Madman Across The Water

Tiny Dancer is incredible. The rest was mostly good, with a couple of exceptions (The lyrics of “Indian Sunset” and “Rotten Peaches” were each dreadful in very different ways, though Elton’s singing and arrangement remained excellent).

no one has the audacity to slay like this anymore

4.5, very good and unique sound and man

Didn't dislike any songs ... though Razor Face comes close.

Classics but you know, still piano ballads

That was a solid record with a couple of familiar radio hits, along with a just a great collection of songs. Highly enjoyable.

Listen again

Okay yeah Tiny Dancer and Levon are bangers don't get me wrong (obviously you have to sing the chorus of Tiny Dancer) but RAZOR FACE. Rick Wakeman always eats. And the HARMONIES. I really like Rotten Peaches as well, not as catchy as some other Elton songs but goes hard nonetheless. Rest of the album is pretty decent.

Album #15 Elton John is another artist on my long list (an actual real list) whose discography I would like to explore, so I greeted this album with a smile on my face. I wasn't expecting to be hit right off the bat with one of his biggest songs, "Tiny Dancer". This was followed by "Levon" and it was then when I realized that the lyrics are a little confusing at times. As I have previously mentioned, I have difficulty interpreting lyrics and poetry at times. I had never heard the title track and found it be a standout track, until the song, "Indian Sunset" blew it away. That song told a very powerful and emotional story in under 7 minutes. I've seen 2 hour movies that couldn't tell a story that we'll. "Holiday Inn" sounded like it could've been a single. After that the album starts to just fade a bit. I also didn't like the first half of "All the Nasties", but thought it did start to pick up at the end. "Goodbye" was an excellent closer, and just long enough to let the message sit with you. It was interesting to hear a more progressive sound from Elton John, as I'm used to the glam rock and ballads. I enjoyed the album, but it wasn't consistent. 3.5* rounded up to 4*

This one rates a 4 for me, though I think there are a couple of tracks that are a bit weaker and would drag it down to a 3 for most people. I really love the title track and I think it's one of those fantastic examples of Bernie and Elton really clicking on an idea. It's not a hit for sure but it's one of my favourite Elton John songs. The same thing goes for Holiday Inn which is one of my favourites ever also. Davey Johnstone on guitar is a really awesome part of this record also and a signature part of what makes an Elton John record really sound like one.

Elegant and graceful album, just like Elton John and his music in general. Interesting thing is, that the music really is secondary every time Elton is singing, he is just that good. I have to watch Rocketman soon, so I will have a better knowledge of his history and background. But the album was a treat for sure!

"Madman Across the Water" by Elton John is a complex and ambitious album that showcases his musical versatility and storytelling prowess. Released in 1971, it's a fusion of rock, pop, and orchestral elements that highlight John's distinctive piano-driven sound. Tracks like "Tiny Dancer" and the title track capture his emotive vocals and Bernie Taupin's evocative lyrics. The album's production, enhanced by Paul Buckmaster's orchestral arrangements, adds a grand and cinematic quality. "Madman Across the Water" remains a testament to John's artistic exploration and stands as a snapshot of his creativity during this era.

Cool album, aantal chille nummers. Veel interessante nummers met leuke solos. Ik was niet fan van de melancholische koor stukken.

Interesting to hear earlier Elton John, and listen to a full album, since I only knew Tiny Dancer off this one. Overall, consistently good. BT - honestly any of them except holiday inn....

Gorgeous piano rock and lush instrumentation. Some songs sound a little too like others but it's an enjoyable listen all the way through.

It's Sir Elton! It's got Tiny Dancer! Pretty dang good.

Very solid album by one of the greatest musicians. I could have done without "Indian Sunset", but otherwise excellent!!

First listen was meh, liked this more and more in subsequent go rounds. All the songs have personality; I might argue with them, find them long-winded or daft ('Indian Sunset'), but they stick out, say their thing and don't pander.

Great first album!

An album which I'd never heard before, with the exception of "Tiny Dancer", and it probably benefits from that. I don't consider myself a fan, but Elton John's early output was consistently high.

Tiny Dancer opens this record, such a great song! Love Levon too.. the piano, strings, voice, drums are all just about perfect! Love the production. Kind of peaks on that second song though, title track not bad. The Indian song, interesting. Unfortunately, even though I really like EJ, I think this one is a 4.

It would have been a 5, but minus 1 for the world album cover art in this entire list.

Great album with a few of the classics on there.

Lush, fun piano pop. Elton John rules.

A surprising amount of drive behind this one despite being mostly slower, piano centric songs. Some parts were a little too slow and the vocals weren't as good on the climaxes, but I still enjoyed it

Good when you want to listen to Elton John

Wow, some really nice songs on this and I didn't expect the Indian Sunset

One of the best singer/songwriters of a generation. Amazing music.

I own this on vinyl! Which in my case typically denotes a fairly highly ranked album. And this certainly falls into that category. Great listen!

Its very good, it's my first real exposure to Elton John outside of Disney songs and the few hits. Tails off towards the end but mostly positive

Such talent

Although not quite as good as Yellow Brick Road in my opinion, it’s very close in quality. The piano is very prominent here and there are even some orchestral moments that are sometimes very prominent also. Tiny Dancer even features a steel guitar which I loved. I enjoyed the lyrics too with most of the songs having a storytelling element. There are just a couple of slightly weaker songs but I loved this album.

Het is gewoon een steengoede artiest. Het zal nooit mijn favoriete muziek worden, maar ik kan wel herkennen dat dit een goed album is.

One of Elton John's stronger albums. Although "Indian Sunset" is probably a bit cringe-y now, I'm sure it seemed good at the time. Honestly, if you told me one song had to go from the album, it would probably be "Rotten Peaches." That one seems kind of weak. That title track, man. It's just such a good rocking track. I think I heard it covered by Bruce Hornsby first. But the original is even better. Then there are the two well-known tracks. I mean, if I go another day and never hear "Tiny Dancer" I probably would be ok with that. It has been definitely been overplayed on the radio. "Levon" probably too, but those lyrics are so great. Kudos to Taupin here. The two clunkers make me pause, it's a real strong effort. But not every song is a winner. (Rotten Peaches and Indian Sunset).

So apparently this is Elton John doing prog rock. I think I get it on an individual song basis but as a collection it doesn't all quite fit. I would've thought there'd be a few more songs flowing from one into another. Still, there are some really good songs with introspective or deep lyrics and booming musical arrangements - Tiny Dancer (who doesn't love this song?), Levon (always one of my Elton John favorites and now I get where it came from - part of some proggy story), Indian Sunset (a new favorite - Bernie Taupin did well on the lyrics for a difficult subject), and All the Nasties (just something about it). Razor Face is solid but doesn't always make sense to me as I try to listen to the lyrics. Holiday Inn almost felt like it was an extension of Indian Sunset given its instrumentation; might've been even better if that was the point. This album made me realize I don't really know Elton John's work as much as I think I do but makes me want to go figure it out.

This album grew on me. I've never been huge into Elton John - his hits are good enough, but I never felt I needed to hear anything else. First few listens to this album didn't click either, but eventually I found it growing on me. Definitely a good album, but I don't know that it's one I will go out of my way to listen to again. That usually makes something a 3 in my book, but that doesn't feel right so I'll go with 4. Favorite tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, All the Nasties.

Fantastic!! An Elton John album!! With Tiny Dancer and Levon as Tracks 1&2! This should be a good listen! This album moves further into the psychadelic rock genre, while keeping the big band/strings accompaniment. It is definately front loaded, with the back half of the album falling kind of flat. This album is the third of five albums that Elton John released in an 18 month period. Bernie Taupin would write the songs, and Elton would put them to music. I guess Elton was so good at scoring music that Bernie would give Elton lyrics, and within an hour or so Elton would have all of the musical accompaniment figured out. These guys were just a powerhouse duo. Song writing machines!! This record did terrible on the UK charts, and may have been his worst tracking record there. It did better in the US, however. The odd thing is that the song Tiny Dancer was not a single in the UK, and was a single that didn't do that good in the US. It didn't become a smash hit as we see it today until the year 2000, with the release of the movie Almost Famous. The inclusion of that song in this movie made everyone rediscover it again and realize that it was a fantastic song. Tiny Dancer is actually about songwriter Bernie Taupin's then wife Maxine Feibelmenn, who had started touring with them, and was Elton's costume designer: Blue jean baby, LA lady, Seamstress for the band Overall, an excellent Elton album! Dries up towards the end, but is still an excellently produced and scored album just the same! Listening to this album today introduced me to some of Elton's lesser known songs such as Indian Sunset, which is a phenomenal story!! Favourite songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Indian Sunset, Holiday Inn, Rotten Peaches Least favourite song: All the Nasties 4/5

There’s definitely a formula to Elton John’s music, but it works! A classic if it ain’t broke approach to song writing.

překvapivě dobré na eltona

Never been Elton John's biggest fan, but I really enjoyed this album quite a bit. The squeaky helium voice is pretty much nonexistent outside of Tiny Dancer, where it fits anyway. So it allowed me to focus on the superior arrangements and songwriting, and now I have a greater level of appreciation for him. Thank you, 1001 Albums. Favorite track: Indian Sunset

A strong album from Elton John with standouts in Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across The Water and All The Nasties.

The distinct lack of helium-voice mode makes this my favorite Elton John studio album to date. It's nice to be able to evaluate him without nails on a chalkboard going on in my head. He's a fantastic storyteller and arranger. Favorite track: Indian Sunset

Tiny Dancer is my favorite Elton John song, and Levon is great. A solid album by one of my favorite artists.

Every time I thought I was leaning towards giving this album 3 stars, Elton would hit me with another beautiful melody. He's an icon and you can't deny it. With that said, I may never listen to this again, but it's still extremely solid.

Anything by Elton is going to get 4 stars. Lots of fun.

Baladas de Elton John. Un megahit. Un 4.

Perhaps it's a bit repetitive, perhaps it's a bit corny, but I like it anyways. It sounds sonically pleasant, and is emotionally gratifying.

Jackson Pollock: I'm back baby after a long hiatus. Tiny dancer to start, ok holl up, let em cook. Ok Levon is really good as well so far. A bit overly dramatic in the chorus, what did I expect. Got a little annoying towards the end because of the over the top nature. Also a weird almost autotune vibe which is annoying. Not a fan of Razor face. Indian sunset is a bit more stripped back so far which is refreshing. Indian sunset good. Holiday inn varied. Best Songs: Tiny Dancer Indian sunset Goodbye Worst songs: Razor face Overall: Some really good tracks in this album. I would also say there is some great variation. Elton and Bernie still don't really resonate with me. Especially Elton who can be overly dramatic/glossy in his melodies/music which grates me over an album. Luckily this album had some change ups from this with Indian Sunset and Goodbye. Tiny Dancer is obviously a great song as well. I think this places the album between a 3 and a 4. To be honest its probably a low 7 which rounds up to a 4.

Pretty maximalist, indulgent arrangements (Gospel choruses, orchestral backing, etc), and leaning into progressive rock territory. Track durations are similarly indulgent, but for the most part are used well - the 2:30 long buildup to the chorus in Tiny Dancer is completely worthwhile. I think Goodbye Yellow Brick Road might be a better executed album, but despite some mid-album filler this album isn't a slouch. Highlights: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Indian Summer 3.75

A bit of a fan. Weak 4 maybe?

More solid than it has any right to be.

Levon never gets old. This is good album. I’m going to start rating stuff one star higher because I feel like I’m low balling everyone.

Great ballads. Elton in his best arrangements

What can I say? It's 1971... sophisticated album; many textures and things happening at the same time. Don't know if I'll repeat it one day, though.

The basic template is repeated throughout and thus grows quite a bit samey, though of course it all sounds softly and expansively pleasant. Mix of steel guitar and full string section on “Tiny Dancer” works well, if oddly. "Levon" is among his best songs. Title cut lacks the dramatic impact Elton seems to be going for, and while string section toward the end is the best part of the song, it manifests the general overreliance on the orchestral effect generally. The song about Native Americans is borderline embarrassing. And did we really need the chorale on “All the Nasties.” Lyrics seem sprawling, nonsensical, non-plausible character sketches. More than meh, but not by much.

Fantastic album. It was dense and I really enjoyed this more that I had anticipated. Good amount of variety to this one, Indian Sunset and Rotten Peaches both had a bit of a Country shine to them and Holiday Inn had a Gaelic/Sea Shanty shimmer to it. Tiny Dancer is obviously great but the title track was awesome as well. This was a nice surprise for me. 4 stars

It's good. Not great, but still solid.

This is just as the album that gave us "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" should be. It's classic Elton John, and absolutely a nice listen for the day.

I see why people like Elton John now, but Indian Summer isn't an okay song.

LP

One of his finest moments. Kicking off with the all time singer/songwriter classics "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" is wonderful. The title cut is never given enough love (so it seems) and the last two tracks are some of my favorites in his discography. Elton's singing is great throughout the record.

classic

Better than expected. Of course there’s the memorable Tiny Dancer to start it off. If there’s a theme here, it’s cast outs and lonely people. Excellent production makes each track a treat to listen to. Still not sure if I’m an Elton John fan, but I can understand why people are.

The moment Elton John finally ascended to pop royalty. Bernie Taupin delivers some of his richest, most emotional lyrics and they pair perfectly with Elton’s powerful delivery.

Love Tiny Dancer, and Indian Sunset is always a classic. I Love the piano and Elton John ... Sir Elton John is a treasure. 4/5

Elton John est tout simplement en feu sur cet album. Son implacable homosexualité y est utilisée au meilleur escient possible pour nous produire un projet irrésistible. Du grand Elton.

Elton John est absolument exceptionnel, son homosexualité prononcée lui permet de proposer des sonorités musicales tout bonnement sensationnelles, on t'adore Elton.

Another iconic album.Elton John is such an amazing artist

Always enjoyed Elton John’s music. A few greats on this album, but didn’t love all the songs.

Awesome album. What can go wrong after you start the album with Tiny dancer. Everything else on it might not even be there... but it is slightly lackluster compared to the incredible-super-popular opening hit. Still good, just does not leave such an impact.

good

p236. 1971. Elton before he started strangling his vowels. Great voice, great songs, great production. Still sounds fresh today. Point deducted for some tracks straying to the usual early 70s 5 minutes+ wankage.

Very good

Yapos!

Great!

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

Classic

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

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

Early excellence from Reg

tiny dancer <3

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

Fun blend of pop and theatrical elements

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

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

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

One of the best

Yndisleg plata. Einfalt mál.

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

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

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

Amazing but not my fav album by Reginald.

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

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

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

An easy and intimate Sunday morning album.

Great 70s rock 👍

Hyvää musiikkia! Atmosfääreilyssä.. ollaan onnistuneita..

Very good album, very powerful, deep and meaningful

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

Tiny Dancer is such an insane Side 1 Track 1. Like WTF.

I'm lukewarm about this, but at least Elton John always brings the drama and the emotion

Sounds nice but a bit boring

Not even Elton's finest 6:17 that is Tiny Dancer can raise this above a 3. As for Indian Summer, I can see what he was trying to say..but dear lord there must have been less lumpy ways of doing it, still at least now I know where that 2Pac sample came from

Iconic first song in Tiny Dancer. Levon another huge song. Feels like a story is being told. Reminds me of Queen in a way I can't quiet put my finger on. 3.5-4/5.

Not really my cup of tea. Some famous songs.

This was tricky to me. I feel like I should have liked this more than I did. But by the end of the album, I kinda didn't feel much of anything. No strong feelings one way or the other. Tiny Dancer is great though at least.

Old Elton is a whiz on the ivories, but damn if all these songs don’t sound exactly the same. Tiny dancer is a classic, but every other song pretty much is just a worse version of that. If you live and breathe air Elton’s piano, this will be amazing all the way through. I found myself looking for more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bueno

2.5

When this opened with Tiny Dancer, I was prepared to really enjoy it; but that was definitely the strongest song on the album. And, for each solid single, I felt like there was an Indian Sunset. So, this ended up being pretty uneven for me.

Definitely a classic album but I haven’t heard many of the tracks on here besides Tiny Dancer. Not my favorite Elton John album but not bad.

Great album and great vocals but it felt kind of repetitive, still good though.

sing it elton

Starts out fantastic. "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon," which I especially enjoyed. Elton John's voice seems to be at peak in 1971. I wasn't familiar with "Razor Face" and "Madman Across the Water" before, but they were great, too, giving me the impression that the album was going to be straight bangers, the first Elton John album that didn't undercut my enjoyment of his near-perfect pop songs with stinkers. Then "Indian Sunset" shows up with its dated, sentimentalizing melodrama and... nope. "Holiday Inn" starts off with palate-cleansing instrumentation lead by mandolin, before being smothered by an orchestra. "Rotten Peaches" was pretty good, but "All the Nasties" was not. 3.5/5 in the end.

"An early album with a couple of early hits. This isn't a classic album, but there are a few all-time greats on here. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Tiny Dancer Levon"

Often, as standalone tracks, there are diamonds here, like tiny dancer. However, as an album, I dint get the logic or the point of view, and some songs are a bit egregious like Indian sunset. He sure can sing and play piano, its not horrible by any means, but not a must listen

kind of samey, loved tiny dancer

I feel like when you are a Billy Joel fan, like I am, people expect or assume you are an Elton John fan as well. And while I do really like his most noteworthy hits, the rest of his songs all feel like filler to me.

Madman Across the Water should be reimagined as a concept album about Donald Trump with songs such as 'Tiny (hands) Dancer' and 'All the Nasties'. As things stand it's Elton John if you like that. I Don't especially. 3 stars.

Tiny Dancer and Levon are bangers. The rest of the album, not so much. The lyrics were odd. The music was fine and Elton John can belt them out but it just didn't work for me. I'd listen to the first two songs any day of the week and the rest can stay out of my ears.

Another case of I wish I liked this more than I do. Hits are great, but the rest is unfortunately completely forgettable.

The Good: We know where the madman is! The Bad: Even on the other side, madness still follows us… The Ugly: Finding out that the Insaneman lives next door… I forget when it was, though I know that it was well before I started this journey here, that I decided to listen to the complete discography of certain big names in the music industry. Elton was one of them there names. Why this album is on the list, and Honky Chateaux isn’t beats me… it is a far superior album imho. This one, well it starts of grand, and is followed up by a song which, though I am certain I had listened to before, I couldn’t recall vividly listening to… Levon, what a gem of a tune… The rest of the album… filler. Bad filler. I feel bad for the madman across the water… he deserves better than this… 3*

Legendärer Opener, auch sonst ein ordentliches Album, aber nicht sein bestes.

Ich mochte den Beginn sehr gerne, irgendwann hat es mich verlassen. Aber Tendenz schon eher zu 4 Sternen als zu 2.