Madman Across The Water

sounds kinda samey in a mostly good way

They all sound the same but it’s a good sound

For Elton John, this is a pretty good record, but still just feels middle of the road to me.

Very much a greatest hits artist for me, as I have never really found an album of his that I really liked apart from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. This is solid and precisely what I would expect from an Elton John album, yet still doesn’t reach the heights of what I would like from an Elton John album.

Some unreal bass lines all over this

First two tracks are great. Of course, those are the only two I know. Do I like these songs only because they’ve been drilled into my head for years?

Tiny Dancer is the best, the rest is fine. So many references to Jesus! Surprisingly problematic song about Indians.

3.1/5

Coming into this listen with a previously held colossal admiration for Elton John and his work, just a titan among musicians, immensely talented and has written songs that’ll be sung by generations to come. Tiny Dancer (9/10)- Have listened to this song a ridiculous amount of times. The song has an emotional pull within me mainly because of its use in Almost Famous (2000) which I think it one of the most awesome scenes in film. The piano just lights you up from the start. Easiest 9/10 I’ll give on this whole project I think. Levon (6/10)- Two songs in and Elton hits you with the full force of the orchestra. Levon would be a good name for a dog. Razor face (6/10)- Piano again hits hard going to be a recurring theme I assume. Guitar enters the scene in a big way. Yes. Did not expect the accordion and I’m not entirely sold on it. Madman across the water (5/10)-I want to like it but just doesn’t hit with me. Still a cool song. Indian sunset (4/10) opening A cappella absolutely sets the tone feels straight from some kind of western score. Holiday Inn (7/10) I like this kind of Elton the best don’t even really know how to accurately distinguish it from the other songs I didn’t like as much, I just do. Rotten Peaches (6/10)- no idea about this one. All the Nasties (5/10)- the choir came from nowhere but love that element of the song. Goodbye (5/10)- Goodbye Elton. Love this album, piano is just killer all throughout, this man has some radiant fingers. Combines so many different instruments and every song has its own distinct vibe. (5.8/10)

A great debit which went under the radar somewhat. Tiny Dancer is a classic but Almost Famous film gave it the big push it deserved. I like these early Elton albums.

Some really good songs there

A decent pop rock album but a little boring. My favorite tracks were "Madman Across the Water" and "Indian Sunset".

tiny dancer + 8 tentativas falhas de replicar tiny dancer

Outside of the song 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (which slaps), I'm not really an Elton John person. I can recognize his talent but I think generally his music is just a bit too bombastic for me. That being said, I went into this album with low expectations and actually ended up enjoying it more than I expected to. Still not something I'm likely to listen to again for fun on my own time but not a bad way to kick off a Monday.

Fantastic voice, fantastic piano, just ok songs. Tiny Dancer is the undeniable standout and the tail of the album is nice. I may be alone in this but….I hate Levon. This song strains so hard for grandeur but just falls flat. Have no fear though, Elton has plenty of better albums to come.

I don't know why, but I feel this immense evil radiation from Elton John & no matter how many good things he's done it won't go away. This album was very bland for me sadly besides the two tracks "Tindy Dancer" and "Madman acroos the water".

Tiny dancer and who cares about the rest

Tiny Dancer is the only hit on the album, but don't let that dissuade you. Its a really good record and I found myself listening to it a bunch of times. Really loved the title track.

Twee elton johns na mekaar eks nou bietjie moeg vir hom. Dis nie 'n bad album nie maar meeste songs staan nie uit en baie van hulle is langer as wat hulle moet wees. Maar die eerste paar songs is great so

- The first two tracks are killers, so no surprise that "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" were the two singles. The rest of the album just does not stand up in comparison. Not bad, but not particularly noteworthy either. - Explicitly stating that "Indian Sunset" is not a protest song might make the track more offensive? Already weird that a couple of pasty, British dudes have made a song using Native culture that is pretty ridiculously inaccurate...possibly even worse that they seemingly did it with no goal in mind.

Jeho 70-te roky mám oveľa radšej ako 80-te.

I like Tiny dancer and Levon. I also like All the Nasties. Its okay background music. Not really my style.

Expecting a lot more from an album with Tiny Dancer as an opener. It was fine but some of the songs do plod along. I liked the one with the mandolin as him doing something quite different.

Haven't heard too much of Elton John, but this is a good impression to me on why he is so popular and praised. The very thoughtful lyrics; stuff you can easily picture in your head. Lots of imagery I got from this album was coldness and of a metropolis (i.e. New York,) the most vivid stuff I got was either the very cinematic-like twist and turns of "Indian Sunset" and the very urban "Holiday Inn" (probably because it literally says "Boston" in it.) His vocals are filled with emotion and have a bit of drawl to them, sounds quite inspired by some of the power that a lot 60s Black American soulful singers have. I think overall this album was fine, I don't reckon it's the most amazing thing ever, however it's not bad either. It showcases Elton's piano singer-songwriter style, which I think I'm fine with, he always comes up with amazing melodies and catchy hooks even if other parts of the song are a bit lacking. So, I don't think I'd come back to the album but I can see that it's well done, just would return to the highlight songs (listed down below,) probably nothing else. Highlight Song/s: "Tiny Dancer" and "Indian Sunset"

A collection of melancholy ballads that don't quite surpass tiny dancer , can be dull in parts 3.5*

pretty good but I like elton when he's super fun and flashy and dancey (maybe I just like dancing). the first half was good but I'm pretty indifferent to the second half. I probably liked levon the best (hot take - I don't love tiny dancer)

*Beautiful album of not my favorite genre *Really liked All the Nasties

Tiny Dancer and the 8 identical songs.

Byłam negatywnie nastawiona na początku ale w sumie miło się słuchało, może po paru przesłuchaniach bym się wciągnęła. Plus jest taki że mi się przypomniała jedna piosenka którą lubiłam (Tiny dancer)

Great arrangements serving the first few songs, no click track for miles- to great effect. Heck yeah. Gets real bogged down in hokey westernism. Reckon he’s ever talked to a real indigenous person?

after 'tiny dancer' was over I struggled to pay attention

The wikipedia article calls this Elton John's "progressive rock album"? I am confused, it sounds like early 70s commercial pop to me. I of course heard this record many many MANY times around when it first came out and therefore am qualified to say that I have heard “Madman Across the Water” before I died. Overall I'm pretty tired of Elton John at this point, but still, these are reasonable songs. 3 stars

3?

It's okay

Some hits on here, especially Levon. I think some songs could be a bit shorter.

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

Not his best

So close to a great rock and roll record.

some generational songs and some middling ones. still a goat

Elton not beating the singles artist allegations

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indian Sunset is baffling because I love how it sounds but why the fuck is Elton John singing this song.

Okay this is all solid, good song writing and all, but I cant really attach to it for some reason.

the absolute madman

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

With nine songs at 45 minutes (mainly piano-led, and generally all a similar plodding pace) it can feel meandering and samey. I've seen it described as prog rock, which is poppycock - but it does share the same proclivity for long run-times and melodrama ('Rotten Peaches' sounding like a stripped back Meatloaf number at times). That said 'Tiny Dancer' is of course one of his best. 'Razor Face' is a real grower even if a lesser 'Tiny Dancer' (most tracks here are a lesser 'Tiny Dancer'). The title track is different - more menacing, suspended chords, a great vocal). 'Holiday Inn' changes things up for a waltz and unpretentious lyrics - an excellent lilting melody (sounds quite like R.E.M., maybe on account of the mandolin). With a string of great songs here, and one masterpiece, the quality remains undeniable. But it's not as entertaining as Yellow Brick Road, and can get really dirgey at times.

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

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

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

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

Honestly outside of Tiny Dancer, most of this album just feels like filler. It's pretty damn good filler though, outside of Indian Sunset. 3.5/5

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

Decent.

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

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

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

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

7/10

Tiny Dancer and Levon - that’s it.

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

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

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

Good Elton John is still better than many many other things

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

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

great songs, but they all sound too similiar

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

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

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

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

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

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

i liked it every song was lengthy

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

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

High highs and low lows

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not his best, but still solid.

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

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

Not my taste but heard the famous ones before.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hold me closer Tony Danza...

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

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

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

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

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

Tiny Dancer outshines everything else easily unfortunately

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

Disappointed

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

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

I love Elton, this is a decent record

Super talented guy. Indian Sunset is an incredible song.

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

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

I liked it, but it isn’t anything special

great

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

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

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

Tiny Dancer is great but the rest did not impress.

HOLD ME CLOSER TINY DAAAAANCEEERRR

Some nice songs, not overly my thing however.

Overwrought

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

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

Begint erg sterk, maar verder soms wat to much

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

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

Not really my vibe per se

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

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

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

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

Ok

I feel like Elton John is obviously a very talented guy, but I feel like this album is Tiny Dancer and then 8 less impressive versions of Tiny Dancer. They all kinda have the same piano line, and the melodies aren't super distinct either. But at least it has Tiny Dancer. Favorites: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, All the Nasties

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

Great opening track followed by a decent album.

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

Yep. Liked it.

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

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

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

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

solid 3.5

Some good songs, some forgettable. Solid album still.

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

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

Elton is always a blast. 3.5/5

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

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

todo igual suena

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

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

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

Top mas metade dele é completamente esquecivel

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

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

3/5

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

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

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

Decent, not really a standout to me.

legal, uma boa ouvida, mas o elton john tem muita mais coisa pra oferecer. Se eu pudesse eu colocaria 3.5/5.

Fine, not really an Elton John fan.

its elton john. up-mood up-rhythm comfy rock. nothing to complain about. musical equivalent of a karaoke when youre drunk

hold me closer tiny dancer

i’ve only ever heard tiny dancer before (which is a fkn jam) but i enjoyed the early 70’s vibe of this album. will most likely listen again

I enjoyed this album no question. It contains one of Elton’s biggest songs ever with “tiny dancer”. And that song is an all time great, but I also really enjoyed “Levon” . But frankly I was underwhelmed as a whole because it’s alittle more somber and slow album, especially compared to my favorite Elton album “goodby yellow brick road”. That being said it’s a solid album just not my favorite of his.

Better than Coldplay

A little bit too hippie but not bad at all.

Bueno

Just not to the level I expected, sorry Elton

Box of mid from Elton

Good album!

3.5 stars

Given all the poppy stuff he has done for the last 40 years, you forget he was a proper singer-songwriter when he started out. Classic early 70s pop-rock - with Tiny Dancer the obvious standout.

Another 2 Good Songs And The Rest Fine album (Tom Petty, Aladdin Sayne). This one gets 3 stars rather than 4 because I am fucking sick to death of Tiny Dancer - take it up with Cameron Crowe, Elton.

Not my favorite Elton Album.

Never really ‘got’ Elton John. But I sure as shit ‘get’ Tiny Dancer.

Tiny dancer is so much better than the rest of the album

Tiny Dancer and Levon are deep in my memory, the rest of the album, not so much. Will always be a sucker for piano. Did not know Rick Wakeman played organ on Rotten Peaches, The best start somewhere.

Overall good album with nice songs but not his best.

Elton obvio merence un buen puntaje y más si este álbum contiene tiny dancer, pero me costó escucharlo porque todas las canciones duran más de 5 minutos.

An album starts with Tiny Dancer and Levon, you just want it to keep going. But for me it doesn't. One of my first album purchases was his next one, Honky Chateau - same feeling, Rocket Man and nothing else on it comes close.

I like Elton John, but this is pretty average. Even with Tiny Dancer.

Some good tracks. Others quite samey

Tiny Dancer - 4.5/5 Levon - 3.5/5 Razor Face - 4/5 Madman Across The Water - 3/5 Indian Sunset - 3/5 Holiday Inn - 3.5/5 Rotten Peaches - 4/5 All The Nasties - 3.5/5 Goodbye - 3/5

Elton kan nok bedre enn dette.

3/5

It was a pretty average album overall. There were definitely some standout tracks - Tiny Dancer being the obvious one - and the lyrics were strong, but as a whole it didn’t really leave a lasting impression on me. Knowing that Taupin wrote the lyrics, you can really appreciate how vivid they are, and John’s melodies are undeniably classic. Still, the intention versus the execution felt a bit disconnected. And I will say, there is a flow of a story with the melody that strings the songs together - something that I feel this album does incredibly well against other albums on the list. From what I understand, the album is meant to explore darker, more psychologically intense themes, but I didn’t fully feel that come through in either the lyrics or the music. It leaned more toward a soulful, R&B vibe for me. That sense of anger only really surfaced in moments (like in Madman Across the Water) and I think it could’ve been explored more consistently. There were also quite a few heavier, longer tracks. Tiny Dancer was still my favourite - familiar, but a classic for a reason.

On the one hand, it's pretty music, and I like Elton John. On the other hand, it's not super memorable, other than a couple of classic tracks. I like his more upbeat stuff, and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" among other things... his Greatest Hits was one of the first records I bought with my own money as a kid.

me ha gustado aunque estoy segura de que este hombre tiene mejores hits. tampoco le ha ayudado haberlo tenido de fondo trabajando, siento que no le he hecho justicia pero mira, es lo que hay

not my fave Elton album

It was above average for me tbh

PULL ME CLOSER TINY DAANCEER Oh my sooooooup

Not my favorite early Elton album but still good.

Iconic and enjoyable Elton

not my favourite elton john album but still great! i love elton john. no further notes thanks

Elton is good as always, tiny dancer is a classic! I do prefer goodbye yellow brick road though…

obviously knew “Tiny Dancer” but the rest of this album is a trip. every song has something catchy and weird in it. god i can only imagine the drugs this man’s nose has known

Random thoughts: * Although I would consider myself an Elton John fan, I’ve never listened to a proper album. I saw him in concert and definitely listen to the greatest hits. * This one had classics in Tiny Dancer and Levin to open with but the “deep cuts” after that sort of petered out for me. * I’ll have to give this another listen. Elton should definitely be on 1001 but I have no clue if this is the definitive album for him.

Bueno pero repetitivo y empalagoso

As a piano player this album is basically catered for me with such simple but catchy tracks and great accompaniment to Elton’s John’s beautiful vocals. It’s really beautiful but predictable at the same time. Not necessarily a complaint but definitely shows a bit of growth to be seen. The song Indian Sunset definitely was a shocker and so cinematically produced with the ginormous blaring orchestra in the background. The glam of Elton’s style shines through here and this just feels like a concert album ready to be heard by a live audience.

6 - AVERAGE

Okay

ok 3.5

++: Levon, Razor Face, Rotten Peaches, All the Nasties, Goodbye +: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Holiday Inn +-: Indian Sunset 7,7/10

Good happy vibes, pretty decent album

Top Songs: Tiny Dancer Levon

Yep, that's an Elton John record, alright. While I can't deny his musical talent, his music is like background noise and easy listening to me, at best. I enjoy the forwardness of the piano and the heavy influence of gospel on this record, but I feel like a lot of the songs overstay their welcome. A nice change of pace, but nothing I would purchase on vinyl.

Elton John’s Madman Across the Water is widely regarded as one of his most atmospheric, orchestral, and emotionally rich early‑’70s albums—anchored by iconic tracks like “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon,” and remembered for its lush arrangements and darker storytelling. It’s a record where Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin push into more complex moods, blending rock, pop, and symphonic textures with striking confidence.

It’s not nearly as good as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Very much what I expected from Sir Elton.

Numrene spænder mellem 2-5. Vi lander på 3,5

lægger ekstremt godt fra land med tiny dancer, men i min optik bliver der ikke fulgt ordentligt op stadig mr. john i sædvanlig fin form, og det vil aldrig være helt dårligt i indian sunset er der en fuldkommen legendarisk passage, der senere samples i de fleste unge, hvide provins-drenges yndlings relaterbare sang fra barndommen - ghetto gospel. det trækker i sig selv op 3.4

Typical Elton John. Not necessarily bad, but... I could've done with a bit more.

A few standout tracks for sure, but not Elton's best album

it was ok nun crasy

these lyrics had me near crying the whole time, im supposed to talk about the music but the lyrics are so powerful here, lovely imagery and characters that wed perfectly with eltons voice and energy it loses weight as it progresses, but there isnt a significant qualitative difference compared to the first tracks, great listen from front to back

Never listened to this album

liked this, pretty classic for his sound as i know it 3.5

Blir litt for mye av det samme, og det som leveres er ganske mid. Men han mener det han synger, det skal han ha. Sparer ikke på kruttet.

I feel there are better Elton John albums it’s not a bad album and has some good songs on it but has a lot of filler songs so could be better

Re-listened to this again. Still a 3. I'll go on the record and say that "Tiny Dancer" is one of my favorite songs ever, but I had never heard the album in full before. Lots of great lyrical moments, delivered with stomping choruses from Elton and lush, bombastic arrangements. This is really prime glam music but gets quite samey after a while (especially around "Holiday Inn"). Maybe I'm more of a fan of Elton's hits instead of his albums. In any case, it's a solid listen, but maybe more the beginning of great things to come rather than a great album in and of itself.

Still not a fan of Elton john’s singing, but the instrumentals on this one surprised me. There’s some interesting and surprisingly heavy distorted guitars. Unlikely to relisten, but I’m glad to have checked out some songs beyond just tiny dancer.

Two great tracks (Tiny Dancer and All the Nasties), rest is good but can't help feeling it is a little less than the sum of its parts.

Aldrig lyssnat på Elton John ordentligt men har ju hört några hits. Detta är riktigt bra när man faktiskt lyssnar förutsättningslöst. Ett gäng bra låtar.

favorites: tiny dancer; levon; holiday inn

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

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.