Madman Across The Water

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

3.5

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

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

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

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

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

Classic Elton John.

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

so nostalgic

Can’t go wrong with Elton John.

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

3.5

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

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

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

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

Great album, tiny dancer such a classic

It was good.

Best song - Tiny Dancer

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

no oczywiscie super album eltona lovciam

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

didnt know all the songs and really enjoyed this

Good album

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

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

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

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

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

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

Camp fun, slides down the ears.

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

Classic!

Very solid album throughout.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kinda didn't realize there was so much steel guitar in tiny dancer. Levon is SAD RAZORface?!?! Makes me think of Guardians of the Galaxy Madman Across the water made me put my headphones on right. Liked it lots. This was good. Showed a bit of it's time.

Tiny Dancer is a special song. Not Elton’s best, but definitely a good one.

What a beautiful record. Hadn’t listened to this in its entirety but Sir Elton John has always been an artist I’ve admired; this record further solidifies that. The mood that the songwriting and instrumentation brings is heartfelt, fun, and nostalgic. It’s records like this that make me happy to be a part of this project.

I've always liked Elton John in a Greatest Hits and "I enjoyed his Muppet Show appearance" kind of way but I never listened to a whole album. I have to say I really enjoyed it, it's clear why he is an icon in the music industry. 4 stars for me and I will be revisiting this some day.

Well gosh dang, that was pretty good! I don't know if I'd ever heard any of these songs beyond Tiny Dancer, but that was a largely enjoyable experience. I think this Mr. John guy has some potential.

This was good. Very epic album. Tiny Dancer is the best track

I liked this album a lot more than I expected to. Tiny dancer is a stand out but there are a bunch of other interesting tracks like Levon and Madman Across the Water. Great to hear Elton experimenting with prog rock.

Inventive and pleasant

Tiny Dancer is a true classic and a great song, Levon was good, Razor Face was kinda mid for me, Madman Across the Water was a really good song, Indian Sunset was like a 7.5/10 for me. I liked the repeated or more in context sections from Tiny Dancer but just wasn't my complete favorite overall. I did not really like the rest of the songs. Overall, the first half was very good but I didn't end up liking the second. Favorite song was definitely Madman across the Water and least favorite was probably Goodbye. Whole album 7.5/10

Great record!

Only knowing Elton by reputation and overplayed hits, I had preconceived notions and was anticipating something fun and more bombastic than this. Well this album soon changed my mind. Ballads with a prog rock edge and a darkness that I wasn't expecting. Just nine songs showed me facets of Elton that I didn't know existed, but I'm glad that I do now. There's a couple of songs that don't quite hit the mark but this is a solid album.

I haven't listened to an entire Elton John album before and I was pleasantly surprised. Elton John, like David Bowie, seems to have get command over the highest quality studio musicians. A truly great album.

Очень приятно

A pretty solid album from a pretty solid singer/songwriter.

Tiny Dancer Levon

ig: @musicwithnessa

Very good album Standout songs: Madman Across the Water Rotten Peaches Goodbye

Great album which I have not listened to fully for around 50 years. Possibly his best.

Schön!

Finally another good album, Elton John is a favorite of mine. Easy to rate because it's just damn good music.

Hard to follow Yellow Brick

I don't know exactly when Elton John started to suck, but this album is still mostly awesome. It's no Tumbleweed Connection, but the opening 1-2 of Tiny Dancer and Levon is incredible. What a great album.

Come a long way on Elton, my taste with him is evolving. Great performer, pairs lyrics with some fantastic arrangements and this backing band is completely in the pocket. Can't beat the Tiny Dancer opener, even if I've heard it 1000 times. Especially on headphones. 3rd release of '71 and that shows a little. This is about 3 clunker songs from peefect.

When I watched the Farewell Concert I was really enjoying it til I saw it was over 3 hours long. That's too much Elton John. This was the perfect amount of Elton John. A couple hits (Levon has been in my head all night) a couple decent deep tracks. Boy that Indian song is cringey now. I know his heart was in the right place, but hoofadoof. Anyway, not bad. Wouldn't be opposed to listening to it again sometime. Songs added to Spotify: 1

Elton John is fantastic and this album did not disappoint. A bunch of these songs were new to me. This was a great album!

7.5/10 This one really did it for me, lush with good vibes Surprised to see it classified as prog rock, felt more like fairly standard bluesy rock with orchestral/chamber pop elements The orchestration was excellent, good use of strings, liked it when a choir popped up Nice to listen to an album by a famous singles artist with only one song I knew on it! Best: Indian Sunset

Can't deny it is a good album, it's not particularly my taste, but its an impressive collection of songs

Amazing

A classic album really, but the first two tracks are heads and tails better than the rest - better songwriting and lyrics.

ta fiera el elton Tiene un anillo de pito de diamante, fun fact

Good album!

From what I have heard of his solo work, this seems to be his transition into more progressive rock, I think the fact that this album is so front heavy is what holds it back here. However, this album deff gets shadowed by some of his other works in the 70’s. This is a good record.

Elton John può non piacere come genere, ma questo album è indubbiamente di gran qualità

Starts especially strong with Tiny Dancer. Levon is decent but it’s never been my fave. Then more prog rocky.

Impressive vocals, storytelling and piano play. Most songs sound a bit samey to me though.

Good solid rock album

Madman Across the Water is Elton John's fourth album, which includes a few of his early hits, like "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon." This was early in the very productive period of John's career; through the 70's, he released at least an album per year, and they all met with at least modest success. Elton John's songs are beautiful, piano-based songs, showcasing his skill on the piano and his rich, expressive voice. His songs tell poignant stories, which are the product of John's lyricist/songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin. John's skills brought Taupin's stories to life, making the songs a part of the soundtrack of the 70's and 80's, and made Elton John one of the biggest stars of modern popular music.

The man

Buen pop, bonitas melodías y bonito piano, un buen disco, 4

Este album es en mi opinión mucho mejor, tonos más armónicos y melodías memorables. Las canciones en general son agradables de escuchar, sobretodo con los cascos ya que está grabado en estereo dando diferentes sonidos en cada punto, dando una sensación de estar rodeado de los diferentes instrumentos.

Favorite songs were Indian Sunset, Madman Across the Water and of course, Tiny Dancer. Loved the piano and string instruments on the album.

Elton John is interesting and without a doubt extremely influential. Never really listened to his music much and I've yet to find a big like for the sound he has, but overall not bad. I think with time I might actually start enjoying his music more so I'm glad for this recommendation. 7/10

I had casual mixed feelings about Elton John before this, loving Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road but super annoyed by I'm Still Standing. Now I'm realizing how good his music actually is. Hesn't quite my usual thing but giving it an up thumbs.

got bangers. we stan elton john

A nice album, my favorite song on it was Tiny Dancer.

Levon and tiny dancer are classics, the rest, not so much

I remember when this came out. Now they overplay Tiny dancer and Levon on classic rock radio stations, and I hardly ever hear Madman Across the water. Great song - Loved the strings arrangement of this one.

Really good album. I love the lyrics for this album and the feeling of it.

I could spend all day listening to early Elton John. Amazing melodies and great music. Solid album.

This album starts out good with familiar tracks and gets weird. It sounds good throughout but some of the lyrics are kind of depressing.

If you don't get the feels with this first track you're either completely jaded or a Nick Cave fan. This first side (first 4 songs) you could call a master class in pop songwriting. "Levon" always kinda made me either sad or slightly uneasy as a kid - maybe it's the "Jesus - he wants to go to Venus" line which is hilariously weird. But to be fair, the second side/half isn't nearly as good - how could it be - and for years have tried to like it more than I do. There are no truly bad songs, just fewer memorable ones and a severe lack of big hooks. I was trying to think this morning why this album took me longer to jump into (as a fan of early EJ) and along with the side 2 slump I think it's that it is much more dense an album than the releases on either side of this; i.e. aside from the obvious catchy "Tiny Dancer" there are fewer of those immediately-accessible Elton tunes ... which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the title track isn't immediately accessible and is a classic... Speaking of which - "Madman..." is probably the highlight of the album, although not naming "Tiny Dancer" also ignores how much that song eventually permeated pop culture. Kind of impressive that I'd say this dramatic and melodic album isn't his best - shows how unmatched Elton's ~5/6 year (1970-75) recording period truly was - not sure there was anyone else who had a massive and incredible pop output to this extent (maybe Stevie Wonder). Wavering between 4 and 5 and it feels like 1 more killer song would have put it in the pantheon. 8/10 4 stars.

My favorite Elton John album.. Side 1 is nearly perfect; Tiny Dancer, Levon and then culminating in his most emotionally charged song ever, Madman Across the Water. The 2nd side is not quite up to side 1 but still quite listenable. A great album that would have received 5 stars if side 2 were a little bit more memorable. 4.5

Two legendary songs and some very typical Elton John tunes

TENES QUE CERRAR EL ESTADIO, LOS GENIOS HACEN ESTO.

It's always interesting jumping right into the middle of someone's discography. Especially when you jump into their creativity arc, because you can tell that the artist coming to terms to themselves while also growing into the amazing artist that you know them to be. I know what it sounds when Elton John has been at his peak, this album is on the way there. He's having fun and it seems almost effortless how he's able to construct an earworm of a melody. This is really good but I cheated myself by knowing that he can (and will) be better. 4 out of 5 stars.

Tiny Dancer en daarna nog acht keer Tiny Dancer maar dan net iets anders. Dramatische strijkers, de heldere stem van ome Elton, een duidelijk aanwezige piano en af en toe een gek instrumentje zoals een trekzak. Regelmatig geserveerd met een klein blaadje cuntry-twang. Productie prima, zang prima... Dat geldt voor zo'n 40% van de albums op deze lijst niet dus ik ben tevreden. De 5 tikt het niet aan, maar het is wel goeie toelie.

Classic!

Not my usual vibe, but he's clearly a master at what he's doing here.

I like Elton john but I've only ever really heard the hits. This album was great, I enjoyed it front to back

Tiny dancer so amazing, the rest very good

1971. 9/10

I was skeptical at first because I think Elton John is way overplayed. I was happy to see that this album started with Tiny Dancer and Levon, two actually good songs. As I listened, I was pleasantly surprised. The piano bangers on this album hit hard, especially the title track. Really enjoyed.

Very very close to a 5.

Very good

Tiny Dancer - one of the most popular Elton John songs. (3/5 not my favorite Elton John song. it feels like classic Elton though so it's not bad) Levon - a slower song. i feel like Elton John just has this Bon Jovi sound that mixes country with the performative piano pop and it sounds good. (3/5 the issue is it is not for me. Go to Venus to get more Penus) Razor Face - this has a bit more of that blues sound. still a slow song [(3/5 i feel really bad cause this is not the Elton John i enjoy but i like Elton John) jk 4/5 for the accordion solo?] Madman Across the Water - it's that slow country rock sound. it includes some of that grandness that he brings (4/5 i like this one a bit more) Indian Sunset - a good song but nothing crazy (3/5) Holiday Inn - i think that's a sitar? (4/5 giving the instrumental from Virus Alert by Weird Al) Rotten Peaches - a plinky upbeat piano tavern song (3/5 this is what makes it not for me) All the Nasties - i don't think i like this either. (2/5 glad when it ended) Goodbye - it's an outro :) (3/5) my favorite song is I'm Still Standing because i'm gay or something. this is a good album but it doesn't match my taste, which is 80s Elton John i guess. but to be fair to it being a good album 4/5 woo.

Some absolute classics on here with some middling tunes filling the gaps. Listened on a bus at 3.30am so may have been a bit emotional but really enjoyed it.

"Madman Across the Water" is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John and his third album in 1971. The genre listed and referred to is progressive rock. Yes keyboardist Rick Wakemen does play organ on two songs which does give it that prog rock street cred but calling it prog rock is pushing it for me. Bernie Taupin did write all the lyrics. Interestingly, it faired much better in the US, hitting #8, than in the UK where it hit #41. The album received mixed reviews. The piano lines, "Blue Jean baby, LA Lady" and we're into "Tiny Dancer." Nice slide guitar. Taupin wrote this about his wife and contrasting with California women. Oh, yeah, and that scene in "Almost Famous." Elton delivers some great vocals in "Levon." The strings make this more dramatic. Levon was born poor, now sells balloons. It's not about Band drummer Levon Helm. The dramatic music continues in "Madman Across the Water." Piano, guitar and strings. This one is not about Richard Nixon. Is it about Elton? Do yourself a favor and listen to the version with Mick Ronson on guitar. It takes it to another level. "Indian Sunset" was written after Elton and Bernie visited a Indian reservation and about an unnamed Indian warrior. Elton starts out a capella before the music kicks in. There are questions on the truthfulness of some of the lyrics but...The album ends with "Goodbye." A big symphony. Sad. Melancholy. A nice way to end. I can't say I'm a big Elton John fan but I like some of his songs and this album contains three really good ones. The musicianship is top notched. The drama with the symphony. I'm sure everyone knows where they stand with Elton but this is probably one of his best.

Banger

Banger, Banger, Banger

Great songs from start to finish, maybe one questionable for dated content.

A very classy collection of songs from my favourite Elton John era. Tiny Dancer, Levon, Razor Face and Holiday Inn stand comparison with his best songs and all are testimony to Bernie Taupins' talent as a lyricist. The quality of musicianship is first rate. The album as a whole could be judged to be a little one-paced, but overall this is a great collection.

bought used vinyl from half price books in 1994

There's a lot right with Elton John's music. His piano work is always excellent. The instrumentation with strings, brass, and woodwinds. His voice is also distinct and wonderful.

great killer singles

Indian sunset was one of those tracks that I had in my head since my childhood (listening to Ghetto Gospel back then), and never made the effort to search for the original. What a great album.

Everyone knows his piano is amazing but damn the drums on this album

tiny dancer - obviously a classic, that chorus is so good even if it is drilled into listeners an insane extent. very beautifully written levon - more folk-ish song, i loved the orchestral elements near the end, felt like such a great way to compliment the build-up razor face - kind of boring + has a weird chorus, felt very generic madman across the water - a very cool ballad, i like the repeated guitar motif in the middle a lot and how it fades into the second part of the song. the writing is so god damn good. indian desert - this is literally a word painting. it feels so anxious and suspensful, i LOVE the different parts of this song. the writing is absolutely gorgeous, so poetic and something you can really think about. elton and bernie are really good at these longer, more intense songs holiday inn - the twang on this song is extremely noticeable and i do not know how i feel about it. very generic and notably shorter than everything else here rotten peaches - okay this is just proto bruce springsteen with gospel vocals. this just feels corny though. all the nasties - slow, but it was pretty good! i hate chanting endings and this one felt corny with the backing choir. otherwise i didnt mind it, the country fit elton this time goodbye - delightfully melodramatic closer. nice and spiffy way to close this album. gives me similar vibes to "nevermore" by queen in the absolutely gorgeous piano playing and melancholic vibe. overall, this album is very pretty and nice to listen to. elton and bernie taupin's lyrics are absolutely wonderful, the instrumentals are generally excellent performed and his voice sounds great. although the album dramatically slows down in its last four tracks with the more country-inspired feel to it, i still feel like this deserves the praise it gets. 3.5/5

nice album some hits - pretty mellow

Man, the highs on this album are really extraordinary. And that makes the misses on this album stand out and maybe even seem weaker than they are. That's my general take on Elton John's catalog (I'm not an expert, but I own and have listened to a bunch of his albums) — his good material is better than good, it's exceptional. The rest of the material is not nearly as compelling, and it makes for an uneven listening experience. I think my takeaway from this listen is that it's the nature of daring creativity. Sometimes the oddball lyrical messages transcend (Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water for starters) and sometimes they just miss the mark (Razor Face, Rotten Peaches). Same with the arrangements on this album. The brilliant tracks are all exquisitely arranged, the clunkers make you wonder if maybe they found an accordion in the corner and decided, "what the hell? why not?" So, a 5 for the genius tracks on this album, a 3 for the others.

Rating: 8.5/10 Great album, really enjoyed the progressive elements implemented on here. Elton John takes his time more on this album and lets the songs develop more, most songs are over 5 minutes and usually have long intros, which are done very well. Usually I do not love Elton's piano playing, I think he recycles ideas a lot on his songs but it was great on this album, the orchestral and rock elements were also great. Pretty cohesive overall, I think it is more consistent than Yellow Brick Road although it does not have as many hits. Favorite songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, Indian Sunset, Holiday Inn. Least favorite song: Rotten Peaches.

I mean it's Elton John he just undeniably had the juice

3.5

Sometimes mucks it up lyrically or emotionally (namely indian skies, with its misguided lyric and poorly delivered intent), but thankfully the melodies and arrangements are so gorgeous its difficult to care too much. The album is perfectly delivered, even if the raw material isn't as strong as it could be. The production is clean as a whistle and Elton is endearing as ever, with the whole record being excellently paced too.

Great composed songs. Classic Elton John. First two songs make the album : Tiny Dancer and Levin. Edit : Madman Across the Water great too - 4/5

Fun album, I love Tiny Dancer. Indian Sunset is a huge blemish though.

Pretty good stuff here. 4 out of 5.

Elton has one of the great iconic voices, up there with Freddie and Michael. I would listen to this even if it was fully acapella. I think Indian sunset might be a song that has aged out in the modern era, especially when sung by a British man. Still overall a great album. Favorite track was the titular madman across the water.

One Man Show.

I enjoyed this album. I already enjoy a few Elton John songs, and this album is no different. It's a nice slow rock/pop rock kind of album. I enjoyed most of the songs on the album, but nothing really stood out to me like "wow". 4/5 Favorite song: Madman Across The Water Worst song: All The Nasties

Good, but not Elton's best

Good album.

Not my cup of tea

Tiny Dancer holds some weird nostalgia. Getting to hear it pumped out on classic rock radio in my teens, misheard lyrics, that one scene from Almost Famous, ...Mark Kozelek...Thinking about it...It's not impossible to think he likes this album as it harnesses a bit of murkiness and is quite an emotional showcase which may have influenced the Painters slightly. Anyway, a lot of solid stuff which was good to hear beyond Tiny Dancer and Levon. The latter I still think is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard for various reasons. This album is really good due to its overall quality in musicianship, songcraft, and ambition. The second half is a bit weaker but it closes out nicely.

lovely album. Levon such a beautiful song, and Tiny Dancer of course.

Got some huge pop classics but some weak parts. Great album overall.

Tiny Dancer bumps the rating up 1 spot by itself. That scene in Almost Famous was fantastic.

Very enjoyable album. Every song flows nicely into the next. I appreciated the use of orchestral instrumentation. This was a casual listen while I worked, but this album deserves a more thorough analysis of lyrics than I could do today.

He probably could have had a lot more hits if they just released more songs.

Solid album. Indian Sunset seems a bit dated, but I still own two copies on vinyl.

Hehe this was really good. Can’t believe the Gnomeo and Juliet guy does his own music Top Tracks: 1) Tiny Dancer 2) Madman Across the Water 3) Levon 4) Holiday Inn 5) All the Nasties

-LOOOOVE elton john -have listened to albums of his before but not for this list and not this album -TINY DANCER!!!!! WHAT A START TO AN ALBUM!!!! -genuinely a beautiful song -razor face is a funky song -eltons voice!!!!! god i just love it -you Are a rock and roll man elton you tell em! -this definitely isn’t eltons best album -but tiny dancer is on this album which is iconic in its own right. so its getting a 4

Elton john general, some good songs, relatively long but enjoyable to listen to

Toujours voulu écouter la légende Elton sans jamais savoir par quel bout m’y prendre. Cet album m’a donc poussé dans le vide. Et quel album. On sent direct qu’il a marqué une époque, une génération. L’album culte de Elton John à coup sûr. J’ai bien aimé.

Rick Beato What Makes This Song Great: Tiny Dancer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dijrGXvSS-g

Four stars because Tiny Dancer and Levon….otherwise it’s kinda mid

Elég jó, nagyon vibe zene, olyan 3.7et adnék

надо уже всего Элтона внимательно послушать! пока так и не отличаю но красиво

Alright

Tiny dancer.

Orchestration on this album is top tier. The singles are so universally known, they overshadow the sleeper tracks by a lot, which makes it feel lopsided. It's all tight, and Bernie Taupin made some really interesting lyrical choices.

For the most part it's an excellent album except for a few duds. They're not bad just not as good as the rest. Tiny Dancer really is a classic and probably a song that will be remembered for decades to come.

Pretty good, it's Elton John after all.

Classic, classic, and classic.

Ok on entend que chaque son c'est un banger quand même. Vu que c'est la musique que ma grandmère écoute je pensais que ça serait bof mais lourd en vrai. Un peu supertramp vibes parfois.

Nice album

While good there's some lyrical choices that seem a bit much and almost over rode the music and song. Good album and wouldn't have an issue going back through it!

Hyper-dramatic, so gay, deeply enjoyable. I should listen to more Elton John records.

Very theatrical, but I love the piano so much that it saves (nearly) anything for me. I liked the general vibes of the music here, and I'd need to give it more listens to maybe "connect" more with the songs. However, I liked what I heard on 1st listen.

Great opening song. Whole album is short but very enjoyable. Elton is very good at painting images of personas.