Madman Across The Water

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

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

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

HOLD ME CLOSER TINY DANCER!

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

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

Love me some Elton John

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

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

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

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

Very good!

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

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

Nice

Amazing voice Arrangements are detailed and complex

4/5 Fun to listen to. Great songs.

Fun times in elton land

An excellent Elton album. First 3 tracks were rocking.

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

Very nice to hear the whole album at once.

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

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

listened to again it's great

Nice

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

best - indian sunset worst - all the nasties

Good, but not as good as the first one

4.75

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

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

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

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

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

Baladas de Elton John. Un megahit. Un 4.

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

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

Vraiment très bon, toujours de la bonne musique Elton

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

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

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

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

tiny dancer!

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

Goed wegluister album met de klassieker tiny dancer

Awesoem

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

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

Surpreendeu com a pegada de rock.

Too nice

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

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

4.5

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

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

Never had much time for Elton John but this was great

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

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

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

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

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

Supprising good, epic finish

Outstanding.

Excellent E.J. album. 4/5

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

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

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

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

Ok

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

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

Wish I had listened to this sooner.

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

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

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

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

8/10

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

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

Loved it. My favorite: Tiny Dancer.

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

Really Jolly Good

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

Really enjoy this

Enjoyeable dancey.

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

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

Frábær plata

Tony Danza

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

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

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

Deze Elton vind ik lekker om naar te luisteren.

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

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

Classic

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

Niet helemaal mijn ding maar goed gemaakt en veel gevangenis nummers

Elton John is epiiic

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

several classics

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

Starts off strong with some classic Elton hits and thins out to be some of his weaker stuff.

Elton John is a legend

avis positif : 7/10 piano & voix grandioses une BO pour une romcom américaine

Side 1 of Madman Across the Water is among the greatest sides of music of the singer-songwriter era, or any era for that matter. Tiny Dancer, Levon, Razor Face and the title track make for an incredible 20 minutes of listening and helped define the mid-70s period for me. Side 2 can't help but be a let down in comparison. Nothing terrible on side 2 but nothing very memorable either. Keeps it from being a 5 star album, but shit it's close. 4.5 stars

twas good

Great stand-out moments. Not as consistently enjoyable as Tumbleweed Connection, but the singles stand strong. A solid part of the collection during Elton John's brilliant string of early 70's albums.

Некоторые песни норм но блин не люблю я Элтона Джона

Buy this one!

Good melodies. I enjoy the band and what they are doing more than what Elton does. Very good album.

Decent

Best Suprise until now!

Rather beautiful, earnest and naive.

// Favs: – Score: Light to Decent 4

Just about a 4

Great album by Elton. Tiny dancer is a classic. Levon is one of my favorite song by him. Indian summer is great songwriting. The album is quick and has a somber tone throughout. Starts great and ends decently. 8.5/10

Start very strong with tiny dancer. Not as many bangers later on but still a good time.

Qué buen disco. Lo disfruté bastante y pues realmente jamás había escuchado completo nada de Elton John. Muy talentoso el cñor. 8.5/10

Let's just hold this ine close.

Kinda hard to compete with those first two bangers right out of the gate. I love this period Elton John. Won’t say the whole album is a masterpiece, but it’s all very, very listenable. Did it have to end on such a sad note though? Sheesh. Thanks a lot, Debbie Downer.

Love Elton John. Great early album. 4/5

Great songwriting. Some brilliant tracks

Discovered some new good songs from Elton

Songs I liked: "Levon," "Madman Across The Water," "Indian Sunset," and "Rotten Peaches"

Though it fades a little bit on the back half, Tiny Dancer and Madman are exceptional, with several other solid pieces, including Holiday Inn and Levon. The music doesn't sound dated, and Elton John's voice is certainly amazing in this era.

this was a solid Elton offering

This was really good.

Heerlijk album. Gewoon. Heerlijk.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Tiny dancer, Levon, Razor face

some great tunes

A rather theatrical album. Some good songs. I love his voice! (7/10) Favourite Songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Indian Sunset

Love tiny dancer and Levon, the rest grew in me after a 2nd listen

Bangers. All bangers

Tiny Dancer a certified banger, great songwriting.

Very grand instrumentation. Nice pounding piano chords. That big ending part on Indian Sunset is crazy.

Like a chilled out Freddie Mercury. Love

This is the Elton John that I like. The music is great and generally robust and the storytelling is wonderful, albeit mostly sad. But the emotion is conveyed well. Several songs that were new to me received a second listen.

I’m surprised I hadn’t listened to this before. I enjoy it! Idk, it feels like it’s hard to hate Elton John?

Superb. A really enjoyable listen with some really memorable tracks. Definitely one to revisit.

Solid. Better than I thought

Elton John's voice is sometimes too big and overpowers some of his songs which makes him quite exhausting to listen to (Tiny Dancer is a good example of this here) but there is no doubting his talent and this album is on the whole brilliant. Probably my favourite 'new' album that I've heard since the start of this project. Can't believe I've never heard 'Levon' before, it's a pure classic. 'Indian Sunset' also boasts enough native American cultural appropriation to make even Texas State blush.

Really good music. I am not such a big fan od Elton John, but afer this I am gonna give him a chance. My favorite song from him Tiny dancer is here and that's also a big plus.

Enjoyed listening to this album 👍. Can't believe Tiny Dancer is 50 years old!

love this. levon is a banger. tiny dancer is tiny dancer. i'd never heard indian sunset in its original form before and i think it's great.

Really lovely listening to Elton John walking around in the rain. Never realised how much of a diva he was until I watched rocket man on Netflix.

Elton es un grande. Esto es así.

.

Couple songs that never get old followed by some unremarkable feel good early 70's ballads. The albums production is worth mentioning. Elton's studio albums always sounds so different from his live recordings. Its my understanding Elton usually let the other band members take over during that phase of recording. Most of the time I do enjoy the production and backing, especially on the title track and "Rotten Peaches", where it adds a lot. However on songs like "All the Nasties" and "Indian Sunset" it adds drama to an already melodramatic song. In a song like "Goodbye" it's just right which is a great closing balad.

cool sounds

ret mange smukke sange, meget tematisk flot imponerende tekster

No soy muy fan de Elton, pero he de reconocer quee ha gustado el disco.

Excelente voz, acordes y melodías. Buen disco

Almost Famous made Tiny Dancer widely known, but Levon has always been one of my favorite Elton John songs right after Rocket Man. But my all time favorite, Can You Feel The Love Tonight? Elton in his prime...

Unlike yesterday with Aladdin Sane, there were quite a few tracks on this album that I had never heard before. What an incredibly sad album! I read this entire project as a rumination on finding beauty and dignity within tragedy. I enjoy the instrumentation throughout, and can't help but feel like E.L.O. attempted to steal a lot of this sound. Tiny Dancer - The biggest 'hit' from the album, and the one I had heard the most before. Still catchy and fun to sing along with. Maybe the worst song on the album? This song is about unrequited love and holding a torch for someone long gone. SAD SONG. Levon - I had heard this one before too. I like the string riff throughout. A song about a man whose parents thought he was destined for greatness, but then he becomes a miserly balloon seller and his son hates him. A SAD SONG. Razor Face - A song about losing your former greatness. We assume that at one point Razor Face was a tough customer, but now he needs someone to help him walk. A SAD SONG. Madman Across the Water - A song about insanity. A SAD SONG. Indian Sunset - My favorite track on the album. A bit problematic today, as it uses reductive imagery of Native Americans as seen by a white british man. But also it's a sympathetic view of the American genocide of the Native American. A SAD SONG. Holiday Inn - I'm a sucker for mandolin anywhere. Second favorite track. A track about the malaise and boredom of being an under-appreciated backup musician on the road. A SAD SONG. Rotten Peaches - A song about the prison industrial complex and losing optimism. A SAD SONG. All the Nasties - A rather prescient song about people who nitpick and criticize. The critics are calloused without actually knowing anything about the person they judge. I love the choir. A SAD SONG. Goodbye - A song about feeling worthless, and giving all your energy to others. A SAD SONG. I really enjoyed this, but if I have staked Aladdin Sane as a 5 star album, then this by rights cannot be higher than 4. I may give it a 3 just to give myself room for future albums.

A definite classic

Well, you either love him or hate him. I do love a bit of Elton, particularly since I saw him live a few years ago. Undeniable genius song writer, regardless of what you think of him

Bra album! Bästa låtarna ”Madman across the water”, ”Tiny Dancer”, ”Levon”.

fantastic album! I've listened to this before, and it was a joy to listen to again.

A pleasant album. Nothing stood out because it was all so good.

very good

I will definetly look into him more.

It's a classic

Contains arguably the most iconic song by Sir Elton John. But to be honest the rest of the album couldn't keep my attention.

Tiny dancer is a classic; the rest is fairly folky for Elton but still enjoyable.

Good album, unfamiliar with his wider discography but enjoyed this album.

nice sounds, but kind of boring

It takes me a while to get in to EJ songs. I should listen more.

I've heard it before

I wasn't sure if I was going to be into this album, since I'm often hot and cold with Elton John, but this album starts off strong with Tiny Dancer and keeps going from there. 4/5

Great. Love the piano work. Some songs run together. Tiny dancer is definitely the hit

Some classic Elton, no complaints

Contains two of Elton's best songs. Not sure the "Indian Sunset" message holds up, but everything on here is still super solid. Favorite tracks: "Tiny Dancer", "Levon"

7.5/10

Solid album. Good that it's short, as there is not honestly a lot of musical variety

3?

It's okay

I liked the sound and the energy, but I’m not sure I understood what most of the songs were supposed to mean.

Not his best

So close to a great rock and roll record.

Elton not beating the singles artist allegations

My interest in Elton John has been such that I am pretty sure the greatest hits collection I own is the only Elton "album" I need to hear before I die, but let's see how this goes... The collection I own (Greatest Hits 1970–2002) only has "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" from this album, both of which I love. I'm interested to see how much (if any) of the rest sounds familiar. It kind of all sounded generally familiar but none sounded specifically familiar, if that makes sense. This was fine. Between 2 and 3 stars but I'm feeling generous today.

EJ has that classic smoothness that hit different. Strong start, but fades at the end

The first half was excellent, the second half really lost me.

It was good, I just don't mesh with his voice

This was pretty good! Some really good songwriting in here, of course. Tiny Dancer is a great song, and the rest of the album doesn't stray too far from that sound (or quality). Definitely would revisit some of these tracks!

Maybe the first time I've listened to a full Elton John record front to back. It's fun! This is very agreeable music. Strong, straightforward, populist songwriting. Goofy arrangements, nice playing, good mix of styles. Solid!

the absolute madman

Tiny Dancer is a great song. Rest of album less so. Felt a bit too broadway with a bit too much storytelling going on.

Everything kind of felt like Tony dancer on repeat, which to be fair, is a banger. The last track was set apart and was my favorite track.

Decent but quite samey, like a lot of Elton's music.

I like the first two songs but lyrically they kinda lost me with ‘Razor Face’. Oh yeah ‘Indian Sunset’ kinda reminds me of an Iron Maiden song lol.

I do like Elton John! But I don't often want to listen to a whole album of Elton John. Some classics here, and overall an enjoyable listen, just not necessarily something I'd be eager to return to.

Mhh … ordentlich bis langweilig trifft es ziemlich gut. Das Album hat diese schwere, dramatische Elton‑John‑Theatralik, die manchmal funktioniert – vor allem in „Tiny Dancer“, das natürlich herausragt. Aber vieles wirkt hier eher wie solide Handwerkskunst ohne echten Funken. Die Arrangements sind üppig, die Songs sauber gebaut, doch der Mittelteil zieht sich und verliert Spannung.

Decent.

I liked the story telling. I got real tired of the slow piano pretty quickly. Tiny dancer is a banger that is stuck in my head and I enjoyed the madman across the water song. I enjoyed the guitar riffs

Aside from Tiny Dancer and Levon (2 of my fave EJ songs), the rest of this record is pretty mundane.3.5/5.

I think I might be more of a casual, singles listener when it comes to Elton John. This record came out swinging with Tiny Dancer then fizzled out for me pretty quick. By the end, the songs were just blending together.

It certainly is that guy. Sounds exactly like him. Which is good. I do enjoy a fair bit of his output. Why is this album special? It's nice to hear some deep cuts & I was pleased to hear some longer-than-pop-standard tunes. I am a sucker for the long'uns. Perhaps I need a deep dive or at least a much greater familiarity with the body of work to fully appreciate this one. I only speculate because this seems pretty damn average to me. And I know he's got a whole lot of great in the catalog. I'll give this one a 3

7/10

Tiny Dancer and Levon - that’s it.

Tiny Dancer is a great track however nothing else on the album is the same quality. I think he is still finding his feet at this point. Production is spot on. Better is still to come

The A-Side is stronger than the B-Side in my opinion. The whole Album is full of great string arrangements.

So far my favorite Elton John album. Concise and to the point.

Good Elton John is still better than many many other things

Good musician - enjoyed how instruments really get a spotlight. Piano, violin and a choir was cool. His voice is great. Didn't pay too much attention to lyrics. Found it started sounding 'samey' by the end. Lots of slow ballad parts then belting passionate parts which started melding together into one long song instead of an album.

I really wanted to like this, but found that all the songs sounded the same.

great songs, but they all sound too similiar

Good album. Catchy and fun songs. Nefer thought I'd enjoy an Elton John album. 3/5.

Ballad ballad ballad ballad. It gets a bit tired after the first few songs, but it has tiny dancer so it's not terrible. Title track and Levon also pretty good.

Alright album. Very well put together. Holiday Inn was my favorite. 5.4/10

They’re really good songs, I suppose, but I just could never get into Elton John. I don’t mind listening to this album, but I’d never choose to of my own accord.

The bangers are bangers but the rest is fine. Like, fine.

sensational first side, plus indian summer, which opens side b. one of the great melodic talents of the late twentieth century, it's a shame he succumbs to fluff for the majority of the time.

i liked it every song was lengthy

Elton John was an artist I took an instinctive dislike to growing up, mostly because he was my dad's favourite, and I had to be contrarian. Now that I'm older, and can occasionally pretend to be wiser, I recognize the songcraft in Elton's music, and I sort of understand the fortunate alchemy between him and Bernie Taupin. That said, aside from the superb one-two punch of "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon," this isn't one of his stronger 1970s albums, which says a lot because this is still pretty good, even if the lyrics to "Rotten Peaches" and especially "Indian Sunset" don't hold up.

A common theme in most if not all of Elton John's records is that there are usually just one or two monster hits and the rest are hit or miss. For example, Tiny Dancer on this one, and to a lesser extent "Levon" are the big hits and definitely 5-star, but the rest is just 3 or 4 stars. His self-titled or Don't Shoot Me are probably better candidates for this list. His other entry on the list, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is better too.

High highs and low lows

I enjoyed it. The classics go hard. It felt even more piano-driven than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which I liked.

Rating: 7/10 Filled with two absolute all timer pop rock songs, a title track that I swear I know even though I don’t listen to this album, and a good collection of other deep cuts, this is just a pretty solid record. It definitely doesn’t beat the pretty astounding magnum opus GYBR he would follow up with after, and has a couple songs that are closer to duds (Rotten Peaches), but this one is a lot easier to digest. Indian Sunset is pretty beautifully arranged and performed even though the lyrical content was a choice that did not age well. Definitely feel like essential Elton John has been covered here and both albums are very deserving of acclaim

A more soft album from Sir Elton than I'm used to. Usually there are some fast, fun tunes thrown in. Does have 2 big hits which are great and very singable but they aren't there to pump you up. Seems that the road may have started to get to him. Tired of "Rotten Peaches" and beginning to long for the Dockland. I do like the addition of minstrel strings, particularly on "Holiday Inn." At the end of the listen I was rather impressed by this one. 3.46 for the madman behind the piano.

Pretty solid album from Elton. Side A is stacked with 2 of his biggest singles ever. Levon and Tiny Dancer get the bulk of the attention (deservedly) but I've always loved the title track and Razon Face is also pretty solid. Side B can't hold up against Side A which would have been an extremely tall order. The back half has more of the Elton that you already know without any of the standout hits. It's not bad, but it really can't hold a candle to the first 22 minutes of this album. All in all Madman Across The Water is one of Elton's most complete albums in that that entire thing is good with some flashes of truly great. This album was introduced to me by a college roommate years back and I still come back to it from time to time. Elton John should always be considered a part of music history but his influence on the industry goes far beyond his albums. His soundtracks, live shows, and personality have been as important as his album releases for nearly his whole career. I'd love to see more Elton John on this list but wouldn't know which other album(s) to point to as must-listen because his collection of music is so expansive 3.40 stars

Úff ég veit ekki, fannst hún frekar leiðinleg eftir fyrstu 2-3 lögin

Tony Danza er náttúrulega eitt af bestu lögum í heimi. Það bjargar samt ekki alveg plötunni.

Tiny Dancer is the standout track, the rest has been described as mediocre.

I wanted to go 4, but every song kinda sounded the same...that is to say like "Tiny Dancer". Its a 3.5 where I'll round down because I know there is better Elton on this list.

Struggled with what to rate this one as Tiny Dancer is an incredible song, and somewhat special to me also. But the rest of the album beyond that? It was just.. ok? Maybe slamming out album after album in quick succession doesn't create masterpieces.

This is his second best album. He hadn't gotten into his super cheesy phase yet. It's more of a storytelling, piano-driven singer songwriter. Tiny Dancer is the only well known hit. And the rest works well without that type of pressure.

1001 albums to hear before you become a madman and believe you have a razor face 131# The first tracks carry so much powa. The genre piano rock existing is krazy.

Not his best, but still solid.

Madman Across The Water is the work of an artist on the cusp of greatness. It's obvious that the talent is there, evidenced by the inclusion of one of the greatest songs of all time, Tiny Dancer. Unfortunately the album can't be sustained by Tiny Dancer, Levon, and a handful of other good, but not great songs. You've also got songs like Indian Sunset, with lyrics so bad that you're embarrassed to hear them. Long story short, Elton touches the sun and then Madman Across The Water spirals before just making the landing.

6/10 Bueno, no me volvió loco. Cumplidor pero nada para destacar

Not my taste but heard the famous ones before.

Ok, not really much of a spark. Probably not one to revisit any time soon.

A thoroughly decent effort with a really nice collection of songs.

Standard decent song writing by Reg, and some nice string arrangements in places, Tiny dancer the obvious standout. Doesn’t have the impact of Yellow Brick Road though.

The first half is WAY better than the second half. Tiny Dancer does a lot of heavy lifting but you can still hear a man developing his sound on this album which is very cool. I tried asking myself what I would rank this album if TD was not on here, but that's not a fair assessment. I guess it's somewhere in the middle. Highlights: Tiny Dancer (ofc), Madman Across The Water

banger album Rating: 3.5/5 GEMV - (10.06.2026)

My first Elton John record on this generator, and my first long playing Elton John experience. I'm not let down, but it's not as easy to appreciate as I hoped. I can appreciate the composer/songwriter duo, and without someone on the lyrics, Elton's whimsical piano could grow old. It's a beautiful style of play, but it works because he's also telling a story. The stories themselves are colorful and intricate for such a low word-count, which is also impressive, but it's not enough for me to stay. So, I can see the talent, it's palpable, I can see the meshing of talented minds being put together like a quality recipe, I can even enjoy it if I leave it on in the background. I just can't find myself putting it on for the sake of enjoying it. 3.1/5

Hold me closer Tony Danza...

A couple of great songs on here. Tiny Dancer is my favorite. The rest of the music was just kinda mid.

This album was pretty uneventful. Tiny Dancer is fine. The rest are equally as fine. Nothing about about it, just not my kind of music.

Rätt bra ändå! Några lade jag till i spellistan men majoriteten var inget wow.

9 songs Added to liked: -Tiny Dancer (already knew the song) Never been a big Elton John guy, the man undeniably has some bangers here and there, but not a massive enjoyer of his overall discography. Don't hate it either, just middle of the road with some great songs sprinkled throughout.

It's a good album. I enjoy Elton John less than the average bear, I think, but Tiny Dancer is an undeniable banger.

Tiny Dancer outshines everything else easily unfortunately

it’s not the worst but I wouldn’t reach for it again It all kind of sounds exactly the same to me Favs: tiny dancer. Holiday inn. Goodbye.

Disappointed

It had nice vibe to it, a fun and easy listen I think goodbye stoodout to me most and one more but I don't remember it. It seemed average to MY taste.

ngl me gustaria darle 4 estrellas pero me cuesta me cuesta, tiny dancer me encanta tho

I love Elton, this is a decent record

Super talented guy. Indian Sunset is an incredible song.

Great start to an album with Tiny Dancer. And Indian Sunset is one of my favourite Elton hidden gems, not only because of the 2pac link but it paints a great picture! Very dramatic and operatic. Lovely stuff.

Decent. Very inventive. Tiny Dancer is a great way to start the album Didnt enjoy this as much as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road mind, but still Prettyyy Prettyyy Prettyyyy good. 3.5

I liked it, but it isn’t anything special

great

L'intro est magnifique. En lisant les reviews j'avais peur de pas aimer ce qui suit mais les gens sont juste aigris en fait. Très bon album de pop rock avec des highlight très sympas. Tiny dancer est un grand classique et l'album n'est pas forcément à la hauteur de l'intro mais on ne peut pas faire que des chefs d'oeuvre. Je trouve quand même la derniere partie trop générique à mon goût (peut être aussi que la lassitude du genre m'atteint après 30 minutes). tiny dancer indian sunset Madman across the water

I think opening with tiny dancer was a genius idea and I’ll give John some credit for that. However, the rest of this album is incredibly boring and performative. I’ve never really liked Elton John and this is further proof as to why I don’t.

I understand the appeal of Elton John, but I just don’t find his music that enjoyable. It always feels dramatic and performative and there’s no scenario in which I’d really want to listen to something like this. Even Tiny Dancer is kind of iconic but not really in a good way. It's just "oh I know that song". Mid :/

Tiny Dancer is great but the rest did not impress.

HOLD ME CLOSER TINY DAAAAANCEEERRR

Some nice songs, not overly my thing however.

Overwrought

Some perfect pop. Some nicely off-kilter stuff. Some random almost unlistenable tracks. 3.5

This must have went under the radar in uk. I say that as Tiny Dancer wasn't a hit in the UK. Was wondering how this would hold up as lp as I knew Elton from his singles. It was very good except for one track I which Elton becomes a native American. I liked the gospel tinged elements that hold up very well. Must decide a 3 or 4. Hedging towards a 4.

One of Elton’s finer outings. Gotta love “Tiny Dancer.”

Elton is a bit hit and miss for me generally and it could even change from day to day. I do own several of his 70s albums but this isn’t one of them so today was my first listen. There were a few tracks I recognised including Tiny Dancer of course. I wasn’t inspired to go out frantically in search of a clean copy to buy, but I guess I would still pick it up if I ever spot a bargain. I enjoyed what I managed to pick up on of Bernie’s lyrics which did seem to have a few unexpected topics, but it didn’t seem to have quite the musical variety of the albums I already own say a Captain Fantastic or Don’t Shoot Me… The familiar moments had some powerful melodic hooks which seemed absent from the rest of the album. I am still confused at how he managed to be as successful in the USA as he was, particularly compared to some other of his contemporary Brits.

Not really my vibe per se

Tiny Dancer is an all-time great track. Levon is also a plus track. However, most of the rest of the album suffers from a lack of focus and/or comes out as bloated.

Any album that starts with “Tiny Dancer” has nowhere to go but down. While not a straight downward plunge, Madman Across the Water does decline as it proceeds. Something worthwhile appears in most songs, but the theme of life on the road in America stumbles much like Elton must have felt touring constantly through the U.S. early in his career. The portraits of traipsing from town to town always have Elton’s gift for melody and piano flourishes. However, Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are strained in lesser known songs like “Holiday Inn” and “Rotten Peaches.” They include the worn out theme of America wronging Native Americans in “Indian Sunset.” For such a noble subject, it is hard to think of a great song related to the topic. The non-road songs, “Levon” and “Razor” are quality works that develop fairly vivid pictures of their characters. The title track is a tour de force as Elton’s singing and piano match Paul Buckmaster’s powerhouse strings. The great title track and legendary “Tiny Dancer” allow the album to hit great heights, but the uneven quality of the other seven songs keeps the record below best works.

There’s a lot to like about Elton John, but (I know it’s a minority view…) I don’t like Bernie Taupin’s songs mostly (some are great, it’s true) and when I sit down and listen to a whole album I tend to find myself less enthusiastic about Elton than I was beforehand.

Tiny dancer är ju bra. Sen tycker jag att flera låter har samma sound, som sämre versioner av TD. Indian sunset börjar dock bra, och sticker ut, men när den kommer igång blir den lite sämre. Det är inte riktigt min kopp te.

Ok

мило. в плейлист добавила: • tiny dancer • goodbye (любимая) • all the nasties • madman across the water ("Is the nightmare really black or are the windows painted?") элтон тут ещё такой молодой блин: 24 года всего.

Great opening track followed by a decent album.

why, of all the songs in the album, it's "Indian Sunset" I can't get out of my head? I'm supposed to be woke goddamn it.

Yep. Liked it.

Elton John is always a good listen. Not every track hits or hold up here, but a good time. 3.5/5

tiny dancer. like when you open ur fridge up and see sans in there. thats what i think of when i hear that song now

the instruments are fun and bouncy, I'd need to relisten to say anything about the songwriting. overall good listen.

I’d consider myself a fan of Elton John and of course many are familiar with the opening tracks, but after that I’m not sure much of this resonated with me. Reading it was the 3rd album released in a single year was surprising. Upon further inspection, I think this sums it up best: “On release, Alex Dubro of Rolling Stone was not especially enthusiastic about the album and found it inferior to its two predecessors. Although he commended "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", he found the lyrics throughout the record confusing, concluding that it is a "difficult, sometimes impossibly dense record" that would not upset John's current fans, but not gain new ones either.”

solid 3.5

Some good songs, some forgettable. Solid album still.

I enjoyed this album. Very glamorous and bright in my ears. The instrumentation was lovely, especially the piano. I also liked the instrument that was played in Holiday Inn, although I have no clue what it may be. Elton John's voice is also incredible, no matter what he says or what he sings over. I would have to give it a more attentive listen to say anything about the quality of the lyrics, but I thought the variation was at least interesting (Indian Sunset was good, not just another love song). It seems like everything I listen to is love, or heartbreak, which is reckon is more of the same, so it was nice to hear Elton John move away from that, albeit just for a couple of moments. I am not sure where this music fits into my life. It is a bit too much for casual listening, and I don't see it being played while driving either, with the exception of Tiny Dancer, of course, and maybe Indian Sunset, and Madman Across the Water. Maybe I need a new playlist for this music to fit into, because I did enjoy it.

Almost went on a whole rant about how benign and drab I find a lot of Elton John, but I don't even hate this album. I'd just rather be listening to a lot of other shit that does it better.

Elton is always a blast. 3.5/5

Elton John on ainakin alkuvaiheessa ollu kovin menevää, eikä sitä vastaan mitään ole. Mielelläni kuuntelin levyn, mutta tuskin tulee hirveästi enempää tutustuttua hittibiisien lisäksi tuotantoon, kun ei ole tähänkään mennessä tutustunut.

His music is all nice but it also all sounds the same. Tiny Dancer is brilliant though.

todo igual suena

I zoned out for most of it, but Madman Across The Water and Indian Sunset were standouts. Overall, pretty cool

He can sing but the music isn’t quite it for me.

Obwohl ich nur wenige Lieder von Elton John gehört habe, ist es genau das, was ich mir bei Elton John's Sound vorstellen würde. Dieses Album macht sehr viel Spaß zuzuhören und bringt mich gefühlt in den Sommer 1971 und ist zu unserer heutigen Zeit eher mit Country- Pop zu vergleichen. Ich kann nur kritisieren, dass die Lieder oft langsam sind oder ein langes Intro haben. Persönliche Favoriten sind: 3. Tiny Dancer 2. Madman Across The Water – guter Aufbau und perfekter Klimax 1. Holiday Inn – Sehr guter Vibe, gute Struktur und sehr geiler Gitarren Sound, vor allem das Solo am Ende. HM: Indian Sunset

Top mas metade dele é completamente esquecivel

Det var et langt tilløb jeg skulle bruge for at komme igennem dette album. Det er næsten for meget Elton! Han overrasker aldrig, men er dog altid stabil.

Det var slet ikke så slemt som jeg havde troet. Lidt for teatralsk til tider. Kompositionsmæssigt læner nogle af numrene sig op af 70er metal, bare med anden instrumentering.

3/5

I'm confused on a couple of points. The wiki says this is Elton's first excursion into Prog Rock, but I don't hear it. He didn't make the album only 3 tracks, each one with several sections named things like "the music of the spheres" or "Interessimo, pt 6." And there are no extended instrument solos or re-arrangements of classical songs. I'm also confused by the lyrics quite a bit. "Tiny Dancer" makes a bit of sense, but - I'll be honest, after all these years I still don't know who the "visitor today" is - or why that's important. I don't understand why him being Levon is so important either. I guess this is just what happens when the songwriter and lyricist are different people? Most of these songs are totally fine, though "Indian Sunset" is pretty ridiculous. I like "Razor Face." I mean - it's a pretty square THREE STARS

Some great songs but a lot of forgettable ones too only made good by how fantastic Elton's voice is

3/5 The good songs were SO good but the iffy songs were SO bad.