Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Never heard of this album … assuming there is more Elton on the list. It was fine . Tiny dancer obviously stands out. Won’t rush to listen again.
Nice production but many did not hit it for me
maybe not my number one choice, but def a nice roadtrip or camping type soundtrack & its impact is of course huge
Compelling vocal performance and excellent instrumentation throughout. Not my home base musically, but enjoyable cover to cover.
3.5
Decent 3,5
This Elton John album is pretty fine; it has a hit song as the opener and a bunch of other decent tracks. Album cover is not that great.
181225 11:32 3 / highlights: tiny dancer, levon
it's a 3.5
Funny that this is the first album generated. Yesterday I had the idea, based on this record being suggested to me by Tidal, to listen to Elton John's discography but I didn't make it through the first record. We'll see how this goes. This starts with Tiny Dancer which could be good or it could just be downhill from here. It's a solid record but not really my style. Has a few standout tracks, though. Fav tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, All the Nasties
Having not been a big Elton fan i was not expecting much but as ive grown i can see why people like him. This has not converted me but the melodies and piano playing were enjoyable he is a talented songwriter and deserves his flowers
Most of the songs sounds like Tiny Dancer but worse.
wouldnt listen to this on a daily basis, maybe while reading or in the background while doing chores, not my cup of tea to listen it more often after the first listen but the production is great
Billy Joel or Elton John? I gotta go with Billy
Aside from the two standout hits, “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon,” I wasn’t very familiar with this album before listening. It has some strong moments, particularly the brooding title track, but overall, it’s not Elton John’s finest work. In my view, his career truly peaked with the three brilliant albums that followed.
It's not bad, I just don't dig 6 minute piano-driven ballads.
Album Rate: 5 Tiny Dancer: 6 Levon: 3,5 Razor Face: 2 Madman Across The Water: 6,5 Indian Sunset: 6 Holiday Inn: 5 Rotten Peaches: 5,5 All The Nasties: 5,5 Goodbye: 5 Álbum com a sonoridade clássica da época em que foi lançado. Não é algo que me atraia tanto como outras sonoridades de outras épocas daí a nota 5 ser previsível!
The rest of the album doesn’t live up to Tiny Dancer. It was fun enough to listen to but nothing really stuck with me and I probably wouldn’t listen again. Tiny Dancer is so good though. Fav song: Tiny Dancer Least fav: Indian Sunset
Didn't blow me away as much as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Tiny Dancer is such an iconic song that the rest of the album just really doesn't compare, especially Indian Sunset which feels very unnecessary. Favourite song: Tiny Dancer Least: Indian Sunset
elton john is elton john to me... he sings... he plays da piano... he does his work and it sounds like good music. i bet this woulda played allll the damn time on radio lmao cause it's good safe music.
The expectations of this album were certainly met, exactly what you would think if Elton John did prog rock with nice piano parts and his infamous voice. Tiny Dancer is definitely the best on the album, but the rest isn't so bad.
A couple of winners (Tiny Dancer and Levon) with the rest being adequate.
I knew Tiny Dancer of course and have heard Levon before. I preferred the other Elton album in this exercise but still a decent listen, the title song was quite grand and definitely the highlight alongside TD
I wasn't blown away by this. Tiny Dancer is good, and I enjoyed the title track and Indian Sunset, but not much else here stood out. I'm giving it a 3.
With gems like "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" kicking off the album, I expected a juggernaut of an album. Unfortunately, while some other tracks were solid ("Madman, Razor Face"), I would have no reason to listen to side 2. 3 stars simply for Tiny Dancer.
Elton John could sing the phone book but the lyrics were phoned in
Levon is still my favorite Elton John song and it's on here, although this isn't my favorite Elton John album. Regardless, it's cohesive and a good listen all the way through.
Listened to it for a bit,it’s Elton John so it’s good just not my fav
Je suis pas sûre si j'aime ça ou non du Elton. John... C'est drôle, on dirait qu'il a son son signature, facile à reconnaître, sans que ce soit forcément très original. Aussi, on dirait que je peux pas m'empêcher de penser au roi Lion à chaque fois que j'entends du Elton John, c'est tout ce que j'entends! Les tounes sont bonnes par contre, Tiny Dancer est un banger plaisir coupable. Les textes écris par Bernie Taupin, plusieurs avec une imagerie forte, voire meme des histoires racontées comme Indian Sunset, je les ai écoutés semi attentivement comme d'habitude. C'est quand même son 4e album en 18 mois! Quote tirée d'une autre review 1001AG : " This one of the earliest albums where the mixing board becomes a musical instrument on its own (the producer, Gus Dudgeon, knew exactly when to ‘tell’ the piano to sit back and let the backing musicians take over)."
For whatever reason, Elton John's music has always pretty much left me cold, and this hasn't changed my mind. I was surprised by 'Indian Summer', which seems like well-meaning but clueless cultural appropriation - and even more surprised to learn that he was still singing it live in 2011.
I don't mind a little bit of Elton John.
not so bad, you can see why he was so popular
6/10
'Jesus freaks, out in the street / Handing tickets out for God.' I'd be lying & inconsistent if I said I didn't value 'Tiny Dancer,' one of those inane classics that oughtn't work but do and there's not much else to say 'bout it. 'Levon' is a noble second helping of that seminal track, continuing the odd tributes to Jesus + Americana: I never knew Elton John was essentially a Brit doing some kind of prog-country act. By the time 'Razor Face' starts, however, I no longer care for the orchestral pretensions, the melodramatic storytelling (the nadir being 'Indian Sunset'), or John's bright mundanities. Things are slightly bettered on 'Holiday Inn' - 'Slow down Joe, I'm a rock and roll man' - but if there's genius on this record, it's privileged on the first two tracks.
Interesting listening to a young Elton John and admiring his unchanging essence as well as how his vocals have evolved. Loved tracks Madman Across the Water and Tiny Dancer.
The compositions here are very sweet but the songs are quite trite.
Perfectly well to listen to. He sounded less raw in his lyricism compared to on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road though, so I automatically draw a comparison where GYBR comes out on top. Still, this is by no means bad.
Just like with the previous Elton John album: Sounds nice but that's about it. Lyrically not crazy, but very nice to listen to nonetheless. You wouldn't catch me saying 'oh let's listen to an Elton John album' very often unfortunately, but I don't mind it playing in the background.
I didn't realize that I never really listened to a full Elton John album before
Elton John always feels like background music to me. It’s chill, just a guy with his piano. His voice is good and the songwriting is pretty good. I would really give this a 3.5 but since there weren’t stand out songs, this will be a 3 for me
Good listen!
Enjoyed much more than I thought I would
All the drums sound so good Very solid, just not necessarily my thing all the time
Tiny Dancer is a classic. Good album overall, lots of ballads.
This is a good album, it's just that I like other Elton John records a lot more. This one is great because of Tiny Dancer, but it's hard to have other songs as great to follow when you have that one as an opener. But it's a good album nonetheless.
I've never given Elton John the time of day, however, I thought every song on this album was pretty good. I probably won't go back and listen again but it was well worth my time.
Eeeeeeeh. When he gets it right elton can be fantastic, but this really didn't do much for me. Tiny Dancer is good and there are flashes of inspiration in Levon and the title track, and Nasties. But then Indian Summer is pretty awful, and several tracks fail to do anything with their concepts, getting mired down in frills and failing to really grab. Its not awful but cant go higher than 3.
First 2 songs go so hard, after that was hard for me to stay engaged
This doesn’t change my opinion that there are no Elton John album tracks really worth bothering with, but it comes closer to changing my mind than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road did. Tiny Dancer is so good that not being able to resist singing “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” doesn’t even ruin it.
Opening with the best song on the album by far is an underrated move. Give the people what they came for
Beautiful album.
Fav song: Tiny Dancer Starts really strong but I think Elton John's song writing is a little lost in the sauce. It kinda feels like it goes too many places while at the same time - going nowhere at all. The production and instrumentation is absolutely amazing though, maybe one of the best sounding records from the 70's ever made.
Never listened to this in entirety, heard a bunch of the songs, obviously. Good album. Not as good as brick rd tho
7/10 - my first full Elton John album, now I get it
Can't say I listened super closely while this was on during a road trip, but I think I got the gist. 6 for Tiny Dancer, 3 for the rest. Average 3.5
Short, a bit front loaded but it's Tiny Dancer so it's unavoidable
lost a star because of the weird song about Indigenous people. I know it was 1971, but like... do we have to use every stereotype at once? really?
The album is not bad. I'm not a big fan of Elton John but did not suffer with this album. I find it pretty consistent and would probably revisit it in the future. 3.5
I liked this a lot but there's a few songs that stuck out to me as having melodic and lyrical strength. Everything else sounds the same...I really want to give this 3.5 stars for the production, Levon and All the Nasties. Obviously tiny dancer. Just wish this felt more like a whole.
Tiny Dancer is the standout here, but I didn't connect with the rest of this album like I did for GYBR. This album I think really shows off the depth that Elton John can have. his singing and composition is soo good, i just don't think that I connected with this album as much. i did listen to the first half again as the album looped around, but it still didn't jump out to me. a good Elton album, but not my favorite i would say
Starting to discover that I’m only really a fan of Elton John’s hits and not much else, so a front-loaded album like this kinda made me lose some interest halfway through. It wasn’t bad though, I’ll never complain about some piano-driven ballads, it just didn’t blow my socks off.
7/10
Some good moments but not something I would listen to casually
good album
Reminds me of tumbleweed connection. I like this less produced sound
Elton John er bare lit. Det topper baroque pop med såddan lidt rock indover. Det er piano rock også? Det giver nok lidt sig selv hvad det er. Jeg synes hele albummet var rigtig godt.
Early in the chronology, middling in the oeuvre, low on the Elton totem pole for me. 2.5 gets to 3 for all that came before and after.
Favorite track(s): Tiny Dancer, Madman Across The Water, Indian Sunset
It's Elton John. It's a solid album. However, I do not think its really exceptional compared to his other work. None of the songs really hit the spot.
3 - pretty good album, thought I would like it more tho
This is very cool. I think this is my favourite Elton John era so far (Welton John, according to the cover?) I really like that there is a consistent piano led small band throughout - it's less ambitious than later records with a wider variety of instrumentation maybe but I feel like it flows better. I also appreciate the relative lack of those Elton John piano rock and roll songs that are more prominent on other records. It's so difficult to listen to tiny dancer with fresh ears!
Tiny dancer and Levon are incredible. I wasn’t expecting the rest of the album to be so one note. A little disappointing
It was okay, standard Elton. I'd give that a 6/10
Classic rock radio stations drilled the first two tracks into my head for the first half of my life and maybe that gave me a bit of an allergic reaction to the rest. It's just kind of a specific sound and you're either on board for it at that moment or you're not. I wasn't having any fun until around 'Holiday Inn' and 'Rotten Peaches'.
I don't know, it's just now what I'm into I guess. Piano and ballads, but there is a sense of prog rock here, albeit through the Elton filter. Title track is good, better than the hyped Tiny Dancer.
First 2 songs - absolute bangers! Rest of the album - it’s just about ok I think. I am glad I have listened to an Elton John album though and not just a greatest hits compilation.
Pleasant enough listen but definitely peaks with Tiny Dancer. All sounds a bit same-y.
My wife and her sisters grew up firmly believing that the song lyrics were "Hold me closer, Tony Danza."
A number of years ago we were having a big family dinner in Delhi and in a rare moment of silence, apropos of absolutely nothing, one of my ancient Kashmiri aunts looked up from her food and screamed, "Elton John! He is gay! But what a VOICE!"
Tiny Dancer. Most of the songs follow that vibe. Need to listen again for the lyrics.
I'm glad I finally listened to an entire Elton John album instead of just hearing the hits. But with that said, Elton John just seems to be the living embodiment of kitsch. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it is not something that leads me to think you are making a good album.
I know who Elton John is, but I've never listened to an album so this is a first. Starts with a banger. After that, hmm. Why are the songs so long. Some interesting parts, but never rising above the first track. 3 Heard before? Some Owned: No: 24/99 (24%) Will I get?
Tiny Dancer could be the whole album, but Sir Eltie also gives us Levon, Razor Face and Rotten Peaches among other contenders. What drags down the rating are some is some drag on the back half and the truly embarrassing Indian Sunset. Ah well.
Elton John's experiment with prog rock is definitely a good album, with some complex songwriting and strings that elevate the entire thing at the right points. "Tiny Dancer" was obviously a massive hit as well. Aside from that, the title track (evidentally not written about Richard Nixon as rumored) is a stand out for me. Overall, it's good, but doesn't reach the level of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and his glammier, poppier material that he's best known for today.
Solid album but nothing really stood out to me sadly.
I'm usually impressed by the Sir's work but this one was less exhilarating than his other albums. Still some very impressive writing/performing chops on display but there's a few too many forgettable tracks. That said, this one's still pretty great. fav tracks: Goodbye, Tiny Dancer, Indian Sunset
*Tiny Dancer: I've obviously heard this a million times due to being a human being on Earth. it's a classic for a reason, basically a flawless song. never noticed that it's over six minutes long before Levon: pretty sure I've heard this one before too. it's decent, a little hokey for me but that's Elton John's gig Razor Face: some of these harmonies are not quite harmonizing. love the moment when the full instrumental drops in for the chorus but the melodies throughout are pretty unmemorable *Madman Across the Water: I like that he's taking a lot of big swings on this track. some interesting sonic choices in the chorus (that massive synth-y guitar tone rules) and he's really going for it with the vocals. super theatrical Indian Sunset: cool song, cinematic storytelling. it's obviously intended to speak about the horrors of U.S. colonization but the optics on this one are a little questionable in the modern era lol. Elton John indigenous roleplay. Holiday Inn: it's good. it's more of the same *Rotten Peaches: really like that grittiness in his voice in the chorus, it's a catchy hook and everything that needs to hit hits. it's the exact same song again but it's better than some of the other times he played it on here All the Nasties: you can't tell me this isn't from a stage play. "You'd turn a full-blooded city boy into a full-blooded city man" is a hard line. wanted the second half to build to something more impressive, I like that the song had some room to breathe and grow but it never quite clicked *Goodbye: vox going crazy. beautiful little song, doesn't overstay its welcome. this album is quality but it definitely starts to feel like the same song again and again. wish it had some more diversity but it could be a positive for others; if you're really in love with that sound you're eating good. I think he leans into what he does best, he gives theatrics and dramatics and puts the piano front and center. not my personal fav but I get the hype. he should have put Tiny Dancer at the end because not one track on here can follow that __ SCORE: 6.5/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across the Water, Rotten Peaches, Goodbye
easiest listen yet. not bad though
Elton is masterful on the piano and a talented songwriter, this much we know. Tiny Dancer is a lovely piece of work and there are some other nice tracks on here. He can conjure up a beautiful sentimental feeling out of nowhere stroking those ivory keys. However, I don’t think it’s his best work, there’s some weak stuff on here and Indian Sunset is a BIT of a strange listen in 2025, although some novelty factor to hear where the Tupac Ghetto Gospel sampling came from.
I dont know this album well but for me this sounded like an Elton John that had all the talent and ability to curate music within himself (or around him) but just without the final polish that made him a great. When I broke this down we had some lyrically excellent songs, different melody compositions which showcase individuals musical talent, amazing show pieces etc. It just doesnt come together perfectly in my opinion. Just not enough high quality bangers in the album to elevate this. Tiny Dancer was the one strong standout with a few more minor standouts amongst it but not a complete package.
Elton John is a hard artist to categorise. I guess its rock and roll, but then there is also a piano-forward, pop ballad element to a lot of his music that makes me think of it as soft and without edge. This album starts with "Tiny Dancer" which is my favourite Elton track. I think its the fact that the structure is unpredictable and surprising, with an unorthodox but catchy chorus. Just seems like good pop music. For the rest of the album, I was feeling a mixture of "this is definitely good music" but also "this is boring and outdated and I am not a fan". One eyebrow raiser was "Indian Sunset", a track I actually quite enjoyed despite fully recognising its clumsy "noble savage" theme. Not one for the hardcore wokeist maybe but fair play to him for going there. I guess when this came out it was probably seen as deeply progressive which is interesting in of itself. Overall a decent album that hasn't changed my middling opinion of Elton John.
Pretty good. NGL, I've never listened to Elton John's music. I know he's a musician, but I just never bothered with it...
Well, it's Elton John. Not really my thing. I can understand why people like it. It's very melodic, calming, and in a way, interesting to listen to, until I got bored. I got bored pretty fast because every song is kinda the same with different words.
Solid album. Despite not being an Elton fan i can't deny that he's made some bangers.
Talented but not my bag. More specifically, the song structures were great. Piano excellent. The subject matter of the songs though didn't hit quite right.
Standouts Tiny Dancer Levon Madman Across the Water
There were a few great tracks here in this short record. The other tracks were good too, but not memorable. Favourite Track(s): Tiny Dancer Least Favourite Track(s): All the Nasties
For a lot of stuff nobody talks about from Elton John, pretty good
Didn’t realize I knew the title song- Brandi has performed it before
Decent enough but lacking the wow factor
Mój problem z tą płytą jest taki, że robi się monotonna. Wszystko jest zagrane i zaśpiewane na wysokich emocjach i tempie, co sprawia że robi się z tego zupa pełną soczystych kawałków, ale jednak rozmemłana i zbita. Taka muzyczna papka. A szkoda, bo Eltona uwielbiam, a Tiny Dancer ma wielkie miejsce w moim sercu. 6/10
W koncu poznalem wiecej piosennek Eltona prócz "im still standing" i jest ok, popowe brzmienia sympatycznie brzmią
I only knew Tiny Dancer or as Phoebe said in Friends, “Hold me closer Tony Danza.” It was fine. I’m not the biggest Elton John fan, but I don’t hate him.
5.67
Hold me closer, Ghetto Gospel.
I think it is quite undeniable that Elton John and Bernie Taupin are a match made in heaven as songwriter and performer. With Elton's album, Madman Across the Water, I feel they were finally able to tap into their creative potentials as artists on a much greater level than some of their one song hits on previous albums. Even with that being said I do feel this album is very front heavy and does wane off more in the back, but still has some nice deep cuts to offer all around. The writing of songs like Tiny Dancer, Levon, and even Indian Sunset paint such beautiful pictures full of depth and detail that really make the songs here pop so much. While not Elton's sharpest musical output ever, I do have to say this is when I really would have started paying attention to him as an artist because listening to this album feels like watching a shaken soda about to explode in glorious fashion. Don't sleep on this project it is full of some of his best material to date!
Not his greatest hits but enjoyable
Can't really be mad about Elton John's music, but the more you've heard of him, the more all of his songs sound the same.
That's what happens when you release 3 albums in the same year It's great cause it's Elton but is far from the likes of goodbye yellow brick road
It's a well produced album, interesting to hear more 'conventional' songwriting after having caught up with Modern Life is Rubbish. Wouldn't necessarily re-listen to it but a good one overall.
Solid. The best Elton AFAIK.
Nothing crazy, high 3. Love EJ, but not a ton of highlights.
One good song, then a lot of similar ones. I can't get passionate enough about him 3.0
First artist to be encountered twice on this list. Very grandiose and more orchestral sounding than I figured it would be, and Elton sounds amazing. Favorite track: Tiny Dancer
3,1/5
Added to library: Tiny Dancer Levon Goodbye
decent
Not Elton’s best album, but not bad. “Indian Sunset” felt like a bit much from a white Englishman, though…
Elton John's work is so gaudy and dramatic to the point that a deep, dark piece of my soul can't help but always be pissed off. But, I probably need therapy, because there's no denying that the musicianship is off the charts. Even on a lyrically stupid-ass fucking song like "Indian Sunset," I found myself vibing to the music underneath. And, you gotta put some respect on the few blokes in rock who had the guts to shove a piano into the genre. Fave songs: - Tiny Dancer (duh) - Levon - Razor Face - Madman Across The Water - Rotten Peaches
Four great songs, but the rest are not very good and Indian Summer is both bad and I’ll conceived.
There are some great songs on this album. But then the rest is quite wishy washy. And most of them just go on too long, they could all be a minute shorter at least. Just shut up, John. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Jealous Guy
Truthfully I’m not a fan of this Elton John phase. This was boring. Not as bad as his newer releases though.
There are some very high quality cuts across this track list, with songs which lean towards dramatic, unspooling musical theatre. I particularly like the famous Tiny Dancer and epic Indian Sunset. There are also songs which miss the mark considerably with a head scratching disconnect between vocals and lyrics, such as the weak Levon, which is home to some of the worst and least compelling storytelling I’ve ever heard. I do think this album is a tad overrated and that Elton John has better.
Excellent voice.
This was fine but overall top heavy.
Fine, Tiny Dancer is the best and first song though so kind of a bummer.
Like a lot of Elton John albums, this one has a few absolutely killer tracks (including the huge hits “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon”) surrounded by uneven, long, and overly theatrical filler like “All The Nasties” and “Indian Summer”. Few artists benefit from a greatest hits collection quite like Elton John, and that is a better way to go than this record.
7.5
It started off really strong obviously, and then just slowly regressed to mid. I don't think I'd listen to it in album form again, but it wasn't a complete waste of time to listen to it once.
This is a tough one to rate, it comes out of the gate swinging with "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", two absolute all-time killer songs, and then the rest is... just fine? I mean, he and Bernie weren't writing any clunkers in this era, and "Holiday Inn" is pretty nice, but to call this top-heavy or front-loaded would be a bit of an understatement. Three stars I guess?
This just doesn't bring the sauce as consistently as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Tiny Dancer is obviously great, but the rest just kinda blend together. This isn't Elton's finest work. I considered giving it 2 stars but Tiny Dancer is 3 stars by itself
Very good rock ballads, but Tiny Dancer and Madman Across The Water are two tracks that stand far above the rest of the album in my opinion. Levon has some good parts to revisit as a track, too.
Tiny dancer was the only song I had heard before and the little bits from Indian summer that are sampled in ghetto gospel.
Pretty strong starting album - Elton does prog?? Started losing interest by Indian Sunset but some nice moments.
Man, young Elton John had a great voice! I like that raw timbre far more than the bling bling version of his established in the 80s and 90s. The songs in contrast are far too repetitive for me and none of them really caught my ear. All together a solid listen
It isn’t love it isn’t hate it’s just indifference.
I don't understand Elton John. Clearly, he is a very talented songwriter and performer, but I don't get the hype. The singles shine here, but the other songs are just well composed filler.
I’d probably go 3.5 on this if I could - the first two songs are unquestionably great, Tiny Dancer timelessly so. We know Elton’s voice, it’s great here and he definitely sounds young. Piano playing is excellent per usual. I think my issue is the back half of the album sounds sort of mid-tempo same-y? I like the orchestral flourishes but maybe they’re used too much? Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are cool in places, sometimes a bit obtuse. Nothing wrong with this at all, just didn’t strike me as the greatest overall entry in Elton’s catalog (wait until we get to Yellow Brick Road)
It’s really hard to review albums of people who are SO familiar. It’s Elton John. It’s Tiny Dancer. It almost becomes a question of, “do you like elton john or not.” And I think he’s just okay. He is a little over the top, but he’s supposed to be. His songs all sound mostly the same to me, but that’s not a terrible thing. Everything goes on for like 2 more minutes of drama/chorus club kumbaya than I’d like.
I didn't hate it, I didn't love it.
A solid album—similar to Wings, a couple of decent stand-outs saved separately for the future. Enjoyed it!
When compared to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, this isn’t my go-to choice for an Elton John album. Tiny Dancer will always be a classic, but I didn’t find any new favorites on this album.
Never much cared for Elton John. This was not as irritating as I thought it was going to be. Would be interesting to be Elton John for a week in 1971.
It's a steady descent from "Tiny Dancer" as you progress through these nine songs. They're fine, just a little same-y and overlong. (Even "Tiny Dancer" doesn't need to be 6+ minutes.) And "Indian Sunset" feels pretty cringe, even if its heart is in the right place.
man knows how to play a damn piano, i'll give him that.
More interesting than the other albums so far....gospel choirs, mandolins everything and only one vaguely familiar song. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.
"Tiny Dancer" and some other songs. Obviously Reg is a total ledge but beyond the lead track, there's not much here beyond the standard Elton template. Which is fine.
Was interesting…like the type of thing you have on while waiting at a gas station for something
Yeh, nice. Didn’t love it. Probably won’t play it again. But I’ve got respect for Elton and there were some nice bits. Not that I can remember them!
He’s got some good songs but from what I’ve experienced, he’s only a fine musician when it comes to making entire albums. At least with this one.
Despite seeing Elton John in concert and knowing almost all of his hits (thanks to my wife, who is a huge fan), I had never actually listened through any of his studio albums prior to this challenge. MATW has made me understand why Elton is known for his singles, rather than his albums – outside of a couple highlights and some wacky bits of instrumentation here and there, this LP is just not that memorable. I didn’t find myself aching for the album to be over, but I also can’t really see myself coming back to listen to any of the songs outside of the obvious one that everyone knows. Hopefully there’s a fantastic album from EJ yet to come on this list! Highlights: Tiny Dancer, Razor Face, Holiday Inn, All the Nasties
Tiny dancer is a straight 5, but i didnt know the rest of the album. Turns out its more of the same, but less catchy. Some lovely playing is marred by clunky lyrics. A fine album but it peaked early.
Contains Tiny dancer,so come on. But.... uneven to say the least.
mid & average
Very classic.. the madman actually did it
listening to this i kinda realized i had never listened all the way thru an elton john album and it was actually basically exactly what i expected which is pretty good in my books!
This really ran out of steam. Everything until Indian Sunset was, at worst, interesting and pretty good. The rest was, at best, stale and overly long. At least I found the story of Tiny Dancer and Indian Sunset compelling, but the back half is more filler than good.
3rd album in one year?! Unique album artwork and a classic in the opener ‘Tony Dancer’ (it did this as an autocorrect and going to leave it 😂) Enjoyed the modern video for it too and found it quite moving. Got a little samey in the opening tracks and very Elton sound but really loved the title track and the newness that brought in. Generally great range of songs and the familiarity of ‘Indian Sunset’ that became Ghetto Gospel. Good energy, dramatic, theatrical. Good songwriting. (3.5)
Okay, generally a Elton John fan, but not my favourite
Something about this album didn't really hit for me as a whole but I can't put my finger on it. That said, I never knew Tiny Dancer was an album opener. For some reason it seemed like it'd be an album closer. Favorite Tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Rotten Peaches
Sometimes I'm in an Elton mood, sometimes his voice seems too 'put on' and over-egged and it grates. This album walks the line a bit. Some of the tracks are pure Elton and I'm on board with, but sometimes his faux-American tones take it too far for me?
Standard Elton - soft rock driven by the piano. Not much else to say. I don't even like Tiny Dancer... Nice and concise album though, doesn't overstay its welcome. Best track - Madman Across the Water 3 stars
Really solid songs and they are longer than I remember. Elton can really sing and it shows on this LP. The production is typical of the time - can barely hear the drums and when you can they are high end and dry. But there’s a lot of players and a lot of signal. Very good record.
Really good. Some songs didn’t age well
Rollicking. Like any Elton John album... sometimes a lil too rollicking...
Was ok 3.4
Well mixed, overall a pleasant listen that wasn't for me (yet at least). Loved the build on all you nasties, I'm a sucker for a good choir part.
Elton John. What more needs to be said. Tiny dancer is a hit. 3/5 for me.
Il y a une coupe de bonnes trucs, genee Tiny Dancer et Madman Across the Water. Mais Elton John j'ai essayé souvent sans succès (Honky Chateau et Yellow Brick Road). Ça me semble plus un serial one-hit wonder man. Quand même dans les meilleures tounes de Disney (avec Tarzan), alors respect Sir!
the cheese is strong in this one. still, enigmatic in its own way. there's "Madman Across The Water" which stands out for me.
.
Good album, just not for me
In the present day, Elton John kind of suffers from being one of those musicians who is really thought of as a celebrity before a musician. Sure, everyone knows songs like Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, and Candle In The Wind, but it kind of feels like he is a little under-listened as far as full albums go. Going into this, I too mostly just knew some of the singles, but I am pleased to report that this has some real highlights on it. The first thing that stuck out to me here is that this is the one with Tiny Dancer, a fantastic song. You've probably heard it: grand and patient and tender. It's worth noting at this point that this phase of Elton John's career can be most helpfully thought of a collaborative effort between himself and lyricist Bernie Taupin. Elton John's songwriting ear, and Taupin's talent for lyrics is a pretty formidible one here. Tiny Dancer is a great example of the fruits of this creative partnership. Miraculously, the rest of side one more or less keeps up with Tiny Dancer's quality. Levon has anpther fantastic chorus, some great piano and some really amazing lyrics. Razor face brings some really cool alternative instrumentation to the mix. And Madman Across The Water (the title track) takes Elton John's glam sound into a darker, proggier space, and the result is really compelling. Unfortunately Side 2 can't quite keep up. Holiday Inn is just fine, and I can take or leave Rotten Peaches and All The Nasties, but the remaining two tracks are worth discussing. Firstly, let us discuss Indian Sunset, and the mess it makes me navigate. Firstly, the *sound* of this song is really good, it is another in a proggier pocket like the title track, and the string arrangements work really well, but none of that is the big thing with this song, let's talk lyrics. So, listening to this, it is clear that it is being written from a well meaning place, and as far as the poetic devices, pacing, and tension goes, it is actually pretty well executed, as in, this is *theoretically* well written. **However** the core narrative concept of this song is such a *fantastically* bad idea that these positives barely matter. Upon seeing this on the tracklist I figured we were in for another 70's and 80's "well meaning but ill advised song about the wrongs leveled against Native Americans (a weirdly common song type for this era). And on some level, it is this, but it is also so much more jaw-dropping. I would honestly urge you to read the lyrics yourself. All I will say is that I'm glad that Bernie Taupin is free from whatever force in his life convinced him that he *needed* to write a song in which Elton John theatrically portrays a young Native American warrior. The last song I would like to discuss here is Goodbye, which is a truly fantastic closer. However it commits the cardinal sin of being unconscionably short. As a whole, I thought this was a little uneven, but it has some really amazing highs and I enjoyed the experience in general.
meh
No ecactly my type, a bit sad
Not a huge piano rock person. The performances shine through that bias, and some of Elton John's best performances are here. I probably won't revisit, but is still worth your time.
Haven't finished it but it was ok, I appreciate the art but isn't really my thing
Terrible cover art. :) Couple great songs, but I wasn't thrilled with all of it. Levon and Tiny Dancer carry. 3.5/5
• 3/5 • A good listen, but far from Elton’s best. Tiny Dancer is great, Levon is good, the rest are forgettable (except Indian Sunset, which is affirmatively bad)
This Elton John album is frontloaded with the hits--the rest of it is pretty meandering. These songs go on for a bit.
Yep !
I'm not an Elton John fan, but I enjoyed this album far more than I had expected.
'Tiny Dancer' is an epically great song and worth 3 stars on its own. The rest of the album is fine.
Starts off extremely well but from there seems to be a collection of too similar sounding songs? Perhaps should give it a few additional listens to appreciate the deeper cuts.
Decent. Not a big ej fan bit this was alright
I think I genuinely need to know more about how music is made to appreciate why this album is special. I had a hard time understanding the words due to the vocalist's enunciation while singing. 5/10. Mediocre to my ears.
Unless the last track is good I think this is a 2/5 deserved the spot on the list given the 1-2 punch of Tiny Dancer and Levon, but the rest does not reach that standard, I also felt like it needed a Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting to give a bit of more life. I liked the ending on All The Nasties so bumping it up to a 3/5 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0a9QlmXzJUA
Ahhh. This felt like 45 minutes of Tiny Dancer. Every song on this sounds the same.
Tiny Dancer is a banger
First of all, the previous auto-generated album was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I think there should be a break between Elton John albums. So the question remains, is Elton John just a hit maker, or was he known for his full albums. It seems like time and time again, we get albums that have a few hits and then the rest is a bunch of filler. Elton seems to be pretty successful at getting all his hits at the beginning of the album. I feel like we are not getting albums for the albums as a whole. Oh well, its Elton, and hard knock him for being a hit maker. If it wasn't for this list I would have never heard songs like Razor Face, Rotten Peaches, and All the Nasties. Didn't love it and didn't hate it!
It’s a really good album, but I just don’t think it’s enough to be great. The hits are like, iconic, but the rest of the album tracks are just ok. Not necessarily misses, except maybe the one about the Indians, but just “good”. But overall a good album and experience.
Kicking off with potentially his best ever song (almost feel like it should have been a closer). Rolls into Zevon (never heard before - also great), and then fades into oblivion for me even after multiple listens.
★★★½
To be honest, I found this album fairly boring. Not really bad, just not all that interesting to me. There were a few songs I liked, but really not enough there to make me consider it a particularly good album. I kept zoning out and nothing about it really did much to pull me back in. I'm not the biggest fan of Elton John or his genre, so I'm sure that played a role. I think the similarity in the style for all the songs was part of that too. I can't say there was anything there that I thought was worse than fine. Still, I'm not sure why it's something I need to hear before I die. It was more just OK to me. Overall: 2.8/5
I liked this a little more than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as it was interesting to see Elton John exploring some darker themes. However, I'm not sure it completely works - Indian Sunset in particular, whilst I'm sure was well intentioned, comes across very poorly. That said the title track and Levon were the real highlights for me.
Strong opening to this album with Tiny Dancer and Levon. I enjoy Elton John's style, and this album is full of it. I saw the album described as done in a prog rock style, and I can hear it, especially in Madman Across the Water. Second half of the album didn't do as much for me, although "All the Nasties" was decent.
This is the one with "Tiny Dancer". Madman Across the Water also features the song "Levon" which I only recognized by the chorus. Yes, you know it, and would agree it's a jam. Aside from the hits, I'm mostly unfamiliar with this album, but Elton John continues to sound like Elton John (good 👍). The performances are great, the lyricism varies ("Indian Sunset") I cannot deny the Elton John is good, but this album hasn't made me a fan.
3.5
Ergh okay. Diana (RIP) loved Elton so I guess I'll give it a bloody try. I did already know I like 'Tiny Dancer', so a fantastic opening track to an album I am a little bit apprehensive about. Madman across the Water showcases the best of Elton's piano playing, and good god is he talented. The issue I have with this album is, the lyrics are obtuse, meaningless and all round not at all compelling. HOWEVER, Elton does a fantastic job of at least making them sound the complete opposite. The whole album follows this theme, because frankly what the fuck is he banging on about. The ONLY song on this album that isn't hobbled by god awful lyricism is 'Tiny Dancer'. Easily the best song on the album and , the strings are powerful and beautiful, and an example to why Elton John was such an unstoppable force in the 70's. Sidenote, why is Jesus brought up so often in this album ? “Jesus freaks out in the street” and “He calls his child Jesus/’Cause he likes the name” and “Jesus he wants to go to Venus” and “Mercy I’m a criminal Jesus I’m the one/Rotting peaches rotting in the sun”, it feels gimmicky and just all round cheap .For me, “Tiny Dancer”, “Levon”, and “Madman Across the Water” are the only songs on the album really worth listening to. For the rest, the lyrics are so uninteresting, and even just fucking atrocious. However, I am astounded at some of the melodic wonders and breath-taking arrangements on Madman Across the Water, musically it's astounding. I did a bit of research into the album to discover (unsurprisingly), the culprit is Bernie Taupin, 'We Built This City' is just one appalling example of all round wank words spouting from that mans metaphorical pen. I wouldn't bother listening to the whole album again. 2.5/5. - HF x Elton John, whilst I know the classics including the opening track of this album, Tiny Dancer, can't say I can remember the last time I listened to a full album. Tiny Dancer speaks for itself, beautiful chord progressions backed by an orchestra of strings and the occasional sharp clean guitar licks, it all coming together for a brilliant chorus, excellent track. Tracks like Levon keep the same energy, leaning on the heavy strings section, verses building up to a big and epic chorus. Razor Face has more of a bluesy feel to it, a welcome addition to prevent the album from sounding too samesy, the addition of bluesy guitar riffs and an electric organ solo make this one of the stand out tracks for me. The albums title track takes the mixture of the strings with distorted heavy guitar cutting through adding a dark melancholy to the chord progression. The rest of the album stays consistent, following the same Elton formula, quiet beginning with the first verse used to build and build up to a large epic chorus, with the occasional drop down to just the base instruments only to pop back up to an epic finale. It's a good album, definitely worth multiple listens, however to put it simply, it's Elton John, you know exactly what you're going to get. 3.2/5 MTW One of my top 3 Elton albums (I believe I covered the other two on the by-numbers Billy Joel record) - this was the first record EJ really started to make waves as a recording artist to be taken seriously. The title track from this one is also my favourite Elton song, so I knew I was going to enjoy having another listen to this after a few years, the last time being the week I went to see the lil fella in Dublin. I find the concept of someone presenting you with lyrics they've written and putting the music to it interesting and often flawed. Whereas bands often bring lyrics to the table either through a main lyricist or as a collective, this songwriting partnership should have more of a divide in it. Taupin's lyrics range from straight forward ('Seamstress for the band' - his first wife was Elton's seamstress) to the downright mysterious throughout. But I'm more of a music & melody man so what I get out of Big Reggie D on this record is a man coming into his own as a composer. From the beautiful string arrangements on Tiny Dancer and Madman, to the hammond organ on the more bluesy-prog numbers like Razor Face and Rotten Peaches (Rick Wakeman if I'm not mistaken), it's a record of it's time but a record in which Elton really starts to strut his stuff. Not his best record, but an enjoyable revisit and a sign of things to come. 3.7/5.
This was a surprisingly enjoyable listen. It’s seems clear George Michael was raised on / influenced by Elton John as several songs the vocal styling could easily pass for later GM. Every time I listen to these albums from the 1960s and 70s I’m reminded how nice songs shaped around a story or narrative can be - reference Indian Sunset. Of course Tiny Dancer. Levon, Madman, and Indian Sunset also strong favorites. Razor Face was trash; All the Nasties also a bit trite. Solid album though. 3/5
Typical Elton John, great songs, good vocals, basic classic rock but in a pleasant way
I always thought his albums were nothing but hits. Kind of surprised me listening to the album. The hits are truly amazing but the album is just ok.
Meh. Three big hits on here. But it all sounds like a dramatic musical then a great album.
It’s so weird to me that Elton John is successful as he is. I can’t imagine hearing this and thinking it would appeal to the masses. Shows what I know. (I really like Elton John and I’m not saying he’s bad at all! I’m just saying people surprise you sometimes.)
3/5 Tiny Dancer, Razor Face, and Madman are very enjoyable, rest of the album is mid to me
Listened while cleaning. Not much to say about this one
Well written, some classics in there but not really anything super special
It's just fine. I appreciate Elton John as an all time great, and he has some fun songs, but they do nothing for me. Pleasant listening. perhaps one day I'll realise exactly what I'm missing out on.
DNF. Tiny dancer is a classic
i think elton john is more of a watch his performances instead of just listening to his music kinda guy. good album but he definitely has better ones. 3.5/5
has its highs and lows but overall quite okay
Who doesn’t love Tiny Dancer? The one problem with this record is that the best 2 songs lead off and the rest just don’t hit the same.
Quintessentially Elton
Couple of great songs in here with tiny dancer and rotten peaches, but everything else mostly melds together into one for me.
All good. Most pretty same-y. Didn’t do a whole lot for me, but the closing of “All the Nasties” caught my attention and was pretty cool. 2.7 / 5
Good stuff but not quite his best
Classic EJ but a little repetitive
As Em pointed out, the song content is a little strange with rotten peaches and razor face, but it's certainly easy listening.
Pretty strong album with a classic opener. It does get same-y though, and Indian Sunset had me rolling my eyes. Best song: Tiny Dancer
Tiny Dancer, title song, Indian Sunset are the standouts.
‘tiny dancer’ will always make me want to throw up and cry because it reminds me of that one scene in "almost famous". i think that really is the best context for elton john’s music—when it provides an opportunity for a lovely kind of camaraderie in which we can all pretend this is good music together<3 i like that he named a song after levon helm because he had a crush on him....in another world elton john was my tumblr mutual. elton you would love to read about the gay sex these people are imagining levon helm having. anyway overall this was actually fine. i’m still not an elton fan but this wasn’t unbearable. not exactly a ringing endorsement, but there you go.
This record starts with 2 fantastic tracks then slopes downward from there.
The first two singles were pretty good. The rest of the album is what I would expect from Elton John.
It had its moments
The album is pretty good, didn’t realize Elton went prog for any of his albums. This one had those elements and i can vibe with the whole thing, but the only Standout tracks personally were Tiny Dance, Levon, and goodbye. Enjoyable but not his best, but I’d listen if it was on. 3 stars seems fair
Elton not my jam, but the album is actually pretty fire.
Tiny Dancer is an obvious hit, and I even forgot how much I've liked that song. How it takes so long to get into a chorus. However, the rest of the album doesn't quite hit the high standards set by the opener. Not to say they're bad, but I don't feel interested in them, so much that I feel like I can't complete this album.
Tiny Dancer is obviously iconic. Don’t really listen to Elton much but he has some strong hits. Impactful. Most songs sound similar, but a cohesive album.
No està mal però tampoc té cap tema super memorable.
Tiny dancer and levon are great. But I gotta say...kinda sounds rhe same by the end. A bit surprising
The first half of this album is really great. The second half is fine. Tiny Dancer is a great opener. The emotions he puts into the title track are great. The ideas in Indian Sunset are interesting but the lyrics somewhat drag it down. Not quite on the same level as the behemoth that was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but still good in its own way. Favorites were Tiny Dancer, Levon, and Madman Across The Water.
3/5
Thankfully not too much of his cheesy shit on this one
I know he's legend, but this is not my cup of tea.
Easy listening, but not something I'd reach for
Hold me closer Tiny Dancer!!! Highlight of the album, by far! Rest of the songs don't live up to this standard, which is no shame :-)
No me impresionó más de lo que sabe hacer. Glam. Y a veces creo que lo que va a tocar ya lo oí, si es predecible, muy predecible, no hay sorpresas
As high as Tiny Dancer flies, Indian Sunset sinks as low. What a dumb song.
I like Elton John as much as the next guy, but let's be real with ourselves; if "Tiny Dancer" weren't on this album, would it be on this list? I think not. It's not a bad album though. "Tiny Dancer" is obviously a classic and the most notable track on the album, and the following track "Levon" is also very good. The next two tracks are a bit meh. Starting off the second side we have a cinematic ballad about the plight of the native Americans. This comes across as heartfelt but perhaps a bit tone deaf, especially when the next song begins with how nice it is to be picked up in a limo from the Boston airport on your way to the Holiday Inn. Later on side 2 we get "Rotten Peaches", which I did quite like. This one seems to be a tale of an escaped prisoner on the run lamenting his past mistakes and time wasted in the pen. This feels to be in the same vein as "Indian Sunset" to me but more successful, imo. An enjoyable listen overall with the undeniable charm and excellent talents of Sir Elton John evident throughout the album, although on no track to do they shine so much as on "Tiny Dancer". Beyond that, "Levon" and "Rotten Peaches" stand out for me. Mixed results on the rest. 6.5/10
I’m not a huge Elton John fan to be honest, but I did enjoy some of this album. Favourite track: Tiny Dancer
With one exception, I feel like Elton is more of a singles artist than a album artist however I was decently surprised by this. Nothing groundbreaking but still very enjoyable. Favorite track: Tiny Dancer 3.5/5
2.8 1x catchup 5/28
Started off pleasant enough, the rest drifted into the background until I was jolted to alertness by the lyrics to that Indian Sunset song -yikes!
Just plain ole meh, but giving a 3/5 just for Tiny Dancer
I feel really weird giving this a "mid" review, because it has a couple great songs on it, but other than "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" nothing else really gripped me. It wasn't that it was "bad" music, just didn't get the same jolt and excitement from the rest of the music. It was just "there". Worked as background music but not something that kept me focused on the songs themselves. Elton's got a fantastic voice, and is definitely one of the all-time greats, but this album as a whole just didn't pull me in the way I expected.
gostei bastante
3/5 I love Elton John, and “Tiny Dancer” is one of my favorites, but I’m not thrilled with a lot of the songs and you just know there are better albums to come.
a good listen, some classic songs.
Feels a bit like a musical soundtrack or rock opera
Nothing really stood out to me aside from Tiny Dancer and a lot of it blurred into one.
Tiny Dancer hits so hard; the rest of the album is okay.
What a start! Two instantly recognizable classics to kick things off though for me things tend to quiet down from there. Love the recording of the piano.
Not his finest, felt like it was Tiny Dancer then a bunch of worse versions of Tiny Dancer
I liked this better than the last Elton John album listened too (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) but still found it to be overproduced. A couple of the songs are great (Tiny Dancer, Levon) but after getting through those two right off the bat, it sort of feels like listening to a Disney soundtrack.
Great songwriting, great piano playing, a few major standout tracks. Overall, a pretty great album, but by the end I was getting a little tired of the whole Elton John piano ballad thing. Favourite tracks: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across Water
Not as good as I expected but decent
Very good first have the second is just alright 7/10
Jó lemez végig, ezen van a tiny dancer
Very theatrical but Elton John is so good. 3
Some great strings and production that really help some of the strongest (and most ominous) songs shine.
The bulk of these songs are meh, besides the obvious two bangers on the beginning of the album.
My First Elton John album ever! I enjoyed tracks 1, 3, 4, and 5 the most. His use of orchestral instruments is my favorite thing, I think. I admire a less traditional (if you can even say that) approach to pop. There are beautiful elements and details in a lot of the songs, specifically thinking of the little organ in Razor Face or the strings in Indian Sunset. I feel like I got a little lost in the second half, something was missing for me and I can't put my finger on what. Regardless, Elton John is an iconic name, and I can start to see why. There is grandeur behind his songs, AND he seems to be a big personality with great fashion taste. That is going to breed a powerful celebrity!
Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer; Count The Headlights On The Highway 1001 Albums Generator 22 (05/02/2025) Madman Across The Water is the fourth studio album by British pianist, singer, and songwriter Elton John. It was far from hit when it released, peaking at #41 in John's home country of the UK, although it did perform significantly better in the US, peaking at #8. Although Wikipedia repeatedly refers to this album as prog rock, I have trouble seeing it. While it does feature elements of progressive pop, I do not see much in common with this album and yesterday's album, In The Court Of The Crimson King, which is pretty much the quintessential prog rock album. Genre labels aside, I was not familiar with this album, other than the marvelous Tiny Dancer, so I was excited to get into it and listen to my first Elton John album. This album is quite top-heavy. The first two songs (which were also the two singles released before the album) are pretty much the two strongest songs here. Tiny Dancer, the opener, is obviously a classic for a reason. I love that it takes so long to get the the first chorus, going through an intro, two verses, a middle 8, and a pre-chorus before finally getting to it. This song was actually a slow-burn single, not reaching high levels of popularity right away, in part due to this strange structure and relatively long run time. Recall, this was 4 years before Queen revolutionized what a rock single could be with Bohemian Rhapsody. Anyway, Tiny Dancer exemplifies the strengths of this album: great piano playing and singing from Elton, fun soft rock slide guitar, and lush baroque orchestration. Side note: I heard a shitty remix of this song at the gym and it killed me as all the tension that builds in the original was completely vanquished. The second single, Levon, while not as strong, is much of the same. The ending of this song is just epic and feels more like the ending of an album than the second song on one. By the way, we are 11 and a half minutes in and I haven't heard a second of prog rock. Wikipedia, what are you doing? The rest of the album is not near the quality of its first two tracks. The rest of the A side is okay, with Razor Face having a bit of a tedious tempo but featuring cool organ work from the talented Rick Wakeman and an accordion solo and the title track having some interesting guitar work but not much else going for it. Indian Sunset is another interesting point in the album. Although it is also slower, it features a good structure and tells the story of an American Indian who is at war with some unnamed white European. This is by far the closest the album gets to prog, but I would still argue it's with a distinctly pop flavor. The rest of the album kind of washes over me. Nothing in the last four songs stuck out, and this is emblematic of an issue that I have with piano-led rock music in general. I play both piano and guitar (and I love both), but I think that the guitar, in general, is a more diverse instrument. This is obviously no fault of Elton John, who is able to make the piano his bitch with the best of them, but it is truly just personal preference. Madman Across The Water was my first Elton John album, and with such a strong opening, it felt like a great way to start my journey into his discography. However a lackluster second half prevents the album from greatness. 3/5. Favs: Tiny Dancer Levon Madman Across The Water Least Fav: Rotten Peaches
Good album, a bit slow at points. But proggy in the way of slow Supertramp ballads on Crime. 3.5
This was a solid album and is a good album for this list, considering Elton John's influence on pop music, as a whole. Elton John isn't exactly *my* style of music but I can appreciate the talent.
It’s like if tiny dancer was an entire album. 6/10
Who doesn't like Elton John?
It’s good have a few hits
Grandeur AND subtlety! My first time listening to an Elton John album. Loved the string arrangements. Never noticed the country-isms in Elton’s voice before.
I like Sir Elton. I didn’t think this was that great.
I am an Elton fan and I’m perplexed by this album’s inclusion. For an artist to have multiple entries, they should all be exceptional works and this one doesn’t have the qualities of a Goodbye Yellow Brick Road for me. It’s not a bad album, just not a transcendent one. Tiny Dancer and Levon are incredible songs that anybody would make lifelong careers if those were the only hit songs they had.
I gave it 3 stars due to Tiny Dancer. It says that this is his prog album but I’m not hearing much of that genre.
Great retrospective of the depth of talent Elton is
Why did I assume this was going to be a 5 star album? Good, but not 5 stars.
Started strong
Nigdy nie będę jego wielkim fanem po za kilkoma utworami
Tiny dancer has been stuck in my head since. Always makes me think of that scene in Almost Famous. Levon also stood out
Not huge on Sir Elton Hercules John, so wasn't expecting a lot from a whole album by him and his voice. It turns out I was pleasantly surprised though. It goes a bit wrong after the boring and racially clumsy 'Indian Sunset', but the first leg was great!
I've read a lot of negative reviews for this album being simply too Elton John-y. I'm not a regular listener of Elton's work either but I think the wrap this album gets doesn't lend much of any credit that it's due. While I don't think it necessarily deserves high critical acclaim for lyricism or concept, I do think it's a pretty killer track list. What I'd say it has going for it is belt-ability. If you don't sing the chorus of Tiny Dancer at top volume any time it's on, I'm thinking one of two things, you're either completely tone deaf or you're a clinical psychopath. Maybe that's just me but that tune absolutely slaps. To be fair, most critics of this album ultimately give credit to the one hit single. Credit is also due for Levon.
i don’t think he has the ability to make a bad song fav song: tiny dancer duh
It's alright! But I'm missing some of the passion and energy that Elton John is known for. It's like he's keeping his power under control.
Comparing only to yellow brick road, I think this one is slightly less good. The power ballad really needs oompf and here there is less of that. Great opener, Elton can definitely sing and play. Then there's Indian summer making a flawed if still rightfully tragic representationof the subject matter. But all throughout I was never annoyed so an ok rating it is.
Couple of good tunes but not much more. Inoffensive but not particularly interesting
I don't know why Elton doesn't fully move me. I like "Tiny Dancer" and the sound of a few others on here, like "Razor Face," "Rotten Peaches", "All the Nasties." But overall I don't feel too connected to these songs, and while I like the piano, in general I don't feel too inspired by this album.
I'm not a huge Elton John fan. I like the orchestration.
Amin my youth, I really enjoyed Elton John. That opinion has waned over the years with exposure to more music as well as natural shifts in interests. Levon will always be a jam though.
Love Elton John but this one ran out of gas quick. "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" saved this from being a two. (Would have given an extra star if the lyrics had actually included "Tony Danza".)
Agree with all of the above. A few great songs stand out…the rest just fade into the background.
A tale of two sides. Side one is great. Tiny Dancer, Levon and MMATW are head and shoulders above anything else on the album. Once they turn the corner you got a lot of stock Elton Johnisms, mediocre melodies and the worst tendencies of Bernie Taupin - what the hell is he talking about? The lyric free LA LA LAS that end Rotten Peaches are the highpoint. The great tracks lift this album but no classic this...
авторские от 71, смежные от 95 и это прикольно, т к более менее свежий звук. в остальном скучная попсовая фигня, но качественная
Another solid record. Starts strong kinda gets repetitive as it goes on.
45/1001 Much like Billy Joel, Elton John is an artist where I own his albums, understand his popularity, but only like a selection of tracks. Enough to make a decent greatest hits, but not enough to enjoy most of his albums from start to finish. This is definitely one of his best long players, maybe just behind Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, but listening to it again, I think I've worked out why Elton never really clicked for me. It's the "I just do the music, he does the lyrics" thing. He could be singing a shopping list, the end result would ultimately be the same - there's a subtle disconnect between the artist and the song that I pick up on, that makes it all seem a bit sterile and false. He's great at what he does - and who can't warm just a little bit to the likes of Tiny Dancer? - but there is always just that special something missing for me. It becomes very samey the further you delve - the arrangements lose their impact when you imagine they are all just "things bolted on to a guy sat singing at a piano" to make it more interesting rather than some grand vision which was seen through from conception to production (disclaimer: I may be wrong, but that is how it always feels to me). Decent, but ultimately a bit bland for my taste - I'm feeling generous because the sun is shining so I'll give it a three.
Just didn’t grab me.
I've always thought of Elton John as a "greatest hits" kind of artist and this album didn't dissuade me from that. It's solid, but I can't see myself coming back to this on a regular basis except to listen to Tiny Dancer and Levon.
הפקה פצצה, תזמור מדהים כן הרגשתי רפטטיביות
Has some charm have to say. Bit same-y with the song. John was clearly a pianist. Loved the bit more epic pieces. 'Indian sunset' was a facinating song. Need to learn the story behind the song if there is one. Has a good singing voice.
Tiny Dancer // Levon // Indian Sunset // All The Nasties // 3.5/5
Have on vinyl: No Rating: 8 Fav Song: Tiny Dancer Notes: Indian Sunset...did not age well
Tiny Dancer, all time great track. Great musicality throughout. Although probably not an album that would find itself in a regular rotation for me, I appreciate the quality. I never have to hear Indian Sunset again.
Decent album, love tiny dancer 6/10