhante. Algumas partes do disco deram uma desacelerada. Não é um álbum perfeito. Mas me deixou plenamente satisfeito. 4/5