Reviews (page 9 of 14)
As much as I try, I can't get neither into Elton John's music nor piano rock.
# Album Name: Madman Across The Water # Artist: Elton John # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Great opening with Tiny Dancer. An absolute classic. Levon is good too. The rest of the album struggles to live up to that level. Some decent songs but not the best of elton. By far. Im on the fence with this one. I think 3.5 would be fair. 3 is too low. 4 feels too high. But ill have to round up in this example. # Top Tunes: Levon / TD # Would I listen to it again? hmm
I absolutely wasn't aware of the progressive rock era of Elton John and was nicely surprised. I can't say that I loved every song but the title song is extraordinary.
This album and I did not vibe. Good album tho.
Very good, after all it’s Elton John.
solid album, love me some elton john. there were a few songs that didn’t really speak to me, but overall the album felt like a warm hug. perfect road trip music but i don’t know if i can see it going on my regular rotation otherwise
Love Elton
1st listen: Tiny Dancer - 9/10, classic, great song, really like the strings Levon - 8/10 Razor Face - 7/10, cool harmonica section Madman Across the Water - 8/10, nice production Indian Sunset- 8/10 Holiday Inn - 6/10, not a fan Rotten Peaches - 7.5, fun All the nasties - 7.5 Goodbye - 7.5, alright closer Overall: Good piano rock, 70
wow leading off with Tiny Dancer. Razor Face? the title track is good. They are all these really grand dramatic songs, which, idk sort of loses me because they all get to the same sorts of places.
Although I definitely enjoy some Elton John songs (and his image as a whole), I wasn't very drawn to this album. "Tiny Dancer" is a hard act to follow and remains my favorite song off the album. Honorable mentions to "All the Nasties" and "Rock Me When He's Gone" (which I think only got added when the Deluxe Edition was released). Who knows though, maybe it'll grow on me! And for whatever reason, I like the simplicity of the album cover.
O disco até vai melhorando quando vai chegando ao fim, mas a sensação é que falta alguma coisa.
Same as Neil Young, didn't like this when I was young but now I hear the quality in it
Bardzo dobre 5/5
It's a vibe. Just not mine exactly.
Best: Levon Worst: All the nasties Liked songs: 100% Elton the goat but def not the goat at choosing album covers
yet to listen to him. recovering from the concert, now transitioning onto the pracs that are tomorrow yikesssss
**An ok album, long, slow, most tracks sound alike
I never really got into Elton John. His stuff has a "musical theatre" vibe to me that I don't really gel with. This album is classic, I assume, because it has "Tiny Dancer" on it... which is a good song, but even before it ended I was checking to see how long the album was. And the rest of it sounds much the same but not as catchy. It just sounds like Elton John. Musically impressive and well orchestrated and all that. I just don't like it very much. Though I enjoyed his movie. That was good.
Very enjoyable…
Strong memories of this LP in my parents collection. Strong arrangements, strong performer, bit meh
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🟦🎞️🧜♀️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎹🌟🕶️ Rating: 🎹🎹🎹🎹(🎹)/5
this is good, good 4
Pre-listening thoughts: hold me closer tony danza Post/during listening thoughts: I expected to like this more than I actually did. Is it good? Absolutely. It’s just a little too ballad-y for my personal taste. I think there’s really great instrumentation work (I love strings) and really great lyricism here. I just wish it was a little more upbeat sometimes. I like Elton’s more upbeat songs like Crocodile Rock. And I like the ballads too, just not as much a full album of them. Still good. 8/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: I don’t think so Fav tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Holiday Inn, Rotten Peaches Least fav tracks: Indian Sun
Tiny Dancer and Levon are two great songs. The rest are kind average to poor.
No es su mejor proyecto, pero está muy bueno. Destaco mucho su voz, suena increíble en este álbum.
Like I've stated before, Elton John has a whole load of hits under his belt, but his individual albums are fairly weak. I think this album is a good example of that. 'Tiny Dancer' is a really good song, and while the rest are not bad per-se, they are not anything that really takes your breath away.
Tiny dancer is such a good song and a great way to start off the album. The rest you are treated to Elton's typical piano driven songs. This album lacks a bit of variety compared to his later albums and many of the song blend together. I still think this is Elton's best sound so it's not only a negative but it doesn't quite reach the height of his later albums. Still there are a bunch of good songs like "Madman Across to the Water" and "Indian Sunset" which I didn't know was the origin for 2Pacs "Ghetto Gospel" which now when I listen to it is quite obvious. I think this lands on a weak 4 as a whole.
Nothing against Elton John as an artist or piano-rock as a genre, I just wish every track on this album was as good as the opener. "Tiny Dancer" is remarkable, the rest is also good, just not great.
Love this album. The production is incredible, it’s such a full sound. Some may say too over produced but I’m okay with it. Amazing songs, even the lesser known titles. It’s a very emotional album, pretty dark at times. Exceptional song writing and execution.
Don't think I've ever listened to Madman Across The Water front-to-back before - ridiculous! Elton John, the piano man, plays his heart out on fairly complex compositions without ever losing a grasp on his signature storytelling. Low-key blown away by this.
Madman Across The Water is one of Elton John’s more complex albums - it’s also a strong contender for his greatest album in a world where Goodbye Yellow Brick Road didn’t exist.
If this had one or two more recognizable songs it would be a 5. I liked this. Elton John is great and I really regret not going to see him during his final tour. Got a feeling there will be more Elton John on this list.
Oh man, my last Elton John album to review. I really loved Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, so I'm heading into this with high expectations. I love Elton John, but before starting this project, I'd only listened to his greatest hits. Granted, I'd listened to them quite a bit. Looking at the tracklist, I see "Tiny Dancer" but I also see my Elton John song, "Levon" (I was always partial to "Crocodile Rock" as a kid, but since college, "Levon" has been my go-to). Let's jump in! This album was really good, but it was a little short of five stars for me. The first two songs on the album were easily the best part, and while the rest of the album couldn't quite match that peak again, the other songs were still really good. "Tiny Dancer," while not my favorite song on the album, is fantastic. I love the opening piano melody, and the guitars and orchestral arrangements that kick in throughout the course of the song are great. The lyrics are wonderful, and the rich arrangements are the perfect backdrop for the love story that the song tells. As I already mentioned, I love "Levon." It's one of my all-time favorite songs to sing along to, and even though the music is so rich, Elton's singing shines through, and takes center stage. The string section after the chorus just fills me with an energy that's impossible to describe. For a song that has so many elements to it, it's mixed incredibly well, and each instrument has the perfect intensity at the perfect time. The rest of the album is really good, but there's just nothing else on here that could match the straight-out-of-a-cannon intensity of the first two songs. But each song is arranged really well, just like the first two, and I really enjoy listening to Elton's piano playing, and the rich orchestral arrangements. Bernie and Elton work together so well, and while this album isn't perfect, it's still a great piece of pop rock and another jewel in Elton and Bernie's crowns.
Never listened to this one before, obviously I did know Tiny Dancer well though. Really enjoyed it, although not as much as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The title track and Indian Sunset were real highlights, with the later being a pleasantly nostalgic reminder of Getto Gospel being absolutely everywhere when I was like 14.
Tiny Dancer is a classic. But some of the other lyrics are so weirdly lacking in any engaging imagery or linguistic cleverness. Songs like Levon and Razor Face go all out with bombast, orchestral arrangements and Elton John howling and whatnot... but the words coming out just don't do anything. I get there are character driven storytelling songwriters, but these are just so utterly devoid of any captivating images or any perceivable meaning. I just can't think of any musical genius that could make me have an emotional response to the life of Levon - no matter how many times Elton John insists of the listener by the incessant repetition of his name. Tiny Dancer, title track and All the Nasties kind of make up for it.
It’s a great album. There are definitely a few in here that I could stand without. I prefer Goodbye Yellow Brick Road a bit more. 3.5/5
Any chance of me enjoying this album was destroyed by uni housemate blasting out Tiny Dancer 24/7 for several weeks.
So wild that tiny dancer is the first track! I would have expected it to be the finale on an album or something. There are some other decent tracks on this one. I'm not a big Elton John fan but sometimes one of his tracks will hook you; tiny dancer had definitely done that, and i think some of the others on this album have the potential to. I particularly enjoyed Levon.
Nice chill feel good album fav song Levon
The strings go hard on this one. Some good ones I didn't know but the 4 stars is on the back of Tiny Dancer and LEVON
Listened Before? N A master in his prime produces masterpieces. This one is no exception. There are no bad songs on this album, and the mood is spectacular. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Levon
who doesn't like the massive fanny?
Good stuff from the big cheese
Yeah, yeah, I guess, Tiny Dancer is a five star song. The rest of the album didn’t grab me and was fine. Elton always seems to be around in pop culture in one way or another. Do I take them for granted? Maybe. Although one thing I love and respect about Elton is that they seem to genuinely be a fan of music in the context of a consumer/enjoyer of pop music (did I see that in a Tower Records documentary?).
Not the best Elton John, but still Elton John. Some good stuff here and also a long misguided song about an Indian.
I always thought that this was one of Elton’s least well regarded albums and his least personal favorite. But it’s got Tiny Dancer on it, so I guess it goes on the list. I was surprised to see this on here, and surprised it’s so highly rated. That being said, this was fine. Tony Dancer and a bunch of unremarkable songs that were all threes.
non é la mia canzone, però mi é piaciuto
ok
It's OK, but not a great album as a whole - should be called "Tiny Dancer & other songs". I'm not a fan of Elton John as I find him too melodramatic and musical-theatre-like. Obviously Tiny Dancer is a classic. I liked the one about Rotten Peaches, but some of the lyrics about Native Americans on "Indian Sunset" don't hold up and the parts about a city boy becoming a city man on All The Nasties sounded sooo dramatic.
I would say this was pretty good. Tiny Dancer is a great song and the rest was a bit of a step down from there. The title track is interesting but I had never heard it before.
27/11/24 It wasn't great.
Hold me closer, Tony Danza! "According to Gus Dudgeon, Taupin named the character in the song after the Band's co-founder, drummer and singer Levon Helm. The Band were apparently John and Taupin's favourite group at the time. In 2013, however, Taupin said that the song was unrelated to Helm." - that's funny, that's instantly what I thought of when I read the track name Holy hell Indian Sunset is six minutes of something else. Not for me. I kept wanting to complement the lyrics, or the orchestration, or anything; but to be honest I found almost all of it annoying. Tiny Dancer is kind of a comfort just because it's so famous. In the end I would say that I tend to like John's voice and performing. But other than that it was trite lyrics and overworked arrangements.
I didn’t get through all 3 discs but I don’t really need to hear all the piano demos to understand Elton John. A solid album, obviously Tiny Dancer is the main highlight, but Holiday Inn is another favorite.
Can Elton be a singer/songwriter if Bernie Taupin did all the lyrics? And other than Tiny Dancer, was any song really enjoyable? This one didn’t get me - I’m not an Elton fan anyway and this one sure didn’t help that any.
I like Elton John and I Iike this album.
I get it now
rocket man did good. 4.5 stars
Wow, it was beautiful. His amazing skills made it so wonderful to listen to.
Hold me closer, Tony Danza! It’s amazing to me that “Tiny Dancer” wasn’t a huge hit upon its release and that it took a perfectly written scene in “Almost Famous” for it to be rediscovered and universally beloved. Sir Elton owes a debt to Cameron Crowe. I was definitely born in the wrong generation.
Rolling like Thunder! Under the covors! *fjärtljud*
Pretty good, of course with Elton John this isn't surprising. A bit long and dragging at times, but it might just be because I'm not used to songs over 5 minutes anymore.
I like Elton's voice but for me the lp lacked a bit of edge
Great album - docked one star for "Indian Sunset" cause wtf was that
Bang on three, decent.
3.5 I feel like any early Elton album is at least this good just from his voice.. Piano parts feel perhaps slightly repetitive but the vocals drag this up.
I've never really considered myself an Elton fan and while this album has not changed that, I did really like a couple tracks. Tiny Dancer is a classic of course, and i liked Levon.
4 - I love Elton John and some songs really shine, others I find just aren't that deep when they are meant to be. I liked
This album was really beautiful, so pleasantly surprised. Definitely no bad tracks. Tiny Dancer is my favourite Elton song so it makes sense that this album chimes with me, considering all tracks really have that same sort of soundscape. Fave Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Indian Sunset, Holiday Inn 4.3/5
Tiny Dancer and Levon are 5/5 songs but there is a pretty big drop off in quality after that. Elton sounds great as always though and the band is very tight. Great sounding record, the drums are pretty beefy and there is a lot of low end in general which is not typical for 1971. Very solid production with great string arrangements and some nice instrumental features on accordion and mandolin. Solidy in the Americana Elton period but overall just a lesser album than Honky Chateau and Tumbleweed Connection, my personal favourite from that era.
i didnt realize it until i thought about it but i barely know who elton john is HFJKHFSJKFSHJKFS its impossible to miss his Existence as an outsized pop culture presence with a bunch of famous songs but besides being that piano guy i dont actually know much about his artistic vision or trajectory at all. just listening to one album isnt gonna help super much with that but this was v enjoyable for me lol...rick wakemen appearing on a few tracks kinda speaks to the grand and ambitious tone of this thing while still remaining pretty hit-between-the-eyes pop in most of its songwriting approach...a big string arrangement here, a theatrical ballad there, its all Good Stuff For Me. and the base materials seems rly good as well thankfully...john's cascading keyboard parts and strangely flamboyant-yet-approachable singing are definitely something i could stand to have more of in my life
Pretty ok
Suck skilful music writing. He deserves all the accolades. Great voice too. 5 star musician! I particularly like the interesting arrangement in the title tune, what a variety of sounds. It seems to be played less frequently than others ( on Apple Music playlists to be honest.) on this album, there are admittedly a few less interesting tracks (less catchy, forgive the shallow evaluation.)
Elton John Incredible vocals and insane melody Top album
yawn
You know I kind of like how a lot of these songs don't follow a traditional structure. And of course he's amazingly talented. So I'm going four stars
This was a good listen - glad it was only 9 songs. Indian Sunset was a nice change of pace. Tiny Dancer is a classic.
I got whiplash going from Pantera to Elton John. Tiny Dancer is a great opener, but I'm not sure the rest measures up to it. I like Elton, but this album didn't quite do it for me. Rotten peaches convinced me Elton can sing about anything.
Elton John albums feel like they gotta be a 4 at minimum. Two of his all time best on this one.
Отличный альбом
Like the other Elton John album I listened to a while back, this is OK without really standing out in any way. Tiny Dancer reminds me of early Jackson Browne, which is no bad thing, but beyond that it’s all a bit bland. I can’t quite make up my mind about Indian Sunset. I suppose benefit of the doubt is reasonable, but it still feels a bit off 50 years later. Just a bit meh really
Pretty good album but not my favorite of his.
Killer opener. Can't argue. But genius over an entire album is tricky. Elton albums are different from Elton singles.
Man I love me some early Elton John, when his bluesy piano playing was at the forefront. This one is a little bit country. The album that he released right after this one, Honky Chateau, is my favorite EJ album but didn’t make this list. Listening to this era of Elton always makes me SO upset about the Disney crap he did later on. Pre-1976 Elton John is one masterpiece after another.
Love, love, love this album. Early Elton John is just so fucking good. Nothing more to say. Loved this album for a long time and will continue to love it into the future.
There was a lot of really interesting songs on here that I had never heard. I've heard Tiny Dancer of course and do enjoy that. Indian Sunset was really powerful, and Razor Face was really silly but fun. Overall a solid 4 star album for me and I'll probably revisit this one for sure.
The album opens with two of his greatest his, and when they're not being overplayed by classic rock radio, I can appreciate how excellent they are. "Razor Face" is mostly dumb, and every time he sings the title it brings to mind the character in Guardians of the Galaxy named Taser Face. The song is almost completely redeemed, however, but they absolute kill accordion solo in the outro. The title track is my all-time favorite Elton John song. The rest of the album is borderline progressive rock. He never gives over fully to it, but he's definitely tapping into the more adventurous prog rock that was in the air at the time. Even if the rest of the album isn't as memorable as Tiny Dancer, Levon, and Madman Across The Water, it's really solid and there's a lot of interesting stuff going on. It's 4 stars for me.
Good music, but unfortunately boring.
'Tiny Dancer' is a great song, but listening to this album felt like repeatedly listening to 'Tiny Dancer', for better or worse. Many of these songs sort of groove the same way, with those light piano keys and the subtle touches of string that build alongside the tracks. 'Madman Across The Water' was a nice change of pace and 'Indian Sunset' was epic in stature, and has John shedding light on American atrocities towards the natives. 'All The Nasties' had a nice gospel passage closing it out - might be my favorite moment on the album. I do wish more songs stuck out, songs like 'Holiday Inn' and 'Razor Face', while nice on the ears, just tread the same water as many other songs here. I definitely enjoyed the diversity of an album like 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' more.
Got this on the day of the US election where Trump won. Since Elton is British I think that makes sense. 3.56.
fantastic. until i listened to this album, i hated elton john. i will have to go and listen to all of his albums.👍
Looking over the tracklist, I was only familiar with one of the songs. This wasn't a good sign, as Elton John is all about the hits. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how well crafted and cohesive this album was. Not very many highlights, but a very good album listening experience. Key tracks: Tiny Dancer Indian Summer
Happy this is shorter than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. First two songs are the ones to listen to, the rest is good if you like Elton, but meh for me.
4-
Elton’s best
Levon gives it an extra star
it was really good, i enjoyed the deep cuts more than the singles. kinda annoys me that the best song on the album features elton john (british) pretending to be indigenous but other than that i liked it.
Meh.
Klare aldri å bli heilt venn med Elton
eh. no real strong feelings. unfortunately the big song was right at the beginning, and you know how that goes!
eh, this one was fine. tiny dancer is a good song, levon and madman across the water were pretty good, and the rest ranged from uncomfortable to forgettable to bad. i didn't really grow up with elton john and trying to find an accessible way to enjoy his music in my 30s is tough. all these songs feel really similar and each one is about 2-3 minutes too long. i will say the album cover is pretty cool though. favorites: tiny dancer, levon, madman across the water
EJ is amazing.
General impression: I love him, but as a whole, I only like this album. Detailed review: Let’s get this out of the way — there are three perfect, 5/5 songs on this album: “Tiny Dancer” (obviously), “Levon,” and “Madman Across the Water.” These songs rule. The other six tracks, though, while featuring great arrangements and great singing, are merely good. There aren’t many hooks. “Razor Face” is okay, “Holiday Inn” is pretty good, “Indian Sunset” is cringey as hell, and the rest are pretty forgettable. I think the Elton/Bernie combo increased their hit rate as time went on, writing more memorable melodies. They’re some of the best songwriters ever. But on this earlier release, the quality isn’t very consistent. Deeper thoughts (context): not really Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 966 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 19 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 16 (including this one) General impression: I love him, but as a whole, I only like this album. Detailed review: Let’s get this out of the way — there are three perfect, 5/5 songs on this album: “Tiny Dancer” (obviously), “Levon,” and “Madman Across the Water.” These songs rule. The other six tracks, though, while featuring great arrangements and great singing, are merely good. There aren’t many hooks. “Razor Face” is okay, “Holiday Inn” is pretty good, “Indian Sunset” is cringey as hell, and the rest are pretty forgettable. I think the Elton/Bernie combo increased their hit rate as time went on, writing more memorable melodies. They’re some of the best songwriters ever. But on this earlier release, the quality isn’t very consistent. Deeper thoughts (context): not really Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 966 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 19 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 16 (including this one)
Every song is great.
Love Levon
Probably not his best work. But I really enjoyed it.
4.4 Great Album
2819 - It's good, but I don't love it or connect with it. It's basically Billy Joel but not as good. C
Clean production nice vocals some cool instrumentation. Nothing too special but I enjoyed my time 7.2/10
Very strong opening, first two tracks just get better with age and represent something of a high0water market in ambitious West Coast soft rock. From there, though, it just kind of treads water – warm, rich and mostly pleasurable water. Remaining in a similar tone/mode throughout plus Taupin's obscure and not really that interesting lyrics keep it from getting anywhere near transcendent. Piano playing is additive. Strings become increasingly too much and start to feel slathered on by the end.
Good solid Elton
got some real classics on here. makes you remember why someone is as well regarded as they are. didn't super jump out at me though, no offence
Full of classics. Title track and Levon are my standouts
Wow. Great stuff
Every song is fantastic, and the hits are hits for a reason. Maybe "Indian Sunset" is a well written metaphor. Thinking of it that way helps me listen to it, otherwise it kind of fails. And that would make it the single sour thing on the album. Because this is so... beautiful. I just don't have another word that fits. For me Elton's early stuff is brilliant in every way, touches me, pulls my attention and keeps me in it beginning to end. The background vox on this are worth 5 stars alone. I love the sincerity, reaching for Americana in the way all those British blues guys did. THis is successful, unlike so much - even the Stones are treating the country and bluegrass styles like it's a posh joke. Elton makes it his own. It's good music, well recorded, executed perfectly, with far-reaching lyrics sung by one of the greatest.
Not that many songs but just felt like it went on and on. Every song kind of blurred together and got boring.
I mean come on. It’s Tiny Dancer
Beautiful orchestrations and I enjoy the eccentricity of it all. I may in the minority, but I prefer it to Yellow Brick Road.
I love Elton John, but this album just wasn’t it for me. Beyond Tiny Dancer by and Levon, this album was a total mess. i’m giving two stars only because of the first two tracks.
One good song
3.5
Great album. There is a lot of variety in it and each song seems a lot different from the previous one, even though you still can feel the mark of the author in every track.
This album made me realise that Elton's voice is really the weak point in his music (for me). The musicality and of course the lyrics are excellent, but after a while his voice grates on me. Nice album but it felt all a bit same same and that's mostly due to his voice. I'll probably just stick to the greatest hits rather than listening to another of his albums end to end.
This is better than expected, but I still don’t love it. There’s a ton to like, loads of quality. This record follows the 70s epic story telling style of pop song. Similar to Billy Joel, but way, way, way more elaborate. I don’t dislike this. I just don’t enjoy listening to it all that much. Not really made for casual listening. There’s quality, it’s just very dramatic.
This album is carried by tiny dancer, but to be honest I think that’s enough for this to make the list.
Pleasant but I don’t really care.
you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger songwriting duo than elton john and bernie taupin. a fine album indeed.
Ignore that other review, this website does dumb things like keep previous reviews. EJ here starts his journey and I’m here for it.
Elton John quand il ne fait pas de la pop mielleuse et grandiloquente. Le Elton cool des 70's ! Mon cœur balance quand même entre 3 et 4. Mais c'est raide de mettre 3 à Elton. Allez, une étoile bonus de conscience !
great. classic
I've heard this many times before. First, Tiny Dancer. The opening moments of that incredible piano music can still induce chills. Might be my favorite piano accompaniment of any rock song. Add Taupin's amazing lyrics that are both grounded and soaring, the layers of arrangements, the subtle little guitar parts...what a masterpiece. Levon is also great, and Madman across the Water is great, but the rest of the album is just good.
Ho hum. This kind of album suffers from the other wonderful stuff that's around it.
It started off very strong with Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, but then I realized I wasn't really listening anymore towards the second half of the album. Pleasant enough though that the less memorable songs didn't grate. Elton John has a way of performing songs that make people want to sing along.
Wanted to go 5 on the strength of first two songs, and enjoyed the rest, but it’s a slid 4
meh
Sir Elton John is an institution, and a couple of songs of this record have lives of their own. I like Sir Elton, I I don´t love him, but I like him a lot.
Elton John has created some of my all time favorite songs. But his singles are often better than listening to his albums. At least in my opinion. So many forgettable tunes on this and one that’s embracing. But the bangers are just so good. 3.5/5
Here we go with my first Elton John album! It's a collection of piano ballads (which is what you would expect from Elton John), the music is pleasing but the most inspired aspect of these songs is the lyrical content, with Elton John being more of a storyteller here (looked at the Wikipedia page and I guess the one I should shout out is Bernie Taupin). Some tracks stood out to me (and I put those in the "favorite songs" section), but this is not really up my sleeve, the songs are all pretty similar. Favorite songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across The Water, Indian Sunset, Goodbye Would I listen to it again? I don't really feel like it, but it might be worthwhile as this one could be one of those albums that grows on you. 7/10
Love this album, every song. Reminds me of youth
Love Elton John. Some of these are good but many aren’t his best.
This is my second favorite Elton John album, behind Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Elton is one of my favorite artists. I had a really good time listening to this
A good EJ album, great song writing and catchy melodies. Would happily listen to it again.
alright, has a lot of his iconic songs. kind of all over the place, but great nonetheless.
Good
Not my favorite album by him but I do throw it on from time to time. I really want to give this a three but it's almost more of a vibes album than a song album. It's very warm and autumn feeling. I don't really ever need to hear Tiny Dancer again though.
Nicht mein Stil. 2,5
I have never heard the whole album before. Love it
Beautiful. Fun. Classic.
Great album.
Very samey sounding but the latter half is worth it. Still not a massive fan of Elton's voice. Pristine production
The second Elton John album I've listened to as part of this project. And again I'm quite taken with it. I had already forgotten the piece "Tiny Dancer". It was nice to hear it again. I think I will listen to this album again. Will I become a fan of Elton John? Probably not, but I will probably give up my previously rather negative attitude. 5/5
Madman. Hitmaker. John Elton.
Kicsit kevesebb teatralitás lehet, jól tett volna neki...
szóval van rajta pár tényleg jó szám, de nekem olyan egyformának tűntek, hogy sokkal hosszabbnak éreztem az albumot mint amilyen.
Pretty nice album full of piano and sometimes rock.
This peaked early with Tiny Dancer, but what a peak! I liked the title track and a couple of others, but I’m not sure what Indian Sunset is trying to say; I suspect nothing, which one of the worst things it could say given the subject matter. Apart from that, good album
It’s good stuff mate. Think I’m going to postpone my 5 until Goodbye Yellow Brick Road though. Simpsons: yes
I've noticed a theme throughout my album rating, that often I don't like music that features piano. No idea why, I don't consciously have anything against the instrument, but my ratings just seem to have that correlation. I decided to mention that here, because this album features lots of piano, and I really liked it. Tiny Dancer is an incredible tune. I already knew I liked it, but just realised I haven't quite appreciated it enough before. After listening to Indian Sunset, I of course now have to listen to Ghetto Gospel.
This album starts high with an absolute classic, and it stays there for 95% of the album. I had only really listened to Tiny Dancer before, but I loved Levon just as much. I also didn't know that Indian Sunset is the sample used in the song Ghetto Gospel, which was a nice surprise when it started playing. Although this does not have as many “ classic” Elton songs as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I personally think it is a better album. The only downside is that it didn't have any of his Lion King songs on
Nothing I didn’t like about this. Just flowed perfectly. I don’t absolutely love it but it feels like a near perfect album.
I know it's a controversial opinion, but I really disliked "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." "Madman Across The Water" is a measure better, because it precedes "GYBR", but it lays the foundation of the saccharine strings and extended arrangements that went off the rails on the later album. I really do like Bernie Taupin's lyrics, Elton John lays 'em down well, and I love his piano. But those strings, man. They weigh it all down so much.
3.5/5
Elton always makes good music. Lots of unfamiliar tracks that I enjoyed.
The piano work is, obviously, top notch. Starts off with a banger, Tiny Dancer. Rest of the album is not bad, just ok. It's kind of a let down after the first track, though. Best song: Tiny Dancer
Elton John is what I'd describe as "A Showman". It's another way of saying, he's music is very theatrical. If I think about music that would best fit in a musical, he'd be the first person that comes to mind. This record takes time to digest. It's not filled with singles and ear worms and really requires actively listening to appreciate. I listened to it the first time, and I thought it was okay. I listened to it again, very actively. Listening to every element in each track. The drums, they're punchy when they need to be and adds a real rhythm to get your foot tapping. It's never in your face, and it's exactly what it needs to be in the context of the song. Masterfully crafted. The bass lines, are never bland. If you take the time to listen to what he's playing, it's fun. Rotten Peaches is a great example of this. Listen to it, it's a good track. Elton's singing and piano is absolutely where his theatrics shine. In "All The Nasties", Elton is singing with a choir behind him. Of course he is, he's theatrical. The instrumentation arrangements are interesting. It's not a record that you would get bored of for a really long time. Each song is different, but on a theme; each song has something that makes it unique, for example, an added instrument. I think the biggest takeaway I learned about listening to this, is this. Elton John doesn't write music to write singles, Elton John writes records. And this record, is incredible. 5/5
elton john is great but some songs are really boring
It was alright, probably merits a second listen
Great voice and lovely classic but not my favorite…
Opens with a banger Tiny Dancer. Nothing after that really made a mark in my memory. I liked the parts with backing vocals.
Think I expected more from an Elton John album? Not bad, but I usually like him more than I liked that album
Tiny dancer is worth three stars alone
Overall a great album of 5 stars with a couple weaker songs that hold it to an A rather than A+.
This was a extremely strong 3, I'm only withholding a 4-5 because I'm sure I'll enjoy Elton's other albums even more (looking forward to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road!). There's a great mix of pop and rock on this album which is all accompanied by Elton's great vocals and even better piano playing; the lyrics themselves are also vivid and each song feels deliberately crafted. On the other hand there are a couple uninteresting spots on the album and the album became more dull as time went on.
If I had been born 20 years earlier, this album would probably occupy the space in my head that Portishead’s Dummy currently does. This is pretty far from what I’d assume I might like but it’s also so undeniably good that I can’t turn away. It’s like show tunes but for moody proto goth kids. This is absolutely what I’d have been listening to while smearing on eye shadow and shaving my legs (and everything else). My only gripe is the lyrics. I’m listening to a song about rotting peaches. Not really the kind of thing I’d be obsessing over and transcribing on my school binders.
It's okay. Other than the first 2 songs, i did not care for it too much.
Gewoon goed, lekker voor op de achtergrond
Pretty great album. Wasn't expecting this to be so grandiose. Lots of huge symphonies and arrangements.
Not mind-blowing. Tiny Dancer is a classic and the rest is forgettable but comforting.
Wasn't for me I'm afraid, Tiny Dancer is a banger. Just felt like the rest was just missing something from it.
It Elton, what’s not to love. In all seriousness not one of his stronger albums, but still enjoyable 4/5
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, and the other songs are just what you'd expect... well composed filler.
I was never a big fan of Elton John, and it's the more uptempo of his songs that I prefer. There are no uptempo tracks on this album. There's some beautiful piano throughout, of course, but this whole thing mostly faded into the background for me.
When I go to an albums Wikipedia page and it mentions that it is a part of this 1001 list, I am worried, because it means that no one else had anything good to say about it. Which is why I was surprised to see it for an album by Elton John. But it wasn’t bad. Not nearly as good as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, some songs were pretty boring. But still a pleasant listen. Low 4.
Elton John is always fun but I think goodbye yellow brick road is def better than this. Low 4
7/10 - Similar to a bunch of other albums as in the songs I knew were good, the rest were mid. Elton John is a good musician so the songs that were mid were slightly better than mid.
Tiny dancer goated the rest was fine
Loved
Best album yet. Ballads. Straight jams. Some cultural virtue signaling and everything. Good stuff.
That Tony Danza song really tugs at the heart. Had no idea Elton was gay, and his love for Tony was surprising to hear about!
It isn’t love it isn’t hate it’s just indifference.
This one to me was just good. I want to like it more because the songs tackle some tough topics (misaligned wealth, drugs, exterminating native populations, etc.) but for some reason they just miss slightly to me. Absolutely love Tiny Dancer!
I didn't care for this album as much as Yellow Brick Road. This is the more POETIC Elton John or something. The song writing is just not as catchy as Yellow Brick Road. It has two hits, Tiny Dancer and Levon. Neither of those are my favorite Elton John songs. Indian Sunset kinda comes off as a white British dude romantacising the wild west and maybe trying to make a statement about racial injustice? I would have to analyze it deeper. Rotten Peaches? Rotting in the sun? WTF? ... anyway... it would take me more than 1 or 2 listens to get into this album. Not his best.
This was quality Elton. The first couple are solid classics and I also really liked Indian Sunset and Holiday Inn. Didn’t quite reach 5 territory, but I love learning more of his lesser known works. So much talent between him and his lyricist.
A bit too mellow for me. And the songs blend together a bit due to the piano parts having similar patterns around each chord progression. But I like the mix of instrumentation and how orchestral some songs feel as well as the different sections in each song.
Classic, sort of cozy
haven’t listened yet
I appreciated the piano and Elton John is clearly very talented, but would not go out of my way to listen to this again other than Tiny Dancer.
Nice.
Fun album, probably will come back to this one in the future.
Good album
Honestly pretty disappointing. All felt very same-y. Levon and Razor Face in particular just felt like slightly worse copies of Tiny Dancer. Indian Sunset was promising until the lyrics started... By far and away my favourite of the tracks I hadn't heard before was Madman across the Water.
From the pop legend himself I’ve only known one of these songs my whole life, glad that’s different now. More of a Too Low for Zero type guy. <<Tiny dancer, holiday inn, Levon
9/23/24. Nearly a flawless album by Elton John. Each song is engaging and passionate, and easily memorable. No wonder people consider this a classic!
I love this album, but if we can only have 2 Elton John albums on this list, which is apparently the case, aside from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I would have chosen Honky Chateau over this. With that being said, this is still an amazing album. “Tiny Dancer” is a classic for a reason, “Levon” is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, and “Madman Across The Water” is absolute perfection. But then we get to “Indian Sunset.” While I really like this song and think it’s beautiful, it’s something that probably shouldn’t have been written by a white, British guy, let alone performed by a white, British guy. Times were different then. The album seems to peak there, however, and the latter half just can’t hold up to how strong the first half is. Still great overall and one of Elton’s best.
good storytelling, Elton John is a wizard.
Holy crap that was amazing
nope... zegt me niks... geen fan
Elton John's music never really stood out to me. Don't get me wrong, I understand how big of a name he is and his influence, but his music never really... clicked. This album is no exception unfortunately; the only songs that stood out to me were Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset (I know many people hate Indian Sunset but for some reason I loved its musical structure). I cannot really rate it anything more than 3/5, good album I guess but not interesting enough for me to remember.
I am very familiar with a few songs off this album but this was never one my family listened to back to back when I was growing up. The songs that are good on here are REAL good, but there are some misses for me too. To me "Tiny Dancer" is a culturally significant song and I would say that might be reason enough to include this album. "Levon" and "Madman Across the Water" also stand out to me. Very nostalgic listen and I was excited to get my first Elton John on the list because I grew up with his music. 4*s just because a few of the songs don't hold up, and because "Yellow Brick Road" is superior enough for them to be different star classes.
This is amazing. Definitely the best Elton John album I've got yet. The passion in the vocals as well as the music is incredible.
‘Indian Sunset’ is probably the only real misstep here, but Elton still manages to salvage Bernie Taupin’s lyrics with a wonderful arrangement. Everything else works, from everybody’s favourite ‘Tiny Dancer’ to the awesome title track, to (surprisingly) ‘All The Nasties’ and on. I can’t quite bring myself to give this is a 5, on account of ‘Indian Sunset’, but it’s a very, very close-run thing. ‘Madman Across The Water’ is a mostly excellent album and one I look forward to re-visiting often, a new favourite.
boring. overrated. it wasn’t that bad it just felt like background music in a café
Elton John is usually hit or miss with me, but the more I hear from him, the more I’m learning his music is much better than I thought. It turns out that most of his radio hits are songs I don’t seem to care much for, and I’m also not the biggest fan of his voice. Once I get past those few aspects, it turns out that this album is pretty good. It’s definitely soft rock with a laid-back feel. The musicianship and instrumentation are very rich and high quality, with top-notch production. Elton John’s piano is the lead instrument of the album, setting the tone for its overall mellow vibe. You also get rich orchestral arrangements that give the album a more cinematic feel. Even though I have a few subjective hold-ups with Elton John, I have to admit that this album has high-quality music, with amazing musicianship and instrumentation.
Classic
Very Elton John as you’d expect. Nice album. Would need to listen to it quite a few times to really appreciate it fully. 6/10
The 3 hits are top-notch. No surprises otherwise.
Legendary singles artist but often uneven albums. This one comes out the gates blazing but loses steam fast.
Elton John- come on. He gets a four star.
HOLD ME CLOSER TONY DANZA!!
Yeah it's an Elton John album
-well I’ll just start by saying that Tiny Dancer is definitely the best song on here and my favorite Elton John song period (though I haven’t exactly heard that many). The prog rock style is interesting and not what I was expecting. Overall a pretty solid album though maybe a bit too “samey” with some songs -Favorites are Tiny Dancer and Razor Face -Favorites are
My single favorite EJ LP.
Okay, album. Couple of good songs.
3.5☆/5 09.13.2024
<3
aaaaah Elton del mio cuoreeee <3
Mooolto meno catchy degli altri che sono apparsi in questo elenco
A classic.
Always loved Elton John. This was an album I came to a little late but really enjoy now.
Incomparable highs, middling lows. A fine enough enjoyable adult contemporary (70s, that is) pop music.
no real notes. elton just aint my style
Old school Elton, enjoyed
There are artists who play a big part in the soundtrack to one's teen years and Elton John was one of mine. This album has two huge hits but there are still better Elton albums out there. 3.5/5
Никогда его раньше не слушал вот прямо альбомом. Альбом норм. Лучшая песня - Tiny Dancer.
Best album so far, Elton John is super iconic and I listed to tiny dancers like 3 times The other songs in the album were good too but don’t really remember too much abt them
kinda unfortunate that the rest of the album is overshadowed a bit by how much of a banger tiny dancer is favorite: tiny dancer
Good first track. 3
No bad songs and the first like 6 are all excellent. Levon is a classic
One banger of an Elton John classic (Tiny Dancer). Rest is solid, bombastic piano pop but not his best work.
Other than a couple of standout tracks I can't really understand why this is on here.
I've always loved a lot of the songs on this album but did not realize they all came from this album
The hits are great of course. But some of the songs aren't up to EJ standards.
Always been an Elton fan. But many of albums I've heard seem to have a bit of filler. This album seems to have more than a bit. It certainly starts off very strong with Tiny Dancer and Levon. I love the orchestral rock sound. But the rest of the album meanders somewhat aimlessly although Elton sells it with his classic pop singing style. But I'm not sure what makes this a candidate for the list.
This album was good. I wouldn’t call it anything special. Just good. Obviously it has the standout track, Tiny Dancer, and one of my personal favorite Elton John tracks, Levon. But the other songs on this just don’t standout. They’re good inside the album but I wouldn’t replay them much outside of it. Still a good Elton John album though. 6/10
Pretty solid glam rock album. Really liked tiny dancer,levon, razor face
Of course, Tiny Dancer and Levon are great. String arrangements on the whole album are fantastic. Noticed on here that people aren’t fond of Rotten Peaches which is a shame. Great deep cut from Elton. 4.5 stars OR a 9.0 out of 10 Best songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Madman Across the Water, Rotten Peaches, Holiday Inn
Not Elton Jhon's best. 6/10
Sin mas
I tried to listen to this album 5ish years ago and didn't really enjoy it (besides tiny dancer of course), so I didn't really expect much going into it again. However, I found myself really enjoying the first half of this album. A lot of great songs and great piano and vocal melodies. Everything after Indian Sunset is just ok, but the rest of the album is great. High 4
Side one couldn't be any better with probably 3 of the 5 or 6 best songs of his career on one album side.
It's good, but I don't love it or connect with it. It's basically Billy Joel but not as good. C
Started off strong and then became fine. Took me a while to recognise Indian Sunset from Ghetto Gospel
A classic
A couple of alright songs, but otherwise pretty boring.
A swell time.
Tiny Dancer is sure a strong opener. We have a couple of less memorable piano tunes next, but the title track made me sit up and take notice. Much more bite to it and very cinematic. Indian Sunset has some good moments too and Holiday Inn leans more prog rock than I expected. I don't like everything though so it's hard to give this an overall rating higher than ***.
If I'm being honest I didn't finish the entire album. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it... or maybe I just didn't like it. Of course, Tiny Dancer is the best song on the album. Good thing it's the first. I like Elton John classics but this album didn't really sell me.
Catchy as hell, great production. Am I the only one who thinks these lyrics are abysmal? And the lines that aren't got lucky? Indian Sunset wouldn't get written today and I think that's ok
Excellent album.
Surprisingly good. I guess there's a reason why Elton John is popular.
Am Ende doch immer gleicher Aufbau der Lieder. Titellied mal weniger Klavier.
01) Tiny Dancer - 10,0 02) Levon - 8,0 03) Razor Face - 7,5 04) Madman Across the Water - 8,0 05) Indian Sunset - 8,5 06) Holiday Inn - 8,0 07) Rotten Peaches - 7,5 08) All the Nasties - 7,5 09) Goodbye - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,11 (81/100) Current ranking: 89/280
The title track is pretty cool here, but it's impact is dimished by 45 minutes of piano ballads back-to-back. This album is ok, with my favorites being Tiny Dancer, the aforementioned Madman, and Holiday Inn. I think Goodbye Yellowbrick Road was a more fun album.
confession time: i have always, always gotten elton john and billy joel crossed up in my head. in my defense: they've both got J names, they both play pianos, they both make music that's kinda just been part of the atmosphere...i know, it's lame, but here we are. anyway, this album being on this list places me in grave danger of learning to tell them apart, is what i'm saying, and i'm not sure i'm super happy about that. update: overall, i give this a solid meh
It was eh. Not too impressed
Tiny Dancer is the only classic Elton John song on this and, going into this, we weren't sure if he was an album kind of artist. However, we really enjoyed this from start to finish. A good vibe.
It’s cool. Starting with Tiny Dancer is ballsy when it’s such a great song. On the other hand, rest of the tracks follow the same style of that song and it becomes less interesting the longer it goes.
I was surprised by how much I liked this album. Elton is a legend but I only knew him from overplayed classics like "Tiny Dancer" and cornball singalongs like "Crocodile Rock" and "Candle in the Wind". Any of these tracks work on their own and they work even better together.
Great. Elton trying to capitalize on the progressive sound coming up and I think he does a great job. The piano forward is such a hallmark of John and even the lackluster tracks maintain the vibe. I liked the Indian song, I think people are being sensitive about it. The track is fine and sounds good. Honestly, it feels like he was auditioning to write the soundtrack for Disney's Pocohontas.
Almost Famous Movie - Tiny Dancer https://youtu.be/kgcD0XErPZo?feature=shared
It’s hard to describe what I really liked about this album. The songwriting speaks for itself. Elton John’s work is more than the sum of its basic instrumental parts. The progressions, structure and composition of each song is very listenable but not simple. The sheet music for nearly every song on here must be a trip to read. I think that’s what made it appealing to me, because I’m not really in to the singer/songwriter genre in general. It does get bizarrely repetitive despite the songs not fundamentally sounding like each other. Maybe it’s just the production where all the tones and dynamics are pretty much identical that makes it seem that way. This largely holds up for being written 50 years ago, except maybe “Indian Sunset” which has some lyrics which are questionable today, though tells a good story. It’s a shame because the music is great, maybe my favorite on the album. I don’t know if I’m gonna listen to this again but I’m glad I did. This is long lasting and timeless pop music.
Came into this only knowing Tiny Dancer but I left a fan. Elton's got a great voice, works his piano, and writes some awesome stuff. Here's hoping for another album.
Starts out strong with Tiny Dancer, but the rest of the album is pretty meh.
kun heräsin tänä iltana, kun puusavun tuoksu tarttuu, kuin lempeä hämähäkinverkko roikkuu maalatun pihan päällä.. Oi, menin tapaamaan päällikköäni, sotakehäni ja naiseni kanssa. sillä hän kertoi meille, että keltainen kuu lähtisi hyvin pian... koskettavaa settiä, maailman parhaat lyrisisoijat elttoni ja bernie.... Oi, suuri irokeesien isä Nuoresta asti Olen lukenut savun kirjoituksen Ja imetettiin rumpujen äänellä Olen oppinut heittämään tomahawkia Ja ratsastaa maalatulla ponilla villinä, Juoksemaan sioux-käsinettä,tehdä päällikön tyttärestä minun... FFFFFFOOOOOOKING ALL REIGHT LYRICS MATE:.................... SIR:..... YES SIR...... levon
Great
10/10. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the less popular songs of the album. Tiny Dancer is a great song and probably not in the top 3-4 songs. Added all but the last song to the playlist. Anyone who says this album isn’t great is clueless.
Solid album. Tiny Dancer is an all-time fave.
Great first half
Tiny dancer is a classic but otherwise it felt like the same song over and over.
3.5
Not bad from Elton 6/10
3.5 stars. Opens with an absolute iconic banger in "Tiny Dancer" and the rest is OK, just ballad-y piano rock. The other track I enjoyed was "Rotten Peaches".
Maybe I've been a bit spoiled by Candle In The Wind since it was my frist album from Elton. It's not bad, but it didn't really strike me as anything that amazing
A masterpiece!
I was surprised by how country inspired this album is. 4 stars just for Tiny Dancer.
Timeless classic and over 50 years since release.
I would’ve once said eww but this is actually really good music all round. 3.5 stars
Plain. Some of the Spotify recommendations were more engaging.
Endnu en på grænsen mellem 4 og 5, men jeg har simpelthen gåsehud under for mange af sangene til at give den lavere. Flot og dramatisk album
Virkelig fed plade! High drama, god stemme, catchy. Det er alt sammen virkelig gay (positivt!)
God gang i festen
starts out really strong, but fades in the back half. still a good project and worth the listen
Not his best but a good listen.
Love Tiny Dancer - the only song I recognize.
Like many of Elton John's albums there are absolute masterpieces (Tiny Dancer) among some really cringey numbers (Indian Sunset). As a stalwart of the rock album era I have always struggled with how bad his albums actually are despite his excellent singles.
I grew up listening to Elton John with my mom, so this was fun to listen to and reminisce. There were a few songs I hadn’t heard before and had a little different style than the rest, which was cool to hear.
Elton John has got it. Bernie Taupin has got it. They're just one of the best ensemble projects, I think. It’s not your standard rock band; Elton always has the piano featured front and center and his voice is doing the most. You don’t get that in a lot of pop music, even from the 70s. This album, obviously, has a lot of his big hits on it, including one of my favorites, 'Tiny Dancer.' 'Indian Sunset' I liked a lot musically, but I wonder if they look back on the lyrics and cringe at all.
Decent album. Elton's voice is wonderful as always and the instrumentals are good. Some of the songs in the second half of the album seemed to drag on, though. Definitely needed more pick-me-ups in there. A true rating would be 3.5 but I'll round up for Tiny Dancer.
Love it. Not every song is a bangor, but they are all unique and there are lots of good'ns.
Неплохой альбом. Еще не фанат Элтона Джона, но все же.
Nothing I could really say about this. It's good, give it a listen.