Madman Across The Water

Have to love Tiny Dancer. Levon is decent too. The rest? Not quite sure what he's on about.

Hyvää musaa mut ei parasta Eltonia

- tiny dancer remains fire - nice instrumentals as usual - i feel like i'm losing it is tiny dancer actually good or am i just used to it. because the rest of this album feels kind of eh. the instrumentals are very nice but i'm not really invested in the lyrics etc - favorite tracks: tiny dancer - rating: 3/5 because i gave bruce springsteen a 3/5 and tiny dancer is carrying this

No lo terminé, no venía mal, pero siento que son todos los temas parecidos

Tiny Dancer is iconic. I could pass on the rest

Songs are better than the album art

it's very elton john is it some bangers in there “Indian Summer” is ill advised at best

Maybe closer to a 4 but I'm feeling frisky

I did have a busy day today!

I really wish 'Tiny Dancer' weren't so overplayed. Solid album, but not my fave from him.

Good overall, but sounded like 45 mins of the same song.

This one starts off so strong, with the timeless Tiny Dancer, and you have high hopes for it with Levon (though the lyrics don't quite make sense), and then it goes downhill. Elton John's piano and singing, as well as the backing strings and drums, are solid throughout, but they can't quite rescue the sloppy lyrics to make it a repeat listen beyond the opening few songs.

Underwhelming?! Honestly felt like once I'd heard Tiny Dancer I'd heard them all. Not sure if it's my cuppa tea, at least not a full album of it. I think if I was hearing these as standalone tracks I could get more behind them (I did already know and love Tiny Dancer beforehand) but they began to merge into each other with the similar slow, belty, dramatic vibe. Every song is a crescendo so none of them stand out hugely. Indian Sunset was the only other track that stood out somewhat to me, but don't think I'll be rushing back. Also feel like Elton's voice doesn't hugely range emotionally, it doesn't feel super characterful. It's always 100% emotion. Relistening: Vibing more with the instrumental of Holiday Inn. In general I feel I'm vibing more with the instrumentals and less with the vocals, maybe I'm not a huge fan of Elton's vocals! Bit karaoke-y???

This one is all over the place. One phenomenal song, one great song, some mediocre songs and a racist song.

6.0/10

tiny dancer and levon. kind of drops off after that

“Tiny Dancer” and “Levon” are all-timers, but the most interesting track on this record to me was “All The Nasties”. To modern ears, it certainly sounds like a veiled song about coming out, but I could see how a 1971 crowd may not pick up on that. I know that EJ wouldn’t actually come out until 1976, and even then he came out first as bisexual, so it must not have caused too much of a stir at the time. Beyond that, this record feels very much like Elton doing peak Elton things. If that’s your thing, I’m sure you already know this record well. I appreciate Mr. John’s contributions to rock & roll, but I’ve never fully connected with his music. I wouldn’t complain if you put one of his records on, but I don’t picture myself ever reaching for one myself.

If you're gonna one-two punch with "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" you've already made a hell of a brew right away. And in fact, just about every song here is stunningly well-written and performed. But the grimace-inducing "Indian Sunset" leads to an album that really starts to sound exactly the same after a while. It will grow on me probably but at first blush this is a really great early album from an artist who had yet to really hit his peak.

A lot of solid tracks but a few came up short for me.

As long as he stays across the water.

Love the embroidery on the album cover (crewl stitch?). Starts of with my all-time-favorite Elton song, Tiny Dancer. This can't go wrong.

Solid

J'aimerais ça, quand j'écoute un record d'Elton, découvrir plein de deep cuts renversantes... mais c'est toujours juste les hits qui marquent vraiment.

Classics like Levon, Tiny Dancer, deeper cuts like Indian Sunset and Madman Across The Water also help, but weaker songs like Razor Face, Rotten Peaches and All The Nasties all struggle to have unique identities or stand out from each other. The lyrics sometimes feel too vague or obscure to fully get into on some songs. I still want to revisit this album, open to reassessing and giving it a higher score, the lyrics and hooks may just need more attention to stick.

This is inventive, his voice is excellent but it is dense and a bit incomprehensible at times- lacks the clarity of a bowie executed concept for example. Has a couple of strong tunes, sounds pretty coherent, but something is missing here. As prog goes this is more my style with the strings and psychedelia, but still not entirely compelling

That was a disappointing listening, as I expected much more from a Elton John's album. Favorite tracks: Tiny Dancer,

#295/1001. Funnily I have never seen this album cover in record stores, although I have done my share of picking. Perhaps I've skipped the John Elton sections. Also my knowledge of his music is limited to some of his radio hits, the movie and a making of Yellow brick road album documentary. This album provides us an orchestrated singer songwriter, ready to amaze friends of musicals all around the western hemisphere. The songs are not bad, but nothing stands out in the first listen. Then again I wouldn't mind having to listen to it again. Mostly harmless.

A wonderful opener in Tiny Dancer which is Elton at his best in my view. The rest of the album is listenable enough but pretty forgettable and at times feels like tiny dancer by numbers.

Symphonic Elton John

Propper concept album.

I realize there's a reason Elton John's Greatest Hits has sold a billion copies. Hold Me Close Young Tony Danza deserves all of its streams, as does Indian Sunset.

Eight generic Elton album tracks, and a bonus point for Tiny Dancer being incredible. 3.

Kinda surprised Tiny Dancer was the leadoff track. Seems more like a track 5 or 6. Indian Sunset is a real clunker. The whole album is a bit too grandiose and overwrought. If I wanted that, I would listen to Mickey Newbury's 'Frisco Mabel Joy from the same year.

Not really my vibe, but I love Tiny Dancer and Rotten Peaches

What a golden nugget. Some great songs on here, some blockbusters. What Elton John has done for music and still does, boosting young artists, is something you can’t knock. I just got abit fed up on the back end of the album i can’t put my finger on it. Maybe another listen is in order. This should have easy been a 4 but something held me back.

Enjoyed the compostions , always rated his work Elton , Tiny dancer is a lesson in great songwriting , some fantastic material on first half loved Indian sunset but then sort of tailed off quality wise don’t know what it was but didn’t draw me in although still great songs Id have liked a bit longer to fully appreciate the music on this one

Meganoioso, ma la musica non è malaccio

there's something conventionally good about this, but i'm not eating this up.

Nunca me ha entusiasmado el sonido de Elton John para detenerme a descubrirlo, pero no esta mal, solo no me termina de enganchar su pianorock

No puedo escuchar Elton John sin pensar en el segundo periodo presidencial de Bachelet. La conocí cuando estaba en 8vo básico. Que gran gobierno. Denme el bono marzo yo también tengo hijos

Keep this album across the water you tea sipping yokels. Seriously, aside from Tiny Dancer this album would be lost to the hippie zeitgeist. 3/5 stars because Tiny Dancer is good and the grandiose piano parts probably went on to influence Hollywood mob pieces more so than music.

very pleasant listen. never really have listened to him on my own accord and it was nice!

This one was fun. I only knew Tiny Dancer going into it, but the rest of it was still a good time. Turns out Elton John is pretty good at making good music. Thanks Elton. It's just not changing my rotation at all

I love Sir Elton, by this one was a liiiittle too same-y. It felt like the same 2-3 templates stretched into a while album. Granted, they are great templates, but it still didn’t have the depth I expected. 3-3.5

Not exacly my genre but better than others in the same group. Elton has a nice voice and can hold a nice note. A 3.5 for me.

It aint my vibe, but I like Elton John as a person and musician. Would I ever put it on again? No. Would I complain if some puts on some Elton John. No.

C'est la première fois que j'écoute vraiment du Elton John autrement qu'à la radio ou pendant un film ou une série. Et se pencher sur cet album est fort sympathique. Il est connu pour ses parties au piano et bien entendu, c'est l'attraction principale. Du reste, j'ai pas tant accroché que ça, même si c'est de toute évidence très très cool. Ce sera un trois, mais un beau trois (je déteste la notation sur 5, c'est tellement limité).

3a pga tiny dancer

Svårt att följa upp första låten. Ojojoj. Vilken astronomisk mörsare. Tiny Dancer! Lite segt efter.

TIL Elton tried prog. Tiny Dancer carries this album. Levon is also good. But the whole album is obscenely over-produced. Indian Sunset is likely the worst song that Bernie Taupin ever wrote, though.

Tiny Dancer and Levon are always great - Madman Across the Water is also pretty good. Otherwise, the album feels alright but nothing too special

First two tunes are excellent. Rest is pretty mehh.

Classic Elton John sound. Tiny Dancer starts things off great, but the hidden gem is Indian Sunset. Razor Face also slaps. The rest of the album is fairly meh to me. Elton John definitely has better albums, even if all his music is good. 3/5

This guy is simply a legendary songwriter and performer. That's why it pains me to say I'm not into his music. It's good. It just doesn't resonate with me. Still this is a pretty good album. Just not for me.

A couple of big well-known songs but I found a lot of this album sort of boring. Sorry. 3

Perfect noncommittal three star rating. Didn't love it but a two star review for Elton is inconceivable.

Enjoyable and well paced, I found this album overall to be a good balance of vocal performance and song craft.

I like Elton John! I'm no super fan or anything but I like his voice and I think his writing is filled with emotion and Bernie Taupin's lyricism is evocative while remaining digestible and simple. Never heard before Honky Chateau so looking forward here. 1. Tiny Dancer - man I gotta say, I never expected that famous melody to be so delayed. Worked out well, hardly noticed this was that song until it showed up like 3 minutes in and hit like a truck. Wiki says this album is considered prog rock? I'm not sure I get that considering what we'd call prog today. Like, later Yes is what I'd consider early prog and even that's a stretch nowadays. Mix is so tight on this album, too. It's interesting that the sound I really associate with American country rock (big, cinematic strings, twangy guitar, lap guitar, lead piano) are all over the song and album from what I've heard. Not a bad thing, I think that concept actually works well here while it always flops with the country rock stuff for me. Maybe the writing is better, or maybe the drums actually mean something here? Either way, that connection I was talking about between country (og) and soul (og) still coming up and I'm still right. Strings killing it on this album, wonder who did the arranging. Nothing like Step's for EWF but just a big wall of sound appearing as a strong counter melody. Works well. 2. Levon - let's see if I remember that melody from yesterday! ** I did, like a second after writing that. That "heeee shallll beee leevooonn" is a really strong melody and v familiar. Same melody actually as "And looooove woooont leeet me waiiiitt..." in Major Harris' song. I think it's a soul cliche. This one also starts with piano intro only, I think that's just an Elton John thing? I think some of the melodies are similar too, and the way Elton John's melodic phrasing is too. But, I don't mind. Doesn't get stale very fast, and I think that's a testament to his singing and of course the arrangement of the song. Something I'm noticing on second listen is that Bernie Taupin's lyrics are evocative of emotion without really using them to describe emotion. He's mostly telling stories or painting profiles of characters with the words, but he's never saying "I'm sad and here's how I'll tell you in a clever, lyrical way". In fact, outside in, his lyrics are not terribly personal since they're about events or people. Kinda Dan-like in that way, less morbid though (normally). Again, strings playing the role of a strong counter melody when necessary. 3. Razor Face - I'm not sure I enjoy the lyrical structure on this one as much for some reason. It's definitely the same as before though. "Has anybody seen Razor FACE, I heard he's back and looking for a PLACE to lay down" has a meter similar to "BalleRINA, you must have SEEN HER" but something about the groove is complementing it this time. But, the groove is cool. Jam break down at the end, a la Pinball Wizard. This one's alright, not gonna be my first pick if the album comes back on but it's got a laid back feel and I wouldn't skip it. 4. Madman Across the Water - Strings once again playing very cinematic. Sounds like the theme to a modern western still set in the Old West. Not a bad thing, they are killing it. A little more than a one melody wall of sound on this one. Melody is very nice. The lyrical problem of last song doesn't happen here. Maybe it's because Tapin's usual structure is AABB (bad-sad, then moon-June, etc) and that structure doesn't work well with shorter passages. John's melodic passages are usually longer though, so it normally works out. Maybe that's it, cuz those lyrics are working just fine here. Not grating at all. ****ADVICE: Changing my normal lyrical structure and meter based on the length of a passage so that the words don't come out hokey or grating.**** Shorter melodic passages will need more varied rhyming patterns, while longer ones can get away with the somewhat expected AABBCC etc format. 5. Indian Sunset - this song FUCKED me up yesterday listening in the car. That "full of lead" line was nuts, melody and lyrics. I read that most of this isn't historically accurate, it's just a story and what a story. Even I with my level 2 apple imagination get a pretty vivid sense of imagery here. Vocals upfront after the intro are nice and bold. I wonder what motivated this song, it's a bit of an odd topic to write on without an emotional connection. Like, he's a 70s Englishman so to write something on a topic that would seem so intimate (potentially, I could be wrong) to a Native American is pretty left field, I think. Composition is once again v cinematic. And the lyrics are similarly cinematic, super strong and evocative. Hate to keep saying that word, but they're colorful. Ending is sick!! Let's hear it for abrupt endings not on beat one, or the tonic. 6. Holiday Inn - one thing I haven't touched on which is totally an Elton John-ism is the big full shouty choir for like one line or a few words to add punch to a moment. It's like the whole town showed up to shout "SLOW DOWN JOE!" mostly in tuned harmony and it really works. Makes that bit and the ones following it super memorable. I like the usage of mandolin in this tune, makes a nice bohemian sound that I think it intentional given the subject of the song. Whoever mixed these drums and the album as a whole deserves an award. I hope they got it. And if not, I hope they get it. Is it weird that I consider the Elton John sound to be almost quintessentially Americana, but he's so British? Like, MacArthur Park Americana. That sound. 7. Rotten Peaches - oooh minor 4! my fav. Goddamn that twangy ass guitar, how is this not country rock?? Like 70s country rock. I don't hear this as prog. I'm not insulting it by calling it country rock, it's way better than that. But the sound is there. I'm noticing that some of the songs have the same groove, and it's okay since it's not the majority and they're broken up well. Also noticing a very active and melodic bass player on this album, but especially this song. He hit a bad minor run up top but otherwise he's quite on it. 5-4-1 ending is cool with the lalas. 8. All the Nasties - oh my, large chamber choir on the feature! Same groove again, not quite tired yet. Getting there, but we're not there yet. Again, helps that other parts of the texture differ. This one is mostly keys and drums and that big choir. Pretty sparse on the other stuff for the most part. Starting with that "do do do dum do dum doo doo oh my soul" thing, I'm really having a good time with the groove, in fact. Good build up and craaaaazy reverb on the drums. You can hear the air inside the drum's reverb response. 9. Goodbye - super moody right up front. Orchestra doing more than punch tactics here too. This is so melancholy for the last song, that's unusual. Elton John was pretty clearly classically trained as far as playing and composing, the progression here shows that. The melody as well. I liked that. I think that it would have been super tight had we ended right after Holiday Inn. The last few tracks were good but they were when I started noticing some of the grate and churn that comes with having similar groove and melody structure to most of the songs. That said, the groove is a good one and Elton John can really compose. Taupin's lyrics are beloved for a reason. I think the choice to end on a low note is kind of a strange one, but I don't hate it. I'd say that if we stopped after track 6, I'd put this album at a solid 4. As it is, though, it's a bit bloated. So I'd call it a 3.7 or 3.8. Better than the last, but as a whole on the 3 level. Almost 4! (I'm going to make it so that the decimals don't round, but they're still good to note here)

A couple of classic songs, but not his best album.

I've certainly known a bunch of Elton John singles over the years, but this is the first full album of his I've listened to. I enjoyed it well enough! Some good musical diversity, and a lot of the lyrics were more varied in topic and tone than I expected. His voice is great. This album cover is fucking awful.

This Elton album feels monumental, loud. I enjoy that the aptitude for vocals and instrumentals match one another. Good listen.

bringing that piano bar ambiance to my nightly aimless scroll

Review - this album was ok. Not his best work. But at least now I know where the sample in Ghetto Gospel comes from Rating - 6/10 Need to listen? YES

Elton John is not one of my favs. It is nice to hear this old music again.

Tiny Dancer and Leave On is a one-two killer punch. Unfortunately, the rest of the album does not stay at that high level, but still enjoyable and will listen to again.

Tiny Dancer is a classic, the rest is okay

2'5

A very cinematic album, Madman Across the Water has some high highs and few plateaus but not every songs really hits the spot for me. While I can appreciate the energy Elton John conjures for some of these, I prefer the somber and ambient pieces on this album more, perhaps they clash so much with the public perception he has gathered. Best songs are Madman Across The Water and Indian Sunset. 7/10, perfectly fine.

Nemam šta pametno kazati za ovaj album.... Ocena je 3/5

like the slower tempo. the vocals are very satisfying. favorite is probably Madman Across the Water. the lyrics are nice.

Meh a couple ok spots but he has better

2/3. Who doesn’t like Elton John? I found myself enjoying this one, I’ve heard it before but only listened all the way through once. Tiny Dancer, Levon, and All the Nasties were highlights, despite it’s questionable lyrics I enjoyed Indian Sunset as well. Love the simple piano, bass, and drums combo.

This album opens strong. Tiny Dancer is a absolute great song. Followed up by Levon? Holy shit is this a greatest hits album? Razor Face? Man Across the Water ok your winning me back... WTF is Indian Sunset? It goes on like this where it roller coasters and you never hit the high of the first song. It's a series of up and down where you know the talent is there but this isn't a whole album showing it. Is Elton a greatest hits artist? Do you only get the greatest hits album and call it a day?

Pretty standard Elton John affair.

Solid but not my style

One of the most average albums I've ever heard. It's not bad, but I don't really need to listen to it again, except for Tiny Dancer.

Hold me closer, Tony Danza. Count the head lice on the highway. </3 Not my favorite Elton album and it is still beautiful and good, but it was kind of boring to me personally and kind of droned on. He has much more dynamic and interesting records imo. 3/5

Indian Sunset really soured this for me

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

I don't like this nearly as much as Yellowbrick Road. It has it's moments, but for the most part isn't an album I'm going to want to put on to listen to start to finish again very often. 2.75/5

Too much of this feels like sir Elton was swinging for the fences when he should have been trying to get on base. Rotten peaches is great, pleasantly surprised by holiday inn. Indian sunset is a disaster.

I've always been pretty whelmed Elton John and this album did nothing to sway me. It's got some highs (the start and Rotten Peaches) and some lows, but I don't feel like I came to a new spot. 3.5

It’s got the hits but the other songs are less memorable

The bitch is back! (oops, that's not on this album...) I was wondering when I'd get more Elton John, though. This doesn't waste any time, jumping right into the sprawling epic that is "Tiny Dancer". But uh, I guess that's pretty much it here. "Levon" is a semi-highlight, but the rest of the album felt a bit flat or more gospel-y in comparison.

Tiny Dancer is nice but everything else felt very similar. Maybe it's just Elton Johns singing style, but I wasn't the biggest fan.

7.5/10

Good album

Tiny Dancer is such a classic, but the rest just didn't pull me in enough.

I really enjoyed the sound of this album while listening to it, Elton has a vocal delivery that I really enjoy, and the melody and instrumentation (particularly the strings) are fantastic, but strangely I find that by the end of the tracklist, nothing really sticks with me beyond Tiny Dancer, and perhaps Levon. Razor Face I particularly disliked, and felt like a real dip after the stellar back to back of the first two tracks. Another stand out moment is in Indian Sunset. While a song in the perspective of a Native American written by a white Englishman in the 70s feels a bit iffy, the line "What kind of words are these to hear from Yellow Dog who the white man fears?" has such a cold delivery with such fantastic arrangement that I can sort of look past it. Beyond that, as much as I enjoyed my time while listening, I don't really see myself going back to this one. Plus the album cover is strikingly uninteresting. Fav Track: 1 - Tiny Dancer Best Three Track Run: 4, 5, 6

First two songs hit hard, after that not much that caught my attention.

eh

Starts with a couple classics and then just meh...

Elton jogão gosta de música longa né?

Liked.

6/10, blago iznadprosjecan album, svaka pisma je isti ili slican vibe, nista nije lose al mi opet nista nije pamtljivo osim Tiny Dancer Najbolja pisma: Tiny Dancer Najgora pisma: Rotten Peaches (sve su pisme ok)

songs are waaay too long, Honky Chateau and Goodbye yellow brick road easily top this.

Indian Sunset is a trip.

This is one of the better Elton John albums and Tiny dancer is probably his best song, but there still are way too many piano ballads on this record.

Two power house songs to start the album. The rest keeps the energy but doesn’t have the noteworthy songs.

Pretty good overall. Makes me want to listen to more Elton John since i never have.

My dad's favourite musician through most of my youth. Might be more indifferent if this wasn't formative music. Also kinda think though that Elton John rocks more in total than say, the Rolling Stones. Indian Sunset is rough. Probably 4 stars without that one. (⌐■_■)

Pretty vibey Album, still exploring music so i dont have a baseline to rate this album. And if i treat this as baseline, ill give it a 3 and every album here on shall be compared to this album.

I didn't love this album. I liked a couple of the classic songs. I think the Indian song threw me off. Why is he singing about the Iroquois as a Brit singer? It's a 3 for me.

6/10

I wish I could give this a 3.5 because I think it’s a great album but it won’t be in my personal rotation.

Pretty good Elton John album. I'd say a 6/10 is an appropriate score.

Liked it Favourite song was tiny dancer Didn’t like how all the songs were quite long

This was really nice surprise more songs really clicked than I expected

Good Elton, but not great.

What an opener! Shame the rest isn't that good. 2,5

A classic

One of only two Elton albums despite an incredible run in the 70s, I'd already broken my duck for opening my mind by buying Tumbleweed Connection a year ago. This one is a more ornate affair, starting with the superb Tiny Dancer, but otherwise being short of "hits" it's still a compact suite of songs that sit well with each other. I've read criticism in particular for "Indian Summer" elsewhere but this even seemed fine to me.

to be listened to

Liked the prog rock elements. As an album from start to finish I liked it better than honky chateau but feel that HC has better individual songs.

Decent

7/10 Good for cooking and just chilling at home

Really good songs just not my cup of tea

Good but not the vibe to listen to the whole thing Didn’t finish whole thing

Love some Elton John, but this album didn’t feel as deep as a lot of his others. Still good though.

Gostei. Nunca tinha ouvido Elton John.

I’ve tried to listen to more of Elton John’s music before as I quite enjoy some of his most popular tracks including Tiny Dancer. However, I haven’t found much else I liked which makes me wonder if part of why I like the most played tracks is because they are familiar. Gave this album another try and for me it was just ok, nothing stood out beyond the first track. 3/5

This album contains hypnotising piano chords, lyrics that touches our hearts and melodies that are very difficult to forget. I had only heard ‘Tiny Dance’ before jumping into this album, and I’m glad to have finally listened to it as a whole. It’s such a cohesive album with songs that make me want to reflect upon every single life decision I’ve ever made until now. Elton John is a genius and “Madman Across the Water” proves it.

Very good album 7.5/10

Nice, nostalgic album. Easy listening.

Elton john is great but i really dont like a lot of him all at once.

It’s got some good songs. I just wasn’t totally into it.

Not one of his more popular albums. A little more "rock" than I'm used to with an Elton John album. I feel like other albums of his are much better.

Better than a lot of stuff we have to listen to, for sure. My thoughts during Tiny Dancer were, "Y'know, this is pretty good. Let's see what the deep cuts sound like." And then (surprise!), they sound just like Tiny Dancer. I was teetering on a 4, but in the end, not enough variety to get me there.

Luv a bit of tiny dancer. Elton John isn’t one of my favs tho unfortunately.

Tiny Dancer - i always forget how much i like elton johns voice. love how it sounds doubled. the string writing is actually lovely. i think the bass could be higher in the mix but i always say that. piano gets a little repetitive. progression is slow but really nice. Levon - his voice is a tiny bit overwrought imo and he doesn't really sound into it. strings are weaker (though admittedly. better than 99% of pop strings) and drums feel a little slow and heavy. just a lot of places where it sounds awkward. it's uhhh. not terrible. another "fuck ending this song fade to black" idk everyone just sounds bored :/ Razor face - vocals Much better than Levon. HAMMOND ORGAN !!!!! Guitar is nice. much better progression, nice rise and fall of tension ig. not sure abt the mouth organ solo but the bass sounds fit. madman across the water - band is TIGHT. love love love the slower pace with that rhythm. his voice is incredible in this one. bass is fit. like the strings but could be phrased more. piano and guitar is gorgeous. lovely lovely lovely. indian sunset - never heard this one before. initially unrecognisable as elton but the irish ish folky style of singing is so good. that drum in the beginning is fit. phenomenal piano. mildly insane to go from so folky to usual elton. again string writing is good but their performance is lacklustre, could definitely use more attack and drama. again bass and drums fantastic. brass,,,,, eh. idk if it's the mix but the best i can say is they're present. holiday inn - another really folky sound to start, really love it. less together overall, both vocals (when with backing) and strings. the acoustic guitar is cute. mum broke out the irish whistle for this one <3. again strings...... put some effort in. his piano should sound cheesy but he fucking pulls it off. drums are heavy but it suits this one well. "fuck ending this song fade to black" rotten peaches - very country sound,,, prefer the irish folky ones honestly. it's not a standout. dnf, repetitive. all the nasties. bit disjointed. choir sound great in places (outright terrible in others.....) but dont really connect with the rest of the song. elton sounds a bit bored. overall weakest song on the album so far. gospel-y bit at the end i think doesnt work, they sound bored shitless. goodbye - ugh his voice is fucking good when he goes for it. the breakup energy is off the charts /pos. string writing lovely. short but sweet, nice ending to the album. as a whole album it sound incoherent. i have no idea the history of it so dont quote me. ive never heard elton sound bored in his songs before so was a bit shocked at some of these. the strings were hit or miss, mainly dragged down by the performers just not fucking phrasing or playing with enough emotion. i can hear how it would sound gorgeous though so it's just kind of frustrating. Elton's writing for strings is overall spot on but the performances. .... ugh. generally bass drums and guitar v v good (some exceptions). though i only listened to the studio versions, might check out the live versions to see if they're any different 3.5/5

Tiny dancer is a great song to kick off the album, and I think we can all agree it's a huge kick. But the rest? Everything seemed like he was just doing the same thing, and saying Jesus a lot. Anyone else notice that? 3 Stars.

Great,opening track. The rest... meh.

Listened: in bed and washing up Tiny dancer

very nostalgic, i remember listening to some of these songs as a kid

3.5 stars mehhh not really my thing but the quality it's undeniable, especially about the instrumentals

Vähän jännä että tämmönenkin Elttonin levy päässy listalle, ei oo kuitenkaan kuin yks hitti levyllä. Luulis että sieltä ois monta parempaakin löytynyt. Noh ehkä niidenkin aika koittaa. Tämä on aika perusmeininkiä, ei mitään ihmeellisyyksiä, eli peruskolmonen.

Tiny Dancer and Levon to open youd be expecting a 5...then the rest of the album is just lesser versions of Tiny Dancer and Levon haha Nothing wrong with continuity of sound on an album...but this was very similar track to track.

Not my fave of his.

Never heard of this album … assuming there is more Elton on the list. It was fine . Tiny dancer obviously stands out. Won’t rush to listen again.

Nice production but many did not hit it for me

maybe not my number one choice, but def a nice roadtrip or camping type soundtrack & its impact is of course huge

Compelling vocal performance and excellent instrumentation throughout. Not my home base musically, but enjoyable cover to cover.

3.5

Decent 3,5

This Elton John album is pretty fine; it has a hit song as the opener and a bunch of other decent tracks. Album cover is not that great.

181225 11:32 3 / highlights: tiny dancer, levon

it's a 3.5

Funny that this is the first album generated. Yesterday I had the idea, based on this record being suggested to me by Tidal, to listen to Elton John's discography but I didn't make it through the first record. We'll see how this goes. This starts with Tiny Dancer which could be good or it could just be downhill from here. It's a solid record but not really my style. Has a few standout tracks, though. Fav tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, All the Nasties

Having not been a big Elton fan i was not expecting much but as ive grown i can see why people like him. This has not converted me but the melodies and piano playing were enjoyable he is a talented songwriter and deserves his flowers

Most of the songs sounds like Tiny Dancer but worse.

wouldnt listen to this on a daily basis, maybe while reading or in the background while doing chores, not my cup of tea to listen it more often after the first listen but the production is great

Billy Joel or Elton John? I gotta go with Billy

Aside from the two standout hits, “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon,” I wasn’t very familiar with this album before listening. It has some strong moments, particularly the brooding title track, but overall, it’s not Elton John’s finest work. In my view, his career truly peaked with the three brilliant albums that followed.

It's not bad, I just don't dig 6 minute piano-driven ballads.

Album Rate: 5 Tiny Dancer: 6 Levon: 3,5 Razor Face: 2 Madman Across The Water: 6,5 Indian Sunset: 6 Holiday Inn: 5 Rotten Peaches: 5,5 All The Nasties: 5,5 Goodbye: 5 Álbum com a sonoridade clássica da época em que foi lançado. Não é algo que me atraia tanto como outras sonoridades de outras épocas daí a nota 5 ser previsível!

The rest of the album doesn’t live up to Tiny Dancer. It was fun enough to listen to but nothing really stuck with me and I probably wouldn’t listen again. Tiny Dancer is so good though. Fav song: Tiny Dancer Least fav: Indian Sunset

Didn't blow me away as much as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Tiny Dancer is such an iconic song that the rest of the album just really doesn't compare, especially Indian Sunset which feels very unnecessary. Favourite song: Tiny Dancer Least: Indian Sunset

elton john is elton john to me... he sings... he plays da piano... he does his work and it sounds like good music. i bet this woulda played allll the damn time on radio lmao cause it's good safe music.

The expectations of this album were certainly met, exactly what you would think if Elton John did prog rock with nice piano parts and his infamous voice. Tiny Dancer is definitely the best on the album, but the rest isn't so bad.

A couple of winners (Tiny Dancer and Levon) with the rest being adequate.

I knew Tiny Dancer of course and have heard Levon before. I preferred the other Elton album in this exercise but still a decent listen, the title song was quite grand and definitely the highlight alongside TD

I wasn't blown away by this. Tiny Dancer is good, and I enjoyed the title track and Indian Sunset, but not much else here stood out. I'm giving it a 3.

With gems like "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" kicking off the album, I expected a juggernaut of an album. Unfortunately, while some other tracks were solid ("Madman, Razor Face"), I would have no reason to listen to side 2. 3 stars simply for Tiny Dancer.

Elton John could sing the phone book but the lyrics were phoned in

Levon is still my favorite Elton John song and it's on here, although this isn't my favorite Elton John album. Regardless, it's cohesive and a good listen all the way through.

Listened to it for a bit,it’s Elton John so it’s good just not my fav

Je suis pas sûre si j'aime ça ou non du Elton. John... C'est drôle, on dirait qu'il a son son signature, facile à reconnaître, sans que ce soit forcément très original. Aussi, on dirait que je peux pas m'empêcher de penser au roi Lion à chaque fois que j'entends du Elton John, c'est tout ce que j'entends! Les tounes sont bonnes par contre, Tiny Dancer est un banger plaisir coupable. Les textes écris par Bernie Taupin, plusieurs avec une imagerie forte, voire meme des histoires racontées comme Indian Sunset, je les ai écoutés semi attentivement comme d'habitude. C'est quand même son 4e album en 18 mois! Quote tirée d'une autre review 1001AG : " This one of the earliest albums where the mixing board becomes a musical instrument on its own (the producer, Gus Dudgeon, knew exactly when to ‘tell’ the piano to sit back and let the backing musicians take over)."

For whatever reason, Elton John's music has always pretty much left me cold, and this hasn't changed my mind. I was surprised by 'Indian Summer', which seems like well-meaning but clueless cultural appropriation - and even more surprised to learn that he was still singing it live in 2011.

I don't mind a little bit of Elton John.

not so bad, you can see why he was so popular

6/10

'Jesus freaks, out in the street / Handing tickets out for God.' I'd be lying & inconsistent if I said I didn't value 'Tiny Dancer,' one of those inane classics that oughtn't work but do and there's not much else to say 'bout it. 'Levon' is a noble second helping of that seminal track, continuing the odd tributes to Jesus + Americana: I never knew Elton John was essentially a Brit doing some kind of prog-country act. By the time 'Razor Face' starts, however, I no longer care for the orchestral pretensions, the melodramatic storytelling (the nadir being 'Indian Sunset'), or John's bright mundanities. Things are slightly bettered on 'Holiday Inn' - 'Slow down Joe, I'm a rock and roll man' - but if there's genius on this record, it's privileged on the first two tracks.

Interesting listening to a young Elton John and admiring his unchanging essence as well as how his vocals have evolved. Loved tracks Madman Across the Water and Tiny Dancer.

The compositions here are very sweet but the songs are quite trite.

Perfectly well to listen to. He sounded less raw in his lyricism compared to on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road though, so I automatically draw a comparison where GYBR comes out on top. Still, this is by no means bad.

Just like with the previous Elton John album: Sounds nice but that's about it. Lyrically not crazy, but very nice to listen to nonetheless. You wouldn't catch me saying 'oh let's listen to an Elton John album' very often unfortunately, but I don't mind it playing in the background.

I didn't realize that I never really listened to a full Elton John album before

Elton John always feels like background music to me. It’s chill, just a guy with his piano. His voice is good and the songwriting is pretty good. I would really give this a 3.5 but since there weren’t stand out songs, this will be a 3 for me

Good listen!

Enjoyed much more than I thought I would

All the drums sound so good Very solid, just not necessarily my thing all the time

Tiny Dancer is a classic. Good album overall, lots of ballads.

This is a good album, it's just that I like other Elton John records a lot more. This one is great because of Tiny Dancer, but it's hard to have other songs as great to follow when you have that one as an opener. But it's a good album nonetheless.

I've never given Elton John the time of day, however, I thought every song on this album was pretty good. I probably won't go back and listen again but it was well worth my time.

Eeeeeeeh. When he gets it right elton can be fantastic, but this really didn't do much for me. Tiny Dancer is good and there are flashes of inspiration in Levon and the title track, and Nasties. But then Indian Summer is pretty awful, and several tracks fail to do anything with their concepts, getting mired down in frills and failing to really grab. Its not awful but cant go higher than 3.

First 2 songs go so hard, after that was hard for me to stay engaged

This doesn’t change my opinion that there are no Elton John album tracks really worth bothering with, but it comes closer to changing my mind than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road did. Tiny Dancer is so good that not being able to resist singing “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” doesn’t even ruin it.

Opening with the best song on the album by far is an underrated move. Give the people what they came for

Beautiful album.

Fav song: Tiny Dancer Starts really strong but I think Elton John's song writing is a little lost in the sauce. It kinda feels like it goes too many places while at the same time - going nowhere at all. The production and instrumentation is absolutely amazing though, maybe one of the best sounding records from the 70's ever made.

Never listened to this in entirety, heard a bunch of the songs, obviously. Good album. Not as good as brick rd tho

7/10 - my first full Elton John album, now I get it

Can't say I listened super closely while this was on during a road trip, but I think I got the gist. 6 for Tiny Dancer, 3 for the rest. Average 3.5

Short, a bit front loaded but it's Tiny Dancer so it's unavoidable

lost a star because of the weird song about Indigenous people. I know it was 1971, but like... do we have to use every stereotype at once? really?

The album is not bad. I'm not a big fan of Elton John but did not suffer with this album. I find it pretty consistent and would probably revisit it in the future. 3.5

I liked this a lot but there's a few songs that stuck out to me as having melodic and lyrical strength. Everything else sounds the same...I really want to give this 3.5 stars for the production, Levon and All the Nasties. Obviously tiny dancer. Just wish this felt more like a whole.

Tiny Dancer is the standout here, but I didn't connect with the rest of this album like I did for GYBR. This album I think really shows off the depth that Elton John can have. his singing and composition is soo good, i just don't think that I connected with this album as much. i did listen to the first half again as the album looped around, but it still didn't jump out to me. a good Elton album, but not my favorite i would say

Starting to discover that I’m only really a fan of Elton John’s hits and not much else, so a front-loaded album like this kinda made me lose some interest halfway through. It wasn’t bad though, I’ll never complain about some piano-driven ballads, it just didn’t blow my socks off.

7/10

Some good moments but not something I would listen to casually

good album

Reminds me of tumbleweed connection. I like this less produced sound

Elton John er bare lit. Det topper baroque pop med såddan lidt rock indover. Det er piano rock også? Det giver nok lidt sig selv hvad det er. Jeg synes hele albummet var rigtig godt.

Early in the chronology, middling in the oeuvre, low on the Elton totem pole for me. 2.5 gets to 3 for all that came before and after.

Favorite track(s): Tiny Dancer, Madman Across The Water, Indian Sunset

It's Elton John. It's a solid album. However, I do not think its really exceptional compared to his other work. None of the songs really hit the spot.

3 - pretty good album, thought I would like it more tho

This is very cool. I think this is my favourite Elton John era so far (Welton John, according to the cover?) I really like that there is a consistent piano led small band throughout - it's less ambitious than later records with a wider variety of instrumentation maybe but I feel like it flows better. I also appreciate the relative lack of those Elton John piano rock and roll songs that are more prominent on other records. It's so difficult to listen to tiny dancer with fresh ears!

Tiny dancer and Levon are incredible. I wasn’t expecting the rest of the album to be so one note. A little disappointing

It was okay, standard Elton. I'd give that a 6/10

Classic rock radio stations drilled the first two tracks into my head for the first half of my life and maybe that gave me a bit of an allergic reaction to the rest. It's just kind of a specific sound and you're either on board for it at that moment or you're not. I wasn't having any fun until around 'Holiday Inn' and 'Rotten Peaches'.

I don't know, it's just now what I'm into I guess. Piano and ballads, but there is a sense of prog rock here, albeit through the Elton filter. Title track is good, better than the hyped Tiny Dancer.

First 2 songs - absolute bangers! Rest of the album - it’s just about ok I think. I am glad I have listened to an Elton John album though and not just a greatest hits compilation.

Pleasant enough listen but definitely peaks with Tiny Dancer. All sounds a bit same-y.

My wife and her sisters grew up firmly believing that the song lyrics were "Hold me closer, Tony Danza."

A number of years ago we were having a big family dinner in Delhi and in a rare moment of silence, apropos of absolutely nothing, one of my ancient Kashmiri aunts looked up from her food and screamed, "Elton John! He is gay! But what a VOICE!"

Tiny Dancer. Most of the songs follow that vibe. Need to listen again for the lyrics.

I'm glad I finally listened to an entire Elton John album instead of just hearing the hits. But with that said, Elton John just seems to be the living embodiment of kitsch. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it is not something that leads me to think you are making a good album.

I know who Elton John is, but I've never listened to an album so this is a first. Starts with a banger. After that, hmm. Why are the songs so long. Some interesting parts, but never rising above the first track. 3 Heard before? Some Owned: No: 24/99 (24%) Will I get?

Tiny Dancer could be the whole album, but Sir Eltie also gives us Levon, Razor Face and Rotten Peaches among other contenders. What drags down the rating are some is some drag on the back half and the truly embarrassing Indian Sunset. Ah well.

Elton John's experiment with prog rock is definitely a good album, with some complex songwriting and strings that elevate the entire thing at the right points. "Tiny Dancer" was obviously a massive hit as well. Aside from that, the title track (evidentally not written about Richard Nixon as rumored) is a stand out for me. Overall, it's good, but doesn't reach the level of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and his glammier, poppier material that he's best known for today.

Solid album but nothing really stood out to me sadly.

I'm usually impressed by the Sir's work but this one was less exhilarating than his other albums. Still some very impressive writing/performing chops on display but there's a few too many forgettable tracks. That said, this one's still pretty great. fav tracks: Goodbye, Tiny Dancer, Indian Sunset

*Tiny Dancer: I've obviously heard this a million times due to being a human being on Earth. it's a classic for a reason, basically a flawless song. never noticed that it's over six minutes long before Levon: pretty sure I've heard this one before too. it's decent, a little hokey for me but that's Elton John's gig Razor Face: some of these harmonies are not quite harmonizing. love the moment when the full instrumental drops in for the chorus but the melodies throughout are pretty unmemorable *Madman Across the Water: I like that he's taking a lot of big swings on this track. some interesting sonic choices in the chorus (that massive synth-y guitar tone rules) and he's really going for it with the vocals. super theatrical Indian Sunset: cool song, cinematic storytelling. it's obviously intended to speak about the horrors of U.S. colonization but the optics on this one are a little questionable in the modern era lol. Elton John indigenous roleplay. Holiday Inn: it's good. it's more of the same *Rotten Peaches: really like that grittiness in his voice in the chorus, it's a catchy hook and everything that needs to hit hits. it's the exact same song again but it's better than some of the other times he played it on here All the Nasties: you can't tell me this isn't from a stage play. "You'd turn a full-blooded city boy into a full-blooded city man" is a hard line. wanted the second half to build to something more impressive, I like that the song had some room to breathe and grow but it never quite clicked *Goodbye: vox going crazy. beautiful little song, doesn't overstay its welcome. this album is quality but it definitely starts to feel like the same song again and again. wish it had some more diversity but it could be a positive for others; if you're really in love with that sound you're eating good. I think he leans into what he does best, he gives theatrics and dramatics and puts the piano front and center. not my personal fav but I get the hype. he should have put Tiny Dancer at the end because not one track on here can follow that __ SCORE: 6.5/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Rotten Peaches, Goodbye

easiest listen yet. not bad though

Elton is masterful on the piano and a talented songwriter, this much we know. Tiny Dancer is a lovely piece of work and there are some other nice tracks on here. He can conjure up a beautiful sentimental feeling out of nowhere stroking those ivory keys. However, I don’t think it’s his best work, there’s some weak stuff on here and Indian Sunset is a BIT of a strange listen in 2025, although some novelty factor to hear where the Tupac Ghetto Gospel sampling came from.

I dont know this album well but for me this sounded like an Elton John that had all the talent and ability to curate music within himself (or around him) but just without the final polish that made him a great. When I broke this down we had some lyrically excellent songs, different melody compositions which showcase individuals musical talent, amazing show pieces etc. It just doesnt come together perfectly in my opinion. Just not enough high quality bangers in the album to elevate this. Tiny Dancer was the one strong standout with a few more minor standouts amongst it but not a complete package.

Elton John is a hard artist to categorise. I guess its rock and roll, but then there is also a piano-forward, pop ballad element to a lot of his music that makes me think of it as soft and without edge. This album starts with "Tiny Dancer" which is my favourite Elton track. I think its the fact that the structure is unpredictable and surprising, with an unorthodox but catchy chorus. Just seems like good pop music. For the rest of the album, I was feeling a mixture of "this is definitely good music" but also "this is boring and outdated and I am not a fan". One eyebrow raiser was "Indian Sunset", a track I actually quite enjoyed despite fully recognising its clumsy "noble savage" theme. Not one for the hardcore wokeist maybe but fair play to him for going there. I guess when this came out it was probably seen as deeply progressive which is interesting in of itself. Overall a decent album that hasn't changed my middling opinion of Elton John.

Pretty good. NGL, I've never listened to Elton John's music. I know he's a musician, but I just never bothered with it...

Well, it's Elton John. Not really my thing. I can understand why people like it. It's very melodic, calming, and in a way, interesting to listen to, until I got bored. I got bored pretty fast because every song is kinda the same with different words.

Solid album. Despite not being an Elton fan i can't deny that he's made some bangers.

Talented but not my bag. More specifically, the song structures were great. Piano excellent. The subject matter of the songs though didn't hit quite right.

Standouts Tiny Dancer Levon Madman Across the Water

There were a few great tracks here in this short record. The other tracks were good too, but not memorable. Favourite Track(s): Tiny Dancer Least Favourite Track(s): All the Nasties

For a lot of stuff nobody talks about from Elton John, pretty good

Didn’t realize I knew the title song- Brandi has performed it before

Decent enough but lacking the wow factor

Mój problem z tą płytą jest taki, że robi się monotonna. Wszystko jest zagrane i zaśpiewane na wysokich emocjach i tempie, co sprawia że robi się z tego zupa pełną soczystych kawałków, ale jednak rozmemłana i zbita. Taka muzyczna papka. A szkoda, bo Eltona uwielbiam, a Tiny Dancer ma wielkie miejsce w moim sercu. 6/10

W koncu poznalem wiecej piosennek Eltona prócz "im still standing" i jest ok, popowe brzmienia sympatycznie brzmią

I only knew Tiny Dancer or as Phoebe said in Friends, “Hold me closer Tony Danza.” It was fine. I’m not the biggest Elton John fan, but I don’t hate him.

5.67

Hold me closer, Ghetto Gospel.

I think it is quite undeniable that Elton John and Bernie Taupin are a match made in heaven as songwriter and performer. With Elton's album, Madman Across the Water, I feel they were finally able to tap into their creative potentials as artists on a much greater level than some of their one song hits on previous albums. Even with that being said I do feel this album is very front heavy and does wane off more in the back, but still has some nice deep cuts to offer all around. The writing of songs like Tiny Dancer, Levon, and even Indian Sunset paint such beautiful pictures full of depth and detail that really make the songs here pop so much. While not Elton's sharpest musical output ever, I do have to say this is when I really would have started paying attention to him as an artist because listening to this album feels like watching a shaken soda about to explode in glorious fashion. Don't sleep on this project it is full of some of his best material to date!

Not his greatest hits but enjoyable

Can't really be mad about Elton John's music, but the more you've heard of him, the more all of his songs sound the same.

That's what happens when you release 3 albums in the same year It's great cause it's Elton but is far from the likes of goodbye yellow brick road

It's a well produced album, interesting to hear more 'conventional' songwriting after having caught up with Modern Life is Rubbish. Wouldn't necessarily re-listen to it but a good one overall.

Solid. The best Elton AFAIK.

Nothing crazy, high 3. Love EJ, but not a ton of highlights.

One good song, then a lot of similar ones. I can't get passionate enough about him 3.0

First artist to be encountered twice on this list. Very grandiose and more orchestral sounding than I figured it would be, and Elton sounds amazing. Favorite track: Tiny Dancer

3,1/5

Added to library: Tiny Dancer Levon Goodbye

decent

Not Elton’s best album, but not bad. “Indian Sunset” felt like a bit much from a white Englishman, though…

Four great songs, but the rest are not very good and Indian Summer is both bad and I’ll conceived.

There are some great songs on this album. But then the rest is quite wishy washy. And most of them just go on too long, they could all be a minute shorter at least. Just shut up, John. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Jealous Guy

Truthfully I’m not a fan of this Elton John phase. This was boring. Not as bad as his newer releases though.

There are some very high quality cuts across this track list, with songs which lean towards dramatic, unspooling musical theatre. I particularly like the famous Tiny Dancer and epic Indian Sunset. There are also songs which miss the mark considerably with a head scratching disconnect between vocals and lyrics, such as the weak Levon, which is home to some of the worst and least compelling storytelling I’ve ever heard. I do think this album is a tad overrated and that Elton John has better.

Excellent voice.

This was fine but overall top heavy.

Fine, Tiny Dancer is the best and first song though so kind of a bummer.

Like a lot of Elton John albums, this one has a few absolutely killer tracks (including the huge hits “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon”) surrounded by uneven, long, and overly theatrical filler like “All The Nasties” and “Indian Summer”. Few artists benefit from a greatest hits collection quite like Elton John, and that is a better way to go than this record.

7.5

It started off really strong obviously, and then just slowly regressed to mid. I don't think I'd listen to it in album form again, but it wasn't a complete waste of time to listen to it once.

This is a tough one to rate, it comes out of the gate swinging with "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", two absolute all-time killer songs, and then the rest is... just fine? I mean, he and Bernie weren't writing any clunkers in this era, and "Holiday Inn" is pretty nice, but to call this top-heavy or front-loaded would be a bit of an understatement. Three stars I guess?

This just doesn't bring the sauce as consistently as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Tiny Dancer is obviously great, but the rest just kinda blend together. This isn't Elton's finest work. I considered giving it 2 stars but Tiny Dancer is 3 stars by itself

Very good rock ballads, but Tiny Dancer and Madman Across The Water are two tracks that stand far above the rest of the album in my opinion. Levon has some good parts to revisit as a track, too.

Tiny dancer was the only song I had heard before and the little bits from Indian summer that are sampled in ghetto gospel.

Pretty strong starting album - Elton does prog?? Started losing interest by Indian Sunset but some nice moments.

Man, young Elton John had a great voice! I like that raw timbre far more than the bling bling version of his established in the 80s and 90s. The songs in contrast are far too repetitive for me and none of them really caught my ear. All together a solid listen

It isn’t love it isn’t hate it’s just indifference.

I don't understand Elton John. Clearly, he is a very talented songwriter and performer, but I don't get the hype. The singles shine here, but the other songs are just well composed filler.

I’d probably go 3.5 on this if I could - the first two songs are unquestionably great, Tiny Dancer timelessly so. We know Elton’s voice, it’s great here and he definitely sounds young. Piano playing is excellent per usual. I think my issue is the back half of the album sounds sort of mid-tempo same-y? I like the orchestral flourishes but maybe they’re used too much? Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are cool in places, sometimes a bit obtuse. Nothing wrong with this at all, just didn’t strike me as the greatest overall entry in Elton’s catalog (wait until we get to Yellow Brick Road)

It’s really hard to review albums of people who are SO familiar. It’s Elton John. It’s Tiny Dancer. It almost becomes a question of, “do you like elton john or not.” And I think he’s just okay. He is a little over the top, but he’s supposed to be. His songs all sound mostly the same to me, but that’s not a terrible thing. Everything goes on for like 2 more minutes of drama/chorus club kumbaya than I’d like.

I didn't hate it, I didn't love it.

A solid album—similar to Wings, a couple of decent stand-outs saved separately for the future. Enjoyed it!

When compared to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, this isn’t my go-to choice for an Elton John album. Tiny Dancer will always be a classic, but I didn’t find any new favorites on this album.

Never much cared for Elton John. This was not as irritating as I thought it was going to be. Would be interesting to be Elton John for a week in 1971.

It's a steady descent from "Tiny Dancer" as you progress through these nine songs. They're fine, just a little same-y and overlong. (Even "Tiny Dancer" doesn't need to be 6+ minutes.) And "Indian Sunset" feels pretty cringe, even if its heart is in the right place.

man knows how to play a damn piano, i'll give him that.

More interesting than the other albums so far....gospel choirs, mandolins everything and only one vaguely familiar song. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.

"Tiny Dancer" and some other songs. Obviously Reg is a total ledge but beyond the lead track, there's not much here beyond the standard Elton template. Which is fine.

Was interesting…like the type of thing you have on while waiting at a gas station for something

Yeh, nice. Didn’t love it. Probably won’t play it again. But I’ve got respect for Elton and there were some nice bits. Not that I can remember them!

He’s got some good songs but from what I’ve experienced, he’s only a fine musician when it comes to making entire albums. At least with this one.

Despite seeing Elton John in concert and knowing almost all of his hits (thanks to my wife, who is a huge fan), I had never actually listened through any of his studio albums prior to this challenge. MATW has made me understand why Elton is known for his singles, rather than his albums – outside of a couple highlights and some wacky bits of instrumentation here and there, this LP is just not that memorable. I didn’t find myself aching for the album to be over, but I also can’t really see myself coming back to listen to any of the songs outside of the obvious one that everyone knows. Hopefully there’s a fantastic album from EJ yet to come on this list! Highlights: Tiny Dancer, Razor Face, Holiday Inn, All the Nasties

Tiny dancer is a straight 5, but i didnt know the rest of the album. Turns out its more of the same, but less catchy. Some lovely playing is marred by clunky lyrics. A fine album but it peaked early.

Contains Tiny dancer,so come on. But.... uneven to say the least.

mid & average

Very classic.. the madman actually did it

listening to this i kinda realized i had never listened all the way thru an elton john album and it was actually basically exactly what i expected which is pretty good in my books!

This really ran out of steam. Everything until Indian Sunset was, at worst, interesting and pretty good. The rest was, at best, stale and overly long. At least I found the story of Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset compelling, but the back half is more filler than good.

3rd album in one year?! Unique album artwork and a classic in the opener ‘Tony Dancer’ (it did this as an autocorrect and going to leave it 😂) Enjoyed the modern video for it too and found it quite moving. Got a little samey in the opening tracks and very Elton sound but really loved the title track and the newness that brought in. Generally great range of songs and the familiarity of ‘Indian Sunset’ that became Ghetto Gospel. Good energy, dramatic, theatrical. Good songwriting. (3.5)

Okay, generally a Elton John fan, but not my favourite

Something about this album didn't really hit for me as a whole but I can't put my finger on it. That said, I never knew Tiny Dancer was an album opener. For some reason it seemed like it'd be an album closer. Favorite Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Rotten Peaches

Sometimes I'm in an Elton mood, sometimes his voice seems too 'put on' and over-egged and it grates. This album walks the line a bit. Some of the tracks are pure Elton and I'm on board with, but sometimes his faux-American tones take it too far for me?

Standard Elton - soft rock driven by the piano. Not much else to say. I don't even like Tiny Dancer... Nice and concise album though, doesn't overstay its welcome. Best track - Madman Across the Water 3 stars

Really solid songs and they are longer than I remember. Elton can really sing and it shows on this LP. The production is typical of the time - can barely hear the drums and when you can they are high end and dry. But there’s a lot of players and a lot of signal. Very good record.