Fenwick and I talk a lot offline - have for years - and he mentioned how he was a Hall & Oates fan. I took a month or maybe a bit less, and listened to their discography. For me, they really found their sound on X-static and Voices. Had some fun discussions.

He's an even bigger Elton John fan. I know Elton's 80s stuff, and a few random earlier songs ("Your Song" because of Moulin Rouge, "Rocketman" because everyone has done a parody of it, "Tiny Dancer"; etc). But I didn't know much of anything else. Had no idea what a Levon is, or cared.

But I decided to travel through John's music. So far, I've listened to:

Empty Sky (Deluxe)

Elton John (Deluxe)

Tumbleweed Connection

Madman Across The Water (remastered, but skipped the bonus tracks for now)

Honky Château (including the faster alternate take of "Slave")

So far, so good! I really enjoyed Madman, and Honky.

Empty Sky felt a bit 20-year-old in the lyrics. The lyric maturity grew with the second album.

His piano arrangements and playing improved greatly by Tumbleweed and Madman.

Any big fans of Elton?

RJOrion said:

From 1970-1976, Elton John was easily one of my favorite musicians Philadelphia Freedom Someone Saved My Life Tonight Bennie & The Jets Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Grey Seal Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting Harmony Sweet Painted Lady Candle In The Wind (1973) Daniel Crocodile Rock Rocket Man Tiny Dancer Levon Your Song Border Song Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me Pinball Wizard All The Nasties Island Girl ...i loved ALL that stuff.."Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Madman Across The Water" are his two best lps IMO.

Thanks for chiming in! I have Goodbye on vinyl just because. I've probably listened to it all the way through once. But I know it's an iconic record just from the tracklist. I think it'll have more of an impact on me in the course of his discography in general, and going through the timeline. I look foward to it.

Madman was a really good record. I was not disappointed at all. A lot of maturity in just three albums. (I skipped the soundtrack to Friends and the live album, I'm going down the Wikipedia studio albums list as my guide.) Maybe I should circle back to those bonus tracks before I move to the next album.

I really loved "Take Me To The Pilot." I love a song with a feel-good mood on it, a gospel tinged tune. He did one or two others after that, too.

I love so much of Elton's catalog, but have to admit it's mostly the more well known songs. I have tried and tried to find an interest in his albums, but something keeps me from really hooking in. I think it's partly Taupin's lyrics, which are often obtuse to the point of annoyance for me. I would love to flip whatever internal switch is sticking so I can appreciate what everybody else has loved for so long, though.

I will say that the PNAU vs. Elton John album that came out several years ago was a nice way to be led into some of Elton's lesser known tracks. That's a brilliant record that mashes up bit and pieces of various Elton tracks to create completely new songs. Highly recommend seeking it out if you haven't.

https://youtu.be/3Y-C9uT4aGQ

https://youtu.be/asf23rVKnV4

[Edited 10/20/22 12:19pm]

[Edited 10/20/22 12:21pm]

RJOrion said:

How could i forget "Dont Go Breaking My Heart"?...probably because it was a standalone single, not on any album at the time...after Philadelphia Freedom, it might be might be my 2nd favorite Elton John song

And "Philadelphia Freedom" was a non-album track, too! Not sure how I ever knew that.

I remember seeing the video for "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" back in the day at some point. Probably ended up on MTV.

kevinpnb said:

I love so much of Elton's catalog, but have to admit it's mostly the more well known songs. I have tried and tried to find an interest in his albums, but something keeps me from really hooking in.

I was mostly the same way. I knew everything, on the charts, between "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" to his The Lion King stuff. I was obsessed with "I'm Still Standing." The video was sexy, fun, and almost guerilla style shooting. Plus that cute ass Bruno Tonioli (judge on Dancing with the Stars) was featured throughout it. It was my teenage years. So Bruno probably made it into my spank bank at some point.

Maybe if you ever have it in you, start at the beginning like I am, and just give it a listen. I found my Hall and Oates journey quite enlightening, and found that Marigold Sky, Do It For Love, and Our Kind of Soul are gems.

Fenwick really loves that 70s era for Elton. His voice and musicianship were at its peak throughout.

I will say this about Taupin's lyrics: at least - AT LEAST - he's not putting out 50 poems about wanting to fuck some girl. Sure, there are songs about girls in there, but I'm finding already there's really interesting storytelling. I can now say I know who Levon is, and that his son was named Jesus, and his last name was Tostig.

When spring comes, I always play "Town of plenty". No idea why, its just so summer sounding and happy and upbeat. "Passengers" can get lodged in my brain for days

Elton is another artist much like Paul McCartney that people feel did no good albums after a certain point, in both their cases that is code word for the 80's and on. Elton has an amazing catalog, and YES there are some duds in there and he'd probably echo those words and has, for example he called "Leather jackets" from 1986-87 the worst garbage he ever did. That record was also around the time he was heavy into drugs and getting ready to break with his label but he still was on this an album a year (at least) turn around that he had been on since 1971, people talk about how quick Prince put out albums, have you seen what Elton released between 1970-1989. This period was also when he underwent removal of a non cancerous tumor from his vocal chord, which is why he longer hits those high notes or as he says sound like I am being castrated. But don't slight his post 70's stuff. There are some gems on those records, "Reg Strikes Back" has some great stuff "Breaking Hearts" is a solid album as is "Too Low For Zero" "sleeping with the past" though you may not like the "dated" production sound of some there are still some solid things. And "Songs from the West Coast" possibly is one of his best records, "Captain and the Kid" very underrated too.

He was the best song writer of the 70s until Prince beat everybody.

He's much weirder than people give him credit. Madman is about Nixon by the way.

'

The live version of Skyline Pidgeon is a must.

Really like Western Ford Gateway.

Taupin lives on a cattle ranch and is big on cowboy stuff.

Your Song his best song on second album.

First Episode at Heinten I dig.

Come Down In Time is haunting and classic.

Man do I love Madman album. Critics hate it.

Rotten Peaches, All The Nasties, Goodbye, amazing. Levon Tiny Dancer obvious classics. Beat many of Prince's top tunes.

Here's the live version of Skyline:

https://www.youtube.com/w...pBg8rKZKg, go to 140

2freaky said:

ELTON wrote 0.1% of his lyrics it was all Taupin, first of all, as Elton said his lyrics are horrible. BUT musically sorry those layers and ideas that he had, very few even come close to him musically, outside of Stevie and Billy Joel and The Beatles/George Martin no one comes close to arranging and melody.

TrivialPursuit said:

RJOrion said:

How could i forget "Dont Go Breaking My Heart"?...probably because it was a standalone single, not on any album at the time...after Philadelphia Freedom, it might be might be my 2nd favorite Elton John song

And "Philadelphia Freedom" was a non-album track, too! Not sure how I ever knew that.

I remember seeing the video for "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" back in the day at some point. Probably ended up on MTV.

Those were from the 70s--best Elton era--had 'em on 45 when I was a kid.

RJOrion said:

Elton John wasnt a better "songwriter" than Stevie Wonder...and Bernie Taupin did ALOT of Eltons "songwriting"

Well, we know Bernie is putting words in Elton's mouth, literally. They're their own McCartney/Lennon, etc. But Bernie isn't that kind of musician. Elton is. It's a team that really highlights the other's strength.

Prefer Elton a smidge more overall Stevie. Songs In The Key overrated.