Madman Across The Water

Låtsmedernas låtsmed! Fyra plus

Very good album from his best period.

First half is a 5, second half tails off slightly. Amazing, all time great album though.

Good

Possibly my favourite Elton John album? I am an absolute sucker a gospel choir, big bashed out piano chords, bluesy vocals, there's a lot to love here. Indian Sunset hasn't aged well, but the rest is solid.

yeah

Love Elton!

I’ve always really enjoyed Elton John’s music. This album is very classic Elton John sound and feel. I wanna dive deeper into his discography after listening to this album. Has classic songs like tiny dancer, but it is so much deeper than just the known hits.

Madman Across The Water is among my top 10 songs of all time.

Elton John's vocal prowess is obviously well known, and his songs are generally catchy and sometimes powerful. This album started really strong but kinda lost steam halfway through. Overall an enjoyable listen, but the best songs were definitely the hits.

Good one!

Weird Indian sidetrack mid album

I never considered myself an Elton John fan, despite owning over half of his massive discography. I never actively put him on, but I do always enjoy what I hear. Maybe I AM a fan? 6 liked songs.

Dobry

Fans expecting a reprise of the country stylings of Tumbleweed Connection were in for a shock. Madman is almost an issues album - addressing mental health, the desolation of First Nation America, poverty and crime. The result is a very thoughtful, intimate album. There are plenty of reminders of how good a piano player Elton John is and how inventive his songwriting is. Tiny Dancer is the standout but it’s not typical of the album which is less about the toe tappers and the ear worms than about lyrical and musical creativity. An extra star, earned mainly by Bernie Taupin, for writing songs that are actually about something.

Bunch of bangers. A few of his mega hits, plus songs I'd've never heard that I thought were even better.

8.5

Great album

Better than I anticipated. Enjoyed it!

It was very good but I had a really hard time listening to it as it reminded me of my father who passed away

I don't usually like pop rock, but I think these strings is what bring this whole album together. Vocals harmonized by orchestral arrangements sound so satisfying, and the choruses here a extremely powerful as a result. That being said, Tiny Dancer is by far the best song here, in my opinion, and the rest are not quite as good. Still a great album with no boring songs, which is a rare thing to hear from a pop rock record.

a classic. how can you not like sir elton? sure it's glam and a bit much sometimes but then it's great and sing along and makes you feel better.

Det klart mest fascinerande var trekkspelsoloen på Razor Face

Always a pleasure to get an album by sir Elton. Madman Across the Water isn't my favorite of his album, but it's top 3.

My introduction to Elton as well as the first Elton album I owned. I know it was a slow seller for him but it remains one of my favorites of his.

Very good album, with a couple absolute classic Elton numbers (Tiny Dancer being foremost). Might not be quite at the same level as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road but it's great nevertheless.

I am so tempted to give this album 5* on the strength of “Tiny Dancer” alone, but after listening to the rest of the tracks on it, I’m not sure that would be appropriate. I am a huge fan of tons of Sir Elton’s music, but I didn’t recognize a single other song here, nor did I particularly love any of them. There’s nothing bad about songs 2-9, and I enjoyed my listening, but they just didn’t strike me on any level aside from superficially. The title track is probably the strongest out of the bunch, showcasing Elton John’s incredibly powerful voice, but I can sort of understand exactly why I haven’t heard any of these other songs before. I’m still gonna give this album 4* on the strength of “Tiny Dancer” though, because man is that song ever unreal.

Tiny Dancer, and hot piano jams

His fourth album. Tiny Dancer is a beautiful opening track. One of his best songs. Levon is another good track. Elton's vocals and melodies combined with Bernie Taupin's lyrics are in full effect on the whole album. Production is good for 1971. Very good overall. Although I suspect there will be more Elton on this list which will be even better.

hold me closer tony danza

Two very solid jams then some lyrically amazing tracks. Also, this is his THIRD album in one year?! Bonkers.

didn't like it much the first listen, seemed like the songs were similar but second and third listen actually made ne appreciate a bit more

So I only really know the hits of Elton John, and I now know there’s a reason why he’s a classic. No skips! Standout songs: Tiny Dancer Indian Sunset Holiday Inn

Tiny Dancer alone is worth a couple stars, a few other good tracks. Not very familiar how this one stacks up to his other albums Rating: 3.7

Almost in the No-Skips class. (“All the Nasties”) Had never listened to this whole thing but it’s excellent. Love the slide guitar, zydeco bits, and mandolin. Do not give early(ish) Bernie enough credit for his lyrical chops. More like a 4.5, but not a 5. Favorite: Madman Across the Water

An enjoyable album from start to finish.

Awesome album. Liked the second half even better than the first. Madman and Indian sunset are absolute grooves. All the nasties instantly catchy too.

This is a 4 for me. There are a couple misses, most notably the epic where he sings from the perspective of a Native American (cringe,) but Sir Elton is such a generational talent that his brilliance lifts all of it. And then there’s that epic run at the beginning with Tiny Dancer, Levon, and Madman Across the Water.

This was a very strong record. “Madman Across the Water” and “Indian Sunset” are the only weak tracks here, but the rest is full of beautiful melodies, sublime piano work, and great vocals.

Great album from start to finish.

I enjoyed this album quite a bit more than I expected. The hits are timeless, and some of the other tracks were excellent, though a few sounded very samey.

4.1/my apologies mr john i was not familiar with your game

4.4

Very good

Surprisingly good, need to listen again

Very good Album from Elton John. Opens with two of his biggest songs ever followed by a few really good ones. There are a few deep tracks that are as good as any of his other stuff. Indian Sunset and All the Nasties are excellent songs with great lyrical and musical composition.

Very cool. Not sure what it means that it is a prog rock album, Elton's first as reported in the wiki. Lyrics seem vaguely american themed, and I don't really always know what Mr. Taupin is on about, but they capture a feel if not idiom. What is the broken back of a ship? Worth checking out a Brandi Carlile take on the title track. And this one doesn't have honky cat, maybe the next? but there is no more poignant and ultimately triumphant story in american history than Brandi in Elton costume singing honky cat to a bunch of perplexed seattle area bar flies as a child, and going on to record an album with the man. Better grab your coat, dear, it looks like rain!

Piano galore

Przyjemniutkie, całość mi się podobała i chętnie do tej płyty wrócę

pretty solid album. obviously, it opens with an all-timer and i am also very fond of 'levon' and the title track. the rest of the album is good, not great. not to the same level as those three tracks. there's nothing here that's bad, just not anything that's overly impressive. still, it's fun, it's not boring. it's elton john really finding his footing for a pretty great album streatch.

The cry of the madness is there.

On aime Elton en fait

4/5: really enjoyed listening to this one

Solid album. Tiny Dancer as the opening song makes so much sense

bangin, not my fave from Mr. John. but it’s certainly and Elton John album

First time listening to an Elton album in full. Knowing a fair amount of Elton's work, this is exactly what I had hoped from an album. It's piano, glam Elton-core. Fave Tracks: - Tiny Dancer - incredible. - Razor Face - Madman across the water

Loved it.

Beautiful. Elton John at his best!

Liked Madman Across the Water - end part v groovy Beginning of Indian Summer reminds me of Leonard Cohen Liked Indian Summer (better than Madman) Rotten Peaches - v Elton John, v 70s

Good. No bad songs. Favorite song: Indian Summer.

It’s absurd writing a review for Elton John. He’s a legend. All I’ll say is that there are some songs on here that I’ve never heard before and they’re all worth a listen. (I’ve always liked Elton John but have never bought one of his albums. Five stars is reserved for those I’d buy today.)

Quintessential Elton John. This album is full of long flowing ballads that highlight Elton's singing ability. If you like Elton John, this is a good album. If he's not your usual cup of tea, then it probably won't hit as well.

Elton is always great and Levon is particularly fantastic. Many of the later tracks on the album aren't particularly memorable.

Hell yeah

I mean it’s Elton frickin John.

-pretty good album -my faves were the ones I knew: tiny dancer and levon

Elton is Eltoning very strongly here. Pretty solid material from cover to cover here. Indian Sunset hasn't aged well at all for obvious reasons, but everything else here has that well-produced sheen and lovely Taupin lyrics. I never knew the name of that song was "Levon." I just knew the chorus about the New York Times saying God was dead -- I thought it was "He shall be leaving." The things we hear. Good stuff here all around. Recommended.

Ett riktigt guldkorn, lite bortglömd men den bästa av Elton’s plattor!

I really liked this. Particularly like the orchestration and the chorus sections. Great drums too, for songs that aren't heavy.

Tiny dancer, then Levon. What a way to start a album. Enjoyed this very much

It’s not quite an all time classic but well worth a listen as one the top ones in the next level down in his catalog and 70s rock in general. But he has some stronger albums. Tiny Dancer is amazing though.

Never listened to Elton John's albums, man did I miss out. 4/5

Fantastic album. Levon, rotten peaches, razor face, and all the nasties are super underrated. Feel like Indian sunset falls short. Tiny dancer is a classic.

In the early 1970s, Elton John was at his creative peak and released a staggering volume of music that makes it difficult to recall which songs belong to which albums. So, I was eager to revisit "Madman Across the Water," a pop-rock album filled with a variety of orchestral arrangements. Although listeners often gravitate towards the well-loved tracks "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon," the true strength of the album lies in its title track, "Madman Across the Water." This song highlights John's powerful vocals set against intricate and experimental musical arrangements, complemented by Bernie Taupin's lyrics. I have also always found the social justice themes in "Indian Sunset" to be particularly moving, even if the passage of time has affected its cultural sensitivity and historical context. The song features a compelling build-up of musical elements that transition with subtle vocals. The somber and quiet "Goodbye" is a perfect way to close the album. The album overall remains impressive, despite a few weaker tracks, such as "Razor Face" and "Rotten Peaches," that prevents it from achieving greatness. (Much better than a 3, not quite a 4, but rounding up).

Možda bih gledala drukčije na ovaj album da je snimljen u posljednjih 15 godina, ali činjenica da je album iz 1971. blows my mind. Tiny dancer mi je jedna od apsolutnih remek-djela ovog žanra i kad god ju poslušam, imam isto mišljenje. Ima tu još dobrih stvari, daleko od toga, možda malo postane pre zasićeno nakon nekog vremena jer nema previše žanrovske dinamike, ali to je on i to je početak 70ih. Meni dosta 🫶🏻 4/5, 8/10

Great album! Levon and Madman Across the Water are so good.

4 stars

Looking at the tracklist, I think I've only heard of Tiny Dancer - one of my favorites from Elton - and Levon. Interested to see if I can find some other songs I like here. I think I've heard Indian Sunset in some movie or something else...but I can't place it. Those 3 songs carried the weight of the album, imo. This may not be one of Elton's best albums overall, but I'd still grade it as a Low 4.

Great keys, great voice.

Surprised that this is only the second Elton Joh album we have gotten seeing how the artist of this list is an absolute simp for British artists. Looking at you, Morrissey albums. But as for the album itself, this was really good. Love leading off with Tiny Dancer and Levon which are both classic. Didn't know any of the other songs but it didn't matter. I could listen to Elton sing and play piano all day. Not as good as Yellow Brick Road but still super enjoyable

I felt like a Madman Across the Water after I heard this one.

Tiny dancer is nice!

Solid album.

Bunch of gems in addition to the classics. Might have to up rating to a 5 after a few more spins.

The one-two punch of Tiny Dancer into Levon - Sir Elton was cooking with gas there! The rest of the album uses a lot of the same grand flourish, so it goes down easy but whew when some of the lyrics caught my ears I rolled my eyes hard (Indian Sunset).

Parece que EJ estaba “en fuego” por estos años.

Seems an appropriate time to get an album and song entitled Madman across the Water from a British singer/songwriter. We are staring into the abyss. Elton John isn't usually what I go for, but his music sure is jaunty and wins me over almost every time. Indian Summer didn't age well though.

Tiny Dancer is an amazing song and the album overall is great ... but how can and English man ever write a song attacking the Americans for their treatment of the Indians when they conquered over half the world ... almost lost a star for that one song.

It's pretty good, they just don't make music like this anymore. It's giving Led Zeppelin / Cat Stevens.

I’d only ever listened to Tiny Dancer from this album however it has some other good songs with great production.

That's a fine album! Tiny Dancer worths the all the trip, but the rest of the album is also pretty good! Not my favorite Elton John's album, but Madman Across The Water is an obrigatory stop on the marathon. I'm gonna give it 4 stars.

Great album, tiny dancer is a classic, the rest of the album is good but very progressive for the time. Lots of long complicated songs. Rewards on re listens

What a lovely, calming album to listen to on a dreary Thursday morning. This was a very emotive album and it's obviously very safe to say that Elton's voice + piano backing is always going to be a great combination. My favourite track was Indian Sunset and All the Nasties was up there too. Despite the fact that Goodbye was the final track, to me All the Nasties actually felt like a better way to end the album with that gospel choir aspect to it despite the fact.

It's an Elton John Doing Elton John Stuff piece of business. A Sometimes food for me, but he's got his place.

Good album, a regular on my playlist.

Pretty fucking awesome. I love track 3 and his voice was so crisp. Great great stuff

This album is definitely Elton John. I feel like I LOVE some of his work and then the rest is solid, but doesn't always wow me. Perhaps the glam rock presents an uphill battle since everything is pretty grand and stylized. On the whole a good album and liked the shorter runtime. Really liked "rotten peaches" and "Levon" and "all the nasties" and of course "Tiny Dancer" is a classic. Overall good, falls short of Greatness for me, though

In 1973 Dad bought a new car ($3000) for me to drive, but with no audio system. He took the AM radio out of his 1961 Oldsmobile, and I installed it into my new car along with two speakers I bought. Soon after that I became bored with AM radio and bought an 8 track player and replaced the AM radio with it. Madman Across the Water was one of the first 8 tracks I purchased, and it reminded me of those old timey days listening to 8 tracks in the car. This isn’t my favorite Elton John album, but it has some good tracks. I’ve always been impressed by how much American history British people know (Indian Sunset).

Levon is such an amazing song - first heard it when Taylor Hicks won American Idol and was obsessed

I have this album. How was Holiday Inn not a hit?

Awesome!!

What a coincidence yesterday I found Elton's Greatest Hits from 1974 on vinyl in a collection given to me by my parents. Never been a big fan but really starting to get Elton now, very late to Saturday night.

Liked this more than I anticipated, the songs are well made and the piano and arrangements match Eltons voice perfectly. The album falls somewhere between pop and rock, with more rock than I expected. There are some really good ballads on here as well. Recognized Indian Sunset from the Ghetto Gospel collaboration Elton had with 2Pac. I liked that piano part of the song a lot for quite some time, but didn't know Elton was behind it, which made me like the album even more.

that one scene in almost famous where they all sang tiny dancer

While Sir E’s singles are consistently strong, sometimes I feel his album tracks are a bit lacking. Not so here, where everything is a mini-epic. Admittedly, some are better than others (and, out of context, Indian Summer reads a bit strange), but on a whole, this is clearly a highlight in a vast career.

Some very good songs. Interesting to hear the demos.

1971. Pop. 8/10 Tiny Dancer

Elton's voice, lyrics, and piano playing is truly something to marvel at.

Enjoyed this much more than I had expected. I went in expecting a boring pop album but this was way more prog rock and gospelly than I initially anticipated. Pretty good listen.

yeah

Loved this one, though some tracks more than others. Love his voice and performance. Technically amazing for 1971.

The madman!!! He’s a madman!!! He played piano really good

I have listened to this album many times over the years as I purchased it back in the seventies. I wasn’t too crazy about it back then, but it has really grown on me over the years and I genuinely enjoy all of the songs. When looking at his early efforts, I prefer Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau to this one, but I still really like it and will continue to play it from time to time. My only real complaint is many of songs run a bit long. It gets 4 stars plus from me.

Elton

Tiny Dancer, nice chill older Elton album. Beautiful arrangements, a lot of depth.

Exquisite. Starting with “Tiny Dancer” is a big mistake, though. “Levon” was great and so was the title track, but nothing else lived up to what we know Elton and Bernie are capable of with the opener so it makes everything else feel less-than by comparison. On their own, they’re fine songs. “Indian Sunset” gives me a weird feeling inside, but it’s a fairly good track. “Razor Face” was strange and beautiful ballad. Ballad? What is a ballad? Second half just doesn’t hit as hard as the first. Good album, but not incredible. Close to great. I enjoyed all of it. 4/5

4.5

Close your eyes and get comfortable in the rocket ship as you glide through Elton John’s universe. Once you land, you might just meet a mad man across the water. Favorites: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water

It's kind of weird to me to see an Elton John album labelled as progressive rock. Like...Elton John? Prog rock? Those just don't sound like they fit together. I mean, you've gotta understand my perspective on prog rock: to me, it's stuff like Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson... Y'know, that kind of crop. Whereas, meanwhile, I gotta look at the songs I associate with Elton John — stuff like "Candle In The Wind", "Crocodile Rock", "Border Song", "Rocket Man"... Mostly piano ballads and pounders, with a little glam flair in there at most. It's like, I don't hear anything else on GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD that strikes me as particularly "prog," or on DON'T SHOOT ME or HONKY CHÂTEAU for that matter. That's all music I love deeply and dearly, but "prog?" Unless my definition of prog is narrower than I thought, I just don't hear it. Particularly on the album my group got today, the one that's actually labelled prog. Like... Is it because they're longer than Elton John songs usually are, on average? Is that it? 'Coz that reminds me of the claim that a lot of Iron Maiden's recent work has been "progressive," when really they're just longer than they have been before. That's not necessarily a knock against anything on this album or Iron Maiden's recent work, 'coz I do like it all, but I'unno. To my ears, it should take more than stretching a 3 minute song out to 6 or 7 minutes to make it progressive rock. (Seriously, though, songs like "For The Greater Good Of God" and "Empire Of The Clouds" aren't to be missed. This is an unrelated aside, but if you ain't heard either of them yet, go ahead and do so, goodness.) Really, to me this album just sounds like typical Eltom John fare. Maybe there's a few more orchestras than usual, but otherwise, I'd've never been able to guess this was supposed to be anything else. Which, I mean, regardless of all my yapping about genre, it's still really good stuff. Of course "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" are the standouts, but everything else keeps up at a good enough pace. Really, the only song I feel like I'd give the side-eye to is "Indian Sunset", though I don't take as much offense to the lyrics as I know other people do, so... I'unno, I just like a good orchestra, and it has one. Honestly, I feel like this album only falls flat in comparison. I listen to this, and I do legitimately enjoy what I hear, but at the same time I find myself wondering why the cosmic entity that runs The Randomizer would give us this over HONKY CHÂTEAU. That album is Elton's single-disc masterpiece if you ask me, and way worth hearing before this. I mean, come on, that album has "Rocket Man". If that song's appearance on that album alone isn't an incentive or reason enough... 'Coz that's where the glam started, of course, and as much as I like the pre-glam stuff like "Your Song" and especially "Border Song"... Goodness, it just ain't the same. So... Yeah. MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER has a lot of great Elton John fare, with some neat orchestrations to boot, but... Eh. I wouldn't go as gaga over it as I did for GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD or I would for HONKY CHÂTEAU. At the very least, it's not one I'd recommend anyone start with. It's more like a "after you've taken in the best of the best..." Still, just for how much I like typical Elton John fare, I'm gonna give it a 4. He plays piano good and I like his voice. What can I say?

I enjoyed this, the lyrics are interesting with some nice storytelling going on which I don't always associate with Elton and Bernie. The strings which are present in most tracks give it quite an epic sound alongside Elton's always great piano playing. I also think he delivers the vocals on a lot of these tracks with real heft and passion. After Tiny Dancer and Levon I don't love the rest as much but it's a decent 4 for me

Very good- maybe not my go to style of music but glad I listened.

His best album , some absolute classics on here 👓

A lot to appreciate here, even if some of it blends in a little bit. Sounds a bit like a musical.

it’s risky starting your album with Tiny Dancer because then the rest of the album has to live up to it. i think for the most part it does though!! prime elton john was pretty damn good

Love Tiny Dancer. I often forget that Elton John can rock. Not a huge fan of Indian Summer.

Elton at his lyrical, musical, and vocal peak - even he said this era was his best. Tiny Dancer and Levon alone get 4 stars. Such a voice and such great music. This album is not quite as western as Tumbleweed Connection, but darn close. Such a great album….it comforts me.

Album #15 4/5 When I was a kid, I had these red tinted sunglasses that I wore everywhere and one of my older brother's friends made fun of me and proceeded to call me "Elton John" for years. Great album. Great musician. Indian Sunset is... bizarre (seriously, wtf?)

Beautiful from start to finish.

Iconic

I’m actually more familiar with Elton John the man than his music haha. I’ve seen so many of his publicity stunts and know a bit about his work for the gay community - I adore him. I know a few of his hits but I’ve never sat and listened to any of his albums so I’m glad to have gotten this experience. Tiny Dancer is a classic, love this song. Elton’s vocal range is so cool and his music is so unique, you can’t help but feel impressed. Fave Songs: Indian Sunset, Tiny Dancer Least Fave Song: Razor Face Rating: 4/5

It's fun to hear Elton and Bernie not deliberately trying to write "hits".

Hold me closer Tony Danza

Razor Face 🥰

Liked this more than I thought I would it feels more like his voice than trying to inhabit a sound like he does on some later albums.

Buen álbum de John Elton.

Contains tiny dancer, so it’s four stars. ALMOST FAMOUS!!! But, razor face, Levon, and madman across the water are also standouts.

Elton is a songs guy for me, but this is definitely one of his finest records. "Indian Sunset" my favorite album cut. 4/5

Beginning with basically his best song (although there are competitors) which is of course absolutely wonderful, and continuing with another 8 songs I don't think I've ever heard. Levon is very decent. Elton John's got soul, there's no doubt. There's some semi-proggy nonsense here which I can dig, so far I don't recognise a single other thing but I remain engaged on the first listen so that's good. Title track and the Indian one. Hmm, yeah it does dip in quality half way through. Nothing bad, just not nearly as good as the early tracks. I'm getting quite close to downgrading my 4* rating. All the Nasties has just saved it.

Tiny dancer

Not my thing personally, but impressive in its way.

I greatly enjoyed this album. Some great songs and performances

Really good album, though not perhaps my favorite by him. There's some beautiful piano playing throughout, Elton's singing is always entertaining, though sometimes it can be difficult to understand what he's saying.

Gay music...sto vibrando

# Album Name: Madman Across The Water # Artist: Elton John # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Great opening with Tiny Dancer. An absolute classic. Levon is good too. The rest of the album struggles to live up to that level. Some decent songs but not the best of elton. By far. Im on the fence with this one. I think 3.5 would be fair. 3 is too low. 4 feels too high. But ill have to round up in this example. # Top Tunes: Levon / TD # Would I listen to it again? hmm

I absolutely wasn't aware of the progressive rock era of Elton John and was nicely surprised. I can't say that I loved every song but the title song is extraordinary.

Love Elton

Best: Levon Worst: All the nasties Liked songs: 100% Elton the goat but def not the goat at choosing album covers

Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🟦🎞️🧜‍♀️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎹🌟🕶️ Rating: 🎹🎹🎹🎹(🎹)/5

this is good, good 4

Pre-listening thoughts: hold me closer tony danza Post/during listening thoughts: I expected to like this more than I actually did. Is it good? Absolutely. It’s just a little too ballad-y for my personal taste. I think there’s really great instrumentation work (I love strings) and really great lyricism here. I just wish it was a little more upbeat sometimes. I like Elton’s more upbeat songs like Crocodile Rock. And I like the ballads too, just not as much a full album of them. Still good. 8/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: I don’t think so Fav tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Holiday Inn, Rotten Peaches Least fav tracks: Indian Sun

No es su mejor proyecto, pero está muy bueno. Destaco mucho su voz, suena increíble en este álbum.

Tiny dancer is such a good song and a great way to start off the album. The rest you are treated to Elton's typical piano driven songs. This album lacks a bit of variety compared to his later albums and many of the song blend together. I still think this is Elton's best sound so it's not only a negative but it doesn't quite reach the height of his later albums. Still there are a bunch of good songs like "Madman Across to the Water" and "Indian Sunset" which I didn't know was the origin for 2Pacs "Ghetto Gospel" which now when I listen to it is quite obvious. I think this lands on a weak 4 as a whole.

If this had one or two more recognizable songs it would be a 5. I liked this. Elton John is great and I really regret not going to see him during his final tour. Got a feeling there will be more Elton John on this list.

Oh man, my last Elton John album to review. I really loved Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, so I'm heading into this with high expectations. I love Elton John, but before starting this project, I'd only listened to his greatest hits. Granted, I'd listened to them quite a bit. Looking at the tracklist, I see "Tiny Dancer" but I also see my Elton John song, "Levon" (I was always partial to "Crocodile Rock" as a kid, but since college, "Levon" has been my go-to). Let's jump in! This album was really good, but it was a little short of five stars for me. The first two songs on the album were easily the best part, and while the rest of the album couldn't quite match that peak again, the other songs were still really good. "Tiny Dancer," while not my favorite song on the album, is fantastic. I love the opening piano melody, and the guitars and orchestral arrangements that kick in throughout the course of the song are great. The lyrics are wonderful, and the rich arrangements are the perfect backdrop for the love story that the song tells. As I already mentioned, I love "Levon." It's one of my all-time favorite songs to sing along to, and even though the music is so rich, Elton's singing shines through, and takes center stage. The string section after the chorus just fills me with an energy that's impossible to describe. For a song that has so many elements to it, it's mixed incredibly well, and each instrument has the perfect intensity at the perfect time. The rest of the album is really good, but there's just nothing else on here that could match the straight-out-of-a-cannon intensity of the first two songs. But each song is arranged really well, just like the first two, and I really enjoy listening to Elton's piano playing, and the rich orchestral arrangements. Bernie and Elton work together so well, and while this album isn't perfect, it's still a great piece of pop rock and another jewel in Elton and Bernie's crowns.

Never listened to this one before, obviously I did know Tiny Dancer well though. Really enjoyed it, although not as much as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The title track and Indian Sunset were real highlights, with the later being a pleasantly nostalgic reminder of Getto Gospel being absolutely everywhere when I was like 14.

The strings go hard on this one. Some good ones I didn't know but the 4 stars is on the back of Tiny Dancer and LEVON

who doesn't like the massive fanny?

Good stuff from the big cheese

non é la mia canzone, però mi é piaciuto

I would say this was pretty good. Tiny Dancer is a great song and the rest was a bit of a step down from there. The title track is interesting but I had never heard it before.

I like Elton John and I Iike this album.

rocket man did good. 4.5 stars

Great album - docked one star for "Indian Sunset" cause wtf was that

4 - I love Elton John and some songs really shine, others I find just aren't that deep when they are meant to be. I liked

This album was really beautiful, so pleasantly surprised. Definitely no bad tracks. Tiny Dancer is my favourite Elton song so it makes sense that this album chimes with me, considering all tracks really have that same sort of soundscape. Fave Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Indian Sunset, Holiday Inn 4.3/5

Tiny Dancer and Levon are 5/5 songs but there is a pretty big drop off in quality after that. Elton sounds great as always though and the band is very tight. Great sounding record, the drums are pretty beefy and there is a lot of low end in general which is not typical for 1971. Very solid production with great string arrangements and some nice instrumental features on accordion and mandolin. Solidy in the Americana Elton period but overall just a lesser album than Honky Chateau and Tumbleweed Connection, my personal favourite from that era.

i didnt realize it until i thought about it but i barely know who elton john is HFJKHFSJKFSHJKFS its impossible to miss his Existence as an outsized pop culture presence with a bunch of famous songs but besides being that piano guy i dont actually know much about his artistic vision or trajectory at all. just listening to one album isnt gonna help super much with that but this was v enjoyable for me lol...rick wakemen appearing on a few tracks kinda speaks to the grand and ambitious tone of this thing while still remaining pretty hit-between-the-eyes pop in most of its songwriting approach...a big string arrangement here, a theatrical ballad there, its all Good Stuff For Me. and the base materials seems rly good as well thankfully...john's cascading keyboard parts and strangely flamboyant-yet-approachable singing are definitely something i could stand to have more of in my life

Suck skilful music writing. He deserves all the accolades. Great voice too. 5 star musician! I particularly like the interesting arrangement in the title tune, what a variety of sounds. It seems to be played less frequently than others ( on Apple Music playlists to be honest.) on this album, there are admittedly a few less interesting tracks (less catchy, forgive the shallow evaluation.)

Elton John Incredible vocals and insane melody Top album

You know I kind of like how a lot of these songs don't follow a traditional structure. And of course he's amazingly talented. So I'm going four stars

Elton John albums feel like they gotta be a 4 at minimum. Two of his all time best on this one.

Man I love me some early Elton John, when his bluesy piano playing was at the forefront. This one is a little bit country. The album that he released right after this one, Honky Chateau, is my favorite EJ album but didn’t make this list. Listening to this era of Elton always makes me SO upset about the Disney crap he did later on. Pre-1976 Elton John is one masterpiece after another.

There was a lot of really interesting songs on here that I had never heard. I've heard Tiny Dancer of course and do enjoy that. Indian Sunset was really powerful, and Razor Face was really silly but fun. Overall a solid 4 star album for me and I'll probably revisit this one for sure.

The album opens with two of his greatest his, and when they're not being overplayed by classic rock radio, I can appreciate how excellent they are. "Razor Face" is mostly dumb, and every time he sings the title it brings to mind the character in Guardians of the Galaxy named Taser Face. The song is almost completely redeemed, however, but they absolute kill accordion solo in the outro. The title track is my all-time favorite Elton John song. The rest of the album is borderline progressive rock. He never gives over fully to it, but he's definitely tapping into the more adventurous prog rock that was in the air at the time. Even if the rest of the album isn't as memorable as Tiny Dancer, Levon, and Madman Across The Water, it's really solid and there's a lot of interesting stuff going on. It's 4 stars for me.

Got this on the day of the US election where Trump won. Since Elton is British I think that makes sense. 3.56.

4-

Elton’s best

it was really good, i enjoyed the deep cuts more than the singles. kinda annoys me that the best song on the album features elton john (british) pretending to be indigenous but other than that i liked it.

EJ is amazing.

Probably not his best work. But I really enjoyed it.

4.4 Great Album

Very strong opening, first two tracks just get better with age and represent something of a high0water market in ambitious West Coast soft rock. From there, though, it just kind of treads water – warm, rich and mostly pleasurable water. Remaining in a similar tone/mode throughout plus Taupin's obscure and not really that interesting lyrics keep it from getting anywhere near transcendent. Piano playing is additive. Strings become increasingly too much and start to feel slathered on by the end.

Good solid Elton

Full of classics. Title track and Levon are my standouts

Wow. Great stuff

you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger songwriting duo than elton john and bernie taupin. a fine album indeed.

Elton John quand il ne fait pas de la pop mielleuse et grandiloquente. Le Elton cool des 70's ! Mon cœur balance quand même entre 3 et 4. Mais c'est raide de mettre 3 à Elton. Allez, une étoile bonus de conscience !

I've heard this many times before. First, Tiny Dancer. The opening moments of that incredible piano music can still induce chills. Might be my favorite piano accompaniment of any rock song. Add Taupin's amazing lyrics that are both grounded and soaring, the layers of arrangements, the subtle little guitar parts...what a masterpiece. Levon is also great, and Madman across the Water is great, but the rest of the album is just good.

It started off very strong with Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, but then I realized I wasn't really listening anymore towards the second half of the album. Pleasant enough though that the less memorable songs didn't grate. Elton John has a way of performing songs that make people want to sing along.

Wanted to go 5 on the strength of first two songs, and enjoyed the rest, but it’s a slid 4

Sir Elton John is an institution, and a couple of songs of this record have lives of their own. I like Sir Elton, I I don´t love him, but I like him a lot.

Love Elton John. Some of these are good but many aren’t his best.

This is my second favorite Elton John album, behind Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Elton is one of my favorite artists. I had a really good time listening to this

A good EJ album, great song writing and catchy melodies. Would happily listen to it again.

Not my favorite album by him but I do throw it on from time to time. I really want to give this a three but it's almost more of a vibes album than a song album. It's very warm and autumn feeling. I don't really ever need to hear Tiny Dancer again though.

Pretty nice album full of piano and sometimes rock.

This peaked early with Tiny Dancer, but what a peak! I liked the title track and a couple of others, but I’m not sure what Indian Sunset is trying to say; I suspect nothing, which one of the worst things it could say given the subject matter. Apart from that, good album

It’s good stuff mate. Think I’m going to postpone my 5 until Goodbye Yellow Brick Road though. Simpsons: yes

I've noticed a theme throughout my album rating, that often I don't like music that features piano. No idea why, I don't consciously have anything against the instrument, but my ratings just seem to have that correlation. I decided to mention that here, because this album features lots of piano, and I really liked it. Tiny Dancer is an incredible tune. I already knew I liked it, but just realised I haven't quite appreciated it enough before. After listening to Indian Sunset, I of course now have to listen to Ghetto Gospel.

I know it's a controversial opinion, but I really disliked "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." "Madman Across The Water" is a measure better, because it precedes "GYBR", but it lays the foundation of the saccharine strings and extended arrangements that went off the rails on the later album. I really do like Bernie Taupin's lyrics, Elton John lays 'em down well, and I love his piano. But those strings, man. They weigh it all down so much.

Elton always makes good music. Lots of unfamiliar tracks that I enjoyed.

elton john is great but some songs are really boring

If I had been born 20 years earlier, this album would probably occupy the space in my head that Portishead’s Dummy currently does. This is pretty far from what I’d assume I might like but it’s also so undeniably good that I can’t turn away. It’s like show tunes but for moody proto goth kids. This is absolutely what I’d have been listening to while smearing on eye shadow and shaving my legs (and everything else). My only gripe is the lyrics. I’m listening to a song about rotting peaches. Not really the kind of thing I’d be obsessing over and transcribing on my school binders.

Gewoon goed, lekker voor op de achtergrond

Pretty great album. Wasn't expecting this to be so grandiose. Lots of huge symphonies and arrangements.

It Elton, what’s not to love. In all seriousness not one of his stronger albums, but still enjoyable 4/5

When I go to an albums Wikipedia page and it mentions that it is a part of this 1001 list, I am worried, because it means that no one else had anything good to say about it. Which is why I was surprised to see it for an album by Elton John. But it wasn’t bad. Not nearly as good as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, some songs were pretty boring. But still a pleasant listen. Low 4.

Elton John is always fun but I think goodbye yellow brick road is def better than this. Low 4

7/10 - Similar to a bunch of other albums as in the songs I knew were good, the rest were mid. Elton John is a good musician so the songs that were mid were slightly better than mid.

Tiny dancer goated the rest was fine

This was quality Elton. The first couple are solid classics and I also really liked Indian Sunset and Holiday Inn. Didn’t quite reach 5 territory, but I love learning more of his lesser known works. So much talent between him and his lyricist.

Nice.

Fun album, probably will come back to this one in the future.

Good album

good storytelling, Elton John is a wizard.

I am very familiar with a few songs off this album but this was never one my family listened to back to back when I was growing up. The songs that are good on here are REAL good, but there are some misses for me too. To me "Tiny Dancer" is a culturally significant song and I would say that might be reason enough to include this album. "Levon" and "Madman Across the Water" also stand out to me. Very nostalgic listen and I was excited to get my first Elton John on the list because I grew up with his music. 4*s just because a few of the songs don't hold up, and because "Yellow Brick Road" is superior enough for them to be different star classes.

Elton John is usually hit or miss with me, but the more I hear from him, the more I’m learning his music is much better than I thought. It turns out that most of his radio hits are songs I don’t seem to care much for, and I’m also not the biggest fan of his voice. Once I get past those few aspects, it turns out that this album is pretty good. It’s definitely soft rock with a laid-back feel. The musicianship and instrumentation are very rich and high quality, with top-notch production. Elton John’s piano is the lead instrument of the album, setting the tone for its overall mellow vibe. You also get rich orchestral arrangements that give the album a more cinematic feel. Even though I have a few subjective hold-ups with Elton John, I have to admit that this album has high-quality music, with amazing musicianship and instrumentation.

Very Elton John as you’d expect. Nice album. Would need to listen to it quite a few times to really appreciate it fully. 6/10

Elton John- come on. He gets a four star.

HOLD ME CLOSER TONY DANZA!!

<3

aaaaah Elton del mio cuoreeee <3

Always loved Elton John. This was an album I came to a little late but really enjoy now.

Old school Elton, enjoyed

Best album so far, Elton John is super iconic and I listed to tiny dancers like 3 times The other songs in the album were good too but don’t really remember too much abt them

kinda unfortunate that the rest of the album is overshadowed a bit by how much of a banger tiny dancer is favorite: tiny dancer

One banger of an Elton John classic (Tiny Dancer). Rest is solid, bombastic piano pop but not his best work.

I've always loved a lot of the songs on this album but did not realize they all came from this album

Of course, Tiny Dancer and Levon are great. String arrangements on the whole album are fantastic. Noticed on here that people aren’t fond of Rotten Peaches which is a shame. Great deep cut from Elton. 4.5 stars OR a 9.0 out of 10 Best songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, Rotten Peaches, Holiday Inn

I tried to listen to this album 5ish years ago and didn't really enjoy it (besides tiny dancer of course), so I didn't really expect much going into it again. However, I found myself really enjoying the first half of this album. A lot of great songs and great piano and vocal melodies. Everything after Indian Sunset is just ok, but the rest of the album is great. High 4

01) Tiny Dancer - 10,0 02) Levon - 8,0 03) Razor Face - 7,5 04) Madman Across the Water - 8,0 05) Indian Sunset - 8,5 06) Holiday Inn - 8,0 07) Rotten Peaches - 7,5 08) All the Nasties - 7,5 09) Goodbye - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,11 (81/100) Current ranking: 89/280

It was eh. Not too impressed

Tiny Dancer is the only classic Elton John song on this and, going into this, we weren't sure if he was an album kind of artist. However, we really enjoyed this from start to finish. A good vibe.

Great. Elton trying to capitalize on the progressive sound coming up and I think he does a great job. The piano forward is such a hallmark of John and even the lackluster tracks maintain the vibe. I liked the Indian song, I think people are being sensitive about it. The track is fine and sounds good. Honestly, it feels like he was auditioning to write the soundtrack for Disney's Pocohontas.

It’s hard to describe what I really liked about this album. The songwriting speaks for itself. Elton John’s work is more than the sum of its basic instrumental parts. The progressions, structure and composition of each song is very listenable but not simple. The sheet music for nearly every song on here must be a trip to read. I think that’s what made it appealing to me, because I’m not really in to the singer/songwriter genre in general. It does get bizarrely repetitive despite the songs not fundamentally sounding like each other. Maybe it’s just the production where all the tones and dynamics are pretty much identical that makes it seem that way. This largely holds up for being written 50 years ago, except maybe “Indian Sunset” which has some lyrics which are questionable today, though tells a good story. It’s a shame because the music is great, maybe my favorite on the album. I don’t know if I’m gonna listen to this again but I’m glad I did. This is long lasting and timeless pop music.

Solid album. Tiny Dancer is an all-time fave.

Great first half

3.5 stars. Opens with an absolute iconic banger in "Tiny Dancer" and the rest is OK, just ballad-y piano rock. The other track I enjoyed was "Rotten Peaches".

I was surprised by how country inspired this album is. 4 stars just for Tiny Dancer.

Virkelig fed plade! High drama, god stemme, catchy. Det er alt sammen virkelig gay (positivt!)

God gang i festen

starts out really strong, but fades in the back half. still a good project and worth the listen

I grew up listening to Elton John with my mom, so this was fun to listen to and reminisce. There were a few songs I hadn’t heard before and had a little different style than the rest, which was cool to hear.

Decent album. Elton's voice is wonderful as always and the instrumentals are good. Some of the songs in the second half of the album seemed to drag on, though. Definitely needed more pick-me-ups in there. A true rating would be 3.5 but I'll round up for Tiny Dancer.

Неплохой альбом. Еще не фанат Элтона Джона, но все же.

Nothing I could really say about this. It's good, give it a listen.

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

Easy listenig

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

7/10

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

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

Good stuff.

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

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

They're great songs.

Holiday Inn

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

7.5/10

good seemed kinda religious

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

Banger after banger

Very nice

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

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

Some classics, rest is solid as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nicely done

Loved

Excellent. Best track is Tiny Dancer 4/5

Good

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

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

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

First 4 songs are phenomenal. Then not so much.

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

Would be cool with guitar

It's a good album.

G’wan elton

Indian summer excellent.

Pleasant

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

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

Amazing album , always a pleasure to listen IT

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

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

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

Lil homie a homo 💥💥

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