Well i know some may disagree, but you honestly have to just listen to this record once and realise where it is coming from. In a week where i bought Lionel Richie and realized how old Lionel sounded trying to be young and hip, Elton seems to finally comfortable with his age and sounds young. Now to judge this record you have to remember the concept of the original and that this is a sequel and a view of where they have been. Bernie Taupin the Lyrics and Elton John the Music, are easily the greatest writing team of all time. Now i know people will say Lennon and McCartney, but their finest work was just under that title they really never worked together on stuff. Back to Elton, the best part of this cd is that it stops at 10 tracks, thats all it takes people, the reason there are no good album artists anymore is because everyone tries to fill 80 minutes, so we get 16 tracks, interludes, moaning, reprises, skits etc.., Most of the tracks on this cd clock in around 4-5 minutes long. The cd starts with a very similar "Tiny Dancer" riff on the piano, you have to pay attention to catch it, Elton does that a few times on this CD, refers to his past, a line about "Missing Lennons Laugh". With Eltons last 3 studio records Elton has cut out all that production that plagued many of his 80's records, including "Leather Jackets" which Elton calls the worst album he ever made (i agree) and 97's "The Big Picture" which Bernie calls a waste of good songs with crap overblown production. This record is Elton at his best, when he use to turn out 2-3 albums a year. But Elton said very bluntly recently that he knows he had some bad albums in the 80's but "If u plant alot, you are going to get some weeds and not always roses", he also said many of his contemporaries have put out shit too now and then. The best thing about this record has to be the fact that its just Elton and the Piano and his band jamming from time to time, the way it was in the 70's. Sure the Voice is deeper, and the man is older, but at least he knows his age and where he is at, the album leans towards country gospel at times, sometimes slow but not ballady, and then sometimes jamming with band, like on "Just like Noahs Ark". The imagery of Taupins writing has never sounded fresher, and the only odd thing is that in the Lyrics book (great photos from the last 35 years) there are 2 songs at the end, "Across the River Thames" and "12", all lyrics written, choruses highlighted the whole deal, and then on the bottom of the next page it says "these songs do not appear on the album", leaving you to wonder where they will turn up. So as the year comes close to ending, Elton puts out a winner for me, and as of right now my favorite CD in a year where i have been let down quite alot.

i like it very much. including the bonus track "Across The River Thames." the whole thing has a spark of energy that was lacking on Peachtree Road.

lastdecember said:

I completely agree. Show me an album over 45 or 50 minutes and I'll show you some filler. Double albums get a pass, unless they're over 80-90 minutes, and even then, a total of half a disc is going to still be filler.

lastdecember said:

Across the River Thames is a bonus track on some editions. I believe it's on the Barnes & Noble version of the US release. "12" I believe, does not exist as a song. it is a similar case to Captain Fantastic printing the lyrics to "Dogs In The Kitchen" even though there is no actual track. it's a leftover lyric.

Tessa said:

Its so true and i never realized how insane it is to have a 80 minute record 18 tracks, i mean i really cannot handle that from any artist, and today it seems to be the norm, which is why so many new artists/albums are pretty bad. They are forced into putting in all these tracks, thats the reason so many of them sound the same.

Elton also spoke to this issue on the LENO show the other night, Jay basically asked him about the fact that he didnt own a Cell-phone, computer or an ipod. Elton basically said he wasnt against that stuff, but as far as ipods, it just seemed like everyone wants one song or a soundbyte, he still likes going to the record store and buying the whole thing and see what an artist has to say, but, like he said, sometimes they say too much cause cds are too long. And elton i think more than any artist out there, is totally up to date on whats going on, he goes to the record store every tuesday and buys every new release that he is interested in, plus reissues, and those of you who have seen his documentary and saw his music room which is wall to wall cds, he basically takes about 100 with him when he travels, to keep up to date on his industry.

Tessa said:

Alot of people felt Peachtree was a let down after Songs From the West Coast, i think it seemed to be Elton doing his best to recapture "Tumbleweed Connections" feel but at the same time staying on the "West Coast" path that worked so well, so the album seemed to be a little of both. With this record i see him totally focused on making a record the way they made Captain Fantastic, very little production, recording very fast and not doing too many takes. Obviously times have changed, i think thats what people sometimes can get a grip on, Elton of 1972 is alot different to Elton of 2006, i think sometimes we dont stop to realize that they grow up just like we do.